PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 59

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"MY dear Lizzy,
where can you have been walking to?" was a question which Elizabeth received
from Jane as soon as she entered their room, and from all the others when
they sat down to table. She had only to say in reply, that they had wandered
about, till she was beyond her own knowledge. She coloured as she spoke;
but neither that, nor any thing else, awakened a suspicion of the truth.


The evening passed quietly, unmarked by any thing extraordinary. The acknowledged
lovers talked and laughed, the unacknowledged were silent. Darcy was not
of a disposition in which happiness overflows in mirth; and Elizabeth,
agitated and confused, rather knew that she was happy than felt herself
to be so; for, besides the immediate embarrassment, there were other evils
before her. She anticipated what would be felt in the family when her
situation became known; she was aware that no one liked him but Jane;
and even feared that with the others it was a dislike which not all his
fortune and consequence might do away.

At night she opened her heart to Jane. Though suspicion was very far
  from Miss Bennet's general habits, she was absolutely incredulous here.

"You are joking, Lizzy. This cannot be! -- engaged to Mr. Darcy!
  No, no, you shall not deceive me. I know it to be impossible."

"This is a wretched beginning indeed! My sole dependence was on you;
  and I am sure nobody else will believe me, if you do not. Yet, indeed,
  I am in earnest. I speak nothing but the truth. He still loves me, and
  we are engaged."

Jane looked at her doubtingly. "Oh, Lizzy! it cannot be. I know how
  much you dislike him."

"You know nothing of the matter. That is all to be forgot. Perhaps
  I did not always love him so well as I do now. But in such cases as
  these, a good memory is unpardonable. This is the last time I shall
  ever remember it myself."

Miss Bennet still looked all amazement. Elizabeth again, and more
  seriously assured her of its truth.

"Good Heaven! can it be really so! Yet now I must believe you,"
  cried Jane. "My dear, dear Lizzy, I would -- I do congratulate you
  -- but are you certain? forgive the question -- are you quite certain
  that you can be happy with him?"

"There can be no doubt of that. It is settled between us already,
  that we are to be the happiest couple in the world. But are you pleased,
  Jane? Shall you like to have such a brother?"

"Very, very much. Nothing could give either Bingley or myself more
  delight. But we considered it, we talked of it as impossible. And do
  you really love him quite well enough? Oh, Lizzy! do any thing rather
  than marry without affection. Are you quite sure that you feel what
  you ought to do?"

"Oh, yes! You will only think I feel more than I ought to do, when
  I tell you all."

"What do you mean?"

"Why, I must confess that I love him better than I do Bingley. I
  am afraid you will be angry."

"My dearest sister, now be serious. I want to talk very seriously.
  Let me know every thing that I am to know, without delay. Will you tell
  me how long you have loved him?"

"It has been coming on so gradually, that I hardly know when it began.
  But I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds
  at Pemberley."

Another intreaty that she would be serious, however, produced the
  desired effect; and she soon satisfied Jane by her solemn assurances
  of attachment. When convinced on that article, Miss Bennet had nothing
  farther to wish.

"Now I am quite happy," said she, "for you will be as happy as
  myself. I always had a value for him. Were it for nothing but his love
  of you, I must always have esteemed him; but now, as Bingley's friend
  and your husband, there can be only Bingley and yourself more dear to
  me. But Lizzy, you have been very sly, very reserved with me. How little
  did you tell me of what passed at Pemberley and Lambton! I owe all that
  I know of it to another, not to you."

Elizabeth told her the motives of her secrecy. She had been unwilling
  to mention Bingley; and the unsettled state of her own feelings had
  made her equally avoid the name of his friend. But now she would no
  longer conceal from her his share in Lydia's marriage. All was acknowledged,
  and half the night spent in conversation.

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  "Good gracious!" cried Mrs. Bennet, as she stood at a window the next
  morning, "if that disagreeable Mr. Darcy is not coming here again with
  our dear Bingley! What can he mean by being so tiresome as to be always
  coming here? I had no notion but he would go a-shooting, or something
  or other, and not disturb us with his company. What shall we do with
  him? Lizzy, you must walk out with him again, that he may not be in
  Bingley's way."

  Elizabeth could hardly help laughing at so convenient a proposal; yet
  was really vexed that her mother should be always giving him such an
  epithet.

As soon as they entered, Bingley looked at her so expressively, and
  shook hands with such warmth, as left no doubt of his good information;
  and he soon afterwards said aloud, "Mrs. Bennet, have you no more lanes
  hereabouts in which Lizzy may lose her way again to-day?"

"I advise Mr. Darcy, and Lizzy, and Kitty," said Mrs. Bennet, "to
  walk to Oakham Mount this morning. It is a nice long walk, and Mr. Darcy
  has never seen the view."

"It may do very well for the others," replied Mr. Bingley; "but
  I am sure it will be too much for Kitty. Won't it, Kitty?" Kitty owned
  that she had rather stay at home. Darcy professed a great curiosity
  to see the view from the Mount, and Elizabeth silently consented. As
  she went up stairs to get ready, Mrs. Bennet followed her, saying,

"I am quite sorry, Lizzy, that you should be forced to have that
  disagreeable man all to yourself. But I hope you will not mind it: it
  is all for Jane's sake, you know; and there is no occasion for talking
  to him, except just now and then. So, do not put yourself to inconvenience."

During their walk, it was resolved that Mr. Bennet's consent should
  be asked in the course of the evening. Elizabeth reserved to herself
  the application for her mother's. She could not determine how her mother
  would take it; sometimes doubting whether all his wealth and grandeur
  would be enough to overcome her abhorrence of the man. But whether she
  were violently set against the match, or violently delighted with it,
  it was certain that her manner would be equally ill adapted to do credit
  to her sense; and she could no more bear that Mr. Darcy should hear
  the first raptures of her joy, than the first vehemence of her disapprobation.

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  In the evening, soon after Mr. Bennet withdrew to the library, she saw
  Mr. Darcy rise also and follow him, and her agitation on seeing it was
  extreme. She did not fear her father's opposition, but he was going
  to be made unhappy; and that it should be through her means -- that
  she, his favourite child, should be distressing him by her choice, should
  be filling him with fears and regrets in disposing of her -- was a wretched
  reflection, and she sat in misery till Mr. Darcy appeared again, when,
  looking at him, she was a little relieved by his smile. In a few minutes
  he approached the table where she was sitting with Kitty; and, while
  pretending to admire her work said in a whisper, "Go to your father,
  he wants you in the library." She was gone directly.

  Her father was walking about the room, looking grave and anxious. "Lizzy,"
  said he, "what are you doing? Are you out of your senses, to be accepting
  this man? Have not you always hated him?"

How earnestly did she then wish that her former opinions had been
  more reasonable, her expressions more moderate! It would have spared
  her from explanations and professions which it was exceedingly awkward
  to give; but they were now necessary, and she assured him, with some
  confusion, of her attachment to Mr. Darcy.

"Or, in other words, you are determined to have him. He is rich,
  to be sure, and you may have more fine clothes and fine carriages than
  Jane. But will they make you happy?"

"Have you any other objection," said Elizabeth, "than your belief
  of my indifference?"

"None at all. We all know him to be a proud, unpleasant sort of man;
  but this would be nothing if you really liked him."

"I do, I do like him," she replied, with tears in her eyes, "I
  love him. Indeed he has no improper pride. He is perfectly amiable.
  You do not know what he really is; then pray do not pain me by speaking
  of him in such terms."

"Lizzy," said her father, "I have given him my consent. He is the
  kind of man, indeed, to whom I should never dare refuse any thing, which
  he condescended to ask. I now give it to you, if you are resolved on
  having him. But let me advise you to think better of it. I know your
  disposition, Lizzy. I know that you could be neither happy nor respectable,
  unless you truly esteemed your husband; unless you looked up to him
  as a superior. Your lively talents would place you in the greatest danger
  in an unequal marriage. You could scarcely escape discredit and misery.
  My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect
  your partner in life. You know not what you are about."

Elizabeth, still more affected, was earnest and solemn in her reply;
  and at length, by repeated assurances that Mr. Darcy was really the
  object of her choice, by explaining the gradual change which her estimation
  of him had undergone, relating her absolute certainty that his affection
  was not the work of a day, but had stood the test of many months suspense,
  and enumerating with energy all his good qualities, she did conquer
  her father's incredulity, and reconcile him to the match.

"Well, my dear," said he, when she ceased speaking, "I have no
  more to say. If this be the case, he deserves you. I could not have
  parted with you, my Lizzy, to any one less worthy."

To complete the favourable impression, she then told him what Mr.
  Darcy had voluntarily done for Lydia. He heard her with astonishment.

"This is an evening of wonders, indeed! And so, Darcy did every thing:
  made up the match, gave the money, paid the fellow's debts, and got
  him his commission! So much the better. It will save me a world of trouble
  and economy. Had it been your uncle's doing, I must and would have paid
  him; but these violent young lovers carry every thing their own way.
  I shall offer to pay him to-morrow; he will rant and storm about his
  love for you, and there will be an end of the matter."

He then recollected her embarrassment a few days before, on his reading
  Mr. Collins's letter; and after laughing at her some time, allowed her
  at last to go -- saying, as she quitted the room, "If any young men
  come for Mary or Kitty, send them in, for I am quite at leisure."

Elizabeth's mind was now relieved from a very heavy weight; and, after
  half an hour's quiet reflection in her own room, she was able to join
  the others with tolerable composure. Every thing was too recent for
  gaiety, but the evening passed tranquilly away; there was no longer
  any thing material to be dreaded, and the comfort of ease and familiarity
  would come in time.

When her mother went up to her dressing-room at night, she followed
  her, and made the important communication. Its effect was most extraordinary;
  for on first hearing it, Mrs. Bennet sat quite still, and unable to
  utter a syllable. Nor was it under many, many minutes that she could
  comprehend what she heard; though not in general backward to credit
  what was for the advantage of her family, or that came in the shape
  of a lover to any of them. She began at length to recover, to fidget
  about in her chair, get up, sit down again, wonder, and bless herself.

"Good gracious! Lord bless me! only think! dear me! Mr. Darcy! Who
  would have thought it! And is it really true? Oh! my sweetest Lizzy!
  how rich and how great you will be! What pin-money, what jewels, what
  carriages you will have! Jane's is nothing to it -- nothing at all.
  I am so pleased -- so happy. Such a charming man! -- so handsome! so
  tall! -- Oh, my dear Lizzy! pray apologise for my having disliked him
  so much before. I hope he will overlook it. Dear, dear Lizzy. A house
  in town! Every thing that is charming! Three daughters married! Ten
  thousand a year! Oh, Lord! What will become of me. I shall go distracted."

This was enough to prove that her approbation need not be doubted:
  and Elizabeth, rejoicing that such an effusion was heard only by herself,
  soon went away. But before she had been three minutes in her own room,
  her mother followed her.

"My dearest child," she cried, "I can think of nothing else! Ten
  thousand a year, and very likely more! 'Tis as good as a Lord! And a
  special licence. You must and shall be married by a special licence.
  But my dearest love, tell me what dish Mr. Darcy is particularly fond
  of, that I may have it tomorrow."

This was a sad omen of what her mother's behaviour to the gentleman
  himself might be; and Elizabeth found that, though in the certain possession
  of his warmest affection, and secure of her relations' consent, there
  was still something to be wished for. But the morrow passed off much
  better than she expected; for Mrs. Bennet luckily stood in such awe
  of her intended son-in-law that she ventured not to speak to him, unless
  it was in her power to offer him any attention, or mark her deference
  for his opinion.

Elizabeth had the satisfaction of seeing her father taking pains to
  get acquainted with him; and Mr. Bennet soon assured her that he was
  rising every hour in his esteem.

"I admire all my three sons-in-law highly," said he. "Wickham,
  perhaps, is my favourite; but I think I shall like your husband quite
  as well as Jane's."

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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