Latest / Pride and Prejudice | Audiobook / Chapter XXIX

Transcript

Chapter XXIX · Pride and Prejudice | Audiobook

0:00
Speaker 1: Chapter 29. Mr. Collins's triumph, in consequence of this invitation,
0:07
Speaker 1: was complete. The power of displaying, the grandeur of his
0:13
Speaker 1: patroness to his wandering visitors, and of letting them see
0:16
Speaker 1: her civility towards himself and his wife, was exactly what
0:21
Speaker 1: he had wished for, and that an opportunity of doing
0:25
Speaker 1: it should be given so soon as was such an
0:28
Speaker 1: instance of Lady Catherine's condescension as he knew not how
0:33
Speaker 1: to admire enough. I confess, said he, that I should
0:39
Speaker 1: not have been at all surprised by her ladyship's asking
0:41
Speaker 1: us on Sunday to drink tea and spend the evening
0:44
Speaker 1: at Rosings. I rather expected, from my knowledge of her affability,
0:51
Speaker 1: that it would happen. But who could have foreseen such
0:55
Speaker 1: an attention as this? Who could have imagined that we
0:59
Speaker 1: should receive an invitation to dine there? An invitation, moreover,
1:05
Speaker 1: including the whole party, so immediately after your arrival. I
1:12
Speaker 1: am the less surprised at what has happened, replied Sir William,
1:16
Speaker 1: from that knowledge of what the manners of the great
1:19
Speaker 1: really are, which my situation in life has allowed me
1:23
Speaker 1: to acquire. About the court... Such instances of elegant breeding
1:29
Speaker 1: are not uncommon. Scarcely anything was talked of the whole
1:34
Speaker 1: day or next morning but their visit to Rosings. Mr
1:40
Speaker 1: Collins was carefully instructing them in what they were to expect,
1:44
Speaker 1: that the sight of such rooms, so many servants, and
1:49
Speaker 1: so splendid a dinner might not wholly overpower them. When
1:54
Speaker 1: the ladies were separating for the toilette, He said to Elizabeth,
1:59
Speaker 1: Do not make yourself uneasy, my dear cousin, about your apparel.
2:05
Speaker 1: Lady Catherine is far from requiring that elegance of dress
2:09
Speaker 1: in us, which becomes herself and daughter. I would advise
2:15
Speaker 1: you merely to put on whatever of your clothes is
2:19
Speaker 1: superior to the rest. There is no occasion for anything more.
2:24
Speaker 1: Lady Catherine will not think the worse of you for
2:27
Speaker 1: being simply dressed. She likes to have the distinction of
2:32
Speaker 1: rank preserved. While they were dressing, he came two or
2:38
Speaker 1: three times to their different doors to recommend their being quick,
2:43
Speaker 1: as Lady Catherine very much objected to be kept waiting
2:47
Speaker 1: for her dinner. Such formidable accounts of her ladyship and
2:52
Speaker 1: her manner of living quite frightened Maria Lucas, who had
2:57
Speaker 1: been little used to company, and she looked forward to
3:01
Speaker 1: her introduction at Rosings with as much apprehension as her
3:06
Speaker 1: father had done to his presentation at St James's. As
3:11
Speaker 1: the weather was fine, they had a pleasant walk of
3:14
Speaker 1: about half a mile across the park. Every park has
3:18
Speaker 1: its beauty and its prospects, and Elizabeth, saw much to
3:23
Speaker 1: be pleased with, though she could not be in such
3:27
Speaker 1: raptures as Mr Collins expected the scene to inspire, and
3:32
Speaker 1: was but slightly affected by his enumeration of the windows
3:36
Speaker 1: in front of the house and his relation of what
3:39
Speaker 1: the glazing altogether had originally cost Sir Louis de Bourgh.
3:45
Speaker 1: When they ascended the steps to the hall, Maria's alarm
3:49
Speaker 1: was every moment increasing. And even Sir William did not
3:53
Speaker 1: look perfectly calm. Elizabeth's courage did not fail her. She
3:58
Speaker 1: had heard nothing of Lady Catherine that spoke her awful
4:02
Speaker 1: from any extraordinary talents or miraculous virtue, and the mere
4:07
Speaker 1: stateliness of money and rank she thought she could witness
4:11
Speaker 1: without trepidation. From the entrance hall, of which Mr Collins
4:17
Speaker 1: pointed out with a rapturous air, the fine proportion and
4:22
Speaker 1: finished ornaments, they followed the servants through an antechamber to
4:27
Speaker 1: the room where Lady Catherine, her daughter, and Mrs. Jenkinson
4:32
Speaker 1: were sitting. Her ladyship, with great condescension, arose to receive them,
4:41
Speaker 1: and as Mrs. Collins had settled it with her husband
4:44
Speaker 1: that the office of introduction should be hers, it was
4:48
Speaker 1: performed in a proper manner. without any of those apologies
4:52
Speaker 1: and thanks which he would have thought necessary. In spite
4:57
Speaker 1: of having been at St James's, Sir William was so
5:01
Speaker 1: completely awed by the grandeur surrounding him that he had
5:06
Speaker 1: but just courage enough to make a very low bow
5:10
Speaker 1: and take his seat without saying a word, and his daughter,
5:15
Speaker 1: frightened almost out of her senses, sat on the edge
5:19
Speaker 1: of her chair, not knowing which way to look. Elizabeth
5:23
Speaker 1: found herself quite equal to the scene and could observe
5:27
Speaker 1: the three ladies before her composedly. Lady Catherine was a tall,
5:33
Speaker 1: large woman with strongly marked features, which might once have
5:38
Speaker 1: been handsome. Her air was not conciliating, nor was her
5:43
Speaker 1: manner of receiving them such as to make her visitors
5:46
Speaker 1: forget their inferior rank. she was not rendered formidable by silence.
5:53
Speaker 1: But whatever she said was spoken in so authoritative a
5:58
Speaker 1: tone as marked her self-importance and brought Mr. Wickham immediately
6:03
Speaker 1: to Elizabeth's mind. And, from the observation of the day altogether,
6:10
Speaker 1: she believed Lady Catherine to be exactly what he had represented.
6:18
Speaker 1: When After examining the mother, in whose countenance and deportment
6:23
Speaker 1: she soon found some resemblance of Mr. Darcy, she turned
6:28
Speaker 1: her eyes on the daughter. She could almost have joined
6:31
Speaker 1: in Maria's astonishment at her being so thin and so small.
6:37
Speaker 1: There was neither in figure nor face any likeness between
6:41
Speaker 1: the ladies. Mr. Berg was pale and sickly. Her features,
6:46
Speaker 1: though not plain, were insignificant. and she spoke very little,
6:51
Speaker 1: except in a low voice, to Mrs. Jenkinson, in whose
6:56
Speaker 1: appearance there was nothing remarkable, and who was entirely engaged
7:01
Speaker 1: in listening to what she said, and placing a screen
7:05
Speaker 1: in the proper direction before her eyes. After sitting a
7:10
Speaker 1: few minutes, they were all sent to one of the
7:13
Speaker 1: windows to admire the view, Mr. Collins attending them to
7:18
Speaker 1: point out its beauties, and Lady Catherine kindly informing them
7:24
Speaker 1: that it was much better worth looking at in the summer.
7:28
Speaker 1: The dinner was exceedingly handsome, and there were all the servants,
7:33
Speaker 1: and all the articles of plate which Mr Collins had promised, and,
7:38
Speaker 1: as he had likewise foretold, he took his seat at
7:43
Speaker 1: the bottom of the table by her ladyship's desire. and
7:47
Speaker 1: looked as if he felt that life could furnish nothing greater.
7:52
Speaker 1: He carved and ate and praised with delighted alacrity, and
7:56
Speaker 1: every dish was commended first by him and then by
8:00
Speaker 1: Sir William, who was now enough recovered to echo whatever
8:04
Speaker 1: his son-in-law said, in a manner which Elizabeth wondered Lady
8:09
Speaker 1: Catherine could bear. But Lady Catherine seemed gratified by their
8:15
Speaker 1: excessive admiration and gave most gracious smiles, especially when any
8:22
Speaker 1: dish on the table proved a novelty to them. The
8:26
Speaker 1: party did not supply much conversation. Elizabeth was ready to
8:31
Speaker 1: speak whenever there was an opening, but she was seated
8:35
Speaker 1: between Charlotte and Mr Borg, the former of whom was
8:39
Speaker 1: engaged in listening to Lady Catherine and the latter said
8:44
Speaker 1: not a word to her all the dinner time. Mrs.
8:48
Speaker 1: Jenkinson was chiefly employed in watching how little Mr. Bourg ate,
8:53
Speaker 1: pressing her to try some other dish and fearing she
8:57
Speaker 1: was indisposed. Maria thought speaking out of the question, and
9:03
Speaker 1: the gentleman did nothing but eat and admire. When the
9:09
Speaker 1: ladies returned to the drawing-room, There was little to be
9:12
Speaker 1: done but to hear Lady Catherine talk, which she did
9:16
Speaker 1: without any intermission till coffee came in, delivering her opinion
9:22
Speaker 1: on every subject in so decisive a manner as proved
9:26
Speaker 1: that she was not used to have her judgment controverted.
9:31
Speaker 1: She inquired into Charlotte's domestic concerns familiarly and minutely, and
9:37
Speaker 1: gave her a great deal of advice as to the
9:40
Speaker 1: management of them all. told her how everything ought to
9:44
Speaker 1: be regulated in so small a family as hers, and
9:48
Speaker 1: instructed her as to the care of her cows and
9:51
Speaker 1: her poultry. Elizabeth found that nothing was beneath this great
9:57
Speaker 1: lady's attention which could furnish her with an occasion for
10:01
Speaker 1: dictating to others. In the intervals of her discourse with
10:06
Speaker 1: Mrs Collins, she addressed a variety of questions to Maria
10:11
Speaker 1: and Elizabeth, but especially to the latter, of whose connections
10:17
Speaker 1: she knew the least, and who, she observed to Mrs Collins,
10:22
Speaker 1: was a very genteel, pretty kind of girl. She asked
10:26
Speaker 1: her at different times how many sisters she had, whether
10:30
Speaker 1: they were older or younger than herself, whether any of
10:34
Speaker 1: them were likely to be married, whether they were handsome,
10:39
Speaker 1: where they had been educated, what carriage her father kept,
10:44
Speaker 1: and what had been her mother's maiden name. Elizabeth felt
10:48
Speaker 1: all the impertinence of her questions, but answered them very composedly.
10:54
Speaker 1: Lady Catherine then observed,' Your father's estate is entailed on Mr. Collins,
11:00
Speaker 1: I think. For your sake,' turning to Charlotte,' I am
11:05
Speaker 1: glad of it, but otherwise I see no occasion for
11:09
Speaker 1: entailing estates from the female line. It was not thought
11:13
Speaker 1: necessary in Sir Louis de Bourgh's family.' Do you play
11:17
Speaker 1: and sing, Miss Bennet? A little. Oh, then, sometime or
11:23
Speaker 1: other we shall be happy to hear you. Our instrument
11:27
Speaker 1: is a capital one, probably superior to You Shall Try
11:31
Speaker 1: It Someday. Do your sisters play and sing? One of
11:35
Speaker 1: them does. Why did not you all learn? You ought
11:39
Speaker 1: all to have learned. The Miss Webs all play, and
11:43
Speaker 1: their father has not so good an income as yours.
11:46
Speaker 1: Do you draw? No, not at all. What, none of you?
11:52
Speaker 1: Not one. That is very strange, but I suppose you
11:57
Speaker 1: had no opportunity. Your mother should have taken you to
12:00
Speaker 1: town every spring for the benefit of masters. My mother
12:05
Speaker 1: would have no objection, but my father hates London. Has
12:11
Speaker 1: your governess left you? We never had any governess. No governess?
12:18
Speaker 1: How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home
12:22
Speaker 1: without a governess? I never heard of such a thing.
12:26
Speaker 1: Your mother must have been quite a slave to your education.
12:31
Speaker 1: Elizabeth could hardly help smiling, as she assured her that
12:34
Speaker 1: had not been the case. Then who taught you? Who
12:39
Speaker 1: attended to you? Without a governess, you must have been neglected.
12:47
Speaker 1: Compared with some families, I believe we were. But such
12:52
Speaker 1: of us as wished to learn never wanted the means.
12:56
Speaker 1: We were always encouraged to read, and had all the
12:59
Speaker 1: masters that were necessary. Those who chose to be idle
13:03
Speaker 1: certainly might. Aye, no doubt. But that is what a
13:09
Speaker 1: governess will prevent. And if I had known your mother...
13:14
Speaker 1: I should have advised her most strenuously to engage one.
13:19
Speaker 1: I always say that nothing is to be done in
13:21
Speaker 1: education without steady and regular instruction, and nobody but a
13:26
Speaker 1: governess can give it. It is wonderful how many families
13:31
Speaker 1: I have been the means of supplying in that way.
13:35
Speaker 1: I am always glad to get a young person well
13:37
Speaker 1: placed out. Four nieces of Mrs. Jenkinson are most delightfully
13:43
Speaker 1: situated through my means. And it was but the other
13:47
Speaker 1: day that I recommended another young person, who was merely
13:52
Speaker 1: accidentally mentioned to me, and the family are quite delighted
13:56
Speaker 1: with her. Mrs Collins, did I tell you of Lady
14:00
Speaker 1: Metcalfe's calling yesterday to thank me? She finds Miss Pope
14:04
Speaker 1: a treasure. Lady Catherine, said she, you have given me
14:09
Speaker 1: a treasure. Are any of your younger sisters out, Miss Bennet? Yes, ma'am, all. All? What,
14:18
Speaker 1: all five out at once? Very odd. And you only
14:22
Speaker 1: the second. The younger ones out before the elder are married.
14:27
Speaker 1: Your younger sisters must be very young. Yes, my youngest
14:31
Speaker 1: is not sixteen. Perhaps she is full young to be
14:34
Speaker 1: much in company. But really, ma'am, I think it would
14:39
Speaker 1: be very hard upon younger sisters that they should not
14:42
Speaker 1: have their share of society and amusement, because the elder
14:47
Speaker 1: may not have the means or inclination to marry early.
14:52
Speaker 1: The lastborn has as good a right to the pleasures
14:55
Speaker 1: of youth as the first, and to be kept back
14:59
Speaker 1: on such a motive, I think it would not be
15:02
Speaker 1: very likely to promote sisterly affection or delicacy of mind.
15:08
Speaker 1: Upon my word, said her ladyship, you give your opinion
15:12
Speaker 1: very decidedly for so young a person. Pray, what is
15:17
Speaker 1: your age? With three younger sisters grown up, replied Elizabeth, smiling,
15:23
Speaker 1: your ladyship can hardly expect me to own it. Lady
15:28
Speaker 1: Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer.
15:34
Speaker 1: And Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who
15:38
Speaker 1: had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence.
15:43
Speaker 1: You cannot be more than twenty, I am sure. Therefore
15:47
Speaker 1: you need not conceal your age. I am not one
15:51
Speaker 1: and twenty. When the gentlemen had joined them, and tea
15:56
Speaker 1: was over, the card tables were placed. Lady Catherine, Sir William,
16:01
Speaker 1: and Mr and Mrs Collins sat down to quadrille. And
16:06
Speaker 1: as Miss de Bourgh chose to play at Casino, the
16:09
Speaker 1: two girls had the honour of assisting Mrs. Jenkinson to
16:13
Speaker 1: make up her party. Their table was superlatively stupid. Scarcely
16:20
Speaker 1: a syllable was uttered that did not relate to the game,
16:25
Speaker 1: except when Mrs. Jenkinson expressed her fears of Miss de
16:29
Speaker 1: Bourgh's being too hot or too cold or having too
16:33
Speaker 1: much or too little light. a great deal more passed
16:38
Speaker 1: at the other table. Lady Catherine was generally speaking, stating
16:44
Speaker 1: the mistakes of the three others, or relating some anecdote
16:48
Speaker 1: of herself. Mr Collins was employed in agreeing to everything
16:53
Speaker 1: her ladyship said, thanking her for every fish he won,
16:58
Speaker 1: and apologising if he thought he won too many. Sir
17:03
Speaker 1: William did not say much. He was storing his memory
17:07
Speaker 1: with anecdotes and noble names. When Lady Catherine and her
17:12
Speaker 1: daughter had played as long as they chose, the tables
17:16
Speaker 1: were broken up, the carriage was offered to Mrs Collins,
17:20
Speaker 1: gratefully accepted and immediately ordered. The party then gathered round
17:27
Speaker 1: the fire to hear Lady Catherine determine what weather they
17:31
Speaker 1: were to have on the morrow. From these instructions, they
17:36
Speaker 1: were summoned by the arrival of the coach, and with
17:40
Speaker 1: many speeches of thankfulness on Mr Collins's side, and as
17:45
Speaker 1: many bows on Sir William's, they departed. As soon as
17:50
Speaker 1: they had driven from the door, Elizabeth was called on
17:54
Speaker 1: by her cousin to give her opinion of all that
17:57
Speaker 1: she had seen at Rosings, which, for Charlotte's sake, she
18:02
Speaker 1: made more favourable than it really was. But her commendation,
18:08
Speaker 1: though costing her some trouble, could by no means satisfy Mr. Collins,
18:14
Speaker 1: and he was very soon obliged to take her ladyship's
18:18
Speaker 1: praise into his own hands.