Classics Retold

Had Elizabeth's opinion been all drawn from her family, she could not have formed a very pleasing opinion of happy married life.  Her father, captivated by youth and beauty and good humour had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her. He was fond of reading books and it had become his principal enjoyment. Elizabeth, however, had never been blind to the impropriety of her father's behaviour as a husband. She had always seen it with pain.  But she overlooked it, respecting his abilities, and grateful for his affectionate treatment of herself.  She had never felt so strongly as now the disadvantages to the children of so unsuitable a marriage; nor ever been fully aware of evils arising from ill-judged direction of talents; talents, which rightly used might have preserved the respectability of her daughters, even if incapable of enlarging the mind of his wife. When Elizabeth rejoiced ...

The first week of their return was gone.  The second began.  The regiment's stay at Meryton was coming to an end.  All young ladies in the neighborhood were drooping apace.  The dejection was almost universal. The elder Miss Bennets alone were still able to eat, drink, and sleep; and follow the usual course of their employments.  Very frequently were they reproached for this insensibility of Kitty and Lydia, whose own misery was extreme, and who couldnot comprehend such hard-heartedness in any of the family. "Good Heaven! What is to become of us? What are we to do?" would they often exclaim in the bitterness of the woe.  How can you be smiling so, Lizzy?" Their affectionate mother shared all their grief, and she remembered what she herself endured on a similar occasion five and twenty years ago. "I am sure," said she, "I cried for two days together when Colonel Miller's regiment went away.  I thought I should have broken my heart."   "I a...

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 ...

Darcy's letter did not contain a renewal of his offers. Elizabeth did not have any expectation either. But as she went through the letter eagerly, conflicting emotions passed through her.  His views on Jane's insensitivity towards Mr Bingley is false. Darcy's account of Mr Wickham surprisingly agree with what the latter himself had given.  This agreement very much astonished Elizabeth.  In this perturbed state of mind, with thoughts that could rest on nothing, she walked on; but it would not do.  In half a minute the letter was unfolded again, and she began the mortifying perusal of all that related to Mr Wickham.  The account of his connection with Pemberly family was exactly what he had related himself; the kindness of the late Mr Darcy, agreed equally with his own words.  But in the case of the will related to living there was a duplicity on one side or other.  But, of his designs on Miss Darcy, ( Georgina) received some confirmation from what had p...

Elizabeth awoke the next morning to the same thoughts which had at length closed her eyes. She could not recover from the surprise of what had happened; it was impossible to think of anything else.  Soon after breakfast, she resolved to indulge herself in air and exercise.  She was proceeding directly to her favourite walk, when the recollection of Mr Darcy's sometimes coming there stopped her, and instead of entering the park, she turned up the lane, which led farther from the turnpike-road.  The park paling was still the boundary on one side, and she soon passed one of the gates into the ground. After walking along the part of the lane, she was tempted by the pleasant morning to stop at the gate and look into the park. It had been five weeks she was in Kent, and every day added to the lush green of trees. Suddenly, she got a glimpse of Mr Darcy within the grove which edged the park. As he was moving towards her, she began to retreat.  But he was near enough to see ...

Sir William stayed only a week at Hunsford, but his visit was long enough to convince him of his daughter's being most comfortably settled, and of her possessing such a husband and such a neighbour as were not often met with.  While William was with them, Mr Collins devoted his morning to driving him out in his jig, and showing him the country; but when he went away, the whole family returned to their usual employments, and Elizabeth was thankful to find that they did not find more of his cousin by the alteration, for the chief of time between breakfast and dinner was now passed by him either at work in the garden or in reading and writing, and looking out of the window of his own book room. Very few days passed in which Mr Collins did not walk to Rosings.  Charlotte also did not think it necessary to go likewise.  Now and then they have honoured with a call  from her ladyship. She examined into their employments, and looked at their work, and advised them to do it d...

Colonel Fitzwilliam's manners were very much admired at the parsonage, and the ladies all felt that he must add considerably to their engagements at Rosings.  It was some days, however, before they received any invitation tither - for while there were visitors in the house, they could not be necessary; and it was not till Easter-day, a week after the gentlemen's arrival, that they were honoured by such an attention, and then they were merely asked on leaving the church to come there in the evening.  For the last week they had seen very little of Lady Catherine or her daughter.  Colonel FitzWilliam had called at the parsonage more than once during the time, but Mr Darcy they had seen only at Church. The invitation was accepted, and they joined the party in Lady Catherine's drawing room.  The ladyship received them civilly. Colonel Fitzwilliam seemed really glad. Mrs Collins's pretty friend had caught his fancy very much.  He seated himself by her, and talked so a...