PRIDE & PREJUDICE: JANE AUSTEN: CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

The discussion of Mr Collins proposal came to an end.  Occasional clouds of her mother's allusions, and Mr Collins's resentful silence lingered in Longbourn.  Mr Collins's love and attention were now transferred to Miss Charlotte Lucas.

After breakfast, the girls walked to Meryton to inquire if Mr Wickham were returned, and lament over his absence from the Netherfield ball. He joined them on their entering the town, and attended them to their aunt's where his regret and vexation, and the concern of everybody was well talked over.  To Elizabeth, however, he voluntarily acknowledged that the necessity of his absence had been self-imposed.

She highly approved his forbearance, and they had leisure for a full discussion for it, and for the commendation which they civilly bestowed on each other, as Wickham and another officer walked back with them to Longbourn.  His accompanying them was a double advantage of his introducing to her father and mother.

Since after their return, a letter was delivered to Miss Bennet; it came from Netherfield. The envelope contained a sheet of elegant little hot-pressed paper, well covered with a lady's fair, flowing hand; and Elizabeth saw her sister's countenance change as she read it, and saw her dwelling intently on some particular passages. Jane recollected herself soon, and putting the letter away, tried to join with her usual cheerfulness in the general conversation; but Elizabeth felt an anxiety on the subject which drew off her attention even from Wickham; and no sooner had he and his companion taken leave, than a glance from Jane invited her to follow her upstairs.  When they had gained their own room, Jane, taking out the letter said:

"This is from Caroline Bingley, what it contains has surprised me a good deal.  The whole party have left  Netherfield by this time, and are on their way to town - and without any intention of coming back again. You shall hear what she says."

Then she read the first sentence aloud, which comprised the information of their having just resolved to follow their brother to town directly, and of their meaning to dine in Grosvenor Street, where Mr Hurst had a house.  The next was in these words: "I do not pretend to regret anything I shall leave in Hertfordshire, except your society, my dear friend; but we will hope, at some future period, to enjoy many returns of that delightful intercourse we have known, and in the meantime may lessen by the pain of separation by a very frequent and most unreserved correspondence.  I depend on you for that."  To these high flown expressions Elizabeth listened with all insensibility of distrust; and though the suddenness of their removal surprised her, she saw nothing in it really to lament; it was not to be supposed that their absence from Netherfield would prevent Mr Bingley's presence there; and as to loss of society, she was persuaded that Jane must cease to regard it, in the enjoyment of his.

"It is unlucky," she said after a pause, "that you should not be able to see your friends before they leave the country.  But may we not hope that the future happiness to which Miss Bingley look forward may arrive earlier than she is aware, and your friendship will be renewed.  Mr Bingley will not be detained by them in London.

Jane had her own doubts as to the return of Mr Bingley to Netherfield, this winter.  He is held up there because of some business. The sisters thought that it will be over by two or three days.  But it is understood that it may take long.  So the sisters also moved to London.

But Elizabeth could see the design of Caroline.  She is in love with Darcy.  She also knows that her brother and Jane are in love. But she wanted Charles Bingley to marry the sister of Darcy. In fact Caroline wants to keep her brother in London and persuade him to marry Miss Darcy.  And at the same time, persuade you that Mr Bingley doesn't care for you.
Though Caroline is in love with Mr Darcy, she is not sure of him.  If she had, she would have ordered her wedding clothes.  Caroline is anxious to get Miss Darcy for her brother, from the notion that when there had been an intermarriage, she may have less trouble in achieving the second.  There is certain ingenuity in her design.

"But Caroline is incapable of wilfully deceiving anyone; and all I can hope in this case is that she is deceiving herself," said Jane.

"That is right. Believe her to be deceived by all means."

"But, my dear sister, can I be happy, in accepting a man whose sisters are wishing him to marry elsewhere?"

"You must decide for yourself," said Elizabeth, "and if, upon mature deliberation, if you find that the misery of disobliging his two sisters is more than equivalent to the happiness of being his wife, I advise you to refuse him."

They agreed that Mrs Bennet should only hear of the departure of the family, but even this partial communication gave her a great deal of concern.

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