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Chapter XXIV · Pride and Prejudice | Audiobook

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  Speaker 1: Chapter 24 Miss Bingley's letter arrived, and put an end
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  Speaker 1: to doubt. The very first sentence conveyed the assurance of
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  Speaker 1: their being all settled in London for the winter, and
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  Speaker 1: concluded with her brother's regret at not having had time
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  Speaker 1: to pay his respects to his friends in Hertfordshire before
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  Speaker 1: he left the country. Hope was over, entirely over. and
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  Speaker 1: when Jane could attend to the rest of the letter,
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  Speaker 1: she found little, except the professed affection of the writer,
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  Speaker 1: that could give her any comfort. Miss Darcy's praise occupied
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  Speaker 1: the chief of it. Her many attractions were again dwelt on,
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  Speaker 1: and Caroline boasted joyfully of their increasing intimacy, and ventured
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  Speaker 1: to predict the accomplishment of the wishes which had been
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  Speaker 1: unfolded in her former letter. She wrote also with great
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  Speaker 1: pleasure of her brothers being an inmate of Mr. Darcy's house,
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  Speaker 1: and mentioned with raptures some plans of the latter with
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  Speaker 1: regard to new furniture. Elizabeth, to whom Jane very soon
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  Speaker 1: communicated the chief of all this, heard it in silent indignation.
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  Speaker 1: Her heart was divided between concern for her sister and
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  Speaker 1: resentment against all others. to Caroline's assertion of her brother's
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  Speaker 1: being partial to Miss Darcy, she paid no credit. That
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  Speaker 1: he was really fond of Jane, she doubted no more
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  Speaker 1: than she had ever done, and much as she had
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  Speaker 1: always been disposed to like him, she could not think
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  Speaker 1: without anger, hardly without contempt, on that easiness of temper,
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  Speaker 1: that want of proper resolutions. which now made him the
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  Speaker 1: slave of his designing friends, and led him to sacrifice
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  Speaker 1: his own happiness to the caprice of their inclinations. Had
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  Speaker 1: his own happiness, however, been the only sacrifice, he might
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  Speaker 1: have been allowed to sport with it, in whatever manner
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  Speaker 1: he thought best. But her sister's was involved in it,
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  Speaker 1: as she thought he must be sensible himself. It was
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  Speaker 1: a subject, in short— on which reflection would be long indulged,
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  Speaker 1: and must be unavailing. She could think of nothing else,
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  Speaker 1: and yet, whether Bingley's regard had really died away, or
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  Speaker 1: was suppressed by his friend's interference, whether he had been
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  Speaker 1: aware of Jane's attachment, or whether it had escaped his observation.
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  Speaker 1: Whichever were the case, though her opinion of him must
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  Speaker 1: be materially affected by the difference, Her sister's situation remained
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  Speaker 1: the same, her peace equally wounded. A day or two
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  Speaker 1: passed before Jane had courage to speak of her feelings
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  Speaker 1: to Elizabeth. But at last, on Mrs Bennet's leaving them together,
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  Speaker 1: after a longer irritation than usual about Netherfield and its master,
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  Speaker 1: she could not help saying, Oh, that my dear mother
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  Speaker 1: had more command over herself. She can have no idea
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  Speaker 1: of the pain she gives me by her continual reflections
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  Speaker 1: on him. But I will not repine. It cannot last long.
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  Speaker 1: He will be forgot, and we shall all be as
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  Speaker 1: we were before. Elizabeth looked at her sister with incredulous solicitude,
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  Speaker 1: but said nothing. You doubt me, cried Jane, slightly colouring. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: you have no reason. He may live in my memory
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  Speaker 1: as the most amiable man of my acquaintance, but that
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  Speaker 1: is all. I have nothing either to hope or fear,
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  Speaker 1: and nothing to reproach him with. Thank God I have
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  Speaker 1: not that pain. A little time, therefore, I shall certainly
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  Speaker 1: try to get the better. With a stronger voice, she
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  Speaker 1: soon added, I have this comfort immediately. that it has
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  Speaker 1: not been more than an error of fancy on my side,
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  Speaker 1: and that it has done no harm to anyone but myself.
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  Speaker 1: My dear Jane, exclaimed Elizabeth, you are too good. Your
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  Speaker 1: sweetness and disinterestedness are really angelic. I do not know
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  Speaker 1: what to say to you. I feel as if I
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  Speaker 1: had never done you justice, or loved you as you deserve.
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  Speaker 1: Miss Bennet,' eagerly disclaimed all extraordinary merit' and threw back
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  Speaker 1: the praise on her sister's warm affection.' Nay,' said Elizabeth,'
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  Speaker 1: this is not fair.' You wish to think all the
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  Speaker 1: world respectable' and are hurt if I speak ill of anybody.'
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  Speaker 1: I only want to think you perfect,' and you set
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  Speaker 1: yourself against it.' Do not be afraid of my running
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  Speaker 1: into any excess,' of my encroaching on your privilege.' of
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  Speaker 1: universal goodwill. You need not. There are few people whom
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  Speaker 1: I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well.
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  Speaker 1: The more I see of the world, the more am
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  Speaker 1: I dissatisfied with it. And every day confirms my belief
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  Speaker 1: of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the
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  Speaker 1: little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of
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  Speaker 1: either merit or sense. I have met with two instances lately.
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  Speaker 1: One I will not mention. The other is Charlotte's marriage.
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  Speaker 1: It is unaccountable. In every view it is unaccountable. My
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  Speaker 1: dear Lizzie, do not give way to such feelings as these.
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  Speaker 1: They will ruin your happiness. You do not make allowance
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  Speaker 1: enough for difference of situation and temper. Consider Mr Collins's respectability.
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  Speaker 1: and Charlotte's prudent, steady character, remember that she is one
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  Speaker 1: of a large family, that as to fortune, it is
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  Speaker 1: a most eligible match, and be ready to believe, for
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  Speaker 1: everybody's sake, that she may feel something like regard and
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  Speaker 1: esteem for our cousin. To oblige you, I would try
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  Speaker 1: to believe almost anything. but no one else could be
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  Speaker 1: benefited by such a belief as this. For were I
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  Speaker 1: persuaded that Charlotte had any regard for him, I should
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  Speaker 1: only think worse of her understanding than I now do
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  Speaker 1: of her heart. My dear Jane, Mr Collins is a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded,
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  Speaker 1: silly man. You know he is, as well as I do,
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  Speaker 1: and you must feel as well as I do. that
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  Speaker 1: the woman who marries him cannot have a proper way
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  Speaker 1: of thinking. You shall not defend her, though it is
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  Speaker 1: Charlotte Lucas. You shall not, for the sake of one individual,
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  Speaker 1: change the meaning of principle and integrity, nor endeavour to
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  Speaker 1: persuade yourself or me that selfishness is prudence and insensibility
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  Speaker 1: of danger security for happiness. I must think your language
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  Speaker 1: too strong in speaking of both, replied Jane, and I
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  Speaker 1: hope you will be convinced of it by seeing them
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  Speaker 1: happy together. But enough of this. You alluded to something else.
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  Speaker 1: You mentioned two instances. I cannot misunderstand you, but I
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  Speaker 1: entreat you, dear Lizzie, not to pain me by thinking
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  Speaker 1: that person to blame and saying your opinion of him
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  Speaker 1: is sunk. We must not be so ready to fancy
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  Speaker 1: ourselves intentionally injured. We must not expect a lively young
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  Speaker 1: man to be always so guarded and circumspect. It is
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  Speaker 1: very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us.
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  Speaker 1: Women fancy admiration means more than it does. And men
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  Speaker 1: take care that they should. If it is designedly done,
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  Speaker 1: they cannot be justified. but I have no idea of
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  Speaker 1: there being so much design in the world as some
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  Speaker 1: persons imagine. I am far from attributing any part of
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  Speaker 1: Mr Bingley's conduct to design, said Elizabeth. But, without scheming
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  Speaker 1: to do wrong or to make others unhappy, there may
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  Speaker 1: be error and there may be misery. Thoughtlessness, want of
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  Speaker 1: attention to other people's feelings and want of resolution— will
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  Speaker 1: do the business. And do you impute it to either
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  Speaker 1: of those? Yes, to the last. But if I go on,
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  Speaker 1: I shall displease you by saying what I think of
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  Speaker 1: persons you esteem. Stop me whilst you can. You persist, then,
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  Speaker 1: in supposing his sisters influence him? Yes, in conjunction with
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  Speaker 1: his friend. I cannot believe it. Why should they try
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  Speaker 1: to influence him? They can only wish his happiness, and
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  Speaker 1: if he is attached to me, no other woman can
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  Speaker 1: secure it. Your first position is false. They may wish
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  Speaker 1: many things besides his happiness. They may wish his increase
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  Speaker 1: of wealth and consequence. They may wish him to marry
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  Speaker 1: a girl who has all the importance of money, great
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  Speaker 1: connections and pride. Beyond a doubt, they do wish him
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  Speaker 1: to choose Miss Darcy, replied Jane. But this may be
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  Speaker 1: from better feelings than you are supposing. They have known
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  Speaker 1: her much longer than they have known me. No wonder
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  Speaker 1: if they love her better. But, whatever may be their
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  Speaker 1: own wishes, it is very unlikely they should have opposed
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  Speaker 1: their brothers. What sister would think herself at liberty to
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  Speaker 1: do it, unless there was something very objectionable? If they
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  Speaker 1: believed him attached to me, they would not try to
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  Speaker 1: part us. If he were so, they could not succeed.
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  Speaker 1: By supposing such an affection, you make everybody acting unnaturally
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  Speaker 1: and wrong. and me most unhappy. Do not distress me
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  Speaker 1: by the idea. I am not ashamed of having been mistaken.
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  Speaker 1: Or at least, it is slight. It is nothing in
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  Speaker 1: comparison of what I should feel in thinking ill of
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  Speaker 1: him or his sisters. Let me take it in the
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  Speaker 1: best light, in the light in which it may be understood.
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth could not oppose such a wish, and from this time,
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  Speaker 1: Mr Bingley's name was scarcely ever mentioned between them. Mrs
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  Speaker 1: Bennet still continued to wonder and repine at his returning
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  Speaker 1: no more. And though a day seldom passed in which
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth did not account for it clearly, there seemed little
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  Speaker 1: chance of her ever considering it with less perplexity. Her
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  Speaker 1: daughter endeavoured to convince her of what she did not
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  Speaker 1: believe herself. that his attentions to Jane had been merely
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  Speaker 1: the effect of a common and transient liking, which ceased
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  Speaker 1: when he saw her no more. But though the probability
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  Speaker 1: of the statement was admitted at the time, she had
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  Speaker 1: the same story to repeat every day. Mrs Bennet's best
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  Speaker 1: comfort was that Mr Bingley must be down again in
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  Speaker 1: the summer. Mr Bennet treated the matter differently. So, Lizzie,
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  Speaker 1: said he one day. Your sister is crossed in love,
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  Speaker 1: I find. I congratulate her. Next to being married, a
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  Speaker 1: girl likes to be crossed in love a little now
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  Speaker 1: and then. It is something to think of, and gives
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  Speaker 1: her a sort of distinction among her companions. When is
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  Speaker 1: your turn to come? You will hardly bear to be
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  Speaker 1: long outdone by Jane. Now is your time. Here are
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  Speaker 1: officers enough at Meryton to disappoint all the young ladies
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  Speaker 1: in the country. Let Wickham be your man. He is
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  Speaker 1: a pleasant fellow, and would jilt you creditably. Thank you, sir,
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  Speaker 1: but a less agreeable man would satisfy me. We must
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  Speaker 1: not all expect Jane's good fortunes. True, said Mr. Bennet,
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  Speaker 1: but it is a comfort to think that, whatever of
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  Speaker 1: that kind may befall you, you have an affectionate mother
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  Speaker 1: who will always make the most of it. Mr. Wickham's
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  Speaker 1: society was of material service in dispelling the gloom which
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  Speaker 1: the late perverse occurrences had thrown on many of the
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  Speaker 1: Longbourn family. They saw him often, and to his other
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  Speaker 1: recommendations was now added, that of general unreserve. The whole
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  Speaker 1: of what Elizabeth had already heard, his claims on Mr
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  Speaker 1: Darcy and all that he had suffered from him, was
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  Speaker 1: now openly acknowledged and publicly canvassed, and everybody was pleased
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  Speaker 1: to think how much they had always disliked Mr Darcy
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  Speaker 1: before they had known anything of the matter. Miss Bennet?
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  Speaker 1: was the only creature who could suppose there might be
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  Speaker 1: any extenuating circumstances in the case unknown to the society
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  Speaker 1: of Hertfordshire. Her mild and steady candour always pleaded for
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  Speaker 1: allowances and urged the possibility of mistakes. But by everybody else,
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  Speaker 1: Mr Darcy was condemned as the worst of men.