CHAPTER XXV.

1AFTER a week spent in professions of love and schemes of felicity, Mr. Collins was called from his amiable Charlotte by the arrival of Saturday. 2The pain of separation, however, might be alleviated on his side by preparations for the reception of his bride, as he had reason to hope, that shortly after his next return into Hertfordshire, the day would be fixed that was to make him the happiest of men. 3He took leave of his relations at Longbourn with as much solemnity as before; wished his fair cousins health and happiness again, and promised their father another letter of thanks.

4On the following Monday, Mrs. Bennet had the pleasure of receiving her brother and his wife, who came, as usual, to spend the Christmas at Longbourn. 5Mr. Gardiner was a sensible, gentlemanlike man, greatly superior to his sister, as well by nature as education. 6The Netherfield ladies would have had difficulty in believing that a man who lived by trade, and within view of his own warehouses, could have been so well-bred and agreeable. 7Mrs. Gardiner, who was several years younger than Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Philips, was an amiable, intelligent, elegant woman, and a great favourite with her Longbourn nieces. 8Between the two eldest and herself especially, there subsisted a very particular regard. 9They had frequently been staying with her in town.

10The first part of Mrs. Gardiner’s business, on her arrival, was to distribute her presents and describe the newest fashions. 11When this was done, she had a less active part to play. 12It became her turn to listen. 13Mrs. Bennet had many grievances to relate, and much to complain of. 14They had all been very ill-used since she last saw her sister. 15Two of her girls had been on the point of marriage, and after all there was nothing in it.

16“I do not blame Jane,” she continued, “for Jane would have got Mr. Bingley if she could. 17But, Lizzy! 18Oh, sister! 19it is very hard to think that she might have been Mr. Collins’s wife by this time, had not it been for her own perverseness. 20He made her an offer in this very room, and she refused him. 21The consequence of it is, that Lady Lucas will have a daughter married before I have, and that Longbourn estate is just as much entailed as ever. 22The Lucases are very artful people, indeed, sister. 23They are all for what they can get. 24I am sorry to say it of them, but so it is. 25It makes me very nervous and poorly, to be thwarted so in my own family, and to have neighbours who think of themselves before anybody else. 26However, your coming just at this time is the greatest of comforts, and I am very glad to hear what you tell us of long sleeves.”

27Mrs. Gardiner, to whom the chief of this news had been given before, in the course of Jane and Elizabeth’s correspondence with her, made her sister a slight answer, and, in compassion to her nieces, turned the conversation.

28When alone with Elizabeth afterwards, she spoke more on the subject. 29“It seems likely to have been a desirable match for Jane,” said she. 30“I am sorry it went off. 31But these things happen so often! 32A young man, such as you describe Mr. Bingley, so easily falls in love with a pretty girl for a few weeks, and, when accident separates them, so easily forgets her, that these sort of inconstancies are very frequent.”

33“An excellent consolation in its way,” said Elizabeth; “but it will not do for us. 34We do not suffer by accident. 35It does not often happen that the interference of friends will persuade a young man of independent fortune to think no more of a girl whom he was violently in love with only a few days before.”

36“But that expression of ‘violently in love’ is so hackneyed, so doubtful, so indefinite, that it gives me very little idea. 37It is as often applied to feelings which arise only from a half hour’s acquaintance, as to a real, strong attachment. 38Pray, how violent was Mr. Bingley’s love?”

39“I never saw a more promising inclination; he was growing quite inattentive to other people, and wholly engrossed by her. 40Every time they met, it was more decided and remarkable. 41At his own ball he offended two or three young ladies by not asking them to dance; and I spoke to him twice myself without receiving an answer. 42Could there be finer symptoms? 43Is not general incivility the very essence of love?”

44“Oh, yes! 45of that kind of love which I suppose him to have felt. 46Poor Jane! 47I am sorry for her, because, with her disposition, she may not get over it immediately. 48It had better have happened to you, Lizzy; you would have laughed yourself out of it sooner. 49But do you think she would be prevailed on to go back with us? 50Change of scene might be of service—and perhaps a little relief from home may be as useful as anything.”

51Elizabeth was exceedingly pleased with this proposal, and felt persuaded of her sister’s ready acquiescence.

52“I hope,” added Mrs. Gardiner, “that no consideration with regard to this young man will influence her. 53We live in so different a part of town, all our connections are so different, and, as you well know, we go out so little, that it is very improbable they should meet at all, unless he really comes to see her.”

54“And that is quite impossible; for he is now in the custody of his friend, and Mr. Darcy would no more suffer him to call on Jane in such a part of London! 55My dear aunt, how could you think of it? 56Mr. Darcy may, perhaps, have heard of such a place as Gracechurch Street, but he would hardly think a month’s ablution enough to cleanse him from its impurities, were he once to enter it; and, depend upon it, Mr. Bingley never stirs without him.”

57“So much the better. 58I hope they will not meet at all. 59But does not Jane correspond with his sister? 60She will not be able to help calling.”

61“She will drop the acquaintance entirely.”

62But, in spite of the certainty in which Elizabeth affected to place this point, as well as the still more interesting one of Bingley’s being withheld from seeing Jane, she felt a solicitude on the subject which convinced her, on examination, that she did not consider it entirely hopeless. 63It was possible, and sometimes she thought it probable, that his affection might be re-animated, and the influence of his friends successfully combated by the more natural influence of Jane’s attractions.

64Miss Bennet accepted her aunt’s invitation with pleasure; and the Bingleys were no otherwise in her thoughts at the same time than as she hoped, by Caroline’s not living in the same house with her brother, she might occasionally spend a morning with her, without any danger of seeing him.

65The Gardiners stayed a week at Longbourn; and what with the Philipses, the Lucases, and the officers, there was not a day without its engagement. 66Mrs. Bennet had so carefully provided for the entertainment of her brother and sister, that they did not once sit down to a family dinner. 67When the engagement was for home, some of the officers always made part of it, of which officers Mr. Wickham was sure to be one; and on these occasions Mrs. Gardiner, rendered suspicious by Elizabeth’s warm commendation of him, narrowly observed them both. 68Without supposing them, from what she saw, to be very seriously in love, their preference of each other was plain enough to make her a little uneasy; and she resolved to speak to Elizabeth on the subject before she left Hertfordshire, and represent to her the imprudence of encouraging such an attachment.

69To Mrs. Gardiner, Wickham had one means of affording pleasure, unconnected with his general powers. 70About ten or a dozen years ago, before her marriage, she had spent a considerable time in that very part of Derbyshire to which he belonged. 71They had, therefore, many acquaintance in common; and, though Wickham had been little there since the death of Darcy’s father, five years before, it was yet in his power to give her fresher intelligence of her former friends than she had been in the way of procuring.

72Mrs. Gardiner had seen Pemberley, and known the late Mr. Darcy by character perfectly well. 73Here, consequently, was an inexhaustible subject of discourse. 74In comparing her recollection of Pemberley with the minute description which Wickham could give, and in bestowing her tribute of praise on the character of its late possessor, she was delighting both him and herself. 75On being made acquainted with the present Mr. Darcy’s treatment of him, she tried to remember something of that gentleman’s reputed disposition, when quite a lad, which might agree with it; and was confident, at last, that she recollected having heard Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy formerly spoken of as a very proud, ill-natured boy.