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Chapter XIX · Pride and Prejudice | Audiobook

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  Speaker 1: Chapter 19 The next day opened a new scene at Longbourn.
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  Speaker 1: Mr Collins made his declaration in form. Having resolved to
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  Speaker 1: do it without loss of time, as his leave of
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  Speaker 1: absence extended only to the following Saturday, and having no
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  Speaker 1: feelings of diffidence to make it distressing to himself, even
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  Speaker 1: at the moment, he set about it in a very
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  Speaker 1: orderly manner. with all the observances which he supposed a
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  Speaker 1: regular part of the business. On finding Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth,
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  Speaker 1: and one of the younger girls together, soon after breakfast,
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  Speaker 1: he addressed the mother in these words. May I hope, madam,
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  Speaker 1: for your interest with your fair daughter Elizabeth, when I
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  Speaker 1: solicit for the honour of a private audience with her
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  Speaker 1: in the course of this morning. before Elizabeth had time
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  Speaker 1: for anything but a blush of surprise, Mrs. Bennet instantly answered,
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  Speaker 1: Oh dear, yes, certainly. I am sure Lizzie will be
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  Speaker 1: very happy. I am sure she can have no objection. Come, Kitty,
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  Speaker 1: I want you upstairs. And gathering her work together, she
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  Speaker 1: was hastening away, when Elizabeth called out, Dear ma'am, do
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  Speaker 1: not go. I beg you will not go. Mr. Collins
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  Speaker 1: must excuse me. He can have nothing to say to
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  Speaker 1: me that anybody need not hear. I am going away myself. No, no, nonsense, Lizzie.
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  Speaker 1: I desire you will stay where you are. And upon
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth seeming really, with vexed and embarrassed looks, about to escape,
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  Speaker 1: she added, Lizzie, I insist upon your staying and hearing Mr. Collins.
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth would not oppose such an injunction, and a moment's consideration,
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  Speaker 1: making her also sensible that it would be wisest to
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  Speaker 1: get it over as soon and as quietly as possible,
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  Speaker 1: she sat down again and tried to conceal, by incessant employment,
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  Speaker 1: the feelings which were divided between distress and diversion. Mrs.
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  Speaker 1: Bennet and Kitty walked off, and as soon as they
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  Speaker 1: were gone, Mr. Collins began.' Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth,
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  Speaker 1: that your modesty, so far from doing you any disservice,
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  Speaker 1: rather adds to your other perfections. You would have been
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  Speaker 1: less amiable in my eyes had there not been this
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  Speaker 1: little unwillingness, but allow me to assure you that I
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  Speaker 1: have your respected mother's permission for this address.' You can
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  Speaker 1: hardly doubt the purport of my discourse. However, your natural
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  Speaker 1: delicacy may lead you to dissemble. My attentions have been
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  Speaker 1: too marked to be mistaken. Almost as soon as I
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  Speaker 1: entered the house, I singled you out as the companion
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  Speaker 1: of my future life. But before I am run away
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  Speaker 1: with by my feelings on this subject, perhaps it will
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  Speaker 1: be advisable for me to state my reasons for marrying. And, Moreover,
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  Speaker 1: for coming into Hertfordshire with the design of selecting a wife,
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  Speaker 1: as I certainly did. The idea of Mr Collins, with
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  Speaker 1: all his solemn composure, being run away with by his feelings,
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  Speaker 1: made Elizabeth so near laughing that she could not use
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  Speaker 1: the short pause he allowed in any attempt to stop
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  Speaker 1: him farther. And he continued. My reasons for marrying are, first,
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  Speaker 1: that I think it a right thing for every clergyman
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  Speaker 1: in easy circumstances, like myself, to set the example of
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  Speaker 1: matrimony in his parish. Secondly, that I am convinced it
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  Speaker 1: will add very greatly to my happiness. And thirdly, which
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  Speaker 1: perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is
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  Speaker 1: the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady
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  Speaker 1: whom I have the honour of calling patroness. Twice. as
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  Speaker 1: she condescended to give me her opinion, unasked too, on
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  Speaker 1: this subject. And it was but the very Saturday night
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  Speaker 1: before I left Hunsford. Between our pools at Quadril, while Mrs.
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  Speaker 1: Jenkinson was arranging Mr. Borg's footstool, that, she said, Mr. Collins,
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  Speaker 1: you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry. Choose properly.
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  Speaker 1: Choose a gentlewoman for my sake and for your own,
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  Speaker 1: Let her be an active, useful sort of person. Not
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  Speaker 1: brought up high, but able to make a small income
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  Speaker 1: go a good way. This is my advice. Find such
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  Speaker 1: a woman as soon as you can, bring her to Hunsford,
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  Speaker 1: and I will visit her. Allow me, by the way,
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  Speaker 1: to observe my fair cousin, that I do not reckon
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  Speaker 1: the notice and kindness of Lady Catherine de Bourgh as
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  Speaker 1: among the least of the advantages in my power to offer.
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  Speaker 1: you will find her manners beyond anything I can describe.
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  Speaker 1: And your wit and vivacity, I think, must be acceptable
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  Speaker 1: to her, especially when tempered with the silence and respect
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  Speaker 1: which her rank will inevitably excite. Thus much for my
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  Speaker 1: general intention in favour of matrimony. It remains to be
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  Speaker 1: told why my views were directed to Longbourn, instead of
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  Speaker 1: my own neighbourhood, where I assure you there are many
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  Speaker 1: amiable young women. But the fact is that being, as
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  Speaker 1: I am, to inherit this estate after the death of
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  Speaker 1: your honoured father, who, however, may live many years longer,
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  Speaker 1: I could not satisfy myself without resolving to choose a
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  Speaker 1: wife from among his daughters, that the loss to them
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  Speaker 1: might be as little as possible when the melancholy event
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  Speaker 1: takes place. which, however, as I have already said, may
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  Speaker 1: not be for several years. This has been my motive,
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  Speaker 1: my fair cousin, and I flatter myself it will not
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  Speaker 1: sink me in your esteem, and now nothing remains for
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  Speaker 1: me but to assure you in the most animated language
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  Speaker 1: of the violence of my affection. To fortune I am
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  Speaker 1: perfectly indifferent, and shall make no demand of that nature
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  Speaker 1: on your father. since I am well aware that it
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  Speaker 1: could not be complied with, and that one thousand pounds
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  Speaker 1: in the four percents, which will not be yours till
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  Speaker 1: after your mother's decease, is all that you may ever
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  Speaker 1: be entitled to. On that head, therefore, I shall be
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  Speaker 1: uniformly silent, and you may assure yourself that no ungenerous
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  Speaker 1: reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married.
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  Speaker 1: It was absolutely necessary to interrupt him now. You are
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  Speaker 1: too hasty, sir, she cried. You forget that I have
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  Speaker 1: made no answer. Let me do it without further loss
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  Speaker 1: of time. Accept my thanks for the compliment you are
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  Speaker 1: paying me. I am very sensible of the honour of
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  Speaker 1: your proposals, but it is impossible for me to do
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  Speaker 1: otherwise than decline them. I am not now to learn,
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  Speaker 1: replied Mr Collins, with a formal wave of the hand,
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  Speaker 1: that it is usual with young ladies to reject the
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  Speaker 1: addresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept
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  Speaker 1: when he first applies for their favour, and that sometimes
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  Speaker 1: the refusal is repeated a second or even a third time.
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  Speaker 1: I am, therefore, by no means discouraged by what you
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  Speaker 1: have just said, and shall hope to lead you to
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  Speaker 1: the altar ere long. Upon my word, sir, cried Elizabeth,
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  Speaker 1: your hope is rather an extraordinary one after my declaration.
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  Speaker 1: I do assure you that I am not one of
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  Speaker 1: those young ladies, if such young ladies there are, who
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  Speaker 1: are so daring as to risk their happiness on the
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  Speaker 1: chance of being asked a second time. I am perfectly
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  Speaker 1: serious in my refusal. You could not make me happy,
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  Speaker 1: and I am convinced that I am the last woman
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  Speaker 1: in the world who would make you so. Nay, were
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  Speaker 1: your friend Lady Catherine to know me, I am persuaded
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  Speaker 1: she would find me in every respect ill-qualified for the situation.
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  Speaker 1: Were it certain that Lady Catherine would think so? said
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  Speaker 1: Mr Collins. very gravely. But I cannot imagine that her
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  Speaker 1: ladyship would at all disapprove of you. And you may
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  Speaker 1: be certain that when I have the honour of seeing
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  Speaker 1: her again, I shall speak in the highest terms of
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  Speaker 1: your modesty, economy, and other amiable qualifications. Indeed, Mr. Collins,
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  Speaker 1: all praise of me will be unnecessary. You must give
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  Speaker 1: me leave to judge for myself, and pay me the
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  Speaker 1: compliment of believing what I say. I wish you very
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  Speaker 1: happy and very rich, and by refusing your hand, do
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  Speaker 1: all in my power to... prevent your being otherwise. In
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  Speaker 1: making me the offer, you must have satisfied the delicacy
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  Speaker 1: of your feelings with regard to my family, and may
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  Speaker 1: take possession of Longbourn Estate whenever it falls, without any self-reproach.
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  Speaker 1: This matter may be considered, therefore, as finally settled. And
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  Speaker 1: rising as she thus spoke, she would have quitted the room,
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  Speaker 1: had not Mr. Collins thus addressed her. When I do
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  Speaker 1: myself the honour of speaking to you next on the subject,
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  Speaker 1: I shall hope to receive a more favourable answer than
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  Speaker 1: you have now given me, though I am far from
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  Speaker 1: accusing you of cruelty at present. because I know it
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  Speaker 1: to be the established custom of your sex to reject
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  Speaker 1: a man on the first application, and perhaps you have
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  Speaker 1: even now said as much to encourage my suit as
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  Speaker 1: would be consistent with the true delicacy of the female character. Really, Mr. Collins,
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  Speaker 1: cried Elizabeth, with some warmth, you puzzle me exceedingly. If
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  Speaker 1: what I have hitherto said can appear to you in
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  Speaker 1: the form of encouragement, I know not how to express
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  Speaker 1: my refusal in such a way as may convince you
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  Speaker 1: of its being one. You must give me leave to
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  Speaker 1: flatter myself, my dear cousin, that your refusal of my
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  Speaker 1: addresses are merely words of course. My reasons for believing
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  Speaker 1: it are briefly these. It does not appear to me
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  Speaker 1: that my hand is unworthy of your acceptance. or that
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  Speaker 1: the establishment I can offer would be any other than
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  Speaker 1: highly desirable. My situation in life, my connections with the
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  Speaker 1: family of de Bourgh, and my relationship to your own,
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  Speaker 1: are circumstances highly in my favour, and you should take
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  Speaker 1: it into further consideration that, in spite of your manifold attractions,
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  Speaker 1: it is by no means certain that another offer of
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  Speaker 1: marriage may ever be made you. your portion is unhappily
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  Speaker 1: so small that it will in all likelihood undo the
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  Speaker 1: effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications. As I must, therefore,
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  Speaker 1: conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of me,
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  Speaker 1: I shall choose to attribute it to your wish of
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  Speaker 1: increasing my love by suspense according to the usual practice
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  Speaker 1: of elegant females. I do assure you, sir, that I
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  Speaker 1: have no pretensions whatever to that kind of elegance which
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  Speaker 1: consists in tormenting a respectable man. I would rather be
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  Speaker 1: paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I thank you
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  Speaker 1: again and again for the honour you have done me
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  Speaker 1: in your proposals, but to accept them is absolutely impossible.
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  Speaker 1: My feelings in every respect are forbidden. Can I speak plainer?
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  Speaker 1: Do not consider me now as an elegant female intending
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  Speaker 1: to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking the
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  Speaker 1: truth from her heart. You are uniformly charming, cried he,
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  Speaker 1: with an air of awkward gallantry, and I am persuaded that,
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  Speaker 1: when sanctioned by the express authority of both your excellent parents,
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  Speaker 1: my proposals will not fail of being acceptable. To such
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  Speaker 1: perseverance in willful self-deception, Elizabeth would make no reply, and
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  Speaker 1: immediately and in silence withdrew, determined that if he persisted
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  Speaker 1: in considering her repeated refusals as flattering encouragement to apply
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  Speaker 1: to her father, whose negative might be uttered in such
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  Speaker 1: a manner as must be decisive, and whose behaviour at
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  Speaker 1: least could not be mistaken for the affectation, and coquetry
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  Speaker 1: of an elegant female.