PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 24

Description

MISS Bingley's letter arrived, and put an end to doubt. The very first
  sentence conveyed the assurance of their being all settled in London
  for the winter, and concluded with her brother's regret at not having
  had time to pay his respects to his friends in Hertfordshire before
  he left the country.

  Hope was over, entirely over; and when Jane could attend to the rest
  of the letter, she found little, except the professed affection of the
  writer, that could give her any comfort. Miss Darcy's praise occupied
  the chief of it. Her many attractions were again dwelt on, and Caroline
  boasted joyfully of their increasing intimacy, and ventured to predict
  the accomplishment of the wishes which had been unfolded in her former
  letter. She wrote also with great pleasure of her brother's being an
  inmate of Mr. Darcy's house, and mentioned with raptures some plans
  of the latter with regard to new furniture. Elizabeth, to whom Jane
  very soon communicated the chief of all this, heard it in silent indignation.
  Her heart was divided between concern for her sister, and resentment
  against all the others. To Caroline's assertion of her brother's being
  partial to Miss Darcy she paid no credit. That he was really fond of
  Jane, she doubted no more than she had ever done; and much as she had
  always been disposed to like him, she could not think without anger,
  hardly without contempt, on that easiness of temper, that want of proper
  resolution which now made him the slave of his designing friends, and
  led him to sacrifice his own happiness to the caprice of their inclinations.
  Had his own happiness, however, been the only sacrifice, he might have
  been allowed to sport with it in what ever manner he thought best; but
  her sister's was involved in it, as, she thought, he must be sensible
  himself. It was a subject, in short, on which reflection would be long
  indulged, and must be unavailing. She could think of nothing else, and
  yet whether Bingley's regard had really died away, or were suppressed
  by his friends' interference; whether he had been aware of Jane's attachment,
  or whether it had escaped his observation; whichever were the case,
  though her opinion of him must be materially affected by the difference,
  her sister's situation remained the same, her peace equally wounded.

A day or two passed before Jane had courage to speak of her feelings
  to Elizabeth; but at last on Mrs. Bennet's leaving them together, after
  a longer irritation than usual about Netherfield and its master, she
  could not help saying,

"Oh! that my dear mother had more command over herself; she can have
  no idea of the pain she gives me by her continual reflections on him.
  But I will not repine. It cannot last long. He will be forgot, and we
  shall all be as we were before."

Elizabeth looked at her sister with incredulous solicitude, but said
  nothing.

"You doubt me," cried Jane, slightly colouring; "indeed you have
  no reason. He may live in my memory as the most amiable man of my acquaintance,
  but that is all. I have nothing either to hope or fear, and nothing
  to reproach him with. Thank God! I have not that pain. A little time
  therefore. -- I shall certainly try to get the better."

With a stronger voice she soon added, "I have this comfort immediately,
  that it has not been more than an error of fancy on my side, and that
  it has done no harm to any one but myself."

"My dear Jane!" exclaimed Elizabeth, "you are too good. Your sweetness
  and disinterestedness are really angelic; I do not know what to say
  to you. I feel as if I had never done you justice, or loved you as you
  deserve."

Miss Bennet eagerly disclaimed all extraordinary merit, and threw
  back the praise on her sister's warm affection.

"Nay," said Elizabeth, "this is not fair. You wish to think all
  the world respectable, and are hurt if I speak ill of any body. I only
  want to think you perfect, and you set yourself against it. Do not be
  afraid of my running into any excess, of my encroaching on your privilege
  of universal good will. You need not. There are few people whom I really
  love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world,
  the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief
  of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence
  that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense. I have
  met with two instances lately; one I will not mention; the other is
  Charlotte's marriage. It is unaccountable! in every view it is unaccountable!"

"My dear Lizzy, do not give way to such feelings as these. They will
  ruin your happiness. You do not make allowance enough for difference
  of situation and temper. Consider Mr. Collins's respectability, and
  Charlotte's prudent, steady character. Remember that she is one of a
  large family; that as to fortune, it is a most eligible match; and be
  ready to believe, for every body's sake, that she may feel something
  like regard and esteem for our cousin."

"To oblige you, I would try to believe almost any thing, but no one
  else could be benefited by such a belief as this; for were I persuaded
  that Charlotte had any regard for him, I should only think worse of
  her understanding, than I now do of her heart. My dear Jane, Mr. Collins
  is a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man; you know he is, as
  well as I do; and you must feel, as well as I do, that the woman who
  marries him, cannot have a proper way of thinking. You shall not defend
  her, though it is Charlotte Lucas. You shall not, for the sake of one
  individual, change the meaning of principle and integrity, nor endeavour
  to persuade yourself or me that selfishness is prudence, and insensibility
  of danger, security for happiness."

"I must think your language too strong in speaking of both," replied
  Jane, "and I hope you will be convinced of it, by seeing them happy
  together. But enough of this. You alluded to something else. You mentioned
  two instances. I cannot misunderstand you, but I intreat you, dear Lizzy,
  not to pain me by thinking that person to blame, and saying your opinion
  of him is sunk. We must not be so ready to fancy ourselves intentionally
  injured. We must not expect a lively young man to be always so guarded
  and circumspect. It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives
  us. Women fancy admiration means more than it does."

"And men take care that they should."

"If it is designedly done, they cannot be justified; but I have no
  idea of there being so much design in the world as some persons imagine."

"I am far from attributing any part of Mr. Bingley's conduct to design,"
  said Elizabeth; "but without scheming to do wrong, or to make others
  unhappy, there may be error, and there may be misery. Thoughtlessness,
  want of attention to other people's feelings, and want of resolution,
  will do the business,"

"And do you impute it to either of those?"

"Yes; to the last. But if I go on, I shall displease you by saying
  what I think of persons you esteem. Stop me whilst you can."

"You persist, then, in supposing his sisters influence him."

"Yes, in conjunction with his friend."

"I cannot believe it. Why should they try to influence him? They
  can only wish his happiness, and if he is attached to me, no other woman
  can secure it."

"Your first position is false. They may wish many things besides
  his happiness; they may wish his increase of wealth and consequence;
  they may wish him to marry a girl who has all the importance of money,
  great connections, and pride."

"Beyond a doubt, they do wish him to chuse Miss Darcy," replied
  Jane; "but this may be from better feelings than you are supposing.
  They have known her much longer than they have known me; no wonder if
  they love her better. But, whatever may be their own wishes, it is very
  unlikely they should have opposed their brother's. What sister would
  think herself at liberty to do it, unless there were something very
  objectionable? If they believed him attached to me, they would not try
  to part us; if he were so, they could not succeed. By supposing such
  an affection, you make every body acting unnaturally and wrong, and
  me most unhappy. Do not distress me by the idea. I am not ashamed of
  having been mistaken -- or, at least, it is slight, it is nothing in
  comparison of what I should feel in thinking ill of him or his sisters.
  Let me take it in the best light, in the light in which it may be understood."

Elizabeth could not oppose such a wish; and from this time Mr. Bingley's
  name was scarcely ever mentioned between them.

Mrs. Bennet still continued to wonder and repine at his returning
  no more, and though a day seldom passed in which Elizabeth did not account
  for it clearly, there seemed little chance of her ever considering it
  with less perplexity. Her daughter endeavoured to convince her of what
  she did not believe herself, that his attentions to Jane had been merely
  the effect of a common and transient liking, which ceased when he saw
  her no more; but though the probability of the statement was admitted
  at the time, she had the same story to repeat every day. Mrs. Bennet's
  best comfort was that Mr. Bingley must be down again in the summer.

Mr. Bennet treated the matter differently. "So, Lizzy," said he
  one day, "your sister is crossed in love I find. I congratulate her.
  Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now
  and then. It is something to think of, and gives her a sort of distinction
  among her companions. When is your turn to come? You will hardly bear
  to be long outdone by Jane. Now is your time. Here are officers enough
  at Meryton to disappoint all the young ladies in the country. Let Wickham
  be your man. He is a pleasant fellow, and would jilt you creditably."

"Thank you, Sir, but a less agreeable man would satisfy me. We must
  not all expect Jane's good fortune."

"True," said Mr. Bennet, "but it is a comfort to think that, whatever
  of that kind may befall you, you have an affectionate mother who will
  always make the most of it."

Mr. Wickham's society was of material service in dispelling the gloom,
  which the late perverse occurrences had thrown on many of the Longbourn
  family. They saw him often, and to his other recommendations was now
  added that of general unreserve. The whole of what Elizabeth had already
  heard, his claims on Mr. Darcy, and all that he had suffered from him,
  was now openly acknowledged and publicly canvassed; and every body was
  pleased to think how much they had always disliked Mr. Darcy before
  they had known any thing of the matter.

Miss Bennet was the only creature who could suppose there might be
  any extenuating circumstances in the case, unknown to the society of
  Hertfordshire; her mild and steady candour always pleaded for allowances,
  and urged the possibility of mistakes -- but by everybody else Mr. Darcy
  was condemned as the worst of men.

$$ Buy "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 24" on Amazon $$

Please check the description for download links if any or do a search to find alternative books.

Can't Download?
Please search mirrors if you can't find download links for "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 24" in "Description" and someone else may update the links. Check the comments when back to find any updates.

Search Mirrors
Maybe some mirror pages will be helpful, search this book at top of this page or click here to find more info.

1. Ebooks list page : 81
2. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 58
3. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 44
4. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 42
5. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 41
6. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 40
7. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 39
8. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 38
9. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 11
10. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 12
11. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 45
12. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 46
13. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 49
14. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 57
15. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 56
16. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 55