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Chapter XIV · Pride and Prejudice | Audiobook

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  Speaker 1: Chapter 14 During dinner, Mr. Bennet scarcely spoke at all,
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  Speaker 1: but when the servants were withdrawn, he thought it time
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  Speaker 1: to have some conversation with his guest, and therefore started
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  Speaker 1: a subject in which he expected him to shine by
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  Speaker 1: observing that he seemed very fortunate in his patroness. Lady
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  Speaker 1: Catherine de Bourgh's attention to his wishes was and consideration
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  Speaker 1: for his comfort, appeared very remarkable. Mr. Bennet could not
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  Speaker 1: have chosen better. Mr. Collins was eloquent in her praise.
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  Speaker 1: The subject elevated him to more than usual solemnity of manner.
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  Speaker 1: And with a most important aspect, he protested that he
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  Speaker 1: had never in his life witnessed such behaviour in a
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  Speaker 1: person of rank, such affability and condescension, as he had
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  Speaker 1: himself experienced from Lady Catherine. She had been graciously pleased
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  Speaker 1: to approve of both the discourses, which he had already
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  Speaker 1: had the honour of preaching before her. She had also
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  Speaker 1: asked him twice to dine at Rosings, and had sent
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  Speaker 1: for him only the Saturday before, to make up her
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  Speaker 1: pool of quadrille in the evening. Lady Catherine was reckoned
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  Speaker 1: proud by many people he knew. but he had never
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  Speaker 1: seen anything but affability in her. She had always spoken
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  Speaker 1: to him as she would to any other gentleman. She
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  Speaker 1: made not the smallest objection to his joining in the
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  Speaker 1: society of the neighbourhood, nor to his leaving his parish
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  Speaker 1: occasionally for a week or two to visit his relations.
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  Speaker 1: She had even condescended to advise him to marry as
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  Speaker 1: soon as he could, provided he chose with discretion, and
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  Speaker 1: had once paid him a visit in his humble parsonage,
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  Speaker 1: where she had perfectly approved all the alterations he had
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  Speaker 1: been making, and had even vouchsafed to suggest some herself,
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  Speaker 1: some shelves in the closets upstairs. That is all very
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  Speaker 1: proper and civil, I am sure, said Mrs. Bennet, and
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  Speaker 1: I dare say she is a very agreeable woman. It
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  Speaker 1: is a pity that great ladies in general are not
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  Speaker 1: more like her. Does she live near you, sir? The
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  Speaker 1: garden in which stands my humble abode is separated only
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  Speaker 1: by a lane from Rosings Park, her ladyship's residence. I
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  Speaker 1: think you said she was a widow, sir. Has she
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  Speaker 1: any family? She has one only daughter, the heiress of Rosings,
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  Speaker 1: and a very extensive property. Ah, cried Mrs Bennet, shaking
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  Speaker 1: her head, then she is better off than many girls.
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  Speaker 1: And what sort of young lady is she? Is she handsome?
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  Speaker 1: She is a most charming young lady indeed. Lady Catherine
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  Speaker 1: herself says that, in point of true beauty, Mr Borg
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  Speaker 1: is far superior to the handsomest of her sex, because
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  Speaker 1: there is that in her features. which marks the young
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  Speaker 1: woman of distinguished birth. She is unfortunately of a sickly constitution,
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  Speaker 1: which has prevented her making that progress in many accomplishments
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  Speaker 1: which she could not otherwise have failed of, as I
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  Speaker 1: am informed by the lady who superintended her education and
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  Speaker 1: who still resides with them. But she is perfectly amiable.
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  Speaker 1: and often condescends to drive by my humble abode in
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  Speaker 1: her little phaeton and ponies. Has she been presented? I
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  Speaker 1: do not remember her name among the ladies at court.
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  Speaker 1: Her indifferent state of health unhappily prevents her being in town,
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  Speaker 1: and by that means, as I told Lady Catherine myself
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  Speaker 1: one day, has deprived the British court of its brightest ornament.
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  Speaker 1: Her ladyship seemed pleased with the idea, and you may
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  Speaker 1: imagine that I am happy on every occasion to offer
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  Speaker 1: those little delicate compliments which are always acceptable to ladies.
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  Speaker 1: I have more than once observed to Lady Catherine that
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  Speaker 1: her charming daughter seemed born to be a duchess, and
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  Speaker 1: that the most elevated rank, instead of giving her consequence,
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  Speaker 1: would be adorned by her. These are the kind of
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  Speaker 1: little things which please her ladyship, and it is a
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  Speaker 1: sort of attention which I conceive myself peculiarly bound to pay.
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  Speaker 1: You judge very properly, said Mr. Bennet, and it is
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  Speaker 1: happy for you that you possess the talent of flattering
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  Speaker 1: with delicacy. May I ask whether these pleasing attentions proceed
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  Speaker 1: from the impulse of the moment? or are the result
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  Speaker 1: of previous study. They arise chiefly from what is passing
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  Speaker 1: at the time, and though I sometimes amuse myself with
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  Speaker 1: suggesting and arranging such little elegant compliments as may be
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  Speaker 1: adapted to ordinary occasions, I always wish to give them
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  Speaker 1: as unstudied an air as possible. Mr. Bennet's expectations were
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  Speaker 1: fully answered. His cousin was as absurd as he had hoped,
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  Speaker 1: and he listened to him with the keenest enjoyment, maintaining
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  Speaker 1: at the same time the most resolute composure of countenance, and,
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  Speaker 1: except in an occasional glance at Elizabeth, requiring no partner
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  Speaker 1: in his pleasure. By tea-time, however, the dose had been enough,
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  Speaker 1: and Mr. Bennet was glad to take his guest into
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  Speaker 1: the drawing-room again and when tea was over, glad to
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  Speaker 1: invite him to read aloud to the ladies. Mr Collins
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  Speaker 1: readily assented, and a book was produced, but on beholding it,
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  Speaker 1: for everything announced it to be from a circulating library,
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  Speaker 1: he started back and, begging pardon, protested that he never
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  Speaker 1: read novels. Kitty stared at him, and Lydia exclaimed. Other
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  Speaker 1: books were produced, and after some deliberation he chose Fordyce's sermons.
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  Speaker 1: Lydia gaped as he opened the volume, and before he had,
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  Speaker 1: with very monotonous solemnity, read three pages, she interrupted him with,
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  Speaker 1: Do you know, Mama, that my Uncle Phillips talks of
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  Speaker 1: turning away Richard, and if he does, Colonel Forster will
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  Speaker 1: hire him. My aunt told me so herself on Saturday.
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  Speaker 1: I shall walk to Meryton tomorrow to hear more about it,
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  Speaker 1: and to ask when Mr Denny comes back from town.
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  Speaker 1: Lydia was bid by her two eldest sisters to hold
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  Speaker 1: her tongue, but Mr Collins, much offended, laid aside his
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  Speaker 1: book and said, I have often observed how little young
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  Speaker 1: ladies are interested by books of a serious stamp, though
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  Speaker 1: written solely for their benefit. It amazes me, I confess,
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  Speaker 1: for certainly there can be nothing so advantageous to them
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  Speaker 1: as instruction, but I will no longer importune my young cousin. Then,
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  Speaker 1: turning to Mr. Bennet, he offered himself as his antagonist
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  Speaker 1: at Backgammon. Mr. Bennet accepted the challenge, observing that he
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  Speaker 1: acted very wisely in leaving the girls to their own
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  Speaker 1: trifling amusements. Mrs. Bennet and her daughters apologised most civilly
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  Speaker 1: for Lydia's interruption and promised that it should not occur
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  Speaker 1: again if he would resume his book. But Mr. Collins,
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  Speaker 1: after assuring them that he bore his young cousin no
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  Speaker 1: ill will and should never resent her behaviour as any affront,
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  Speaker 1: seated himself at another table with Mr. Bennet and prepared
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  Speaker 1: for backgammon.