Pride and Prejudice

CHAPTER LIX.

“My dear Lizzy, where can you have been walking to?” Jane asked. Elizabeth coloured, saying they had wandered till she was beyond her own knowledge. The evening passed quietly; Darcy’s happiness did not overflow in mirth, and Elizabeth, agitated, knew rather than felt herself happy.

At night she opened her heart to Jane, who was absolutely incredulous. “You are joking, Lizzy. Engaged to Mr. Darcy! No, no, I know it to be impossible.” Elizabeth, with tears, was serious; Jane at last yielded. “Oh, Lizzy! do anything rather than marry without affection. Are you quite sure?” Elizabeth confessed she loved him better than she did Bingley.

The next morning, when Darcy and Bingley arrived, Mrs. Bennet cried, “If that disagreeable Mr. Darcy is not coming here again!” She proposed Elizabeth must walk with him again that he might not be in Bingley’s way. During the walk it was resolved to ask Mr. Bennet’s consent that evening.

When Darcy rose to follow Mr. Bennet to the library, Elizabeth’s agitation was extreme. He soon returned with a smile and whispered her father wanted her. Mr. Bennet, walking grave and anxious, said, “Lizzy, are you out of your senses to be accepting this man? Have not you always hated him?” She assured him of her attachment. He gave his consent, gravely: “I know your disposition, Lizzy. I know that you could be neither happy nor respectable unless you truly esteemed your husband. My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life.” She enumerated Darcy’s good qualities and conquered his incredulity. “If this be the case, he deserves you. I could not have parted with you, my Lizzy, to anyone less worthy.”

Mrs. Bennet’s reaction was extraordinary; she sat quite still, unable to utter a syllable, then began to fidget and bless herself. “Three daughters married! Ten thousand a year! Oh, Lord! what will become of me?” She followed Elizabeth to her room crying, “Tell me what dish Mr. Darcy is particularly fond of, that I may have it to-morrow.” Elizabeth was vexed, but the morrow passed better; Mrs. Bennet stood in such awe of her intended son-in-law that she ventured not to speak to him.

CHAPTER LX.

Elizabeth’s spirits soon rose to playfulness, and she wanted Darcy to account for having ever fallen in love with her. “How could you begin?” “I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” “My beauty you had early withstood, and as for my manners, my behaviour to you was at least always bordering on the uncivil. Did you admire me for my impertinence?” “For the liveliness of your mind I did.”

Elizabeth wrote her long-delayed letter to Mrs. Gardiner, confessing she was the happiest creature in the world and inviting them all to Pemberley at Christmas. Mr. Bennet wrote to Mr. Collins: “I must trouble you once more for congratulations. Elizabeth will soon be the wife of Mr. Darcy. Console Lady Catherine as well as you can. But, if I were you, I would stand by the nephew. He has more to give.” Miss Bingley’s congratulations were affectionate and insincere; Miss Darcy’s joy was as sincere as her brother’s. The Collinses, hearing of the marriage, removed to Lucas Lodge; Lady Catherine had been so exceedingly angry that Charlotte, really rejoicing, was anxious to get away. Elizabeth did all she could to shield Darcy from her uncle’s parading civility; though the uncomfortable feelings took from courtship much of its pleasure, it added to the hope of the future.

CHAPTER LXI.

Happy for all her maternal feelings was the day Mrs. Bennet got rid of her two most deserving daughters. I wish I could say the accomplishment of her earnest desire made her a sensible woman for the rest of her life; perhaps it was lucky for her husband that she still was occasionally nervous and invariably silly.

Mr. Bennet missed his second daughter exceedingly; his affection drew him oftener from home than anything else, and he delighted in going to Pemberley, especially when least expected. Bingley and Jane remained at Netherfield only a twelvemonth; then, his sisters’ darling wish gratified, he bought an estate in a neighbouring county to Derbyshire, and the sisters were within thirty miles of each other.

Kitty spent the chief of her time with her two elder sisters, and her improvement was great. Mary remained at home, obliged to mix more with the world. Wickham and Lydia’s characters suffered no revolution; he bore with philosophy the conviction that Elizabeth now knew all his ingratitude and falsehood, but cherished hope that Darcy might yet be prevailed on to make his fortune. Lydia’s letter showed such a hope was cherished by her at least. Elizabeth sent them such relief as economy could afford.

Miss Bingley was deeply mortified by Darcy’s marriage but retained the right of visiting at Pemberley, dropped all resentment, and paid off every arrear of civility to Elizabeth. Pemberley was now Georgiana’s home; the sisters’ attachment was exactly what Darcy had hoped. Georgiana had the highest opinion in the world of Elizabeth.

Lady Catherine was extremely indignant on her nephew’s marriage and replied with such abusive language that for some time all intercourse ceased. But at length, by Elizabeth’s persuasion, reconciliation was sought; her resentment gave way, and she condescended to wait on them at Pemberley. With the Gardiners they were always on the most intimate terms; Darcy as well as Elizabeth really loved them, sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them.