LITMIR.BIZ

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distinguished by the patronage of the Right Honorable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, who entrusted me with the valuable rectory of this parish, where I will serve with grateful respect towards her ladyship, and perform those ceremonies which are instituted by the Church of England. As a clergyman, moreover, I feel it my duty to help establish peace in all families within the reach of my influence; and therefore I hope that the circumstance of my being next in the entail of Longbourn estate will be kindly overlooked on your side, and not lead you to reject the offered olive-branch. I regret to be the means of hurting your charming daughters, and wish to apologies for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make up for it in every possible manner – but of this later. If you should have no objection to receive me into your house, I ask your permission to visit you and your family, Monday November 18th, by four o'clock, and probably trespass on your hospitality till Saturday, which I can do without any inconvenience, as Lady Catherine is far from objecting to my occasional absence on a Sunday, provided that some other clergyman is engaged to do the duty of the day. I remain, dear sir, with respectful compliments to your lady and daughters, your well-wisher and friend,

      WILLIAM COLLINS»

      «At four o'clock, therefore, we may expect this peacemaking gentleman», said Mr. Bennet, as he put down the letter. «He seems to be a most conscientious and polite young man, upon my word, and will prove a valuable acquaintance, especially if Lady Catherine should be so kind as to let him come to us again».

      «There is some sense in what he says about the girls, however, and if he is willing to help them in anyway, I shall not be the person to discourage him».

      «Though it is difficult», said Jane, «to guess in what way he can mean to help us, the wish itself is certainly to his credit».

      Elizabeth was mainly impressed by his extraordinary respect for Lady Catherine, and his kind intention of christening, marrying, and burying his parishioners whenever it was required.

      «He must be an oddity, I think», said she. «I cannot make him out. There is something very pompous in his style. And what can he mean by apologizing for being next in the entail? We cannot suppose he would help it if he could. Could he be a sensible man, sir?»

      «No, my dear, I think not. I have great hopes of finding him quite the opposite. There is an interesting mixture of servility and self-importance in his letter. I am impatient to see him».

      Mary thought that the letter was well composed and expressed. Catherine and Lydia were not interested in their cousin at all since he was not an officer. As for their mother, Mr. Collins's letter had softened her feelings towards him, and she was preparing to see him with a degree of calmness which astonished her husband and daughters.

      When Mr. Collins arrived, he was received with great politeness by the whole family. Mr. Bennet said little, but the ladies were ready enough to talk, and Mr. Collins didn't need any encouragement for conversation. He was a tall, heavy-looking young man of five-and-twenty He was serious and his manners were very formal. He complimented Mrs. Bennet on having such beautiful daughters and said he had no doubt about their happy marriages in due time. This gallantry was not much to the taste of some of his hearers; but Mrs. Bennet, who quarreled with no compliments, answered most readily.

      «I wish all my daughters to be well married indeed because at present things are settled so oddly».

      «You mean, perhaps, the entail of this estate».

      «Ah! Yes, sir. It is a sad affair to my poor girls, you must agree. Not that it is your fault; such things I know are all chance in this world. There is no knowing how estates will go when they come to be entailed».

      «I am fully aware, madam, of the hardship to my fair cousins, and could say much on the subject, but I don't wish to seem impertinent and hasty. I can assure the young ladies that I come prepared to admire them. At present I will not say more; but, perhaps, when we are better acquainted…»

      He was interrupted by an invitation to dinner, and the girls smiled at each other. They were not the only objects of Mr. Collins's admiration. The hall, the dining-room, and all its furniture, were examined and praised. Mrs. Bennet would have been flattered by his admiration if she hadn't thought he was looking at everything as his own future property. The dinner too was highly admired, and he wanted to know which of his fair cousins was so excellent at cooking. But Mrs. Bennet told him rather severely that they were very well able to keep a good cook, and that her daughters had nothing to do in the kitchen. He begged pardon for having displeased her. In a softened tone she said she was not at all offended; but he continued to apologize for about a quarter of an hour.

      Chapter 13

      While the servants were serving dinner, Mr. Bennet spoke very little, but when they left, he thought it time to have some conversation with his guest. He remarked that Mr. Collins was very fortunate in his patroness. Lady Catherine de Bourgh's attention to his wishes, and concern for his comfort, seemed quite extraordinary. Mr. Bennet could not have chosen better. Mr. Collins became most solemn in his manner and said that «he had never in his life seen such behaviour in a person of rank, such friendliness and condescension, as he had himself experienced from Lady Catherine. She had asked him twice to dine at Rosings. Many people he knew considered Lady Catherine proud, but he had never seen anything but friendliness in her. She had always spoken to him as she would to any other gentleman; she made not the smallest objection to his joining in the society of the neighborhood or to his leaving the parish occasionally for a week or two, to visit his relatives. She had even condescended to advise him to marry as soon as he could, provided he chose with discretion; and had once paid him a visit in his humble abode, where she had perfectly approved all the changes he had been making, and had even condescended to suggest some herself: some shelves in the closet upstairs».

      Mrs. Bennet asked if lady Catherine lived near Mr. Collins.

      «The garden in which stands my humble abode is separated only by a lane from Rosings Park, her ladyship's residence».

      «I think you said she was a widow, sir? Has she any family?»

      «She has only one daughter, the heiress of Rosings, and of very extensive property».

      Mrs. Bennet then wanted to know what sort of young lady the daughter was, whether she was beautiful.

      Mr. Collins said Miss de Bourgh was a most charming young lady indeed, but unfortunately of a sickly constitution, which has prevented her from making that progress in many accomplishments which she could have otherwise achieved, as he was informed by the lady who supervised her education.

      «Has she been presented? I do not remember her name among the ladies at court».

      «Her poor state of health unhappily prevents her being in town. As I told Lady Catherine one day, that has deprived the British court of its brightest ornament. Her ladyship seemed pleased with the idea; and you may imagine that I am happy on every occasion to offer those little delicate compliments which are always acceptable to ladies».

      «You possess the talent of flattering with delicacy», said Mr. Bennet, «and may I ask whether you pay these pleasing compliments on an impulse, or are they the result of previous composition?»

      «They arise chiefly from what is passing at the time, and though I sometimes amuse myself with composing such little elegant compliments as may be adapted to ordinary occasions, I always try to make them sound as spontaneous as possible».

      Mr. Bennet's expectations were fully answered. His cousin was as absurd as he had hoped, and he listened to him with great enjoyment, keeping at the same time the most serious expression on his face, and only occasionally glancing at Elizabeth.

      By tea-time, however, the dose had been enough, and Mr. Bennet was glad to take his guest into the drawing-room again, and, when tea was over, glad to invite him to read aloud to the ladies. Mr. Collins readily agreed, but when a book was produced, he started back and said that he never read novels. Other books were produced, and he chose Fordyce's Sermons. Before he had, with very monotonous solemnity, read three pages, Lydia interrupted him addressing to her mother:

      «Do you know, mamma, that my uncle Phillips talks of dismissing Richard, and if he does, Colonel Forster will hire him. I shall

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