Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 30

After a week of planning for future happiness, it was time for Mr. Collins to leave his lovely Carlotta as Saturday approached.On his part, however, the pain of parting was somewhat relieved by his return to marry, for he had reason to hope that, when he next returned soon to Hertfordshire, At that time, the auspicious day of marriage will be chosen, and he will become the happiest man in the world.He bade farewell, as before, to his relations at Longbourne, wishing the health and happiness of his pretty cousins, and promising to write another letter of thanks to their father.

When the following Monday came, Mrs. Bennet was delighted to receive her brother and sister-in-law, who were, as usual, at Longbourne for Christmas.Mr. Gardiner is a reasonable and gentlemanly man, far surpassing his sister in terms of talent and education.The ladies of Netherfield will find it hard to believe that a man who lives by trade, whose shops and warehouses are unseen, can be so well bred and well-mannered.Mrs. Gardiner was a few years younger than Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Philip, an amiable, intelligent, and elegant woman, and was well liked by the Longbourn nieces and daughters.Especially between the two oldest nieces and herself, there is a particularly cordial relationship.They often went to the city to stay with her for a few days.

The first thing Mrs. Garcina did when she arrived was to distribute presents to her nieces and talk about the latest fashions.After this was done, she was quieter.Because it was her turn to listen.Mrs. Bennet had many grievances to complain about, many complaints to make.Since the last time she saw her sister-in-law, no one in her family has had good luck.Her two daughters were about to marry off.The result came to nothing.

"I don't blame Jane," she went on, "for Jane has done her best. But what about Lizzy! Oh, sister-in-law! If she hadn't done her own mischief, she might be at this time Mr Collins' wife already, and you think how infuriating it is. It was in this very room that he proposed to her, and she refused him. Instead, Mrs Lucas asked for it before me. Married off a daughter, and the property of Longbourne is still passed on to others. Indeed, the Lucas family are some very good people, sister-in-law. They are desperate to make profits for themselves. So I'm sorry to say about them, but it's true. In my own home, I'm so mad at my daughters, and outside, I have neighbors who think only of themselves. I've had a hard time with it. But it's very kind of you to come at this hour, and it's a great comfort to me, and I'm glad to hear you talk about those long-sleeved shirts and all that sort of thing."

Mrs. Garcia had already learned the general idea of ​​this matter in correspondence with Jane and Elizabeth. At this time, she only perfunctory Mrs. Bennet a few words, and for the sake of her nieces, she diverted the conversation.

Later, when she was alone with Elizabeth, Mrs. Gardiner spoke more on the subject: "It looked like a very good marriage for Jane," she said, "but it was blown. But this It often happens that a young man like Mr. Bingley, as you say, falls in love with a pretty girl in a few weeks, and soon forgets her when they parted from each other by accident. It's too common for this kind of love accident to happen."

"The words of consolation are reasonable," said Elizabeth, "but they do not comfort us. We do not suffer from accident. It does not happen often: the intervention of a few friends persuades A young man completely independent, and made him forget the girl he was passionately in love with only a few days ago."

"But a word like 'passionate love' is too trite, too vague, too general, to give me any real impression. As often as it is used of that kind of sincere and firm love, it is often used of those who Feelings arose from the half-hour of acquaintance. Excuse me, how hot is Mr. Bingley's love?"

"I've never seen such admiration as his. He became less and less indifferent to others, and focused all his attention on her. Whenever they met, this tendency It became more certain. At his own balls, he offended two or three young girls by not asking them to dance, and twice I spoke to him without getting an answer. What could be worse than this A better sign? Isn't this complete disregard for others the very essence of love?"

"Oh, yes!—that's just the kind of love I imagined he would feel. Poor Jane! I'm sorry for her, for it's hard for a person of her character to get over it all at once." Yes. It would be better if it happened to you, Lizzy; you'll laugh at yourself a few times, and you'll be all right. Do you think we can persuade her to come and live with me for a while? For a change Circumstances might be beneficial—perhaps it would be beneficial to be away from home a little for a few days, and to go out and relax."

Elizabeth was very glad to hear this suggestion, and was sure her sister would accept it with pleasure.

"I hope," went on Mrs. Gardiner, "that she will not change her mind on the consideration that the young man also lives in the city. We live in a different part of the city, and all our social intercourse is parallel to his. Quite different, and, as you know well, we seldom go out. So it is impossible for them to see each other unless he is visiting her at our house."

"It is absolutely impossible; for he is now under the guardianship of his friends, and Mr. Darcy will never allow him to visit Jane in such a part of London! My dear aunt, how can you think of that?" where? Mr. Darcy may have heard of places like Tennessee Street, but once he's there he thinks he won't be able to wash off his stains from that street in a month's time. Dirty; believe me, Mr. Bingley would never have set out without him."

"That's better. I hope they don't see each other. But isn't Jane still writing with his sister? She may inevitably call."

"Jane will cut off all communication with her."

But, though Elizabeth was so certain of this, and of the fact that they would not ask Bingley to see Jane, she had a greater anxiety about the matter, which made her feel, on reflection, that the matter Not quite to the point of despair.Perhaps, sometimes, she even thought it quite possible, his love might be rekindled, and the more natural influence of Jane's charms would at last triumph over that which his friends had over him. Influence.

Miss Bennet accepted her aunt's invitation with pleasure; and as regards the Bingleys, all that was on her mind at the time was that she wished that Caroline would not live with her brother, and that she might have the occasional use of the morning's Kung Fu went to see her instead of worrying about meeting him.

The Gardiners stayed a week at Longbourn; and there was not a single day that they did not go to dinner, owing to constant invitations from the Philips, the Lucass, and many officers.Mrs. Bennet organized her brother and sister-in-law's schedules so carefully that there was not a day when they sat down to a light meal at home.Among the officers who were always guests when the dinner was at home, Mr. Wickham must have been at every occasion; Mrs. Gardiner, who became suspicious, carefully observed the behavior of these two people.From what she had seen, she did not think that the two of them were really in love, but the obvious signs of their mutual admiration were enough to make her feel a little uneasy; she decided that before she left Hertfordshire , talk to Elizabeth about the matter, and warn her not to be rash in the development of such a relationship.

As for Lady Gardiner, Wickham had another means of pleasing her, which had nothing to do with his usual skills.About ten or twelve years ago, before she married, she had spent a long time in his part of Derbyshire.So the two of them had many friends they knew in common, and though Wickham had seldom returned there five years ago (the year Darcy's father died) he had been able to tell her about her. The latest news of many old friends of hers, it was difficult for her to find out by herself.

Mrs. Gardiner had been at Pemberley, and knew the late Mr. Darcy's character very well.So, there was a topic between the two of them that they couldn't talk about endlessly.She compared the situation so well described by Wickham with Pemberley as she remembered it, and made such admiration for the character of Pemberley's late master, that it pleased all who talked and listened, When the current Mr. Darcy treated Wickham in this way, she tried to recall whether the gentleman's personality in childhood was consistent with his current behavior. At last, she finally said confidently that she remembered that she had heard Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, it has been said, was a very proud, very bad-tempered boy.

(End of this chapter)