PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 26

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• Author: Jane Austen

MRS. Gardiner's caution to Elizabeth was punctually and kindly given
  on the first favourable opportunity of speaking to her alone; after
  honestly telling her what she thought, she thus went on:

  "You are too sensible a girl, Lizzy, to fall in love merely because
  you are warned against it; and, therefore, I am not afraid of speaking
  openly. Seriously, I would have you be on your guard. Do not involve
  yourself, or endeavour to involve him in an affection which the want
  of fortune would make so very imprudent. I have nothing to say against
  him; he is a most interesting young man; and if he had the fortune he
  ought to have, I should think you could not do better. But as it is
  -- you must not let your fancy run away with you. You have sense, and
  we all expect you to use it. Your father would depend on your resolution
  and good conduct, I am sure. You must not disappoint your father."

"My dear aunt, this is being serious indeed."

"Yes, and I hope to engage you to be serious likewise."

"Well, then, you need not be under any alarm. I will take care of
  myself, and of Mr. Wickham too. He shall not be in love with me, if
  I can prevent it."

"Elizabeth, you are not serious now."

"I beg your pardon. I will try again. At present I am not in love
  with Mr. Wickham; no, I certainly am not. But he is, beyond all comparison,
  the most agreeable man I ever saw -- and if he becomes really attached
  to me -- I believe it will be better that he should not. I see the imprudence
  of it. -- Oh! that abominable Mr. Darcy! -- My father's opinion of me
  does me the greatest honor; and I should be miserable to forfeit it.
  My father, however, is partial to Mr. Wickham. In short, my dear aunt,
  I should be very sorry to be the means of making any of you unhappy;
  but since we see every day that where there is affection, young people
  are seldom withheld by immediate want of fortune from entering into
  engagements with each other, how can I promise to be wiser than so many
  of my fellow creatures if I am tempted, or how am I even to know that
  it would be wisdom to resist? All that I can promise you, therefore,
  is not to be in a hurry. I will not be in a hurry to believe myself
  his first object. When I am in company with him, I will not be wishing.
  In short, I will do my best."

"Perhaps it will be as well, if you discourage his coming here so
  very often. At least, you should not remind your mother of inviting
  him."

"As I did the other day," said Elizabeth, with a conscious smile;
  "very true, it will be wise in me to refrain from that. But do not
  imagine that he is always here so often. It is on your account that
  he has been so frequently invited this week. You know my mother's ideas
  as to the necessity of constant company for her friends. But really,
  and upon my honour, I will try to do what I think to be wisest; and
  now, I hope you are satisfied."

Her aunt assured her that she was; and Elizabeth having thanked her
  for the kindness of her hints, they parted; a wonderful instance of
  advice being given on such a point without being resented.

Mr. Collins returned into Hertfordshire soon after it had been quitted
  by the Gardiners and Jane; but as he took up his abode with the Lucases,
  his arrival was no great inconvenience to Mrs. Bennet. His marriage
  was now fast approaching, and she was at length so far resigned as to
  think it inevitable, and even repeatedly to say in an ill-natured tone
  that she "wished they might be happy." Thursday was to be the wedding
  day, and on Wednesday Miss Lucas paid her farewell visit; and when she
  rose to take leave, Elizabeth, ashamed of her mother's ungracious and
  reluctant good wishes, and sincerely affected herself, accompanied her
  out of the room. As they went down stairs together, Charlotte said,

"I shall depend on hearing from you very often, Eliza."

"That you certainly shall."

"And I have another favour to ask. Will you come and see me?"

"We shall often meet, I hope, in Hertfordshire."

"I am not likely to leave Kent for some time. Promise me, therefore,
  to come to Hunsford."

Elizabeth could not refuse, though she foresaw little pleasure in
  the visit.

"My father and Maria are to come to me in March," added Charlotte,
  "and I hope you will consent to be of the party. Indeed, Eliza, you
  will be as welcome to me as either of them."

The wedding took place; the bride and bridegroom set off for Kent
  from the church door, and every body had as much to say or to hear on
  the subject as usual. Elizabeth soon heard from her friend; and their
  correspondence was as regular and frequent as it had ever been; that
  it should be equally unreserved was impossible. Elizabeth could never
  address her without feeling that all the comfort of intimacy was over,
  and, though determined not to slacken as a correspondent, it was for
  the sake of what had been, rather than what was. Charlotte's first letters
  were received with a good deal of eagerness; there could not but be
  curiosity to know how she would speak of her new home, how she would
  like Lady Catherine, and how happy she would dare pronounce herself
  to be; though, when the letters were read, Elizabeth felt that Charlotte
  expressed herself on every point exactly as she might have foreseen.
  She wrote cheerfully, seemed surrounded with comforts, and mentioned
  nothing which she could not praise. The house, furniture, neighbourhood,
  and roads, were all to her taste, and Lady Catherine's behaviour was
  most friendly and obliging. It was Mr. Collins's picture of Hunsford
  and Rosings rationally softened; and Elizabeth perceived that she must
  wait for her own visit there, to know the rest.

Jane had already written a few lines to her sister to announce their
  safe arrival in London; and when she wrote again, Elizabeth hoped it
  would be in her power to say something of the Bingleys.

Her impatience for this second letter was as well rewarded as impatience
  generally is. Jane had been a week in town, without either seeing or
  hearing from Caroline. She accounted for it, however, by supposing that
  her last letter to her friend from Longbourn had by some accident been
  lost.

"My aunt," she continued, "is going to-morrow into that part of
  the town, and I shall take the opportunity of calling in Grosvenor-street."

She wrote again when the visit was paid, and she had seen Miss Bingley.
  "I did not think Caroline in spirits," were her words, "but she was
  very glad to see me, and reproached me for giving her no notice of my
  coming to London. I was right, therefore; my last letter had never reached
  her. I enquired after their brother, of course. He was well, but so
  much engaged with Mr. Darcy, that they scarcely ever saw him. I found
  that Miss Darcy was expected to dinner. I wish I could see her. My visit
  was not long, as Caroline and Mrs. Hurst were going out. I dare say
  I shall soon see them here."

Elizabeth shook her head over this letter. It convinced her that accident
  only could discover to Mr. Bingley her sister's being in town.

Four weeks passed away, and Jane saw nothing of him. She endeavoured
  to persuade herself that she did not regret it; but she could no longer
  be blind to Miss Bingley's inattention. After waiting at home every
  morning for a fortnight, and inventing every evening a fresh excuse
  for her, the visitor did at last appear; but the shortness of her stay,
  and yet more, the alteration of her manner, would allow Jane to deceive
  herself no longer. The letter which she wrote on this occasion to her
  sister, will prove what she felt.

"My dearest Lizzy will, I am sure, be incapable of triumphing in
  her better judgment, at my expence, when I confess myself to have been
  entirely deceived in Miss Bingley's regard for me. But, my dear sister,
  though the event has proved you right, do not think me obstinate if
  I still assert that, considering what her behaviour was, my confidence
  was as natural as your suspicion. I do not at all comprehend her reason
  for wishing to be intimate with me, but if the same circumstances were
  to happen again, I am sure I should be deceived again. Caroline did
  not return my visit till yesterday; and not a note, not a line, did
  I receive in the mean time. When she did come, it was very evident that
  she had no pleasure in it; she made a slight, formal, apology for not
  calling before, said not a word of wishing to see me again, and was
  in every respect so altered a creature, that when she went away I was
  perfectly resolved to continue the acquaintance no longer. I pity, though
  I cannot help blaming her. She was very wrong in singling me out as
  she did; I can safely say, that every advance to intimacy began on her
  side. But I pity her, because she must feel that she has been acting
  wrong, and because I am very sure that anxiety for her brother is the
  cause of it, I need not explain myself farther; and though we know this
  anxiety to be quite needless, yet if she feels it, it will easily account
  for her behaviour to me; and so deservedly dear as he is to his sister,
  whatever anxiety she may feel on his behalf is natural and amiable.
  I cannot but wonder, however, at her having any such fears now, because,
  if he had at all cared about me, we must have met long, long ago. He
  knows of my being in town, I am certain, from something she said herself;
  and yet it should seem by her manner of talking, as if she wanted to
  persuade herself that he is really partial to Miss Darcy. I cannot understand
  it. If I were not afraid of judging harshly, I should be almost tempted
  to say that there is a strong appearance of duplicity in all this. But
  I will endeavour to banish every painful thought, and think only of
  what will make me happy: your affection, and the invariable kindness
  of my dear uncle and aunt. Let me hear from you very soon. Miss Bingley
  said something of his never returning to Netherfield again, of giving
  up the house, but not with any certainty. We had better not mention
  it. I am extremely glad that you have such pleasant accounts from our
  friends at Hunsford. Pray go to see them, with Sir William and Maria.
  I am sure you will be very comfortable there.

Your's,

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1. Ebooks list page : 81
2. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 23
3. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 40
4. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 41
5. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 42
6. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 45
7. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 46
8. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 47
9. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 48
10. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 49
11. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 50
12. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 51
13. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 52
14. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 53
15. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 54
16. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 55