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Chapter XX · Pride and Prejudice | Audiobook

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  Speaker 1: Chapter 20. Mr. Collins was not left long to the
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  Speaker 1: silent contemplation of his successful love, for Mrs. Bennet, having
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  Speaker 1: dawdled about in the vestibule to watch for the end
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  Speaker 1: of the conference, no sooner saw Elizabeth open the door,
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  Speaker 1: and with quick step pass her towards the staircase, than
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  Speaker 1: she entered the breakfast-room, and congratulated both him and herself,
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  Speaker 1: in warm terms on the happy prospect of their nearer connection. Mr.
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  Speaker 1: Collins received and returned these felicitations with equal pleasure, and
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  Speaker 1: then proceeded to relate the particulars of their interview, with
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  Speaker 1: the result of which he trusted he had every reason
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  Speaker 1: to be satisfied, since the refusal which his cousin had
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  Speaker 1: steadfastly given him would naturally flow from her bashful modesty
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  Speaker 1: and the genuine delicacy of her character. This information, however,
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  Speaker 1: startled Mrs. Bennet. She would have been glad to be
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  Speaker 1: equally satisfied that her daughter had meant to encourage him
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  Speaker 1: by protesting against his proposals, but she dared not believe it,
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  Speaker 1: and could not help saying so. But depend upon it, Mr. Collins,
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  Speaker 1: she added, that Lizzie shall be brought to reason, I
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  Speaker 1: will speak to her about it myself directly. She is
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  Speaker 1: a very headstrong, foolish girl and does not know her
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  Speaker 1: own interest, but I will make her know it. Pardon
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  Speaker 1: me for interrupting you, madam, cried Mr Collins, but if
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  Speaker 1: she is really headstrong and foolish, I know not whether
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  Speaker 1: she would altogether be a very desirable wife to a
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  Speaker 1: man in my situation. who naturally looks for happiness in
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  Speaker 1: the marriage state. If, therefore, she actually persists in rejecting
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  Speaker 1: my suit, perhaps it were better not to force her
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  Speaker 1: into accepting me, because, if liable to such defects of temper,
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  Speaker 1: she could not contribute much to my felicity. Sir, you
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  Speaker 1: quite misunderstand me, said Mrs. Bennet, alarmed. Lizzie is only
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  Speaker 1: headstrong in such matters as these. In everything else, she
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  Speaker 1: is as good-natured a girl as ever lived. I will
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  Speaker 1: go directly to Mr. Bennet, and we shall very soon
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  Speaker 1: settle it with her, I am sure. She would not
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  Speaker 1: give him time to reply, but hurrying instantly to her husband,
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  Speaker 1: called out as she entered the library. Oh, Mr. Bennet,
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  Speaker 1: you are wanted immediately. We are all in an uproar.
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  Speaker 1: You must come and make Lizzie marry Mr Collins, for
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  Speaker 1: she vows she will not have him, and if you
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  Speaker 1: do not make haste, he will change his mind and
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  Speaker 1: not have her. Mr Bennet raised his eyes from his
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  Speaker 1: book as she entered, and fixed them on her face
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  Speaker 1: with a calm unconcern, which was not in the least
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  Speaker 1: altered by her communications. I have not the pleasure of
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  Speaker 1: understanding you, said he, when she had finished her speech.
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  Speaker 1: Of what are you talking? Of Mr Collins and Lizzie.
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  Speaker 1: Lizzie declares she will not have Mr Collins, and Mr
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  Speaker 1: Collins begins to say that he will not have Lizzie.
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  Speaker 1: And what am I to do on the occasion? It
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  Speaker 1: seems a hopeless business. Speak to Lizzie about it yourself.
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  Speaker 1: Tell her, that you insist upon her marrying him. Let
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  Speaker 1: her be called down. She shall hear my opinion. Mrs.
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  Speaker 1: Bennet rang the bell, and Miss Elizabeth was summoned to
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  Speaker 1: the library. Come here, child, cried her father as she appeared.
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  Speaker 1: I have sent for you on an affair of importance.
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  Speaker 1: I understand that Mr. Collins has made you an offer
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  Speaker 1: of marriage. Is it true? Elizabeth replied that it was.
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  Speaker 1: Very well. And this offer of marriage you have refused?
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  Speaker 1: I have, sir. Very well. We now come to the point.
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  Speaker 1: Your mother insists upon your accepting it. Is it not so, Mrs. Bennet? Yes,
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  Speaker 1: or I will never see her again. An unhappy alternative
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  Speaker 1: is before you, Elizabeth. From this day... You must be
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  Speaker 1: a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will
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  Speaker 1: never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins,
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  Speaker 1: and I will never see you again if you do.
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth could not but smile at such a conclusion of
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  Speaker 1: such a beginning, but Mrs. Bennet, who had persuaded herself
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  Speaker 1: that her husband regarded the affair as she wished, was
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  Speaker 1: excessively disappointed. What do you mean, Mr. Bennet, by talking
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  Speaker 1: in this way? You promised me to insist upon her
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  Speaker 1: marrying him. My dear, replied her husband, I have two
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  Speaker 1: small favours to request. First, that you will allow me
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  Speaker 1: the free use of my understanding on the present occasion,
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  Speaker 1: and secondly, of my room. I shall be glad to
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  Speaker 1: have the library to myself as soon as may be.
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  Speaker 1: Not yet, however, in spite of her disappointment in her husband,
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  Speaker 1: did Mrs. Bennet give up the point. She talked to
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth again and again, coaxed and threatened her by turns.
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  Speaker 1: She endeavoured to secure Jane in her interest, but Jane,
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  Speaker 1: with all possible mildness, declined interfering. And Elizabeth, sometimes with
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  Speaker 1: real earnestness and sometimes with playful gaiety, replied to her attacks.
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  Speaker 1: Though her manner varied, however, her determination never did. Mr Collins, meanwhile,
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  Speaker 1: was meditating in solitude on what had passed. He thought
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  Speaker 1: too well of himself to comprehend on what motive his
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  Speaker 1: cousin could refuse him, and though his pride was hurt,
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  Speaker 1: he suffered in no other way. His regard for her
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  Speaker 1: was quite imaginary. and the possibility of her deserving her
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  Speaker 1: mother's reproach prevented his feeling any regret. While the family
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  Speaker 1: were in this confusion, Charlotte Lucas came to spend the
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  Speaker 1: day with them. She was met in the vestibule by Lydia, who,
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  Speaker 1: flying to her, cried in a half-whisper, I am glad
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  Speaker 1: you are come, for there is such fun here. What
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  Speaker 1: do you think has happened this morning? Mr Collins has
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  Speaker 1: made an offer to Lizzie and she will not have him.
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  Speaker 1: Harlet had hardly time to answer before they were joined
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  Speaker 1: by Kitty, who came to tell the same news, and
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  Speaker 1: no sooner had they entered the breakfast room, where Mrs
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  Speaker 1: Bennet was alone, than she likewise began on the subject,
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  Speaker 1: calling on Miss Lucas for her compassion. and entreating her
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  Speaker 1: to persuade her friend Lizzie to comply with the wishes
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  Speaker 1: of her family. Pray do, my dear Miss Lucas, she added,
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  Speaker 1: in a melancholy tone. For nobody is on my side.
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  Speaker 1: Nobody takes part with me. I am cruelly used. Nobody
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  Speaker 1: feels for my poor nerves. Charlotte's reply was spared by
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  Speaker 1: the entrance of Jane and Elizabeth. Aye, there she comes,
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  Speaker 1: continued Mrs. Bennet. looking as unconcerned as may be, and
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  Speaker 1: caring no more for us than if we were at York,
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  Speaker 1: provided she can have her own way. But I tell
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  Speaker 1: you what, Miss Lizzie, if you take it into your
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  Speaker 1: head to go on refusing every offer of marriage in
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  Speaker 1: this way, you will never get a husband at all,
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  Speaker 1: and I am sure I do not know who is
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  Speaker 1: to maintain you when your father is dead. I shall
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  Speaker 1: not be able to keep you, and so I warn you.
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  Speaker 1: I have done with you from this very day. I
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  Speaker 1: told you in the library, you know, that I should
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  Speaker 1: never speak to you again, and you will find me
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  Speaker 1: as good as my word. I have no pleasure in
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  Speaker 1: talking to undutiful children. Not that I have much pleasure, indeed,
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  Speaker 1: in talking to anybody. People who suffer as I do
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  Speaker 1: from nervous complaints— can have no great inclination for talking.
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  Speaker 1: Nobody can tell what I suffer, but it is always so.
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  Speaker 1: Those who do not complain are never pitied. Her daughters
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  Speaker 1: listened in silence to this effusion, sensible that any attempt
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  Speaker 1: to reason with or soothe her would only increase the irritation.
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  Speaker 1: She talked on, therefore, without interruption from any of them,
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  Speaker 1: till they were joined by Mr. Collins, who entered with
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  Speaker 1: an air more stately than usual, and on perceiving whom,
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  Speaker 1: she said to the girls, Now, I do insist upon it,
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  Speaker 1: that you, all of you, hold your tongues, and let Mr.
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  Speaker 1: Collins and me have a little conversation together. Elizabeth passed
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  Speaker 1: quietly out of the room. Jane and Kitty followed, but
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  Speaker 1: Lydia stood her ground, determined to hear all she could.
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  Speaker 1: And Charlotte, detained first by the civility of Mr Collins,
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  Speaker 1: whose inquiries after herself and all her family were very minute,
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  Speaker 1: and then, by a little curiosity, satisfied herself with walking
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  Speaker 1: to the window and pretending not to hear. In a
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  Speaker 1: doleful voice, Mrs. Bennet thus began the projected conversation.' Oh, Mr. Collins!''
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  Speaker 1: My dear madam,' replied he,' let us be for ever
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  Speaker 1: silent on this point. Far be it from me,' he
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  Speaker 1: presently continued, in a voice that marked his displeasure. to
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  Speaker 1: resent the behaviour of your daughter. Resignation to inevitable evils
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  Speaker 1: is the duty of us all, the peculiar duty of
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  Speaker 1: a young man who has been so fortunate as I
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  Speaker 1: have been in early preferment. And, I trust, I am resigned.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps not the less so from feeling a doubt of
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  Speaker 1: my positive happiness had my fair cousin honoured me with
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  Speaker 1: her hand. For I have often observed, that resignation is
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  Speaker 1: never so perfect as when the blessing denied begins to
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  Speaker 1: lose somewhat of its value in our estimation. You will not,
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  Speaker 1: I hope, consider me as showing any disrespect to your family,
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  Speaker 1: my dear madam, by thus withdrawing my pretensions to your
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  Speaker 1: daughter's favour, without having paid yourself and Mr. Bennet the
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  Speaker 1: compliment of requesting you to interpose your authority with in
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  Speaker 1: my behalf. My conduct may, I fear, be objectionable in
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  Speaker 1: having accepted my dismission from your daughter's lips instead of
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  Speaker 1: your own, but we are all liable to error. I
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  Speaker 1: have certainly meant well through the whole affair. My object
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  Speaker 1: has been to secure an amiable companion for myself, with
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  Speaker 1: due consideration for the advantage of all your family. And
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  Speaker 1: if my manner has been at all reprehensible, I here
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  Speaker 1: beg leave to apologize.