PRIDE & PREJUDICE: JANE AUSTEN: CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE

A few days after his visit Mr Bingley called again, and alone.  He remained with them above an hour, and was in good spirits.  Mrs Bennet invited him to dinner, but with many expressions of concern he had to take leave.

"Next time you call," said Mrs Bennet, "I hope, we shall be more lucky."

He should be particularly happy at any time, and if she would give him leave, would take any early opportunity. 

"Can you come tomorrow?"

The invitation was accepted with alacrity.

He came, and in such a very good time that the ladies were none of them dressed.  In ran Mrs Bennet to her daughter's room, in her dressing gown, and with her hair half finished, crying out: 

"My dear Jane, make haste and hurry down.  He is come - Mr Bingley is come.  He is, indeed.  Make haste, make haste.  Here, Sarah, come to Miss Bennet this moment, and help her on with her gown.  Never mind Miss Lizzy's hair."

"We will be down as soon as we can," said Jane, "but Kitty is forwarder than either of us, for she went upstairs half an hour ago."

"Oh! hang Kitty! what has she to do with it?  Come be quick, be quick!  Where is your sash, my dear?"

But when her mother was gone, Jane would not be prevailed on to go down without one of her sisters.

In the evening, after tea, Mr Bennet retired to the library, as was his custom, and Mary went upstairs to her instrument. When these obstacles were removed, Mrs Bennet and sat looking and winking at Elizabeth and Catherine for a considerable time, without making any impression on them.  Elizabeth would not observe her. But Kitty very innocently said, "What is the matter mama? What do you keep winking at me for? What am I to do?"

"Nothing child, nothing.  I did not wink at you," said she, and then sat still five minutes longer; but unable to waste such a precious occasion, suddenly got up, and said, "come here, my love, I want to speak to you," and took her out of the room.  Jane instantly took a look at Elizabeth which spoke her distress at such premeditation, and her entreaty that she would not give in to it.  In a few minutes, Mrs Bennet half opened the door and called out:

"Lizzy, my dear, I want to speak with you."

Elizabeth was forced to go.

"We may as well leave them by themselves, you know," said her mother, as soon as she was in the hall.  "Kitty and I are going upstairs to sit in my dressing room."

Elizabeth made no attempt to reason with her mother, but remained quietly in the hall, till she and Kitty were out of sight, and then returned into the drawing room.

Mrs Bennet's scheme for the day was ineffective.  Bingley was everything that was charming, except the professed lover of her daughter.  His ease and cheerfulness rendered him a most agreeable addition to their evening party; and he bore with the ill-judged meddling in of the mother, and heard all her silly remarks with a forbearance and command of countenance particularly grateful to the daughter.

He scarcely needed an invitation to stay supper; and before he went away, an engagement was formed, chiefly through his own and Mrs Bennet's means, for his coming next morning to shoot with her husband.

After this day, Jane said no more of her indifference.  Not a word passed between the sisters concerning Bingley; but Elizabeth went to bed in happy belief that all must speedily be concluded, unless Mr Darcy returned within the stated time.  Seriously, however, she felt tolerably persuaded that all this must have taken place with that gentleman's concurrence.

Bingley was punctual to his appointment, and he and Mr Bennet spent the morning together, as had been agreed on.  The latter was much more agreeable than his companion expected.  There was nothing of presumption or folly in Bingley that could provoke his ridicule or disgust him into silence; and he was more communicative, and less eccentric, than the other had ever seen him.  Bingley, of course returned with him to dinner; and in the evening Mrs Bennet's invention was again at work, to get everybody away from him and her daughter.  Elizabeth, who had a letter to write, went into the breakfast room for that purpose, soon after tea; for as the others were all going to sit down to cards she could not be wanted to counteract her mother's scheme.

After finishing the letter, Elizabeth returned to the drawing room.  Jane and Bingley were standing over the hearth, as if they were engaged in a conversation.  They hastily turned round and moved away from each other.  Not a syllable was uttered by either, and Elizabeth was on the point of going away, when Bingley, after whispering a few words to Jane, ran out of the room.

Jane, though disturbed by the unexpected arrival of Elizabeth, and lost her colour, but instantly took control of herself, came forward, embraced her, and acknowledged that she was the happiest creature in the world.

"It's too much!" she added, "by far too much.  I do not deserve it.  Oh! Why is not everybody as happy?"

Elizabeth's congratulations was spontaneous, warm and sincere. Jane wanted to tell everything to her sister, but she thought of her mother eagerly waiting her.

"I must go instantly to my mother," she cried.  I would not trifle with her affectionate solicitude; or allow her to hear it from anyone but myself.  He is gone to my father already.  Oh! Lizzy, to know that what I have to relate will give such a pleasure to all my dear family! how shall I bear so much happiness!"

She then hastened away to her mother, who had purposefully broken up the card party, and was sitting upstairs with Kitty.

Elizabeth was left by herself.  She smiled at the rapidity and ease with which an affair was finally settled.

"And this," she thought, "is all his friends' circumspection! the happiest, wisest and most reasonable end!"

In a few minutes she was joined by Bingley.

"Where is your sister?" said he, as he opened the door.

"With my mother, upstairs.  She will be down in a moment."

He then shut the door, and coming upto her, claimed the good wishes and affection of a sister.  Elizabeth honestly and hastily expressed her delight in the prospect of their relationship.  They shook hands cordially, and continued the talk expecting Jane to come.

The evening was happy, Jane came down with Mrs Bennet and Kitty. The glow on Jane's face reflected her delight and satisfaction.  Kitty simpered and smiled and hoped her turn was coming.  Mrs Bennet talked to Bingley, of nothing but everything and everyone.  Mr Bennet joined them at supper, his voice and manner plainly showed how happy he was.

The visitor took his leave for the night.  Mr Bennet turned to his daughter and said:

"Jane, I congratulate you.  You will be a very happy woman."

Jane went to him instantly, and kissed him, and thanked him for his goodness.

"You are a good girl," he replied, "and I have good pleasure in thinking you will be happily settled. Your tempers are by no means unlike, and everything will be resolved so easily between you; but every servant will cheat you; so generous you will always exceed your income."

"I hope not so. Imprudence and thoughtlessness in money matters would be unpardonable in me."

"Exceed their income! My dear Mr Bennet," cried his wife, "what are you talking of? Why, he has four or five thousand a year, and very likely more."  Then addressing her daughter, "Oh! my dear, dear Jane, I am so happy.  I knew how it would be. I was sure you could not be so beautiful for nothing! I remember as soon as I saw him, when he first came into Hertfordshire, I thought how likely that you should come together.  Oh! he is the handsomest young man that ever was seen!"

Wickham and Lydia were forgotten. At that moment, she cared for no other.  Her younger sisters soon began to make interest with Jane for objects of happiness which she might in future be able to dispense.

Mary petitioned for the use of the library at Netherfield.  Kitty begged for few balls there every winter.

Bingley, from this time, was a daily visitor at Longbourn; coming frequently before breakfast, and always remaining till after supper, unless when some intruding neighbour, had given him an invitation to dinner, which he thought obliged to accept.

Jane had little time to converse with Elizabeth, except on occasions of absence of Bingley. In the absence of Jane, Bingley found pleasure in talking to Elizabeth.

"He made me so happy," said Jane, one evening, "by telling me that he was totally ignorant of my being in town last spring!  I had not believed it possible."

"I suspected as much," said Elizabeth.  "But how did he account for it?"

"It must have been his sister's doing.  They were certainly no friends to his acquaintance with me.  But when they see, that their brother is happy with me, they will learn to be contended, and we shall be on good terms again."

"That is the most unforgiving speech," said Elizabeth, "that I ever heard you utter.  Good girl! It would vex me, indeed, to see you again the dupe of Miss Bingley's pretended regard."

"Would you believe it, Lizzy, that when he went to town last November, he really loved me, and nothing but a a persuasion of my being indifferent would have prevented his coming down again!"

"To be sure, he made a little mistake; but it is to the credit of his modesty."

This naturally introduced a panegyric from Jane on his diffidence and the little value he put on his own good qualities.  Elizabeth had found that he had not betrayed the interference of his friend; but Jane was aware of the circumstance which prejudiced her against him.

"I am certainly fortunate," cried Jane, "but if I could but see you happy! If there were such another man for you!"

"If you were to give forty such men, I never could be so happy as you.  Till I have your disposition, I never can have your happiness.  Let us hope for another Collins."

The new situation in the Longbourn family could not be a secret for long. Mrs Bennet whispered it to Mrs Phillips, and she ventured to spread it to all her neighbours in Meryton.

Bennets were pronounced to be the luckiest family in the world, though only a few weeks before, when Lydia had run away, they had been marked out for misfortune.

THE END