thenextdayopenedanewsceneatlongbourn.mr.collinsmadehisdeclarationinform.havingresolvedtodoitwithoutlossoftime,ashisleaveofabsenceextendedonlytothefollowingsaturday,andhavingnofeelingsofdiffidencetomakeitdistressingtohimselfevenatthemoment,hesetaboutitinaveryorderlymanner,withalltheobservanceswhichhesupposedaregularpartofthebusiness.onfindingmrs.bennet,elizabeth,andoneoftheyoungergirlstogethersoonafterbreakfast,headdressedthemotherinthesewords,

"mayihope,madam,foryourinterestwithyourfairdaughterelizabeth,whenisolicitforthehonourofaprivateaudiencewithherinthecourseofthismorning?"

beforeelizabethhadtimeforanythingbutablushofsurprise,mrs.bennetinstantlyanswered,

"ohdear!—yes—certainly.—iamsurelizzywillbeveryhappy—iamsureshecanhavenoobjection.—come,kitty,iwantyouupstairs."andgatheringherworktogether,shewashasteningaway,whenelizabethcalledout,

"dearma'am,donotgo.—ibegyouwillnotgo.—mr.collinsmustexcuseme.—hecanhavenothingtosaytomethatanybodyneednothear.iamgoingawaymyself."

"no,no,nonsense,lizzy.—idesireyouwillstaywhereyouare."—anduponelizabeth'sseemingreally,withvexedandembarrassedlooks,abouttoescape,sheadded,"lizzy,iinsistuponyourstayingandhearingmr.collins."

elizabethwouldnotopposesuchaninjunction—andamoment'sconsiderationmakingheralsosensiblethatitwouldbewisesttogetitoverassoonandasquietlyaspossible,shesatdownagain,andtriedtoconcealbyincessantemploymentthefeelingswhichwerepidedbetweendistressandpersion.mrs.bennetandkittywalkedoff,andassoonastheyweregonemr.collinsbegan.

"believeme,mydearmisselizabeth,thatyourmodesty,sofarfromdoingyouanydisservice,ratheraddstoyourotherperfections.youwouldhavebeenlessamiableinmyeyeshadtherenotbeenthislittleunwillingness;butallowmetoassureyouthatihaveyourrespectedmother'spermissionforthisaddress.youcanhardlydoubtthepurportofmydiscourse,howeveryournaturaldelicacymayleadyoutodissemble;myattentionshavebeentoomarkedtobemistaken.almostassoonasienteredthehouseisingledyououtasthecompanionofmyfuturelife.butbeforeiamrunawaywithbymyfeelingsonthissubject,perhapsitwillbeadvisableformetostatemyreasonsformarrying—andmoreoverforcomingintohertfordshirewiththedesignofselectingawife,asicertainlydid."

theideaofmr.collins,withallhissolemncomposure,beingrunawaywithbyhisfeelings,madeelizabethsonearlaughingthatshecouldnotusetheshortpauseheallowedinanyattempttostophimfarther,andhecontinued:

"myreasonsformarryingare,first,thatithinkitarightthingforeveryclergymanineasycircumstances(likemyself)tosettheexampleofmatrimonyinhisparish.secondly,thatiamconvinceditwilladdverygreatlytomyhappiness;andthirdly—whichperhapsioughttohavementionedearlier,thatitistheparticularadviceandrecommendationoftheverynobleladywhomihavethehonourofcallingpatroness.twicehasshecondescendedtogivemeheropinion(unaskedtoo!)onthissubject;anditwasbuttheverysaturdaynightbeforeilefthunsford—betweenourpoolsatquadrille,whilemrs.jenkinsonwasarrangingmissdebourgh'sfoot-stool,thatshesaid,'mr.collins,youmustmarry.aclergymanlikeyoumustmarry.—chuseproperly,chuseagentlewomanformysake;andforyourown,letherbeanactive,usefulsortofperson,notbroughtuphigh,butabletomakeasmallincomegoagoodway.thisismyadvice.findsuchawomanassoonasyoucan,bringhertohunsford,andiwillvisither.'allowme,bytheway,toobserve,myfaircousin,thatidonotreckonthenoticeandkindnessofladycatherinedebourghasamongtheleastoftheadvantagesinmypowertooffer.youwillfindhermannersbeyondanythingicandescribe;andyourwitandvivacityithinkmustbeacceptabletoher,especiallywhentemperedwiththesilenceandrespectwhichherrankwillinevitablyexcite.thusmuchformygeneralintentioninfavourofmatrimony;itremainstobetoldwhymyviewsweredirectedtolongbourninsteadofmyownneighbourhood,whereiassureyoutherearemanyamiableyoungwomen.butthefactis,thatbeing,asiam,toinheritthisestateafterthedeathofyourhonouredfather(who,however,maylivemanyyearslonger),icouldnotsatisfymyselfwithoutresolvingtochuseawifefromamonghisdaughters,thatthelosstothemmightbeaslittleaspossible,whenthemelancholyeventtakesplace—which,however,asihavealreadysaid,maynotbeforseveralyears.thishasbeenmymotive,myfaircousin,andiflattermyselfitwillnotsinkmeinyouresteem.andnownothingremainsformebuttoassureyouinthemostanimatedlanguageoftheviolenceofmyaffection.tofortuneiamperfectlyindifferent,andshallmakenodemandofthatnatureonyourfather,sinceiamwellawarethatitcouldnotbecompliedwith;andthatonethousandpoundsinthe4percents,whichwillnotbeyourstillafteryourmother'sdecease,isallthatyoumayeverbeentitledto.onthathead,therefore,ishallbeuniformlysilent;andyoumayassureyourselfthatnoungenerousreproachshalleverpassmylipswhenwearemarried."

itwasabsolutelynecessarytointerrupthimnow.

"youaretoohasty,sir,"shecried."youforgetthatihavemadenoanswer.letmedoitwithoutfartherlossoftime.acceptmythanksforthecomplimentyouarepayingme,iamverysensibleofthehonourofyourproposals,butitisimpossibleformetodootherwisethandeclinethem."

"iamnotnowtolearn,"repliedmr.collins,withaformalwaveofthehand,"thatitisusualwithyoungladiestorejecttheaddressesofthemanwhomtheysecretlymeantoaccept,whenhefirstappliesfortheirfavour;andthatsometimestherefusalisrepeatedasecondorevenathirdtime.iamthereforebynomeansdiscouragedbywhatyouhavejustsaid,andshallhopetoleadyoutothealtarerelong."

"uponmyword,sir,"criedelizabeth,"yourhopeisratheranextraordinaryoneaftermydeclaration.idoassureyouthatiamnotoneofthoseyoungladies(ifsuchyoungladiesthereare)whoaresodaringastorisktheirhappinessonthechanceofbeingaskedasecondtime.iamperfectlyseriousinmyrefusal.—youcouldnotmakemehappy,andiamconvincedthatiamthelastwomanintheworldwhowouldmakeyouso,—nay,wereyourfriendladycatherinetoknowme,iampersuadedshewouldfindmeineveryrespectillqualifiedforthesituation."

"wereitcertainthatladycatherinewouldthinkso,"saidmr.collinsverygravely—"buticannotimaginethatherladyshipwouldatalldisapproveofyou.andyoumaybecertainthatwhenihavethehonourofseeingheragainishallspeakinthehighesttermsofyourmodesty,economy,andotheramiablequalifications."

"indeed,mr.collins,allpraiseofmewillbeunnecessary.youmustgivemeleavetojudgeformyself,andpaymethecomplimentofbelievingwhatisay.iwishyouveryhappyandveryrich,andbyrefusingyourhand,doallinmypowertopreventyourbeingotherwise.inmakingmetheoffer,youmusthavesatisfiedthedelicacyofyourfeelingswithregardtomyfamily,andmaytakepossessionoflongbournestatewheneveritfalls,withoutanyselfreproach.thismattermaybeconsidered,therefore,asfinallysettled."andrisingasshethusspoke,shewouldhavequittedtheroom,hadnotmr.collinsthusaddressedher,"whenidomyselfthehonourofspeakingtoyounextonthissubjectishallhopetoreceiveamorefavourableanswerthanyouhavenowgivenme;thoughiamfarfromaccusingyouofcrueltyatpresent,becauseiknowittobetheestablishedcustomofyoursextorejectamanonthefirstapplication,andperhapsyouhaveevennowsaidasmuchtoencouragemysuitaswouldbeconsistentwiththetruedelicacyofthefemalecharacter."

"really,mr.collins,"criedelizabethwithsomewarmth,"youpuzzlemeexceedingly.ifwhatihavehithertosaidcanappeartoyouintheformofencouragement,iknownothowtoexpressmyrefusalinsuchawayasmayconvinceyouofitsbeingone."

"youmustgivemeleavetoflattermyselfmydearcousinthatyourrefusalofmyaddressesismerelywordsofcourse.myreasonsforbelievingitarebrieflythese:—itdoesnotappeartomethatmyhandisunworthyyouracceptance,orthattheestablishmenticanofferwouldbeanyotherthanhighlydesirable.mysituationinlife,myconnectionswiththefamilyofdebourgh,andmyrelationshiptoyourown,arecircumstanceshighlyinit'sfavorandyoushouldtakeitintofartherconsiderationthatinspiteofyourmanifoldattractions,itisbynomeanscertainthatanotherofferofmarriagemayeverbemadeyou.yourportionisunhappilysosmallthatitwillinalllikelihoodundotheeffectsofyourlovelinessandamiablequalifications.asimustthereforeconcludethatyouarenotseriousinyourrejectionofme,ishallchusetoattributeittoyourwishofincreasingmylovebysuspense,accordingtotheusualpracticeofelegantfemales."

"idoassureyou,sir,thatihavenopretensionwhatevertothatkindofelegancewhichconsistsintormentingarespectableman.iwouldratherbepaidthecomplimentofbeingbelievedsincere.ithankyouagainandagainforthehonouryouhavedonemeinyourproposals,buttoacceptthemisabsolutelyimpossible.myfeelingsineveryrespectforbidit.canispeakplainer?donotconsidermenowasanelegantfemaleintendingtoplagueyou,butasarationalcreaturespeakingthetruthfromherheart."

"youareuniformlycharming!"criedhe,withanairofawkwardgallantry;"andiampersuadedthatwhensanctionedbytheexpressauthorityofbothyourexcellentparents,myproposalswillnotfailofbeingacceptable."

tosuchperseveranceinwilfulself-deceptionelizabethwouldmakenoreply,andimmediatelyandinsilencewithdrew;determined,thatifhepersistedinconsideringherrepeatedrefusalsasflatteringencouragement,toapplytoherfather,whosenegativemightbeutteredinsuchamannerasmustbedecisive,andwhosebehaviouratleastcouldnotbemistakenfortheaffectationandcoquetryofanelegantfemale.