Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (most interesting books to read .txt) 📖

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will you grant me the happiness? [Darcy gives him a look which Elizabeth sees.] The—the final happiness of my stay at Netherfield.

Jane.

[Curtsies, a tremor in her voice.] Thank you.

[They begin to form a set with Miss Bingley and Colonel Forster, Lydia and Denny.]

Darcy.

[Crossing to Elizabeth.] May I have the honour, Miss Elizabeth?

Elizabeth.

[Looking at him with frank hauteur.] Thank you, Mr. Darcy, I am indisposed.

[Darcy bows, reddens, and crosses to the other side of the room. The music begins. Amid embarrassed astonishment, Sir William and Charlotte Lucas fill the quadrille set. As the dance commences, Elizabeth and Darcy, standing at either side of the dancers, exchange a glance of the keenest pride and prejudice.]

ACT III

The parlour of Mr. Collins's parsonage at Hunsford. At the back of the room is an open door. This door leads directly into the garden, beyond which is seen, through an opening in the trees of the park opposite, "the prospect of Rosings"—the residence of Lady Catherine de Bourg—"a handsome, modern building on rising ground." A wide cottage window, also at the back of the room, gives a plain view of the passers-by. On either side of the parlour is a door, leading to other parts of the house. Elizabeth is discovered standing at the open door and looking up at some one outside who is evidently climbing the trellis.

A Voice (outside.)

Is this the cluster you wish, Miss Bennet?

Elizabeth.

[Mischievously.] No, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Those are buds; the ones higher still. There—by the eaves.

[Elizabeth laughingly watches Colonel Fitzwilliam until he appears with a cluster of half opened roses, which he presents to her with a gallant air.]

Elizabeth.

[Taking the roses and putting them in her girdle.]

Thank you.

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

May not I have one, as my reward, Miss Bennet?

Elizabeth.

Is not accomplishment its own reward?

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

And is not the power to be generous the highest reward that can be given to any accomplishment?

Elizabeth.

Oh, surely! And so you would have to be generous and get me some more roses: then we should each of us have to invent new speeches, and so we should never be done till we were ready to print a phrase book. However, you have certainly won your rose. [She gives it to him.]

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Thank you! That phrase-book is a capital idea, Miss Bennet. Nothing could please me better than just such an occupation. It would really be a charity, for Darcy is such a dull fellow these days that I really don't know what to do with myself.

Elizabeth.

But we should hardly have the time for such a project. You say that you and Mr. Darcy are to leave Lady Catherine on Saturday.

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Yes, if Darcy doesn't put it off again. He has already paid our aunt a much longer visit than ever before. I am at his disposal, you know. He arranges the business just as he pleases.

Elizabeth.

I do not know anybody who seems more to enjoy the power of doing what he pleases than Mr. Darcy.

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

He likes to have his own way very well, but so do we all. It is only that he has better means of having it than many others. [Looking at his watch.] I suppose I ought to go and look for him now. I expected to find him here, [With a meaning smile.] as not unfrequently happens. But since he is not, he probably expects me to meet him at the Crossroads.

Elizabeth.

I imagine your cousin brought you down with him chiefly for the sake of having somebody at his disposal. I wonder he does not marry to secure a lasting convenience of that kind. But perhaps his sister does as well for the present,—and, as she is under his sole care, he may do what he likes with her.

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

No—that is an advantage which he must share with me. I am joined with him in the guardianship of Miss Darcy.

Elizabeth.

Are you, indeed? And pray what sort of a guardian do you make? Does your charge give you much trouble? Young ladies of her age are sometimes a little difficult to manage. And, if she has the true Darcy spirit, she may like to have her own way.

[Colonel Fitzwilliam looks at Elizabeth very suspiciously as she makes this last remark.]

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Why—what?—Why do you suppose Miss Darcy is likely to give us any uneasiness, Miss Bennet?

Elizabeth.

[Carelessly.] Oh, nothing at all! You need not be frightened! I never heard any harm of her; she is a great favourite with a lady of my acquaintance—Miss Bingley. I think I have heard you say that you knew Miss Bingley.

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

I know her a little. Her brother is a pleasant, gentlemanlike man. He is a great friend of Darcy's.

Elizabeth.

Oh, yes. Mr. Darcy is uncommonly kind to Mr. Bingley and takes a prodigious deal of care of him.

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Care of him? Yes, I really believe Darcy does take care of him. From something he has told me, I have reason to think Bingley very much indebted to him. [Stopping.] But I ought to beg his pardon, for I have no right to suppose that Bingley was the person meant.

Elizabeth.

[Curiously, and with ill-concealed anxiety.] What is it you mean?

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

It is a circumstance which, of course, Darcy could not wish to be generally known, because if it were to get round to the lady's family it would be an unpleasant thing.

Elizabeth.

You may depend upon my not mentioning it.

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

And, remember, that I haven't much reason for supposing it to be Bingley. What he told me was merely this: that he congratulated himself on having lately saved a friend from the inconveniences of a most imprudent marriage, but without names or any other particulars, and I only suspected it to be Bingley from believing him to be the kind of young man to get into a scrape of that sort.

Elizabeth.

[Trying to suppress her feeling.] Did Mr. Darcy give you his reasons for this interference?

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

I understood that there were some very strong objections against the lady.

Elizabeth.

Indeed! [Trying to speak calmly.] And what arts did he use to separate them?

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

[Smiling.] He did not talk to me of his own arts. He only told me, what I have now told you.

Elizabeth.

Why was your cousin to be the judge?

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

You are rather disposed to call his interference officious?

Elizabeth.

[Growing excited.] I do not see what right Mr. Darcy had to decide on the propriety of his friend's inclination; why, upon his own judgment alone, Mr. Darcy was to determine in what manner his friend was to be happy. [Recovering herself.] But as we know none of the particulars, it is not fair to condemn him. It is not to be supposed that there was much affection in the case.

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

That is not an unnatural surmise, and I believe Darcy told me that he did not think that the lady, at least, was very deeply concerned in the matter. However, to lessen the affection on either side is to lessen the honour of my cousin's triumph very sadly.

Elizabeth.

Your cousin's triumph——

[Greatly excited, she is about to continue, when Charlotte's voice is heard outside.]

Charlotte.

Yes, Mr. Darcy, I think I saw Colonel Fitzwilliam go up the garden path a few moments ago. [Protesting.] Oh, no, Mr. Darcy, you are too kind! Really——

Darcy.

[Outside.] Pray, allow me.

[Charlotte enters, accompanied by Darcy, who is carrying a basket of eggs. She wears a garden hat and gloves.]

Charlotte.

Ah, here he is. Good morning, Colonel Fitzwilliam. [To Darcy.] Pray let me have the basket now, Mr. Darcy. [Darcy gives Charlotte the basket, and then turns to Elizabeth.]

Darcy.

Good morning, Miss Bennet. [Elizabeth returns Darcy's greeting with a self-consciousness which does not escape his notice, but the motive of which he mistakes. Darcy gives a quick glance from Elizabeth to Colonel Fitzwilliam, as he turns to speak to the latter.] Ah, Fitzwilliam, I thought I might find you here.

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

[Lightly.] Yes, I have been so fortunate as to secure some of Mrs. Collins's early roses for Miss Bennet.

Charlotte.

[In surprise.] Really! Have they already opened?

Elizabeth.

[Who has by this time recovered her self-possession.] A very few of them. But Colonel Fitzwilliam was obliged to climb very near to the sun to get me these. [She looks admiringly upon the flowers as she speaks.]

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

[Showing the rose which Elizabeth has given him.]

And you see I have my reward.

Darcy.

[Smiling faintly.] Colonel Fitzwilliam might not have won his prize so easily, Miss Bennet, had there been others in the field.

Elizabeth.

Ah, no, Mr. Darcy, I cannot lessen Colonel Fitzwilliam's achievement by admitting any such possibility.

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

[Gallantly.] Thank you, Miss Bennet!

[Darcy turns away with an unconscious look of chagrin.]

Charlotte.

Well, surely, my roses will have to bloom their prettiest this season in return for all the attention they have received. [To the young men.] Will not you be seated, gentlemen?

Darcy.

[Tartly.] Thanks, no, Mrs. Collins; I merely stopped for Colonel Fitzwilliam; but perhaps his rose-gathering has caused him to abandon our project of taking a walk together this morning.

Colonel Fitzwilliam.

By no means, Darcy, that pleasure has only been deferred.

Darcy.

Very good then. We will go at once, if Mrs. Collins and Miss Bennet will pardon me this hasty call.

Charlotte.

Certainly, Mr. Darcy! [Elizabeth also, absent-mindedly, murmurs her assent, for which Darcy lingers with vague uneasiness before departing with Fitzwilliam. Charlotte looks at Elizabeth curiously, then calls to the little maid, who enters.]

Charlotte.

Martha—take these eggs to the pantry. Do not disturb them.

Martha.

Very well, ma'am.

[She curtsies and goes out.]

Charlotte.

[Taking off her hat and gloves.] Now, Eliza, we must get to our work and have a comfortable chat. You have been here nearly two weeks and we really haven't had a good talk yet.

Elizabeth.

[Getting out her embroidery.] Yes, you promised me a quiet visit, Charlotte. But I find you are more lively here than we are at Longbourn.

[The two ladies sit at the table with their embroidery.]

Charlotte.

But how could I have anticipated the arrival here of two very attentive young gentlemen? [Smiling at Elizabeth.] It is really quite a surprising coincidence, or else Mr. Darcy has timed his visit to his aunt very cleverly. As to these daily visits to the parsonage—you may be sure I do not take to myself the credit of them. Neither of these young gentlemen would ever come so often to see me. I have to thank you, Eliza, for this civility.

Elizabeth.

[With a little temper.] You may thank a lack of occupation on their part. You know very well my opinion of Mr. Darcy!

Charlotte.

Yes. You have often expressed it. I wish I were as well informed of Mr. Darcy's opinion of Eliza.

Elizabeth.

When you know the one, you know the other. They are identical.

Charlotte.

Well, perhaps under the circumstances, that is the most satisfactory condition of things. And do we hold the same opinion of Colonel Fitzwilliam?

Elizabeth.

[Tossing her head.] Oh, Colonel Fitzwilliam!

Charlotte.

[Looking at Elizabeth sharply, and after a short silence.] And so Jane is once more at home after her visit in London, and Lydia has gone to Brighton after all. How did she ever manage to persuade your