The next day opened a new scene at Longbourn. Mr. Collins made his
declaration in form. Having resolved to do it without loss of time, as his
leave of absence extended only to the following Saturday, and having no
feelings of diffidence to make it distressing to himself even at the
moment, he set about it in a very orderly manner, with all the
observances, which he supposed a regular part of the business. On finding
Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth, and one of the younger girls together, soon after
breakfast, he addressed the mother in these words:🔗
“May I hope, madam, for your interest with your fair daughter Elizabeth,
when I solicit for the honour of a private audience with her in the course
of this morning?”🔗
Before Elizabeth had time for anything but a blush of surprise, Mrs.
Bennet answered instantly, “Oh dear!—yes—certainly. I am sure
Lizzy will be very happy—I am sure she can have no objection. Come,
Kitty, I want you up stairs.” And, gathering her work together, she was
hastening away, when Elizabeth called out:🔗
“Dear madam, do not go. I beg you will not go. Mr. Collins must excuse me.
He can have nothing to say to me that anybody need not hear. I am going
away myself.”🔗
“No, no, nonsense, Lizzy. I desire you to stay where you are.” And upon
Elizabeth’s seeming really, with vexed and embarrassed looks, about to
escape, she added: “Lizzy, I insist upon your staying and hearing
Mr. Collins.”🔗
Elizabeth would not oppose such an injunction—and a moment’s
consideration making her also sensible that it would be wisest to get it
over as soon and as quietly as possible, she sat down again and tried to
conceal, by incessant employment the feelings which were divided between
distress and diversion. Mrs. Bennet and Kitty walked off, and as soon as
they were gone, Mr. Collins began.🔗
“Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth, that your modesty, so far from doing
you any disservice, rather adds to your other perfections. You would have
been less amiable in my eyes had there not been this little
unwillingness; but allow me to assure you, that I have your respected
mother’s permission for this address. You can hardly doubt the purport of
my discourse, however your natural delicacy may lead you to dissemble; my
attentions have been too marked to be mistaken. Almost as soon as I
entered the house, I singled you out as the companion of my future life.
But before I am run away with by my feelings on this subject, perhaps it
would be advisable for me to state my reasons for marrying—and,
moreover, for coming into Hertfordshire with the design of selecting a
wife, as I certainly did.”🔗
The idea of Mr. Collins, with all his solemn composure, being run away
with by his feelings, made Elizabeth so near laughing, that she could not
use the short pause he allowed in any attempt to stop him further, and he
continued:🔗
“My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for
every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of
matrimony in his parish; secondly, that I am convinced that it will add
very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly—which perhaps I ought to
have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and
recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling
patroness. Twice has she condescended to give me her opinion (unasked
too!) on this subject; and it was but the very Saturday night before I
left Hunsford—between our pools at quadrille, while Mrs. Jenkinson
was arranging Miss de Bourgh’s footstool, that she said, ‘Mr. Collins, you
must marry. A clergyman like you must marry. Choose properly, choose a
gentlewoman for my sake; and for your own, let her be an
active, useful sort of person, not brought up high, but able to make a
small income go a good way. This is my advice. Find such a woman as soon
as you can, bring her to Hunsford, and I will visit her.’ Allow me, by the
way, to observe, my fair cousin, that I do not reckon the notice and
kindness of Lady Catherine de Bourgh as among the least of the advantages
in my power to offer. You will find her manners beyond anything I can
describe; and your wit and vivacity, I think, must be acceptable to her,
especially when tempered with the silence and respect which her rank will
inevitably excite. Thus much for my general intention in favour of
matrimony; it remains to be told why my views were directed towards
Longbourn instead of my own neighbourhood, where I can assure you there
are many amiable young women. But the fact is, that being, as I am, to
inherit this estate after the death of your honoured father (who, however,
may live many years longer), I could not satisfy myself without resolving
to choose a wife from among his daughters, that the loss to them might be
as little as possible, when the melancholy event takes place—which,
however, as I have already said, may not be for several years. This has
been my motive, my fair cousin, and I flatter myself it will not sink me
in your esteem. And now nothing remains for me but to assure you in the
most animated language of the violence of my affection. To fortune I am
perfectly indifferent, and shall make no demand of that nature on your
father, since I am well aware that it could not be complied with; and that
one thousand pounds in the four per cents, which will not be yours till
after your mother’s decease, is all that you may ever be entitled to. On
that head, therefore, I shall be uniformly silent; and you may assure
yourself that no ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are
married.”🔗
It was absolutely necessary to interrupt him now.🔗
“You are too hasty, sir,” she cried. “You forget that I have made no
answer. Let me do it without further loss of time. Accept my thanks for
the compliment you are paying me. I am very sensible of the honour of your
proposals, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise than to decline
them.”🔗
“I am not now to learn,” replied Mr. Collins, with a formal wave of the
hand, “that it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the
man whom they secretly mean to accept, when he first applies for their
favour; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a second, or even a
third time. I am therefore by no means discouraged by what you have just
said, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere long.”🔗
“Upon my word, sir,” cried Elizabeth, “your hope is a rather extraordinary
one after my declaration. I do assure you that I am not one of those young
ladies (if such young ladies there are) who are so daring as to risk their
happiness on the chance of being asked a second time. I am perfectly
serious in my refusal. You could not make me happy, and I am
convinced that I am the last woman in the world who could make you so.
Nay, were your friend Lady Catherine to know me, I am persuaded she would
find me in every respect ill qualified for the situation.”🔗
“Were it certain that Lady Catherine would think so,” said Mr. Collins
very gravely—“but I cannot imagine that her ladyship would at all
disapprove of you. And you may be certain when I have the honour of seeing
her again, I shall speak in the very highest terms of your modesty,
economy, and other amiable qualification.”🔗
“Indeed, Mr. Collins, all praise of me will be unnecessary. You must give
me leave to judge for myself, and pay me the compliment of believing what
I say. I wish you very happy and very rich, and by refusing your hand, do
all in my power to prevent your being otherwise. In making me the offer,
you must have satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard to my
family, and may take possession of Longbourn estate whenever it falls,
without any self-reproach. This matter may be considered, therefore, as
finally settled.” And rising as she thus spoke, she would have quitted the
room, had Mr. Collins not thus addressed her:🔗
“When I do myself the honour of speaking to you next on the subject, I
shall hope to receive a more favourable answer than you have now given me;
though I am far from accusing you of cruelty at present, because I know it
to be the established custom of your sex to reject a man on the first
application, and perhaps you have even now said as much to encourage my
suit as would be consistent with the true delicacy of the female
character.”🔗
“Really, Mr. Collins,” cried Elizabeth with some warmth, “you puzzle me
exceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can appear to you in the form of
encouragement, I know not how to express my refusal in such a way as to
convince you of its being one.”🔗
“You must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear cousin, that your
refusal of my addresses is merely words of course. My reasons for
believing it are briefly these: It does not appear to me that my hand is
unworthy of your acceptance, or that the establishment I can offer would be
any other than highly desirable. My situation in life, my connections with
the family of de Bourgh, and my relationship to your own, are
circumstances highly in my favour; and you should take it into further
consideration, that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no
means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you. Your
portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the
effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications. As I must therefore
conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of me, I shall choose
to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according
to the usual practice of elegant females.”🔗
“I do assure you, sir, that I have no pretensions whatever to that kind of
elegance which consists in tormenting a respectable man. I would rather be
paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I thank you again and again
for the honour you have done me in your proposals, but to accept them is
absolutely impossible. My feelings in every respect forbid it. Can I speak
plainer? Do not consider me now as an elegant female, intending to plague
you, but as a rational creature, speaking the truth from her heart.”🔗
“You are uniformly charming!” cried he, with an air of awkward gallantry;
“and I am persuaded that when sanctioned by the express authority of both
your excellent parents, my proposals will not fail of being acceptable.”🔗
To such perseverance in wilful self-deception Elizabeth would make no
reply, and immediately and in silence withdrew; determined, if he
persisted in considering her repeated refusals as flattering
encouragement, to apply to her father, whose negative might be uttered in
such a manner as to be decisive, and whose behaviour at least could not be
mistaken for the affectation and coquetry of an elegant female.🔗