PRIDE & PREJUDICE: JANE AUSTEN: CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Mr Collins along with his five cousins arrived at Phillips house in Meryton at a suitable hour. As they entered the drawing room the girls came to know that Mr Wickham was in the house.  When all of them were seated Mr Collins was at leisure to look around him and admire and he was so much struck with the size and furniture of the apartment, that he declared he might almost have supposed himself in the summer breakfast parlour of at Rosings; a comparison that did not at first convey much to the audience; but when Mrs Phillips understood from him what Rosings was, and who was its proprietor she felt all the force of the compliment.

In describing to her all the grandeur of Lady Catherine and her mansion, with occasional digressions in praise of his humble abode, he was happily occupied until the gentlemen joined them.  Mrs Phillips was a good listener, who decided to retail it among her neighbours.  The girls could not listen to their cousin, had nothing to do but to wish for an instrument, and examine their own indifferent imtations of china on the mantelpiece.  The intervel of waiting appeared very long. It was over at last. The gentlemen did approach, and when Mr Wickham walked into the room, Elizabeth felt that she had neither been seeing him before, nor thinking of him since, with the smallest degree of admiration.  The officers of the shire were in general very creditable, gentleman like, and the best of them were the present party.  But Mr Wickham was far beyond them all in person, countenance, air, and walk, as they were superior to the broad-faced, stuffy uncle Phillips, who followed into the room breathing port wine.

Mr Wickham was the happy man towards whom every female eye was turned, and Elizabeth was the happy woman by whom he finally seated himself; and the agreeable manner in which he immediately fell into consideration, made her feel that common, dull, and threadbare topic might be rendered by the skill of the speaker.

With much rivals for notice, Mr Collins seemed to sink into insignificance; to young ladies he certainly was nothing. But he had a kind listener in Mrs Phillips at intervals. By her watchfulness he was abundantly supplied with coffee and muffin.  When the card table were placed, he had the opportunity of obliging her in turn, by sitting down to whist.

"I know little of the game at present," he said, "but I shall be glad to improve myself for my situation in life." Mrs Phillips was very glad for his compliance but could not wait for his reason.

Mr Wickham did not play whist, he was received at other table between Elizabeth and Lydia.  At first Lydia engrossed him fully, for she was most determined talker. But being extremely fond of lottery tickets she soon grew too much interested in the game, too eager in making bets and exclaiming prizes to have attention for anyone in particular. Mr Wickham was at leisure to talk to Elizabeth, and she was very willing to hear him, though what she chiefly wished to hear she could not be told - the history of his acquaintance with Darcy. She dared not even mention that gentleman.  Her curiosity was, however, unexpectedly relieved.  Mr Wickham began the subject himself.  He inquired how far Netherfield from Meryton, and, after receiving the answer, asked in a hesitating manner how long Mr Darcy had been staying there.

"About a month," said Elizabeth, and then, unwilling to drop the subject, added, "he is a man of very large property in Derbyshire, I understand."

"Yes," replied Mr Wickham, "his estate there is a noble one.  A clear ten thousand per annum.  You could not have met with a person more capable of giving you certain information on that head than myself, for I have been connected with his family in a particular manner from my infancy."

Elizabeth could not but look surprised.

"You may well be surprised, Miss Bennet, at such an assertion, after seeing, as you probably might, the very cold manner of our meeting yesterday.  Are you much acquainted with Mr Darcy?"

"As much as I ever wish to be," cried Elizabeth very warmly.  "I have spent four days in the same house with him, and I think him very disagreeable."

"I have no right to give my opinion,'' said Wickham, as to his being agreeable or otherwise.  I am not qualified to form one.  I have known him too long and too well to be a fair judge.  It is impossible for me to be impartial.  But I believe your opinion of him would in general astonish - and perhaps you would not express it quite so strongly anywhere else.  Here you are in your own family.''

"Upon my word, I say no more here than I might say in any house in the neighborhood, except Netherfield.  He is not at all liked in Hertfordshire.  Everybody is disgusted with his pride.  You will not find him more favourably spoken of by anyone."

"I cannot pretend to be sorry," said Wickham, after a short interruption, "that he or that any man should not be estimated beyond their deserts; but with him I believe it does not happen.  The world is blinded by his fortune or frightened by his high and imposing manners, and sees him only as he chooses to be seen."

"I should take him, even on my slight acquaintance, to be an ill tempered man." he continued.

"His father, Miss Bennet, the late Mr Darcy was one of the best man I ever breathed."

Elizabeth found his conversion very interesting, but the delicacy of the subject prevented further inquiry.

Mr Wickham began to talk more of him.

"The church ought to have been my profession.  I was brought up for the church. I should have been in possession of a most valuable living had it pleased the gentleman we are speaking of just now."

"Indeed!"

"Yes - the late Mr Darcy bequeathed me the next presentation of the best living thing in his gift.  He was my godfather and excessively attached to me.  He meant to provide me amply, and thought he had done it; but when the living fell, it was given elsewhere."

"Good heavens!" cried Elizabeth; "but how could that be? Why did you not seek legal redress?"

"There was such an informality in the terms of the bequest as to give me no hope from law.  A man of honour could not have doubted the intention, but Mr Darcy chose to doubt it. That the living became vacant two years ago, and it was given to another man.

"This is quite shocking," said Elizabeth, "he deserves to be publicly disgraced."

"Some time or other he will be, - but it shall not be me."

"But what," said she, after a pause, "can have been his motive?"

"A dislike of me because late Mr Darcy liked me."

"I had not thought of Mr Darcy so bad."

"To treat in such a manner, godson, the friend and the favourite of his father!" said Elizabeth.

"We were born in the same parish, within the same park, inmates of the same house, sharing the same amusements, under the same parentel care. My father began life in the profession which your uncle Phillips appears to do much credit to - but he gave up everything to be of use to senior Mr Darcy and devoted fully to the care of Pemberly property. He was highly esteemed by the senior, a most intimate confidential friend.  The senior gave my father a voluntary promise to provide for me in return of his active superintendence of Pemberly property.  This was before my father's death."

"How strange!" cried Elizabeth, "the proud Darcy was dishonest and unjust to you."

"Almost all his actions may be traced to pride; but in his behaviour to me there were stronger impulses than pride."

"Can such abominable pride had ever done him good?"

"Yes, it has often led him to be liberal and generous, to give his money freely, to display hospitality, to assist his tenants, and releive the poor. Family pride and filial pride (for he is very proud of what his father was) have done this. His brotherly pride makes him very kind and careful guardian of his sister."

"What sort of girl is Miss Darcy?"

"She is too much like his brother - very very proud. As a child she was affectionate and pleasing, and extremely fond of me, and I have devoted hours and hours to her amusement.  But she is nothing to me now.  She is a handsome girl of fifteen or sixteen and highly accomplished. Since her father's death, her home has been London, where a lady lives with her and oversees her education."

"I am astonished at his intimacy with Mr Bingley!" said Elizabeth, how can Mr Bingley, who seems good humour itself, and is really amiable, be in friendship with such a man?  How can they suit each other? Do you know Mr Bingley?"

"Not at all."

"He is sweet tempered amiable man.  He cannot know what Mr Darcy is."

"Probably not.  But Mr Darcy can please where he chooses.  He does not want abilities.  He can be a conversible companion if he thinks worth his while.  Among those who are his equals he is a different man.  With rich he is liberal minded."

The whist party soon broke up, the players gathered round the other table and Mr Collins took his station between his cousin Elizabeth and Mrs Phillips.  The usual inquiries as to his success was made by Mrs Phillips.  It had not been great; he had lost every point, he assured her earnestly that money was of least importance, and begged that she would not make herself uneasy.

"I know very well, madam," said he, "that persons sit down to card table, they must take chances of these things."

Mr Wickham's attention was caught; and after observing Mr Collins for a few moments, he asked Elizabeth in a low voice whether her relation was very intimately acquainted with the family of de Bourgh."

"Lady Catherine de Bourgh," she replied, "had very lately given him a living.  I hardly know how Mr Collins was first introduced to her notice, but he certainly has not known her long."

"You know of course that Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Lady Anne Darcy were sisters; consequently she is aunt to Mr Darcy."

"No, indeed, I did not.  I know nothing at all of Lady Catherine's connections.  I never heard of her existence till the day before yesterday.'

Her daughter Miss de Bourgh, will have a very large fortune, and it is believed that she and her cousin will unite the two estates."

This information made Elizabeth smile, as she thought of poor Miss Bingley. Vain indeed must be all her attentions, vain and useless her affection for his sister and her praise of himself, if he were self destined for another.

"Mr Collins," said she, "speaks highly both of Lady Catherine and her daughter, but I suspect his gratitude misleads him, and that in spite of her being his patroness, she is an arrogant conceited woman."

"I believe her to be both in a great degree," replied Mr Wickham; ",I have not seen her for many years; but I very well remember that I never liked her, and that her manners were dictatorial and insolent.  She has the reputation of being remarkably sensible and clever; but I rather believe she derives part of her abilities from her rank and fortune, part from her authoritative manner, and rest from the pride for her nephew, who chooses that everyone connected with him should have an understanding of the first class."

They continued talking together till supper put an end to cards, and gave rest of the ladies their share of Mr Wickham's attention.

All the way she went home, Elizabeth was engrossed in what Mr Wickham had narrated.  But there was not time for her even to mention his name as they went, for neither Lydia nor Mr Collins were once silent.  Lydia talked incessantly of lottery tickets, of the fish she had lost and the fish she had won; and Mr Collins in describing the civility of Mr and Mrs Phillips.

THE END