Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 68 (2)
"Yes, I've heard you say it before. But what does that matter to me? If there's no other reason against me marrying your nephew than his mother and aunt want him to marry de Bauer." I am sure I will not forsake the marriage, Miss's wish. You two sisters have done your best in contemplating their marriage, but it is up to them to proceed. If Mr. Darcy is neither obliged nor He has no intention of marrying his cousin, so why can't he choose another one? If he chooses me, why can't I accept it?"

"Because reputation, etiquette, prudence, and interest will not allow you to do so. Yes, Miss Bennet, interest. If you want to go your own way and offend everyone's wishes, you can't count on him His family and friends will think highly of you. Anyone who has anything to do with him will condemn you, despise you, and despise you. Your marriage will be a disgrace to you; your name will never be remembered by his relatives and friends. mention."

"Great misfortunes, indeed," replied Elizabeth, "but being Mr. Darcy's wife, there must have been so many great sources of happiness with her being Mrs. Darcy's wife that, on the whole, she had no complaints." necessary."

"You stubborn girl! Ashamed of you! Is this your reward for my hospitality this spring? Shouldn't you be grateful to me for that?"

"Let us sit down and talk. You should understand, Miss Bennet, that I have come here with a purpose in mind, and I will not stop until my purpose is attained. I have never yielded to anyone's delusions." I have. I have never let myself down."

"It will only make your situation worse, madam; it will have no effect on me."

"You are not allowed to interrupt me. Listen to me quietly. My daughter and my nephew are a natural pair. Their mother's line is of noble origin, and their father's line has no titles, but they are also very respected. Respect, a very honorable and famous family. The properties of both of them are extremely considerable. The relatives of the two families all agree that they are destined to be married in previous lives; what in the world can separate the two of them? Relatives, wishful thinking girls with no property. What kind of dignity is that! It will be absolutely intolerable. If you think about yourself and put your mind on it, you won't think about jumping out of the world you grew up in. Environment."

"I do not think that by marrying your nephew I am out of my present circumstances. He is a gentleman, and I am a gentleman's daughter; and in that we are equal."

"True. You are a gentleman's daughter. But what was your mother? What were your uncles and uncles and aunts? Don't think I don't know anything about them."

"Whatever may become of my relations," said Elizabeth, "what do they matter to you, so long as your niece and nephew do not disapprove of them himself."

"Please tell me the truth, are you engaged to him?"

Though Elizabeth was unwilling to answer her question merely in obedience to Lady Catherine; nevertheless, after a moment's deliberation, she spoke the truth:

"No."

Lady Catherine seemed greatly relieved.

"Will you promise me that you will never be engaged to him?"

"I'm reluctant to make any such commitments."

"Miss Bennet, you really shock and amaze me. I thought you were a sensible girl. But don't make the mistake of thinking that I will compromise. If you don't give me the assurance I want, I'm not leaving here."

"I will never give you any promises. I will not be frightened by such a wholly unreasonable request of yours. You want Mr. Darcy to marry your daughter; but do you think that if I grant your request?" , would their marriage be possible? If he really fell in love with me, and I just rejected him now, would he go to his cousin? May I venture to say, Lady Catherine, do you want to My reasons for making this extraordinary request are both frivolous and unreasonable. You have greatly misunderstood my character, if you think you can talk me into submission. To what extent would your nephew agree I don't know that you interfered with his affairs; but you obviously have no right to ask me about my affairs. So I beg you not to dwell on this matter any further."

"Be patient, please. I'm not finished. To the objections I've just given, I'll add one more. The injustice of your youngest sister's elopement." I'm not ignorant of the matter of honour. I know all the details; the young man's marriage to her was entirely paid for by your father and uncle, and it was a marriage of improvisation. Such a girl Is she worthy to be my nephew's aunt? Is her husband, his father's accountant's son, also worthy to be his brother-in-law? What a world!—What is your idea? Pemberley's family status? Can you be trampled like this?"

"You have nothing more to blame now," replied Elizabeth bitterly. "You have insulted me to the best of your ability. I must now go home."

Saying so, Elizabeth stood up.Lady Catherine then also stood up, and walked back together.The noble lady was really a little frustrated.

"Then, you don't care about my nephew's reputation and decency at all! What an unreasonable and selfish girl! Don't you understand that after marrying you, he will be discredited in the eyes of everyone?" ?”

"Lady Catherine, I have nothing more to say. You see what I mean."

"Then you must marry him?"

"I didn't say so. I was only determined to build up my happiness as I wanted and in my own way, without regard to your opinion or that of anyone who has nothing to do with me."

"Well. You are determined not to obey me. You are determined not to follow the creed of duty, honor, and repayment. You are determined to make him look down upon by all his friends, and the world Make fun of him."

"Duty and honor, and gratitude," replied Elizabeth, "have nothing to do with me in the present matter. My marriage to Mr. Darcy will not violate any of the creeds here. As to If the dissatisfaction of his family or the indignation of the world is caused by me marrying him, I don’t care at all—as for the world, there are still many people who are sensible, so generally speaking, they don’t Helping to mock."

"Ah, that's your first thought! This is your final decision! Very well. Now I know how I should act. Don't think, Miss Elizabeth, that your delusions and ambitions will succeed. I was just probing You. I hoped to find you sensible; wait and see, I can tell and I can."

Lady Catherine said so, and Elizabeth walked to the door of her car, and before getting into the car, she turned her head hastily and said:
"I don't say good-bye to you, Miss Bennet. I don't greet your mother either. You don't deserve this from me. I'm so angry."

Elizabeth didn't speak to her; she didn't think about inviting the lady to sit down again, she walked back to the room silently by herself.As she went upstairs, she heard the carriage go away.Her mother stopped her hastily at the dressing-room door, and asked Lady Catherine why she did not come in and rest.

"She doesn't want to," said her daughter, "she wants to go."

"What a good-looking woman she is! It's very polite and flattering for her to come here! Because I think she's just coming to tell us that the Collinses are all right. I dare say she might Somewhere else, passing Meryton, and remembering to drop by to see you. I don't think she has anything in particular to tell you, Lizzy?"

Elizabeth was obliged to tell a little lie, for it was impossible for her to tell her mother what the conversation had been about.

(End of this chapter)