Pride and Prejudice; Sense and Sensibility

Chapter 26 The Frustrated Miss Bennett
Miss Bingley's letter came at last, and her doubts were allayed.The letter began by saying that they had decided to spend the winter in London, and concluded by apologizing for his brother for not having had time to say good-bye to his friends in Hertfordshire before leaving.

Hope was dashed, utterly dashed.Jane continued to read the letter, feeling that she could find no consolation but the affectation of the writer's kindness.It was full of words of praise for Miss Darcy, and of her charms.Caroline remarked cheerfully that the two of them were becoming more intimate every day, and even ventured to predict that the wishes mentioned in her last letter would definitely come true.She also wrote with great pride that her brother had taken up residence with Mr. Darcy, and mentioned with joy that Darcy intended to acquire new furniture.

Jane immediately told Elizabeth most of these things, and Elizabeth was angry and silent.Her heart was broken. On the one hand, she cared about her sister, and on the other hand, she hated those people.Caroline's letter stated that her brother was in love with Miss Darcy, and Elizabeth did not believe it anyway.She believed, as ever, that Mr. Bingley really liked Jane.Elizabeth had always thought highly of him, but now she realized that he was such an easy-headed person that he was restrained by his scheming friends, who made fun of him capriciously and sacrificed his happiness... Thinking of this, she couldn't help being angry, and even looked down on him a little bit.If only his personal happiness was sacrificed, he could do whatever he liked, but her sister's happiness was also involved in it, and she believed he should understand it himself.She has also considered this issue repeatedly, but in the end there is still no solution.Had Mr. Bingley really had a change of heart, or did he not know it at all?Although to her, she should distinguish the right from the wrong, and then she can decide whether he is good or bad; but to her sister, it is all the same sad and sad anyway.

It was only after a day or two that Jane mustered up the courage to tell Elizabeth what was on her mind.

Mrs. Bennet, as usual, talked about Netherfield and its master for a long time that day, and finally walked away, leaving the two sisters alone.Jane couldn't help saying: "Oh, I wish my mother could control herself a bit! She doesn't know how painful it is for me to be talking about him all the time. But I don't blame anyone. This situation will not Long term. He'll forget about us in no time, and we'll be just as we always have been."

Elizabeth looked at her sister dubiously and with great concern, but said nothing.

"Don't you believe me?" cried Jane, blushing slightly. "Then you have no reason. He was probably the sweetest friend I can remember, but that's all. I had no hope, I have nothing to worry about, and I have nothing to blame him for. Thank God, I don't have that kind of distress. So, in some time, I will definitely get over it."

She immediately said in a stronger tone: "I can comfort myself now and say: I can only blame my own imagination. Fortunately, I didn't hurt others, but I hurt myself."

Elizabeth quickly cried out: "Dear Jane, you are so kind. You are so kind and considerate of others, you are like an angel. I don't know what to say to you. I don't think I treated you enough before. Well, loving you is not deep enough."

Jane strenuously denied all these exaggerated compliments, and by them complimented her sister's ardor.

"Don't say that," said Elizabeth. "It's not fair to say that. You always think all people are good. I only have to say a bad word about anyone, and it hurts you. I want to see you as a perfect person, you Just come to refute. Please rest assured, I will never say too much, you have the right to treat people in the four seas equally, and I will not interfere with you, you don't need to worry. As for me, there are not many people I really like , there are fewer good people in my mind. The more I experience the world, the more I am dissatisfied with the world. I believe more and more every day that everyone will change their minds, and we can't trust someone based on a little bit of merit on the surface Two things have happened to me recently: one of which I don't want to talk about, and the other is Charlotte's marital troubles. It's simply inexplicable! It's inexplicable any way you look at it!"

"My dear Lizzy, don't think so wildly, it will ruin your happiness. You are not considerate enough of the differences of situations and tempers. Just think about Mr. Collins's position and Charlotte's Dee's prudence. You must remember that she is a lady, and as far as property is concerned, it is a very proper marriage. You have to save everyone's face, and only think how much she really has for our cousin. Be respectful and considerate.”

"For your sake, I'm willing to believe anything, but it's not good for anyone. Now I just think that Charlotte doesn't understand love at all. If I want to believe that she is really in love Collins, then again I think she is quite ignorant. My dear Jane, Mr. Collins is a pompous, ostentatious, narrow-minded fool, you know that as well as I do, and you will feel it as I do, only Only a woman with a bad mind would marry him. Even if this woman is Charlotte Lucas, you don't have to defend her. You must not change your principles, blindly accommodate, or try to persuade I, or convince yourself, that selfishness is prudence, and foolishness is security of happiness."

"I think you go too far in speaking of these two persons," said Jane, "and I hope you will believe me when you see them both happily together. Let the matter be no more, You go on to the other. Didn't you mention two things? I won't misunderstand you, but, my dear Lizzy, I beg you, don't think it's the man's fault, don't Say you despise him, lest I feel the pain. We must never be so casual as to think that we are being hurt on purpose. We can never expect a lively young man to be always careful. We are often lost in our own vanity Nature. Women tend to fantasize about love too unrealistically."

"Therefore, the men deliberately tease them to be so fanciful."

"If this matter is really arranged intentionally, then they really shouldn't. However, I don't know if the world is really full of schemes as some people imagine."

"I am by no means saying that Mr. Bingley's actions were premeditated," said Elizabeth, "but even if there is no intention to do something wrong, or to hurt someone, it is still possible to do something wrong and cause an unfortunate accident." Consequences. Anything that is careless, that fails to see the good intentions of others, and lacks decisiveness, is just as damaging."

"Do you think this is due to such causes?"

"Of course! It belongs to the last reason. But if I were to go on and say something about people you valued, it might displease you. Now that I can control my When I talk, let me shut up."

"Then you conclude that his sisters are behind it."

"I don't believe it. Why should they play tricks? They only want him to be happy. If he really loves me, no other woman can make him happy."

"Your first thought is wrong. They have other plans than wishing him happiness. They would wish him richer and more powerful, and they would wish him to marry a rich woman of high birth and distinguished relations. "

"No doubt they wished he had chosen Miss Darcy," said Jane; "but, as far as that goes, they were probably more well-intentioned than nasty, as you might imagine. They knew her much earlier than I did." No wonder they like her more. But no matter what their own wishes are, they will not go against their brother's wishes. Unless there is something too unpleasant, which sister would be so presumptuous? If they believe that he loves her If he loves me, they will never break us up. If he really loves me, they won’t be able to break up. If you must think that he really has feelings for me, then what they do is neither human nor human. It is so absurd that it hurts me more. Don't make me miserable with such thoughts. I will never be ashamed of a single thought--even the slightest shame--just the thought of him or his sisters being merciless I don't know how many times it will hurt. Let me think of it from the best side, from the side of humanity."

Elizabeth could not object to her wish, and Mr. Bingley's name was seldom mentioned by them thereafter.

Mrs. Bennet saw that he was gone and never came back, and she was still depressed and complained constantly. Although there was hardly a day when Elizabeth did not give her a clear and clear explanation, she still could not reduce her worry.The daughter tried her best to persuade her, and tried to say something to her mother that she didn't even believe herself, saying that Mr. Bingley's love for Jane was just a momentary pleasure, and it was nothing at all. Also ignore it.Although Mrs. Bennet also believed these words to be true at the time, she would bring up the old story every day afterward, and in the end she could only think of a way to comfort herself, hoping that Mr. Bingley would definitely come back here next summer.

Mr. Bennet was of two minds on the matter.One day he said to Elizabeth: "Hey, Lizzy, I see your sister is broken. I'd like to congratulate her! A girl likes to have a little love now and then when she's not married. It makes them a little Think about it, and you can show yourself in front of your friends. When will it be your turn? You don’t want to let Jane take too long, now is your chance. There are many officers in Meryton, enough to let Every young girl in this village is frustrated. Make Wickham yours! He's a funny fellow, and he'll dump you in a decent way."

"Thank you, Papa, I am satisfied with lesser people. We can't all count on Jane's good luck."

"Yes," said Mr. Bennet, "you can take comfort in the thought that whatever your luck may be, your good mother will do all she can to make it right for you."

Many people in the Bennet family were unhappy because of several unfavorable things recently. Thanks to Mr. Wickham and their comings and goings, the sullenness was quite relieved.They often saw him, and they praised him, and said he was frank and forthright.What Elizabeth had heard--that Mr. Darcy had done him much wrong, that he had suffered much for Mr. Darcy--was accepted, and openly spoken of.Every one could not help being very flattered at the thought of how much he hated Mr. Darcy when he was quite ignorant of the matter.

Only Miss Bennet thought there must be something strange about it, which had not been cleared up by the people of Hertfordshire.She was a soft-natured, steady, fair-natured person, who always demanded a good deal of insight into the fact that things could often be mistaken, and that Mr. Darcy was generally regarded as the greatest fool in the world.

(End of this chapter)