Chapter 23

ELIZABETH was sitting with her mother and sisters, reflecting 
on what she had heard, and doubting whether she were
authorised to mention it, when Sir William Lucas himself
appeared, sent by his daughter to announce her engagement
to the family.  With many compliments to them, and much
self-gratulation on the prospect of a connection between the
houses, he unfolded the matter, -- to an audience not merely
wondering, but incredulous; for Mrs. Bennet, with more
perseverance than politeness, protested he must be entirely
mistaken, and Lydia, always unguarded and often uncivil,
boisterously exclaimed,
"Good Lord!  Sir William, how can you tell such a story?
 -- Do not you know that Mr. Collins wants to marry Lizzy?"
Nothing less than the complaisance of a courtier could have
borne without anger such treatment; but Sir William's good
breeding carried him through it all; and though he begged
leave to be positive as to the truth of his information, he
listened to all their impertinence with the most forbearing
courtesy.
Elizabeth, feeling it incumbent on her to relieve him from so
unpleasant a situation, now put herself forward to confirm his
account, by mentioning her prior knowledge of it from Charlotte
herself; and endeavoured to put a stop to the exclamations of
her mother and sisters, by the earnestness of her congratulations 
to Sir William, in which she was readily joined by Jane,
and by making a variety of remarks on the happiness that might
be expected from the match, the excellent character of Mr. 
Collins, and the convenient distance of Hunsford from London.
 Mrs. Bennet was in fact too much overpowered to say a
great deal while Sir William remained; but no sooner had he
left them than her feelings found a rapid vent.  In the first
place, she persisted in disbelieving the whole of the matter;
secondly, she was very sure that Mr. Collins had been taken
in; thirdly, she trusted that they would never be happy
together; and fourthly, that the match might be broken off.
Two inferences, however, were plainly deduced from the
whole; one, that Elizabeth was the real cause of all the mischief; 
and the other, that she herself had been barbarously
used by them all; and on these two points she principally
dwelt during the rest of the day.  Nothing could console and
nothing appease her. -- Nor did that day wear out her resentment.  
A week elapsed before she could see Elizabeth without
scolding her, a month passed away before she could speak to
Sir William or Lady Lucas without being rude and many
months were gone before she could at all forgive their
daughter.
Mr. Bennet's emotions were much more tranquil on the
occasion, and such as he did experience he pronounced to be
of a most agreeable sort; for it gratified him, he said, to discover 
that Charlotte Lucas, whom he had been used to think
tolerably sensible, was as foolish as his wife, and more foolish
than his daughter!
Jane confessed herself a little surprised at the match; but
she said less of her astonishment than of her earnest desire
for their happiness; nor could Elizabeth persuade her to consider 
it as improbable.  Kitty and Lydia were far from envying
Miss Lucas, for Mr. Collins was only a clergyman; and it
affected them in no other way than as a piece of news to spread
at Meryton.
Lady Lucas could not be insensible of triumph on being
able to retort on Mrs. Bennet the comfort of having a daughter 
well married; and she called at Longbourn rather oftener
than usual to say how happy she was, though Mrs. Bennet's
sour looks and ill-natured remarks might have been enough
to drive happiness away.
Between Elizabeth and Charlotte there was a restraint
which kept them mutually silent on the subject; and Elizabeth 
felt persuaded that no real confidence could ever subsist
between them again.  Her disappointment in Charlotte made
her turn with fonder regard to her sister, of whose rectitude
and delicacy she was sure her opinion could never be shaken,
and for whose happiness she grew daily morte anxious, as
Bingley had now been gone a week, and nothing was heard of
his return.
Jane had sent Caroline an early answer to her letter, and
was counting the days till she might reasonably hope to hear
again.  The promised letter of thanks from Mr. Collins arrived
on Tuesday, addressed to their father, and written with all
the solemnity of gratitude which a twelvemonth's abode in
the family might have prompted.  After discharging his conscience 
on that head, he proceeded to inform them, with many
rapturous expressions, of his happiness in having obtained
the affection of their amiable neighbour, Miss Lucas, and then
explained that it was merely with the view of enjoying her
society that he had been so ready to close with their kind wish
of seeing him again at Longbourn, whither he hoped to be
able to return on Monday fortnight; for Lady Catherine, he
added, so heartily approved his marriage, that she wished it
to take pla e as soon as possible, which he trusted would be
an unanswerable argument with his amiable Charlotte to
name an early day for making him the happiest of men.
Mr. Collins's return into Hertfordshire was no longer a
matter of pleasure to Mrs. Bennet.  On the contrary she was
as much disposed to complain of it as her husband. -- It was
very strange that he should come to Longbourn instead of to
Lucas Lodge; it was also very inconvenient and exceedingly
troublesome. -- She hated having visitors in the house while
her health was so indifferent, and lovers were of all people the
most disagreeable.  Such were the gentle murmurs of Mrs. 
Bennet, and they gave way only to the greater distress of
Mr. Bingley's continued absence.
Neither Jane nor Elizabeth were comfortable on this subject.
Day after day passed away without bringing any other tidings
of him than the report which shortly prevailed in Meryton of
his coming no more to Netherfield the whole winter; a report
which highly incensed Mrs. Bennet, and which she never
failed to contradict as a most scandalous falsehood.
Even Elizabeth began to fear -- not that Bingley was indifferent -- 
but that his sisters would be successful in keeping
him away.  Unwilling as she was to admit an idea so destructive 
of Jane's happiness, and so dishonourable to the stability
of her lover, she could not prevent its frequently recurring.
The united efforts of his two unfeeling sisters and of his overpowering friend, assisted by the attractions of Miss Darcy and
the amusements of London, might be too much, she feared,
for the strength of his attachment.
As for Jane, her anxiety under this suspence was, of course,
more painful than Elizabeth's; but whatever she felt she was
desirous of concealing, and between herself and Elizabeth,
therefore, the subject was never alluded to.  But as no such
delicacy restrained her mother, an hour seldom passed in
which she did not talk of Bingley, express her impatience for
his arrival, or even require Jane to confess that if he did not
come back, she should think herself very ill used.  It needed all
Jane's steady mildness to bear these attacks with tolerable
tranquillity.
Mr. Collins returned most punctually on the Monday fortnight, 
but his reception at Longbourn was not quite so
gracious as it had been on his first introduction.  He was too
happy, however, to need much attention; and luckily for the
others, the business of love-making relieved them from a
great deal of his company, The chief of every day was spent
by him at Lucas Lodge, and he sometimes returned to Longbourn 
only in time to make an apology for his absence before
the family went to bed.
Mrs. Bennet was really in a most pitiable state.  The very
mention of any thing concerning the match threw her into
an agony of ill humour, and wherever she went she was sure
of hearing it talked of.  The sight of Miss Lucas was odious to
her.  As her successor in that house, she regarded her with
jealous abhorrence.  Whenever Charlotte came to see them
she concluded her to be anticipating the hour of possession;
and whenever she spoke in a low voice to Mr. Collins, was
convinced that they were talking of the Longbourn estate, and
resolving to turn herself and her daughters out of the house,
as soon as Mr. Bennet were dead.  She complained bitterly of
all this to her husband.
"Indeed, Mr. Bennet," said she, "it is very hard to think that
Charlotte Lucas should ever be mistress of this house, that I
should be forced to make way for her, and live to see her take
my place in it!"
"My dear, do not give way to such gloomy thoughts.  Let us
hope for better things.  Let us flatter ourselves that I may be
the survivor."
This was not very consoling to Mrs. Bennet, and, therefore,
instead of making any answer, she went on as before,
"I cannot bear to think that they should have all this estate,
If it was not for the entail I should not mind it."
"What should not you mind?"
"I should not mind any thing at all."
"Let us be thankful that you are preserved from a state of
such insensibility."
"I never can be thankful, Mr. Bennet, for any thing about
the entail.  How any one could have the conscience to entail
away an estate from one's own daughters I cannot understand; 
and all for the sake of Mr. Collins too! -- Why should
he have it more than anybody else?"
"I leave it to yourself to determine," said Mr. Bennet.