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Chapter XV · Pride and Prejudice | Audiobook

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  Speaker 1: Chapter 15 Mr. Collins was not a sensible man, and
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  Speaker 1: the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by
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  Speaker 1: education or society, the greatest part of his life having
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  Speaker 1: been spent under the guidance of an illiterate and miserly father.
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  Speaker 1: And though he belonged to one of the universities, he
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  Speaker 1: had merely kept the necessary terms, without forming at it,
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  Speaker 1: any useful acquaintance. The subjection in which his father had
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  Speaker 1: brought him up had given him originally great humility of manner,
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  Speaker 1: but it was now a good deal counteracted by the
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  Speaker 1: self-conceit of a weak head, living in retirement, and the
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  Speaker 1: consequential feelings of early and unexpected prosperity. A fortunate chance
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  Speaker 1: had recommended him to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, when the
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  Speaker 1: living of Hunsford was vacant, and the respect which he
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  Speaker 1: felt for her high rank, and his veneration for her
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  Speaker 1: as his patroness, mingling with a very good opinion of himself,
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  Speaker 1: of his authority as a clergyman, and his right as
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  Speaker 1: a rector, made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness,
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  Speaker 1: self-importance and humility. Having now a good house and a
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  Speaker 1: very sufficient income, he intended to marry, and in seeking
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  Speaker 1: a reconciliation with the Longbourn family he had a wife
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  Speaker 1: in view, as he meant to choose one of the daughters,
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  Speaker 1: if he found them as handsome and amiable as they
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  Speaker 1: were represented by common report. This was his plan of amends,
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  Speaker 1: of atonement. for inheriting their father's estate, and he thought
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  Speaker 1: it an excellent one, full of eligibility and suitableness, and
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  Speaker 1: excessively generous and disinterested on his own part. His plan
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  Speaker 1: did not vary on seeing them. Miss Bennet's lovely face
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  Speaker 1: confirmed his views, and established all his strictest notions of
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  Speaker 1: what was due to seniority, and for the first evening
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  Speaker 1: she was his settled choice. The next morning, however, made
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  Speaker 1: an alteration, for in a quarter of an hour's tête-à-tête
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  Speaker 1: with Mrs. Bennet before breakfast, a conversation beginning with his
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  Speaker 1: parsonage house, and leading naturally to the avowal of his hopes,
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  Speaker 1: that a mistress for it might be found at Longbourn,
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  Speaker 1: produced from her, amid very complacent smiles and general encouragement,
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  Speaker 1: a caution against the very Jane he had fixed on.
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  Speaker 1: As to her younger daughters, she could not take upon
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  Speaker 1: her to say, she could not positively answer, but she
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  Speaker 1: did not know of any prepossession. Her eldest daughter she
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  Speaker 1: must just mention, she felt it incumbent on her to hint,
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  Speaker 1: was likely to be very soon engaged. Mr Collins had
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  Speaker 1: only to change from Jane to Elizabeth, and it was
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  Speaker 1: soon done, done while Mrs Bennet was stirring the fire. Elizabeth,
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  Speaker 1: equally next to Jane in Birth and Beauty, succeeded her,
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  Speaker 1: of course. Mrs. Bennet treasured up the hint and trusted
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  Speaker 1: that she might soon have two daughters married, and the
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  Speaker 1: man whom she could not bear to speak of the
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  Speaker 1: day before was now high in her good graces. Lydia's
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  Speaker 1: intention of walking to Meryton was not forgotten. Every sister
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  Speaker 1: except Mary was agreed to go with her, and Mr
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  Speaker 1: Collins was to attend them, at the request of Mr Bennet,
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  Speaker 1: who was most anxious to get rid of him and
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  Speaker 1: have his library to himself. For thither, Mr Collins had
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  Speaker 1: followed him after breakfast, and there he would continue, nominally
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  Speaker 1: engaged with one of the largest folios in the collection,
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  Speaker 1: but really talking to Mr Bennet, with little cessation. of
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  Speaker 1: his house and garden at Hunsford. Such doings discomposed Mr.
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  Speaker 1: Bennet exceedingly. In his library, he had been always sure
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  Speaker 1: of leisure and tranquillity, and though prepared, as he told Elizabeth,
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  Speaker 1: to meet with folly and conceit in every other room
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  Speaker 1: in the house, he was used to be free from
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  Speaker 1: them there. His civility, therefore, was most prompt in inviting
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  Speaker 1: Mr Collins to join his daughters in their walk. And
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  Speaker 1: Mr Collins, being in fact much better fitted for a
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  Speaker 1: walker than a reader, was extremely well pleased to close
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  Speaker 1: his large book and go. In pompous nothings on his side,
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  Speaker 1: and civil assents on that of his cousins, their time
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  Speaker 1: passed till they entered Meryton. The attention of the younger
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  Speaker 1: ones was then no longer to be gained by him.
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  Speaker 1: Their eyes were immediately wandering up the street in quest
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  Speaker 1: of the officers, and nothing less than a very smart bonnet, indeed,
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  Speaker 1: or a really new muslin in a shop window, could
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  Speaker 1: recall them. But the attention of every lady was soon
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  Speaker 1: caught by a young man whom they had never seen before,
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  Speaker 1: of most gentlemanlike appearance. walking with an officer on the
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  Speaker 1: other side of the way. The officer was the very
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  Speaker 1: Mr Denny concerning whose return from London Lydia came to inquire,
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  Speaker 1: and he bowed as they passed. All were struck with
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  Speaker 1: the stranger's air. All wondered who he could be. And
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  Speaker 1: Kitty and Lydia, determined if possible to find out, led
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  Speaker 1: the way across the street, under pretense of wanting something
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  Speaker 1: in an opposite shop and fortunately had just gained the
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  Speaker 1: pavement when the two gentlemen, turning back, had reached the
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  Speaker 1: same spot. Mr Denny addressed them directly, and entreated permission
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  Speaker 1: to introduce his friend, Mr Wickham, who had returned with
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  Speaker 1: him the day before from town, and, he was happy
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  Speaker 1: to say, had accepted a commission in their corps. This
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  Speaker 1: was exactly as it should be, for the young man
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  Speaker 1: wanted only regimentals to make him completely charming. His appearance
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  Speaker 1: was greatly in his favour. He had all the best
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  Speaker 1: parts of beauty, a fine countenance, a good figure and
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  Speaker 1: very pleasing address. The introduction was followed up on his
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  Speaker 1: side by a happy readiness of conversation. a readiness at
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  Speaker 1: the same time perfectly correct and unassuming, and the whole
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  Speaker 1: party were still standing and talking together very agreeably, when
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  Speaker 1: the sound of horses drew their notice and Darcy and
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  Speaker 1: Bingley were seen riding down the street. On distinguishing the
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  Speaker 1: ladies of the group, the two gentlemen came directly towards
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  Speaker 1: them and began the usual civilities. Bingley was the principal
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  Speaker 1: spokesman and Miss Bennet the principal object. He was then,
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  Speaker 1: he said, on his way to Longbourn on purpose to
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  Speaker 1: inquire after her. Mr Darcy corroborated it with a bow
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  Speaker 1: and was beginning to determine not to fix his eyes
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  Speaker 1: on Elizabeth when they were suddenly arrested by the sight
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  Speaker 1: of the stranger and Elizabeth, happening to see the countenance
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  Speaker 1: of both, as they looked at each other, was all
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  Speaker 1: astonishment at the effect of the meeting. Both changed colour.
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  Speaker 1: One looked white, the other red. Mr Wickham, after a
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  Speaker 1: few moments, touched his hat, a salutation which Mr Darcy
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  Speaker 1: just deigned to return. What could be the meaning of it?
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  Speaker 1: It was impossible to imagine. It was impossible not to
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  Speaker 1: long to know. In another minute... Mr Bingley, but without
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  Speaker 1: seeming to have noticed what passed, took leave and rode
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  Speaker 1: on with his friend. Mr Denny and Mr Wickham walked
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  Speaker 1: with the young ladies to the door of Mr Phillips's
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  Speaker 1: house and then made their bows, in spite of Miss
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  Speaker 1: Lydia's pressing entreaties that they would come in, and even
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  Speaker 1: in spite of Mrs Phillips's throwing up the parlour window.
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  Speaker 1: and loudly seconding the invitation. Mrs. Phillips was always glad
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  Speaker 1: to see her nieces, and the two eldest, from their
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  Speaker 1: recent absence, were particularly welcome, and she was eagerly expressing
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  Speaker 1: her surprise at their sudden return home, which, as their
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  Speaker 1: own carriage had not fetched them, she should have known
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  Speaker 1: nothing about, if she had not happened to see Mr.
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  Speaker 1: Jones's shop-boy in the street. who had told her that
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  Speaker 1: they were not to send any more drafts to Netherfield,
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  Speaker 1: because the Miss Bennets were come away. When her civility
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  Speaker 1: was claimed towards Mr Collins by Jane's introduction of him,
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  Speaker 1: she received him with her very best politeness, which he
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  Speaker 1: returned with as much more. apologising for his intrusion, without
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  Speaker 1: any previous acquaintance with her, which he could not help
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  Speaker 1: flattering himself, however, might be justified by his relationship to
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  Speaker 1: the young ladies who introduced him to her notice. Mrs.
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  Speaker 1: Phillips was quite awed by such an excess of good breeding,
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  Speaker 1: but her contemplation of one stranger was soon put an
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  Speaker 1: end to by exclamations and inquiries about the other, of whom, however,
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  Speaker 1: she could only tell her nieces what they already knew,
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  Speaker 1: that Mr. Denny had brought him from London, and that
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  Speaker 1: he was to have a lieutenant's commission in the Shire.
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  Speaker 1: She had been watching him the last hour, she said,
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  Speaker 1: as he walked up and down the street. And had
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  Speaker 1: Mr Wickham appeared, Kitty and Lydia would certainly have continued
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  Speaker 1: the occupation. But unluckily, no one passed the windows now
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  Speaker 1: except a few of the officers, who, in comparison with
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  Speaker 1: the stranger, were become stupid, disagreeable fellows. Some of them
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  Speaker 1: were to dine with the Phillipses the next day, and
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  Speaker 1: their aunt promised to make her husband call on Mr
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  Speaker 1: Wickham and give him an invitation also, if the family
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  Speaker 1: from Longbourn would come in the evening. This was agreed to,
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  Speaker 1: and Mrs Phillips protested that they would have a nice, comfortable,
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  Speaker 1: noisy game of lottery tickets and a little bit of
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  Speaker 1: hot supper afterwards. The prospect of such delights was very cheering,
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  Speaker 1: and they parted in mutual good spirits. Mr Collins repeated
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  Speaker 1: his apologies in quitting the room, and was assured, with
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  Speaker 1: unwearying civility, that they were perfectly needless. As they walked home,
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth related to Jane what she had seen pass between
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  Speaker 1: the two gentlemen. But though Jane would have defended either
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  Speaker 1: or both, Had they appeared to be wrong, she could
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  Speaker 1: no more explain such behaviour than her sister. Mr Collins,
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  Speaker 1: on his return, highly gratified Mrs Bennet by admiring Mrs
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  Speaker 1: Phillips's manners and politeness. He protested that, except Lady Catherine
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  Speaker 1: and her daughter, he had never seen a more elegant woman,
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  Speaker 1: for she had not only received him with the utmost
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  Speaker 1: civility— but had even pointedly included him in her invitation
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  Speaker 1: for the next evening, although utterly unknown to her before. Something,
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  Speaker 1: he supposed, might be attributed to his connection with them,
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  Speaker 1: but yet he had never met with so much attention
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  Speaker 1: in the whole course of his life.