Pride and Prejudice; Sense and Sensibility

Chapter 61 Lady Catherine's Obstruction
One morning, about a week after Bingley and Jane's engagement, Bingley was sitting in the dining-room with his women, when they heard the sound of a carriage, they all went to the windows to look, and saw a four-horse horse The car drove into the garden.In such an early morning, it is reasonable to say that there will be no guests. Looking at the equipment of the carriage, we know that this visitor is definitely not their neighbor.The horses are the horses on the post station. As for the carriage itself and the livery worn by the attendants in front of the carriage, they are not familiar with it.Bingley, assuming that there was a visitor, at once advised Miss Bennet to keep away from him, so as not to be entangled with the intruder, and Jane and he went into the undergrowth.After the two of them left, the other three were still guessing, but unfortunately they couldn't guess who the visitor was.At last the door opened, and the visitor entered. It was Madame Catherine de Bourgh.

Of course, everyone was very surprised, never expecting such a surprising thing.Mrs. Bennet and Kitty were strangers to her, and they were more honored than Elizabeth.

The manner in which the visitor entered the room was very impolite.When Elizabeth greeted her, she only tilted her head slightly, then sat down without saying a word.When she came in, Elizabeth gave her mother her name, though she did not ask for an introduction.

Mrs. Bennet was greatly astonished, but so flattered by the visit of such a great visitor, that she received it with the utmost civility.

Lady Catherine sat for a while in silence, then said to Elizabeth coldly: "I think you are doing well, Miss Bennet? That lady is your mother?"

Elizabeth simply replied: "Exactly."

"That one is probably your sister?"

Mrs. Bennet replied quickly: "Exactly, ma'am." She was very proud to be able to talk to such a lady. Her best friend is walking around, and that lad will soon be one of us."

Lady Catherine ignored her, and said after a moment: "You have a little estate here, too."

"Nothing like Rosings, ma'am, but much bigger, I dare say, than Sir William Lucas's."

"It must be a very unsuitable living-room in summer, with all the windows facing west."

Mrs. Bennet told her that they never sat there after lunch every day.Then he added: "May I take the liberty to ask Mrs. Collins how well?"

"They're all very well. I saw them the night before."

Elizabeth was now fully expecting to produce a letter from Charlotte, and she thought that Lady Catherine's visit could never be for anything else.However, she didn't see the lady bring out the letter, which really made her completely confused about what was going on.Mrs. Bennet respectfully offered the lady some refreshment at her discretion, but Lady Catherine would not have any, and declined very firmly, and very rudely.Then she stood up and said to Elizabeth: "Miss Bennet, there seems to be a bit of wilderness on the other side of your lawn, which is very nice. I really want to go there. Would you please accompany me?" take a walk?"

Her mother hurriedly said to her loudly: "Go, good boy, and accompany Madam to the various trails. I think she will like our quiet little place."

Elizabeth obeyed her mother's advice, first went to her own room to get a parasol, and then went downstairs to wait on the distinguished guest.They passed down the hall, and Lady Catherine opened the door into the dining-room and drawing-room, and, after a little inspection, said the room was tolerable, went on.

Her carriage stopped at the door, and Elizabeth saw her maid sitting in it.The two walked in silence along a cobbled path leading to a grove.Elizabeth only found the old woman more haughty and repulsive than usual, and resolved not to speak to her first.

She took a closer look at the old woman's face, and couldn't help thinking: "How does she look like her nephew?"

As soon as she walked into the grove, Lady Catherine talked to her in this way: "Miss Bennet, you must know why I am here this time. You must know it in your heart, and your conscience will tell you You, why am I here this time?"

Elizabeth was astonished.

"Ma'am, you're wrong. I don't understand how you think highly of us this time and come to this kind of place."

When the lady heard this, she was very angry: "Miss Bennet, you know, I will never let people come and joke with me. No matter how dishonest you are, I am not like that. I am a famous honest Besides, in this case, I must be honest and frank. Two days ago, I heard an extremely shocking news. I heard that not only your sister is about to climb a high school, but even your Elizabeth Miss Bennet is about to climb up on my nephew, my own nephew, Mr. Darcy. Although I know that this is a nonsense rumor, although I will not look down on him so much, I believe he will really have such a thing, I It’s better to make a quick decision and decide to come here once and tell you what I mean.”

Elizabeth was both surprised and disgusted, her face flushed red.

"I'm really surprised. Since you don't think there will be such a thing, why do you bother yourself and come so far away? May I ask what advice you have, old man?"

"I must ask you to refute the rumors to everyone immediately."

Elizabeth said coldly: "If there are such rumors in the outside world, then if you come to Longburn to see me and my family, it will be true."

"If there is such a legend! Don't you mean to be fake? Didn't you spread it all by yourself? Don't you know that this news has already caused a lot of trouble in the city?"

"I've never heard of it."

"Can you say that there is no basis for this?"

"I don't pretend to be as frank as your old man. You can ask me, I don't want to answer."

"That's unreasonable! Miss Bennet, I want you to make it clear. Did my nephew propose to you?"

"Your old man said just now that there will never be such a thing."

"There shouldn't be such a thing. As long as he still has brains, there will be no such thing. But if you try to lure him in every possible way, he may be obsessed with it for a while and forget that he should be worthy of himself and his family. You may have already captivated him."

"Even if I did charm him, I would never tell you."

"Miss Bennet, do you know who I am? It is inappropriate for you to say such a thing. I am almost his closest elder, and I have the right to ask him about all his personal affairs."

"You have no right to intervene in my affairs, and you can't force a confession with this attitude."

"Listen well to my words. You are so bold that you will never succeed—never succeed in your life. Mr. Darcy was engaged to my daughter before. Well. , do you have anything else to say?"

"There's only one thing to say: If he really is, then you have no reason to think he's going to propose to me."

Lady Catherine hesitated for a moment, then answered: "Their engagement is not in the usual way. They are engaged to a baby-mother, with the consent of both mothers. We intended to marry them as a couple while they were in the cradle." Yes. Seeing that the young couple is about to get married, and the wishes of the old sisters are about to be fulfilled, suddenly a little girl from a humble background and a humble family comes to make trouble, not to mention that this little girl is not close to his family Don't you! Don't you have the slightest regard for the wishes of his relatives, and the tacit marriage between him and Mademoiselle de Bourgh? Have you no sense of propriety, no shame? Haven't you heard me say that? , was he destined to marry his cousin when he was born?"

"I've heard it before. But what do I care? If you had no other reason to object to me marrying your nephew, I would never be deterred by it. You sisters have taken great pains to plan this marriage, and it was successful. It depends on others. If Mr. Darcy is neither obliged nor willing to marry his cousin, why should he not choose another? If he has chosen me, why should I not promise him?"

"Whether it is for face, or for etiquette—no, for interest, it will not be allowed. Yes, Miss Bennet, it is for your interest. If you willfully and Everyone can't get through it, so you don't want his family or his relatives to think highly of you. Anyone who has anything to do with him will reprimand you, despise you, and hate you. Your combination is a disgrace, and even yours Don't even mention the name."

"It is a great misfortune indeed," said Elizabeth, "but there is so much happiness to be enjoyed in being Mrs. Darcy's wife that, after all, there is no cause for regret."

"What a ignorant little girl! I'm ashamed of you! I treated you so well this spring, and you're going to repay me like this? Don't you have any gratitude? Let's sit down and talk about it. You You should understand, Miss Bennet, that since I am here I must achieve my object, and no one can stop me. I will not give in to any man's tricks. I never let myself down."

"That will only embarrass you more, but it will have no effect on me."

"I don't allow others to interrupt me! Listen to me carefully. My daughter and my aunt and nephew are a match made in heaven. Their mother's line is of noble origin, and although their father's line does not have a title, they are also very prestigious families At the same time, the two families are rich. Both relatives agree that they are destined to be married in previous lives. Who can break them up? You are such a little girl, no matter your family background, relatives, or property, you can't talk about it. Could it be that you can break them up just by your wishful thinking? What kind of words! This is so unreasonable! If you have a clearer mind and think for your own benefit, you will not forget your own origin gone."

"I will never forget my own parentage in order to marry your nephew. Your nephew is a gentleman, and I am a gentleman's daughter, and we are just as equal."

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

"Whatever my relations may be," said Elizabeth, "if your nephew and niece don't care, it has nothing to do with you."

"Tell me quickly, are you engaged to him?"

Elizabeth didn't intend to answer this question in favor of Lady Catherine, but after thinking about it for a while, she had no choice but to say: "No."

Lady Catherine looked delighted.

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

"I cannot promise such a thing."

"Miss Bennet, I am horrified and surprised. I did not expect you to be such an unreasonable little girl. You must keep your head clear and don't think I will give in. Unless you promise me request, otherwise I will not leave."

"Of course I will never agree to such an extremely absurd thing. You can't scare me into agreeing. You just want Mr. Darcy to marry your daughter, but even if I agree to you, you Do you think their marriage is reliable? If he takes a fancy to me, even if I refuse him, will he go to propose to his cousin because of this? Don't be surprised, Lady Catherine, your whimsical request is really It's unreasonable, many of your words are so shallow and boring, if you think you can make me submit to them, you are mistaken. I don't know how far your nephew will allow you to interfere in his affairs. I know, but you have no right to interfere in my affairs anyway. Therefore, I beg you not to force me because of this matter. "

"Please don't be so hasty. I haven't finished my story at all. To the many defects of yours which I have already said, I will add one more. Don't think I don't know about that shameless elopement of your little sister, I Everyone knows. That young man married her, and your father and uncle spent money to buy it. Is such a stinky girl worthy of being my nephew's sister-in-law? Her husband is the son of his father's accountant, and also Do you deserve to be his brother-in-law? There is heaven and earth! What kind of wishful thinking are you planning? Can Pemberley's family status be ruined like this?"

Elizabeth replied bitterly: "Now you should finish speaking, and you have insulted me enough, I'm going home."

As she spoke, she stood up.Lady Catherine rose also, and they went back into the house together.The lady was really pissed off.

"Then, you have completely disregarded my nephew's identity and face! What a heartless, selfish little girl! Don't you know that everyone will look down on him when he is married to you?"

"Lady Catherine, I don't want to talk any more. You see what I mean."

"So, do you have to fight for him?"

"I didn't say anything like that. I have my own opinion. I decide what to do to make me happy. You can't control it, and neither can any outsider like you."

"Okay. You are determined not to follow me. You are completely devoid of conscience, shameless, and ungrateful; you are determined to make his friends look down on him and everyone in the world laugh at him."

Elizabeth said: "There is no conscience, shame, or kindness in this matter at present. I do not violate these principles by marrying Mr. Darcy. If he married me, his family would hate him. I don't care; as for saying that all the people in the world will be angry with him, I think there are many righteous and reasonable people in the world, not all of them will laugh at him."

"That's what you mean! That's what you stand for! Well, now I know what to do. Miss Bennet, don't think your wishful thinking will succeed. I've only come to test you , I didn't expect you to be so unreasonable. Just wait and see, I will do it if I say it."

Lady Catherine went on talking like this, and when she got to the carriage, she turned hastily and said, "I won't say goodbye to you, Miss Bennet, nor will I greet your mother, you don't know how to flatter me! I'm really 12 unhappy!"

Elizabeth ignored her, and did not invite her to come back to the house, but walked in quietly.As she went upstairs, she heard the sound of a carriage driving away.Her mother was waiting anxiously at the door of the dressing room.On seeing her, she hastened to ask her why Lady Catherine did not go back to her house and rest for a while before leaving.

The daughter said, "She doesn't want to come in, she wants to go."

"What a pretty woman she is! How polite she is to come to a place like ours! I think she's only here to tell us that the Collinses are doing well. Perhaps she's here. Somewhere else, passing Meryton, and dropping in to see you. I suppose she has nothing in particular to say to you?"

Elizabeth had to tell a little lie because she couldn't get the conversation out of her head.

(End of this chapter)