Chapter 6 Rejection and Misunderstanding
The cold season came, and for a whole winter, Bennet had no other pastime at home, and the days passed quietly. In March of the following year, Elizabeth could not resist Charlotte's repeated requests and decided to go to Hunsford. Now, the friendship between good friends has gradually been restored, and she has become less disgusted with Mr. Collins.
When the time finally came, the father repeatedly told his daughter to write to him often, and Mr. Wickham came to see him off. He was courting someone else at the moment, but Elizabeth was the first person here to hear him pour out his heart, and the two of them said goodbye politely, as naturally and plainly as ordinary friends.
Mr. William Lucas and his daughter Maria had already boarded the carriage, and Elizabeth followed them on a bumpy journey until the afternoon, when they first came to Mr. Gardner's house. At that moment, Jane was standing at the door to greet her, and Elizabeth was very happy to see that her sister was still so healthy and beautiful, and immediately jumped out of the carriage and hugged her sister tightly. The cousins and cousins also came out, and the house was suddenly filled with a joyful atmosphere, and the whole day was very pleasant.
Mrs. Gardner arranged for the evening to see the play, and Elizabeth deliberately sat down beside her aunt. Mrs. Gardner recounted in detail Miss Bingley's visit, and recounted her conversation with Jane, from which it was evident that Jane had decided not to continue her dealings with Miss Bingley. Of course, Mrs. Gardner did not forget to make a joke about her niece that she had been abandoned by Mr. Wickham, and Elizabeth winked mischievously and said no more. Towards the end of the play, Mrs. Gardner invited her new niece to join them on their summer trip this year, and Elizabeth was overjoyed to hear the news, and began to look forward to that day that evening.
The next day was a pleasant journey, and after a few hours of travel, Elizabeth finally arrived in Hunsford. Collins and Charlotte were waiting at the door, and the guests were smiling and nodding their heads. Charlotte warmly came up to hug her friend, Collins also led the way in front of her, and was cordially received by her host, and Elizabeth was completely relieved of the past festivities. Collins still did not change his nature, and proudly took his cousin to visit the house, as if to show off in front of the girl he had pursued in the past, and Elizabeth did not regret it at all, but was surprised that Charlotte was still excited to get along with such a partner. As they sat down at the table to eat, Mr. Collins spoke of Mrs. Catherine again, and Charlotte added that she was indeed a dignified, well-informed woman, and a good neighbour who was more considerate.
At noon the next day, Elizabeth, who was alone in the house, suddenly heard a commotion downstairs, as if the whole family was busy. As soon as she had listened for a moment, she saw Maria rush up and drag her downstairs, and through the window of the dining room downstairs, Elizabeth saw a four-wheeled open-top carriage in which the three ladies were riding, parked at the entrance of the garden in front of the house.
That's it," cried Elizabeth, "I thought the pigs had broken into the garden, wasn't it Catherine and her daughter." ”
It's three people, and Mrs. James. Look at Miss Deboul, ouch, what a little bit, who would have thought she was so skinny?Maria cried.
I like her like that," Elizabeth thought to herself, "she looks so thin and her temper is not much better, and she is the best to be with Darcy!."”
Collins and Charlotte were standing in the doorway to greet the women. What struck Elizabeth was amusement was that Sir William stood at the door with a serious expression, looking reverently at the nobles before him, and always bowing respectfully whenever Miss de Boer glanced at her.
The meeting at the door ended quickly, and the ladies left in the car. When they returned to the house, Charlotte explained that they had come to invite everyone to dinner, and Collins, in order to avoid the embarrassment of his family, began to use his strengths and introduced the grand scene of Rosins in detail.
While the ladies and ladies were dressing up, Mr. Collins took the trouble to come to the door of each of them to emphasize nothing more than dress, etiquette, and so on. Maria has never been very sociable, and she seems to be unconfident when dressing up, always asking this and that, for fear that she will make a mistake because of the inappropriate dress and makeup.
It was almost time, and everyone walked through the manor, and after walking about half a mile, they came to the Rosins Gate. As they stepped up the foyer steps, Maria felt more and more frightened, and Sir William could not remain composed, but Elizabeth was unafraid. She felt that Lady Catherine was only rich and powerful, but there was nothing admirable in terms of virtue and talent, so there was no need to fear her.
Walking through the vestibule to Catherine's house, Madame rose to greet the guests, and Collins and Charlotte introduced them before they sat down. Although Sir William had entered the palace, he could not help but be amazed to see the magnificent scene before him, and could only bow deeply and sit quietly. Maria looked panicked, sitting in a chair with eyes that didn't know where to look. Elizabeth calmly looked at the hostess in front of her.
Lady Catherine was tall and well-defined, and her demeanor was not angry and arrogant, and she even spoke with a dignified tone. Miss de Boer was very different from her mother, she was pale and sickly-looking, and her features were neither outstanding nor unsightly. She didn't speak much, except to whisper a few words to Mrs. James next to her.
At dinner, Mr. Collins complimented the sumptuous feast as usual, and Sir William echoed it, and Lady Catherine was very pleased with their compliments, especially when she saw which dish the guests felt particularly novel. There was nothing attractive to talk about between the guests and the hosts, as long as the others started up, Elizabeth still had something to say, but unfortunately she was sitting in the wrong place, on the other side was Charlotte, who was listening attentively to Madame's loud speech, and on the other side was Miss de Boer, who did not say a word to her during the whole meal. Mrs. James's attention was all on Miss de Boer, and when she saw that she had eaten too little, she pressed her to eat as much as she could. Then there was Maria, the unsociable little girl who was probably completely intimidated by such a magnificent scene, and did not dare to speak at all.
When the ladies returned to the drawing-room, Mrs. Catherine continued to talk and not tolerate any objection to anything to be said, until the coffee was served. However, before Mrs. Catherine could finish her sentence, she unceremoniously asked Charlotte about some of the housework, and gave detailed instructions on the details. When it was Elizabeth's turn, the lady asked her how many sisters she had, whether she was married, where she was studying, what kind of carriage her parents used, what her mother's maiden name was, and so on. Elizabeth felt that the other party was a little abrupt, but she answered patiently. When Madame learned that the sisters had never had a governess, she was immediately surprised and said, "There is no governess?".How is this possible?I have five daughters at home, but I don't hire a tutorDid your mother educate you like a hard laborer?Elizabeth laughed, and she told Madame that this was not the case.
Mrs. Catherine seemed to be unsatisfied, and continued to interrogate, and was even more incredulous when she learned that the five Bennet sisters were out to socialize at the same time. Elizabeth hurriedly explained: "Madam, if the elder sister is unable to marry early or unwilling to marry early, and the younger sister cannot come out to socialize and entertain, it will be too wronged to them, and it will not be possible to enhance the friendship between sisters, let alone develop a gentle character." ”
I really didn't expect that you have a lot of ideas when you're not old, excuse me, how old are you?Lady Catherine asked.
Elizabeth smiled and said, "I have three younger sisters growing up**, your old man will never ask me to recruit my age." ”
Madame did not receive a direct reply, and was shocked in her heart!Elizabeth thought to herself: she would probably be the first person to dare to mock such a prominent and impertinent lady.
The banquet made a deep impression on Lady Catherine of Elizabeth. After the feast, Sir William stayed in Huensford for only a week before returning. Collins spends most of his day either tidying up the garden or reading and writing in his study, much less of a nuisance for Elizabeth. He went to Rosins almost every day, Charlotte every few days, and sometimes Madame came to their house and pointed around. Elizabeth felt that she was particularly nosy, and that Mr. Collins had to report to her anything big in the parish, and if she heard that any of the villagers were quarrelsome and complaining, she would run over and scold him until he shut up.
Rossins would invite them to dinner about twice a week, and although Elizabeth was not accustomed to Lady Catherine's domineering manners, on the whole, they were quite comfortable here. Especially when talking to Charlotte alone, she seems to have regained her old happy times.
A week before Easter, Rosins House was said to have a new guest, Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth had never had a crush on Darcy, but was keen to see how he treated his cousin. When Mrs. Catherine mentioned Darcy, her eyebrows fluttered proudly, as if she was about to marry her daughter to him, but when she knew that Charlotte and Elizabeth had known Darcy for a long time, her face immediately changed, and she almost sent **.
On this day, Collins went to Rosins again, and found that in addition to Darcy, there was also a Colonel Fitzwilliam, the youngest son of Darcy's uncle. To everyone's surprise, the two distinguished guests actually returned with Collins. Charlotte was busy greeting the guests, and the Colonel Fitzwilliam, who looked to be in his thirties, was not very pretty, but had a very elegant appearance and conversation, and was a gentleman of the ordinary kind. Mr. Darcy was still the same as before, with a reserved face, and greeted Charlotte and Elizabeth in turn. After a few perfunctory words as usual, Elizabeth deliberately asked, "My sister has been in the city for three months, and you have never seen her?"Mr. Darcy said no, but he replied with a somewhat panicked look. That was the end of the matter, and the two dignitaries sat down for a while before leaving.
Because of the arrival of distinguished guests at home, Rossins had not invited the Collins family for many days. It wasn't until Easter day, when the two families met in church, that the owner invited him in passing, and Collins immediately happily accepted it, picking a time to bring the family to Rosins again.
Lady Catherine was noticeably less enthusiastic than usual, and after politely inviting them to a seat, she contemplated her two nephews. Colonel Fitzwilliam had a good impression of Elizabeth, and he always looked for an opportunity to sit down and speak to her, and they chatted incessantly, which aroused Mr. Darcy's interest, and he looked here from time to time with curiosity in his eyes.
After coffee, Colonel Fitzwilliam warmly invited Elizabeth to play a tune, and she gladly agreed and sat down at the piano. Lady Catherine had been chatting with Darcy, but then Darcy had left her and walked towards the piano, where she had found the ideal position, just in time to see the performer's pretty face. Elizabeth saw his intentions, turned her head and smiled slyly, and said, "Mr. Darcy, aren't you afraid to scare me when you come quietly?"”
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Darcy smiled and replied, "You don't really think I'm going to scare you, we've known each other for so long, and we know that you like to say something insincere once in a while." Elizabeth burst out laughing at the remark, and Lady Catherine approached curiously, and she hastened to return to her normal form and play again.
The next morning, Charlotte and Maria went to town for something, and Elizabeth sat alone in the house to write letters to her sister. Suddenly, the doorbell rang and a guest arrived. Elizabeth hastened to put away the half-written letter, when Mr. Darcy walked in.
Both seemed taken aback, and Darcy hurriedly apologized that he thought the ladies and ladies were all at home, so he rushed in. Elizabeth invited him to sit down, and after a few polite words, both of them fell silent. In an attempt to break the deadlock, Elizabeth began to ask if Mr. Bingley would return to Netherfield, to which Darcy said he did not know. Next, he moved his chair towards her and asked another question: "You won't be in Longborne forever, will you?"”
Elizabeth was a little surprised, and Darcy's heart sank, and he quickly dragged back to his chair, picked up the newspaper on the table, flipped through it, and chatted with her about innocuous gossip. A short time later, the Charlotte sisters returned home and were amazed to see Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth chatting in the house. The guest didn't bother too much and quickly left.
As soon as Darcy left, Elizabeth told her good friend what had happened, and the two of them guessed what was going on, not knowing what was going on with him. Later, the clever Charlotte took a look at Mr. Darcy, and found that the distinguished guest looked at Elizabeth with a sincere and attentive gaze, which seemed to be full of love and a little absent-minded. She hinted at her friend that Mr. Darcy might have a crush on her, but Elizabeth always laughed it off, thinking that the arrogant fellow was no match for Colonel Fitzwilliam.
On this day, Elizabeth met Colonel Fitzwilliam while walking through the manor, and the two chatted casually. Speaking of Mr. Darcy, the Colonel inadvertently recounted that he had recently helped a friend out of a marriage, and although Darcy did not say who, he had the impression that it would be Mr. Bingley. When Elizabeth heard this, she immediately asked, "Mr. Darcy didn't say why he intervened?".”
I heard that some of the conditions of that young lady are very unsatisfactory. The other party replied. Elizabeth did not ask any further questions, and the more she thought about it, the more angry she became, and the colonel, seeing that her face was not good, did not ask any more questions, and left after sending her to the priest's house. When she returned to the house, she remembered that the phrase "some conditions are not ideal" probably meant that "the young lady" had an uncle who worked as a lawyer in the country, and an uncle who was a businessman in London. Elizabeth, who felt sorry for her sister, couldn't help crying, crying until she had a splitting headache, and she didn't leave the house all afternoon.
When Mr. and Mrs. Collins went to refreshments, Elizabeth took out the letters written by her sister and read them one by one. I didn't expect Mr. Darcy to come again at this time!He hurried to explain, and when he heard Colonel Fitzwilliam say that she had a bad face, Elizabeth replied coldly, and Darcy felt bored, so he paced up and down the room. After a few minutes, he suddenly turned around, walked up to Elizabeth and said excitedly, "I can't restrain myself, I feel like I can't hold it back any longer." Allow me to tell you that I love you very much, deeply in love. ”
Elizabeth was indescribably surprised, her face flushed and her eyes widened. Darcy thought she wanted to go on, and immediately poured out her affection, and confessed that Elizabeth was always ambivalent because of her humble origins, but he loved so much that he could not restrain his burning emotions, and hoped that the beautiful girl would accept his proposal.
When Darcy said these words, Darcy still had a sure look on his face, and Elizabeth could see it clearly. As soon as the suitor had finished, she tried to regain her composure, and said word for word, "Sorry, Mr. Darcy, I cannot express my gratitude, whether I accept it or not. Your affection is too reluctant and domineering, and I can only bring you pain. However, this way, it will be easy for you to restrain that feeling. ”
Darcy was leaning against the fireplace, staring at her with staring eyes, indignant in his heart. He tried to pretend to be calm and composed, and after a few moments he said, "I'm so honored to have such an answer!"May I ask how I could have been so rudely rejected?”
I would like to ask first," said Elizabeth at once, "can I love someone who has ruined my sister's happiness?"”
Darcy's face changed dramatically, and he quickly returned to his normal state and said, "I don't want to deny that it was indeed I who did my best to break up Bingley's marriage to your sister, and I am glad about it. ”
When Elizabeth saw the other party's look, she didn't have the slightest remorse, and immediately continued to condemn angrily: "I don't just hate you in this matter. A few months ago, I also learned from Mr. Wickham about your character, and didn't you also cause his misfortune?”
That's what you think of me!Darcy shouted and walked briskly around the room, "Thank you for explaining in such detail, it seems that I am such a sinful fellow!."”
Elizabeth said as calmly as she could, "Mr. Darcy, if you were to be polite, it might make me feel bad about refusing. Besides, no matter how you propose to me, I will not be tempted to say yes. Even if you can't find a man in this life, you don't want me to marry you!”
You've said enough is enough!Darcy's annoyed look looked frightening, and he tried to restrain his agitation and said, "Miss Elizabeth, please forgive me for delaying you so much, and allow me to wish you health and happiness from the bottom of my heart. After throwing these few words, he hurried out the door.
Elizabeth was so upset that she couldn't help but sit there and cry for half an hour. Thinking back to what happened just now, the more I think about it, the more strange it becomes, so the invincible and arrogant Mr. Darcy would propose to her?It's incredible!She tossed and turned, and when she heard the sound of the Collins carriage, she hurried back to her house.
The next morning, Elizabeth decided to go out to get some air, and when she reached the manor, she suddenly saw Darcy coming out of the woods and coming straight for her. He handed Elizabeth a letter, still with an arrogant look, and said, "I've been waiting for you in the woods for a long time, just to show you this letter, is that okay?"With that, Darcy bowed slightly and re-disappeared into the woods.
Elizabeth opened the letter, which contained two densely written sheets of paper, which did not make any further courtship to her, but gave a detailed explanation of the two things mentioned in the quarrel. Darcy was very frank in admitting how he had persuaded Bingley to renounce his feelings for Jane, and how he had concealed the news of Jane's arrival in London, which he felt was justified in his opinion, because he did not think Jane had any genuine feelings towards Mr. Bingley. When talking about the disadvantages of that family business, Elizabeth could still feel Darcy's arrogant and arrogant attitude between the lines, and she was so angry that she could not even read it for a while.
It was not until the letter spoke of Mr. Wickham that Elizabeth's thoughts became clear. The letter said that Wickham had voluntarily relinquished his position as pastor and that Darcy had asked him to pay him a sum of money as compensation. When the priesthood became vacant three years after all these conditions were met, Wickham wrote to Darcy to recommend him for the post, which was naturally rejected. In addition, the letter also mentions something that shocked Elizabeth, and Darcy wrote:
About a year ago, I moved my sister to live in London. In the summer, she went to Ramsgate with Mrs. Butler, and Mr. Wickham followed him all the way, and began to curry favor with Georgiana in every way. Georgiana was too soft-hearted, and she still remembered her affection when she was a child, so she was moved by him and was ready to elope with Wickham. Just a day or two before they were going to elope, I showed up, and Georgiana couldn't bear to make me sad and finally told me about the situation. You can imagine what it was like to feel in my heart at the time!For the sake of my sister's reputation, I didn't expose the matter publicly and drove Wickham away. It was clear that this guy was eyeing my sister's £30,000 fortune. Sometimes I can't help but think that with his temperament, he will find an opportunity to take revenge on me ...... the future
The more Elizabeth looked at it, the more terrified she became, and she couldn't imagine that such a mild-mannered young officer could do such a despicable thing!
She shouted again and again, "It must be fake!".It can't be!”。But as she tried to finish the letter, the sad girl had to re-analyze the beautiful young officer. She tried to think of an example of his good character, but she couldn't think of anything else about Wickham other than his graceful and sociable conversation.
It seems that everything Darcy said about him was true!The fact that Wickham tricked Miss Darcy into eloping is enough to show that his courtesy to Miss King was also entirely focused on money. As for Elizabeth, it was purely to satisfy his vanity. Despite his arrogant attitude, Darcy had never behaved or been unreasonable since they met, and he had never been seen to violate the rules or immorality. If he had been as bad as Wickham had said, he would have been unable to hide the eyes and ears of the world for so long, let alone become a good friend of Mr. Bingley. The more Elizabeth thought about it, the more ashamed she felt, and she reflected on the letter as she went, until she returned to the pastor's house to calm down.
The next morning, Collins brought back news that two of Rosins' distinguished guests had just departed, and that they could wait for Mrs. Catherine's invitation as usual. Sure enough, in the following week, Rosins feasted as often as Elizabeth had when she first arrived. However, when she was invited to the appointment, Elizabeth could not erase the words on the letter in her heart, and her feelings for Mr. Darcy were hot and cold, and very unstable.
A week later, two guests from the pastor's home were leaving. Lady Catherine condescended to see them off, and invited them to come to Hunsford again the following year, and the thin Miss de Boer gave them a rare curtsy and stretched out her hand to say goodbye to them. Collins solemnly said goodbye to his cousin, while Charlotte looked a little sad, and Elizabeth hugged her tightly and thanked her friend for her hospitality. Then, she took Maria into the carriage and set out on the way home.
The carriage went smoothly and, after four hours, returned to Mrs. Gardner's house, where they planned to stay for a few days before returning to Longborne. The caring aunt had already arranged various activities, so during the few days of the stopover, they had a busy and fulfilling life.
At this time, Jane also offered to go home with them, and Elizabeth was of course happy, but she hesitated again and again and did not immediately tell her sister about Mr. Darcy's proposal. Because she knew that her sister would be shocked if she found out, and if she asked about it, she would definitely bring Mr. Bingley up, which would only make her very sad. So Elizabeth made up her mind and decided to wait until she returned to Longburn's house to find a suitable time to tell her sister the truth.
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