PRIDE & PREJUDICE: JANE AUSTEN: CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

After Darcy and the Colonel had departed, Lady Catherine had been walking listlessly in the garden, brooding over what her nephews told her. She would stop and look for Collins who had accompanied the two gentlemen to bid them goodbye. When he returned she told her that she felt very dull and wished them all to dine with her.

Elizabeth could not see Lady Catherine, without recollecting that, had she chosen it, she might by this time have been presented to her future niece, nor could she think, without a smile, of what her ladyship's indignation would have been.  "What would she have said? how would she have behaved?" were questions with which she amused herself.

The first subject was the diminution of the Rosings party.  "I assure you, I feel it exceedingly," said Lady Catherine, "I believe no one feels the loss of friends so much as I do.  But I am particularly attached to these young men, and know them to be so much attached to me!  They were excessively sorry to go!  But so they always are.  The real Colonel rallied his spirits tolerably till just at last; but Darcy seemed to feel it most acutely, more, I think, than last year.  His attachment to Rosings certainly increases."

Mr Collins had a compliment, and an allusion to throw in here, which were kindly smiled on by mother and daughter.

Lady Catherine observed, after dinner, that Miss Bennet seemed out of spirits, and immediately accounting for it by herself, by supposing that she did not like to go home again so soon, she added:

"But if that is the case, you must write to your mother and beg that you may stay a little longer.  Mrs Collins will be very glad of your company, I am sure."

"I am much obliged to your ladyship for your kind invitation," replied Elizabeth, "but it is not in my power to accept it. I must be in town next Saturday."

"Why, at that rate, you will have been here only six weeks.  I expected you to stay two months.  I told Mrs Collins so before you came.  There can be no occasion for your going so soon.  Mrs Bennet could certainly spare you for another fortnight."

"But my father cannot. He wrote last week to hurry my return."

"Oh! Your father of course may spare you, if your mother can.  Daughters are never of such consequence to a father.  And if you will stay another month complete, it will be in my power to take one of you as far as London, for I am going there early in June, for a week; and as Dawson does not object to the barouche-box, there will be very good room for one of you - and indeed, if the wheather should happen to be cool, I should not object to taking you both, as neither of you is large.

"You are all kindness, madam, but I believe we we must abide by our original plan."

Lady Catherine seemed resigned.
"Mrs Collins, you must send a servant with them.  You know I always speak my mind, and I cannot bear the idea of two young women traveling by themselves.  It is highly improper.  You must plan to send somebody.  Young women should always be guarded and attended according to their situation in life.  You must send John with young ladies, Mrs Collins."

"My uncle is to send a servant for us."

"Oh!  Your uncle!  He keeps a man servant, does he?" I am very glad you have somebody who thinks of these things.  Where shall you change horses? Oh! Bromley, of course.  If you mention my name at Bell, you will be attended to."

Elizabeth knew the contents of Darcy's letter by heart, and her feelings towards him were different at different times.  She was indignant of his style; but when she considered how unjustly she had condemned and upbraided him, her anger was turned against herself.  His attachment excited gratitude, his general character respect; but she could not approve him nor could not she repent her refusal, or feel the slightest inclination ever to see him again.  There was a constant source of vexation and regret connected with her family.  Her father would laugh at them.  He would never restrain his adolescent sisters.  While there was an officer in Meryton they would flirt with him.

Their engagements at Rosings were frequent during the last week of their stay.  The very last evening was spent there, and her ladyship inquired minutely into the particulars of their journey, gave them directions as to best method of packing.

When they parted, Lady Catherine, with great condescension, wished them good journey, and invited them to come to Hunsford again next year, and Miss de Bourgh exerted herself so far as to curtsey and hold out her to both of them.

THE END







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

( 16 )CHARLES DICKENS: DAVID COPPERFIELD: CHAPTER 16: I AM A NEW BOY IN MORE SENSES THAN ONE

Next morning, after breakfast, I entered on school life again.  I went, accompanied by Mr Wickfield to the scene of my future studies- a grave building in a courtyard, with a learned air about it that suited very well to the stray rooks and jackdaws who came down from the Cathedral tower to walk with a clerkly bearing on the grass plot - and was introduced to my new master, Doctor Strong. Doctor Strong looked almost as rusty, to my thinking, as the tall iron rails and gates outside the house; and almost as stiff and heavy as the great stone urn that flanked them, and were set up, on the top of red brick wall, at regular distances all round the court, like sublimated skittles for Time to play at.  Doctor Strong was in his library, with his clothes not particularly well brushed, and his hair not particularly combed, his knee-small unbraced, his long black gaiters unbuttoned, and his shoes  yawning like two caverns on the hearth-rug.  Turning upon me a lustreless eye, t...
Read more

Sailing Around Erethraean Sea: Three

Updated 29/11/2024 Below the Calf-Eaters there is a little market-town on the shore after sailing about four thousand stadia from Berenice, called Ptolemais of Hunts, from which the hunters started for the interior under the dynasty of Ptolemies. This market town has true land to rtoise in small quantities; it is white and smaller in the shells. And here also is found a little ivory, like that of Adulis. But the place has no harbour, and is reached by small boats. 1. Calf-Eaters: Cattle rearing nomadic tribes. 2. Stadia is the plural of stadion. Ten  stadia= one mile. 3. Ptolemais of Hunts: Ptolemies Theron is the exact Greek term,  located at the Bay of Anfile or Amphila Bay on the coast of Eritrea. Facing the bay is Hando island. It is, in fact, a double bay, an inner bay within, between promontories M'edr and Lelisa. End of the Section 
Read more

Travels Of Marco Polo: Thirty

Now, let me tell of the beasts which his Majesty keeps for hunting.  Among these are Leopards and lynxes or stag-wolves well fitted for that purpose.  He has also many lions larger than those of Babylon of a beautiful hair and colour, striped length ways black red and white, and trained to catch stags, wild oxen, hogs, wild goats and asses; it is delightful to see one of these chases, where the hunters go out, carrying the lion in a cage, and with him a small dog.  They have likewise abundance of eagles, with which they capture hares, foxes and even wolves; those which are trained to catch these last are very large, and of great weight, so that no wolf can escape them. ____________________________________ 1. The lion here described by the author is manifestly the tiger. It is probable that tiger was unknown in Europe when Marco left, he might have viewed it as a variety of lion. 2. Lion and tigers are wild animals and cannot be domesticated. Still human societies used to ...
Read more