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Chapter XXVI · Pride and Prejudice | Audiobook

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  Speaker 1: Chapter 26 Mrs Gardiner's caution to Elizabeth was punctually and
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  Speaker 1: kindly given on the first favourable opportunity of speaking to
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  Speaker 1: her alone. After honestly telling her what she thought, she
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  Speaker 1: thus went on, You are too sensible a girl, Lizzie,
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  Speaker 1: to fall in love merely because you are warned against it,
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  Speaker 1: and therefore I am not afraid of speaking openly. Seriously,
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  Speaker 1: I would have you be on your guard. Do not
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  Speaker 1: involve yourself, or endeavour to involve him, in an affection
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  Speaker 1: which the want of fortune would make so very imprudent.
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  Speaker 1: I have nothing to say against him. He is a
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  Speaker 1: most interesting young man, and if he had the fortune
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  Speaker 1: he ought to have, I should think you could not
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  Speaker 1: do better. But as it is... You must not let
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  Speaker 1: your fancy run away with you. You have sense, and
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  Speaker 1: we all expect you to use it. Your father would
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  Speaker 1: depend on your resolution and good conduct, I am sure.
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  Speaker 1: You must not disappoint your father. My dear aunt, this
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  Speaker 1: is being serious indeed. Yes, and I hope to engage
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  Speaker 1: you to be serious likewise. Well then, you need not
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  Speaker 1: be under any alarm. I will take care of myself.
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  Speaker 1: And of Mr. Wickham, too. He shall not be in
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  Speaker 1: love with me if I can prevent it. Elizabeth, you
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  Speaker 1: are not serious now. I beg your pardon. I will
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  Speaker 1: try again. At present, I am not in love with Mr. Wickham. No,
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  Speaker 1: I certainly am not. But he is, beyond all comparison,
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  Speaker 1: the most agreeable man I ever saw. And if he
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  Speaker 1: becomes really attached to me, I believe it will be
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  Speaker 1: better that he should not. I see the imprudence of it. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: that abominable Mr. Darcy! My father's opinion of me does
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  Speaker 1: me the greatest honour, and I should be miserable to
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  Speaker 1: forfeit it. My father, however, is partial to Mr. Wickham.
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  Speaker 1: In short, my dear aunt, I should be very sorry
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  Speaker 1: to be the means of making any of you unhappy,
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  Speaker 1: but since we see every day that where there is affection,
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  Speaker 1: young people are seldom withheld, by immediate want of fortune,
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  Speaker 1: from entering into engagements with each other. How can I
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  Speaker 1: promise to be wiser than so many of my fellow creatures,
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  Speaker 1: if I am tempted? Or how am I even to
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  Speaker 1: know that it would be wiser to resist? All that
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  Speaker 1: I can promise you, therefore, is not to be in
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  Speaker 1: a hurry. I will not be in a hurry to
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  Speaker 1: believe myself his first object. When I am in company
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  Speaker 1: with him, I will not be wishing. In short, I
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  Speaker 1: will do my best. Perhaps it will be as well,
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  Speaker 1: if you discourage his coming here so very often. At
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  Speaker 1: least you should not remind your mother of inviting him.
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  Speaker 1: As I did the other day, said Elizabeth, with a
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  Speaker 1: conscious smile. Very true. It will be wise in me
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  Speaker 1: to refrain from that. but do not imagine that he
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  Speaker 1: is always here so often. It is on your account
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  Speaker 1: that he has been so frequently invited this week. You
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  Speaker 1: know my mother's ideas as to the necessity of constant
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  Speaker 1: company for her friends. But really, and upon my honour,
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  Speaker 1: I will try to do what I think to be wisest,
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  Speaker 1: and now I hope you are satisfied. Her aunt assured
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  Speaker 1: her that she was, and Elizabeth, Having thanked her for
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  Speaker 1: the kindness of her hints, they parted. A wonderful instance
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  Speaker 1: of advice being given on such a point without being resented.
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  Speaker 1: Mr Collins returned into Hertfordshire soon after it had been
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  Speaker 1: quitted by the Gardeners and Jane. But, as he took
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  Speaker 1: up his abode with the Lucases, his arrival was no
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  Speaker 1: great inconvenience to Mrs Bennet. His marriage was now fast approaching,
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  Speaker 1: and she was at length so far resigned as to
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  Speaker 1: think it inevitable, and even repeatedly to say, in an
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  Speaker 1: ill-natured tone, that she wished they might be happy. Thursday
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  Speaker 1: was to be the wedding day, and on Wednesday Miss
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  Speaker 1: Lucas paid her farewell visit, and when she rose to
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  Speaker 1: take leave, Elizabeth... ashamed of her mother's ungracious and reluctant
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  Speaker 1: good wishes and sincerely affected herself, accompanied her out of
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  Speaker 1: the room. As they went downstairs together, Charlotte said, I
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  Speaker 1: shall depend on hearing from you very often, Eliza. That
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  Speaker 1: you certainly shall. And I have another favour to ask.
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  Speaker 1: Will you come and see me? We shall often meet,
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  Speaker 1: I hope, in Hertfordshire. I am not likely to leave
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  Speaker 1: Kent for some time. Promise me, therefore, to come to Hunsford.
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth could not refuse, though she foresaw little pleasure in
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  Speaker 1: the visit. My father and Maria are to come to
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  Speaker 1: me in March, added Charlotte, and I hope you will
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  Speaker 1: consent to be of the party. Indeed, Eliza, you will
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  Speaker 1: be as welcome to me as either of them. The
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  Speaker 1: wedding took place. The bride and bridegroom set off for
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  Speaker 1: Kent from the church door, and everybody had as much
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  Speaker 1: to say or to hear on the subject as usual.
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth soon heard from her friend, and their correspondence was
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  Speaker 1: as regular and frequent as it ever had been. That
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  Speaker 1: it should be equally unreserved was impossible. Elizabeth could never
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  Speaker 1: address her without feeling that all the comfort of intimacy
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  Speaker 1: was And though determined not to slacken as a correspondent,
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  Speaker 1: it was for the sake of what had been rather
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  Speaker 1: than what was. Charlotte's first letters were received with a
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  Speaker 1: good deal of eagerness. There could not but be curiosity
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  Speaker 1: to know how she would speak of her new home,
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  Speaker 1: how she would like Lady Catherine, and how happy she
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  Speaker 1: would dare pronounce herself to be. Though, when the letters
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  Speaker 1: were read, Elizabeth felt that Charlotte expressed herself on every
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  Speaker 1: point exactly as she might have foreseen. She wrote cheerfully,
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  Speaker 1: seemed surrounded with comforts, and mentioned nothing which she could
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  Speaker 1: not praise. The house, furniture, neighbourhood and roads were all
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  Speaker 1: to her taste, and Lady Catherine's behaviour was most friendly
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  Speaker 1: and obliging. it was Mr Collins's picture of Hunsford, and
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  Speaker 1: Rosings rationally softened, and Elizabeth perceived that she must wait
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  Speaker 1: for her own visit there to know the rest. Jane
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  Speaker 1: had already written a few lines to her sister to
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  Speaker 1: announce their safe arrival in London, and when she wrote again,
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth hoped it would be in her power to say
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  Speaker 1: something of the Bingleys. Her impatience for this second letter
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  Speaker 1: was as well rewarded as impatience generally is. Jane had
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  Speaker 1: been a week in town, without either seeing or hearing
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  Speaker 1: from Caroline. She accounted for it, however, by supposing that
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  Speaker 1: her last letter to her friend from Longbourn had by
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  Speaker 1: some accident been lost. My aunt, she continued, is going
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  Speaker 1: tomorrow into that part of the town, and I shall
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  Speaker 1: take the opportunity of calling in Grosvenor Street. She wrote again,
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  Speaker 1: when the visit was paid, and she had seen Miss Bingley.
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  Speaker 1: I did not think Caroline in spirits, were her words,
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  Speaker 1: but she was very glad to see me, and reproached
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  Speaker 1: me for giving her no notice of my coming to London.
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  Speaker 1: I was right, therefore. My last letter had never reached her.
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  Speaker 1: I inquired after their brother, of course. He was well,
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  Speaker 1: but so much engaged with Mr. Darcy... that they scarcely
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  Speaker 1: ever saw him. I found that Miss Darcy was expected
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  Speaker 1: to dinner. I wish I could see her. My visit
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  Speaker 1: was not long, as Caroline and Mrs Hurst were going out.
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  Speaker 1: I dare say I shall soon see them here. Elizabeth
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  Speaker 1: shook her head over this letter. It convinced her that
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  Speaker 1: accident only could discover to Mr Bingley her sister's being
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  Speaker 1: in town. Four weeks passed away and Jane saw nothing
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  Speaker 1: of him. She endeavoured to persuade herself that she did
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  Speaker 1: not regret it, but she could no longer be blind
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  Speaker 1: to Miss Bingley's inattention. After waiting at home every morning
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  Speaker 1: for a fortnight and inventing every evening a fresh excuse
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  Speaker 1: for her, the visitor did at last appear. But the
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  Speaker 1: shortness of her stay, and yet more, the alteration of
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  Speaker 1: her manner would allow Jane to deceive herself no longer.
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  Speaker 1: The letter which she wrote on this occasion to her
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  Speaker 1: sister will prove what she felt. My dearest Lizzie will,
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  Speaker 1: I am sure, be incapable of triumphing in her better judgment,
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  Speaker 1: at my expense, when I confess myself to have been
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  Speaker 1: entirely deceived in Miss Bingley's regard for me. But, my
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  Speaker 1: dear sister, though the event has proved you right— Do
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  Speaker 1: not think me obstinate if I still assert that, considering
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  Speaker 1: what her behaviour was, my confidence was as natural as
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  Speaker 1: your suspicion. I do not at all comprehend her reason
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  Speaker 1: for wishing to be intimate with me. But, if the
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  Speaker 1: same circumstances were to happen again, I am sure I
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  Speaker 1: should be deceived again. Caroline did not return my visit
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  Speaker 1: till yesterday, and not a note, not a line, did
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  Speaker 1: I receive in the meantime. When she did come, it
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  Speaker 1: was very evident that she had no pleasure in it.
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  Speaker 1: She made a slight, formal apology for not calling before,
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  Speaker 1: said not a word of wishing to see me again,
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  Speaker 1: and was, in every respect, so altered a creature that
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  Speaker 1: when she went away I was perfectly resolved to continue
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  Speaker 1: the acquaintance no longer. I pity, though I cannot help
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  Speaker 1: blaming her she was very wrong in singling me out
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  Speaker 1: as she did. I can safely say that every advance
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  Speaker 1: to intimacy began on her side. But I pity her,
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  Speaker 1: because she must feel that she has been acting wrong,
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  Speaker 1: and because I am very sure that anxiety for her
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  Speaker 1: brother is the cause of it. I need not explain
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  Speaker 1: myself farther, and though we know this anxiety to be
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  Speaker 1: quite needless, yet if she feels it, it will easily
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  Speaker 1: account for her behaviour to me. And so deservedly dear
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  Speaker 1: as he is to his sister, whatever anxiety she may
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  Speaker 1: feel on his behalf is natural and amiable. I cannot
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  Speaker 1: but wonder, however, at her having any such fears now,
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  Speaker 1: because if he had at all cared about me, we
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  Speaker 1: must have met long, long ago. He knows of my
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  Speaker 1: being in town, I am certain, from something she said herself.
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  Speaker 1: And yet, it would seem, by her manner of talking,
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  Speaker 1: as if she wanted to persuade herself that he is
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  Speaker 1: really partial to Miss Darcy. I cannot understand it. If
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  Speaker 1: I were not afraid of judging harshly, I should be
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  Speaker 1: almost tempted to say that there is a strong appearance
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  Speaker 1: of duplicity in all this. I will endeavour to banish
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  Speaker 1: every painful thought... and think only of what will make
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  Speaker 1: me happy, your affection, and the invariable kindness of my
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  Speaker 1: dear uncle and aunt. Let me hear from you very soon.
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  Speaker 1: Miss Bingley said something of his never returning to Netherfield again,
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  Speaker 1: of giving up the house, but not with any certainty.
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  Speaker 1: We had better not mention it. I am extremely glad
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  Speaker 1: that you have such pleasant accounts from our friends at Hunsford.
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  Speaker 1: Pray go to see them with Sir William and Maria.
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  Speaker 1: I am sure you will be very comfortable there. Yours, etc.
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  Speaker 1: This letter gave Elizabeth some pain, but her spirits returned,
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  Speaker 1: as she considered that Jane would no longer be duped,
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  Speaker 1: by the sister at least. All expectation from the brother
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  Speaker 1: was now absolutely over. She would not even wish for
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  Speaker 1: any renewal of his attentions. His character sunk on every
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  Speaker 1: review of it, and, as a punishment for him, as
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  Speaker 1: well as a possible advantage to Jane, she seriously hoped
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  Speaker 1: he might really soon marry Mr Darcy's sister, as, by
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  Speaker 1: Wickham's account, she would make him abundantly regret what he
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  Speaker 1: had thrown away. Mrs Gardner about this time reminded Elizabeth
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  Speaker 1: of her promise concerning that gentleman, and required information, and
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth had such to send as might rather give contentment
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  Speaker 1: to her aunt than to herself. His apparent partiality had subsided,
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  Speaker 1: his attentions were over, he was the admirer of someone else.
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth was watchful enough to see it all, but she
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  Speaker 1: could see it and write of it without material pain.
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  Speaker 1: Her heart had been but slightly touched, and her vanity
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  Speaker 1: was satisfied with believing that she would have been his
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  Speaker 1: only choice, had fortune permitted it. The sudden acquisition of
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  Speaker 1: ten thousand pounds was the most remarkable charm of the
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  Speaker 1: young lady to whom he was now rendering himself agreeable.
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  Speaker 1: But Elizabeth less clear-sighted perhaps in this case than in Charlotte's,
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  Speaker 1: did not quarrel with him for his wish of independence. Nothing,
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  Speaker 1: on the contrary, could be more natural, and, while able
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  Speaker 1: to suppose that it cost him a few struggles to
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  Speaker 1: relinquish her, she was ready to allow it a wise
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  Speaker 1: and desirable measure for both, and could very sincerely wish
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  Speaker 1: him happy. All this, was acknowledged to Mrs Gardner, and,
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  Speaker 1: after relating the circumstances, she thus went on. I am
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  Speaker 1: now convinced, my dear aunt, that I have never been
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  Speaker 1: much in love, for had I really experienced that pure
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  Speaker 1: and elevating passion, I should at present detest his very name,
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  Speaker 1: and wish him all manner of evil. But my feelings
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  Speaker 1: are not only cordial towards him, they are even impartial
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  Speaker 1: towards Miss King. I cannot find out that I hate
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  Speaker 1: her at all, or that I am in the least
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  Speaker 1: unwilling to think her a very good sort of girl.
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  Speaker 1: There can be no love in all this. My watchfulness
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  Speaker 1: has been effectual, and though I should certainly be a
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  Speaker 1: more interesting object to all my acquaintance, were I distractedly
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  Speaker 1: in love with him, I cannot say that I regret
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  Speaker 1: my comparative insignificance. Importance may sometimes be purchased too dearly.
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  Speaker 1: Kitty and Lydia take his defection much more to heart
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  Speaker 1: than I do. They are young in the ways of
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  Speaker 1: the world, and not yet open to the mortifying conviction
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  Speaker 1: that handsome young men must have something to live on
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  Speaker 1: as well as the plain.