Page 31 of Hard Home

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He did not go up when the house went up.

Elizabeth, coming down at something after one for a book she had not wanted at eleven, saw the light under the library door, and opened it without knocking, as she had done all her life.

Her father was at the table. He had not lit more than the one candle. The backgammon board was still out and the pieces were still where Mr. Collins had left them, and beside it, out of the japanned box that lived on the high shelf and was openedperhaps twice in a decade, lay a strip of something that was not vellum, folded three times, with letters on it that did not sit still.

He did not put it away. That was what frightened her.

"Papa."

"Your cousin," said Mr. Bennet, "is a fool. I have not been so well entertained in nine years." He was looking at the deed. "He is also perfectly right, and so is his patroness, and there is not a word in that document that I have not known by heart since I was thirty-one years of age."

"Papa—"

"Do you know, Lizzy, that I have read this thing through perhaps a hundred times in twenty years, always at night, always alone, always in the same conviction that on this occasion I shall find the sentence that the last ninety-nine readings overlooked." He smiled a little. "It is a very short document. It is quite remarkably short."

Elizabeth stood in the doorway with her candle.

"Come," he said at last, in his ordinary voice, folding it along its old creases and putting it back in the box. "It is late, and to-morrow we shall have him again at breakfast, and I would not miss a syllable of it for a hundred pounds. Go to bed."

She went. At the turn of the stairs she stopped and looked back, and the light was still under the door.

It was still there at half past four, when Jane, who could not sleep either, came down for water and did not go in.

Chapter Fifteen

Mr. Collins was not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society; the greatest part of his life having been spent under the guidance of an illiterate and miserly father; and though he belonged to one of the universities, he had merely kept the necessary terms, without forming at it any useful acquaintance. The subjection in which his father had brought him up had given him originally great humility of manner, but it was now a good deal counteracted by the self-conceit of a weak head, living in retirement, and the consequential feelings of early and unexpected prosperity. A fortunate chance had recommended him to Lady Catherine de Bourgh when the living of Hunsford was vacant; and the respect which he felt for her high rank, and his veneration for her as his patroness, mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his rights as a rector, made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility.

Having now a good house and a very sufficient income, he intended to marry; and in seeking a reconciliation with the Longbourn family he had a wife in view, as he meant to choose one of the daughters, if he found them as handsome and amiable as they were represented by common report. This was his plan of amends — of atonement — for inheriting their father's estate; and he thought it an excellent one, full of eligibility and suitableness, and excessively generous and disinterested on his own part.

His plan did not vary on seeing them. Miss Bennet's lovely face confirmed his views, and established all his strictest notions of what was due to seniority; and for the first eveningshewas his settled choice. The next morning, however, made an alteration;for in a quarter of an hour's tête-à-tête with Mrs. Bennet before breakfast, a conversation beginning with his parsonage-house, and leading naturally to the avowal of his hopes that a mistress for it might be found at Longbourn, produced from her, amid very complaisant smiles and general encouragement, a caution against the very Jane he had fixed on. — "As to heryoungerdaughters she could not take upon her to say — she could not positively answer — but she did notknowof any prepossession; — hereldestdaughter she must just mention — she felt it incumbent on her to hint, was likely to be very soon engaged."

Mr. Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth — and it was soon done — done while Mrs. Bennet was stirring the fire.

She had done it, moreover, without allowing herself to think, at any point in the twenty seconds that it took, about what she was doing; which was a skill she had been perfecting for four-and-twenty years and had by now brought to a very high polish. She was not a wicked woman. She had five daughters and one house and a husband of one-and-fifty, and she had learned that there are certain sums which must be worked without looking at the figures, and this was one of them.

Elizabeth, equally next to Jane in birth and beauty, succeeded her of course.

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Mrs. Bennet treasured up the hint, and trusted that she might soon have two daughters married; and the man whom she could not bear to speak of the day before, was now high in her good graces.

Lydia's intention of walking to Meryton was not forgotten; every sister except Mary agreed to go with her; and Mr. Collins was to attend them, at the request of Mr. Bennet, who was most anxious to get rid of him, and have his library to himself.

In Meryton they parted; the two youngest went down the street looking for the officers, and Elizabeth walked behind withher cousin, who was giving her the dimensions of the closets at Hunsford.

Their attention was suddenly drawn to a young man, whom they had never seen before, of most gentlemanlike appearance, walking with an officer on the other side of the way. The officer was the very Mr. Denny concerning whose return from London Lydia came to inquire, and he bowed as they passed. All were struck with the stranger's air, all wondered who he could be, and Kitty and Lydia, determined if possible to find out, led the way across the street, under pretense of wanting something in an opposite shop.

They had just gained the pavement when the two gentlemen turning back had reached the same spot. Mr. Denny addressed them directly, and entreated permission to introduce his friend, Mr. Wickham, who had returned with him the day before from town, and he was happy to say had accepted a commission in their corps. This was exactly as it should be; for the young man wanted only regimentals to make him completely charming. His appearance was greatly in his favor; he had all the best part of beauty, a fine countenance, a good figure, and very pleasing address. The introduction was followed up on his side by a happy readiness of conversation — a readiness at the same time perfectly correct and unassuming.

He had no gloves.

It was the sort of thing that nobody in Meryton would have thought about for a moment, and nobody did. It was a mild afternoon in the middle of November, and he was not in uniform yet, and a young man on a country street may do as he likes. Lydia thought it uncommonly dashing. Kitty did not think about it at all.

He shook hands with both of them.

"Miss Lydia — Miss Catherine — I am very glad. Denny has talked of nothing else since Tuesday, and I see now that he was a great deal too moderate."