CHAPTER XV.
Mr. Collins was not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature hadbeen but little assisted by education or society; the greatest part ofhis life having been spent under the guidance of an illiterate andmiserly father; and though he belonged to one of the universities, hehad merely kept the necessary terms, without forming at it any usefulacquaintance. The subjection in which his father had brought him up, hadgiven him originally great humility of manner, but it was now a gooddeal counteracted by the self-conceit of a weak head, living inretirement, and the consequential feelings of early and unexpectedprosperity. A fortunate chance had recommended him to Lady Catherine deBourgh when the living of Hunsford was vacant; and the respect which hefelt for her high rank, and his veneration for her as his patroness,mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as aclergyman, and his rights as a rector, made him altogether a mixture ofpride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility.
Having now a good house and very sufficient income, he intended tomarry; and in seeking a reconciliation with the Longbourn family he hada wife in view, as he meant to chuse one of the daughters, if he foundthem as handsome and amiable as they were represented by common report.This was his plan of amends--of atonement--for inheriting their father'sestate; and he thought it an excellent one, full of eligibility andsuitableness, and excessively generous and disinterested on his ownpart.
His plan did not vary on seeing them.--Miss Bennet's lovely faceconfirmed his views, and established all his strictest notions of whatwas due to seniority; and for the first evening _she_ was his settledchoice. The next morning, however, made an alteration; for in a quarterof an hour's tete-a-tete with Mrs. Bennet before breakfast, aconversation beginning with his parsonage-house, and leading naturallyto the avowal of his hopes, that a mistress for it might be found atLongbourn, produced from her, amid very complaisant smiles and generalencouragement, a caution against the very Jane he had fixed on.--As toher _younger_ daughters she could not take upon her to say--she couldnot positively answer--but she did not _know_ of any prepossession;--her_eldest_ daughter, she must just mention--she felt it incumbent on herto hint, was likely to be very soon engaged.
Mr. Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth--and it was soondone--done while Mrs. Bennet was stirring the fire. Elizabeth, equallynext to Jane in birth and beauty, succeeded her of course.
Mrs. Bennet treasured up the hint, and trusted that she might soon havetwo daughters married; and the man whom she could not bear to speak ofthe day before, was now high in her good graces.
Lydia's intention of walking to Meryton was not forgotten; every sisterexcept Mary agreed to go with her; and Mr. Collins was to attend them,at the request of Mr. Bennet, who was most anxious to get rid of him,and have his library to himself; for thither Mr. Collins had followedhim after breakfast, and there he would continue, nominally engaged withone of the largest folios in the collection, but really talking to Mr.Bennet, with little cessation, of his house and garden at Hunsford. Suchdoings discomposed Mr. Bennet exceedingly. In his library he had beenalways sure of leisure and tranquillity; and though prepared, as he toldElizabeth, to meet with folly and conceit in every other room in thehouse, he was used to be free from them there; his civility, therefore,was most prompt in inviting Mr. Collins to join his daughters in theirwalk; and Mr. Collins, being in fact much better fitted for a walkerthan a reader, was extremely well pleased to close his large book, andgo.
In pompous nothings on his side, and civil assents on that of hiscousins, their time passed till they entered Meryton. The attention ofthe younger ones was then no longer to be gained by _him_. Their eyeswere immediately wandering up in the street in quest of the officers,and nothing less than a very smart bonnet indeed, or a really new muslinin a shop window, could recal them.
But the attention of every lady was soon caught by a young man, whomthey had never seen before, of most gentleman-like appearance, walkingwith an officer on the other side of the way. The officer was the veryMr. Denny, concerning whose return from London Lydia came to inquire,and he bowed as they passed. All were struck with the stranger's air,all wondered who he could be, and Kitty and Lydia, determined ifpossible to find out, led the way across the street, under pretence ofwanting something in an opposite shop, and fortunately had just gainedthe pavement when the two gentlemen turning back had reached the samespot. Mr. Denny addressed them directly, and entreated permission tointroduce his friend, Mr. Wickham, who had returned with him the daybefore from town, and he was happy to say had accepted a commission intheir corps. This was exactly as it should be; for the young man wantedonly regimentals to make him completely charming. His appearance wasgreatly in his favour; he had all the best part of beauty, a finecountenance, a good figure, and very pleasing address. The introductionwas followed up on his side by a happy readiness of conversation--areadiness at the same time perfectly correct and unassuming; and thewhole party were still standing and talking together very agreeably,when the sound of horses drew their notice, and Darcy and Bingley wereseen riding down the street. On distinguishing the ladies of the group,the two gentlemen came directly towards them, and began the usualcivilities. Bingley was the principal spokesman, and Miss Bennet theprincipal object. He was then, he said, on his way to Longbourn onpurpose to inquire after her. Mr. Darcy corroborated it with a bow, andwas beginning to determine not to fix his eyes on Elizabeth, when theywere suddenly arrested by the sight of the stranger, and Elizabethhappening to see the countenance of both as they looked at each other,was all astonishment at the effect of the meeting. Both changed colour,one looked white, the other red. Mr. Wickham, after a few moments,touched his hat--a salutation which Mr. Darcy just deigned to return.What could be the meaning of it?--It was impossible to imagine; it wasimpossible not to long to know.
In another minute Mr. Bingley, but without seeming to have noticed whatpassed, took leave and rode on with his friend.
Mr. Denny and Mr. Wickham walked with the young ladies to the door ofMr. Philips's house, and then made their bows, in spite of Miss Lydia'spressing entreaties that they would come in, and even in spite of Mrs.Philips' throwing up the parlour window, and loudly seconding theinvitation.
Mrs. Philips was always glad to see her nieces, and the two eldest, fromtheir recent absence, were particularly welcome, and she was eagerlyexpressing her surprise at their sudden return home, which, as their owncarriage had not fetched them, she should have known nothing about, ifshe had not happened to see Mr. Jones's shop boy in the street, who hadtold her that they were not to send any more draughts to Netherfieldbecause the Miss Bennets were come away, when her civility was claimedtowards Mr. Collins by Jane's introduction of him. She received him withher very best politeness, which he returned with as much more,apologising for his intrusion, without any previous acquaintance withher, which he could not help flattering himself however might bejustified by his relationship to the young ladies who introduced him toher notice. Mrs. Philips was quite awed by such an excess of goodbreeding; but her contemplation of one stranger was soon put an end toby exclamations and inquiries about the other, of whom, however, shecould only tell her nieces what they already knew, that Mr. Denny hadbrought him from London, and that he was to have a lieutenant'scommission in the ----shire. She had been watching him the last hour,she said, as he walked up and down the street, and had Mr. Wickhamappeared Kitty and Lydia would certainly have continued the occupation,but unluckily no one passed the windows now except a few of theofficers, who in comparison with the stranger, were become stupid,disagreeable fellows. Some of them were to dine with the Philipses thenext day, and their aunt promised to make her husband call on Mr.Wickham, and give him an invitation also, if the family from Longbournwould come in the evening. This was agreed to, and Mrs. Philipsprotested that they would have a nice comfortable noisy game of lotterytickets, and a little bit of hot supper afterwards. The prospect of suchdelights was very cheering, and they parted in mutual good spirits. Mr.Collins repeated his apologies in quitting the room, and was assuredwith unwearying civility that they were perfectly needless.
As they walked home, Elizabeth related to Jane what she had seen passbetween the two gentlemen; but though Jane would have defended either orboth, had they appeared to be wrong, she could no more explain suchbehaviour than her sister.
Mr. Collins on his return highly gratified Mrs. Bennet by admiring Mrs.Philips's manners and politeness. He protested that except LadyCatherine and her daughter, he had never seen a more elegant woman; forshe had not only received him with the utmost civility, but had evenpointedly included him in her invitation for the next evening, althoughutterly unknown to her before. Something he supposed might be attributedto his connection with them, but yet he had never met with so muchattention in the whole course of his life.