mr.collinswasnotasensibleman,andthedeficiencyofnaturehadbeenbutlittleassistedbyeducationorsociety;thegreatestpartofhislifehavingbeenspentundertheguidanceofanilliterateandmiserlyfather;andthoughhebelongedtooneoftheuniversities,hehadmerelykeptthenecessaryterms,withoutformingatitanyusefulacquaintance.thesubjectioninwhichhisfatherhadbroughthimuphadgivenhimoriginallygreathumilityofmanner,butitwasnowagooddealcounteractedbytheself-conceitofaweakhead,livinginretirement,andtheconsequentialfeelingsofearlyandunexpectedprosperity.afortunatechancehadrecommendedhimtoladycatherinedebourghwhenthelivingofhunsfordwasvacant;andtherespectwhichhefeltforherhighrankandhisvenerationforherashispatroness,minglingwithaverygoodopinionofhimself,ofhisauthorityasaclergyman,andhisrightsasarector,madehimaltogetheramixtureofprideandobsequiousness,self-importanceandhumility.

havingnowagoodhouseandverysufficientincome,heintendedtomarry;andinseekingareconciliationwiththelongbournfamilyhehadawifeinview,ashemeanttochuseoneofthedaughters,ifhefoundthemashandsomeandamiableastheywererepresentedbycommonreport.thiswashisplanofamends—ofatonement—forinheritingtheirfather'sestate;andhethoughtitanexcellentone,fullofeligibilityandsuitableness,andexcessivelygenerousanddisinterestedonhisownpart.

hisplandidnotvaryonseeingthem.—missbennet'slovelyfaceconfirmedhisviews,andestablishedallhisstrictestnotionsofwhatwasduetoseniority;andforthefirsteveningshewashissettledchoice.thenextmorning,however,madeanalteration;forinaquarterofanhour'stête-a-têtewithmrs.bennetbeforebreakfast,aconversationbeginningwithhisparsonage-house,andleadingnaturallytotheavowalofhishopesthatamistressforitmightbefoundatlongbourn,producedfromher,amidverycomplaisantsmilesandgeneralencouragement,acautionagainsttheveryjanehehadfixedon.—"astoheryoungerdaughtersshecouldnottakeuponhertosay—shecouldnotpositivelyanswer—butshedidnotknowofanyprepossession;—hereldestdaughter,shemustjustmention—shefeltitincumbentonhertohint,waslikelytobeverysoonengaged."

mr.collinshadonlytochangefromjanetoelizabeth—anditwassoondone—donewhilemrs.bennetwasstirringthefire.elizabeth,equallynexttojaneinbirthandbeauty,succeededherofcourse.

mrs.bennettreasuredupthehint,andtrustedthatshemightsoonhavetwodaughtersmarried;andthemanwhomshecouldnotbeartospeakofthedaybeforewasnowhighinhergoodgraces.

lydia'sintentionofwalkingtomerytonwasnotforgotten;everysisterexceptmaryagreedtogowithher;andmr.collinswastoattendthem,attherequestofmr.bennet,whowasmostanxioustogetridofhim,andhavehislibrarytohimself;forthithermr.collinshadfollowedhimafterbreakfast,andtherehewouldcontinue,nominallyengagedwithoneofthelargestfoliosinthecollection,butreallytalkingtomr.bennet,withlittlecessation,ofhishouseandgardenathunsford.suchdoingsdiscomposedmr.bennetexceedingly.inhislibraryhehadbeenalwayssureofleisureandtranquillity;andthoughprepared,ashetoldelizabeth,tomeetwithfollyandconceitineveryotherroominthehouse,hewasusedtobefreefromthemthere;hiscivility,therefore,wasmostpromptininvitingmr.collinstojoinhisdaughtersintheirwalk;andmr.collins,beinginfactmuchbetterfittedforawalkerthanareader,wasextremelywellpleasedtoclosehislargebook,andgo.

inpompousnothingsonhisside,andcivilassentsonthatofhiscousins,theirtimepassedtilltheyenteredmeryton.theattentionoftheyoungeroneswasthennolongertobegainedbyhim.theireyeswereimmediatelywanderingupinthestreetinquestoftheofficers,andnothinglessthanaverysmartbonnetindeed,orareallynewmuslininashopwindow,couldrecallthem.

buttheattentionofeveryladywassooncaughtbyayoungman,whomtheyhadneverseenbefore,ofmostgentlemanlikeappearance,walkingwithanofficerontheothersideoftheway.theofficerwastheverymr.denny,concerningwhosereturnfromlondonlydiacametoinquire,andhebowedastheypassed.allwerestruckwiththestranger'sair,allwonderedwhohecouldbe,andkittyandlydia,determinedifpossibletofindout,ledthewayacrossthestreet,underpretenceofwantingsomethinginanoppositeshop,andfortunatelyhadjustgainedthepavementwhenthetwogentlemen,turningback,hadreachedthesamespot.mr.dennyaddressedthemdirectly,andentreatedpermissiontointroducehisfriend,mr.wickham,whohadreturnedwithhimthedaybeforefromtown,andhewashappytosay,hadacceptedacommissionintheircorps.thiswasexactlyasitshouldbe;fortheyoungmanwantedonlyregimentalstomakehimcompletelycharming.hisappearancewasgreatlyinhisfavour;hehadallthebestpartofbeauty—afinecountenance,agoodfigure,andverypleasingaddress.theintroductionwasfolloweduponhissidebyahappyreadinessofconversation—areadinessatthesametimeperfectlycorrectandunassuming;andthewholepartywerestillstandingandtalkingtogetherveryagreeably,whenthesoundofhorsesdrewtheirnotice,anddarcyandbingleywereseenridingdownthestreet.ondistinguishingtheladiesofthegroup,thetwogentlemencamedirectlytowardsthem,andbegantheusualcivilities.bingleywastheprincipalspokesman,andmissbennettheprincipalobject.hewasthen,hesaid,onhiswaytolongbournonpurposetoinquireafterher.mr.darcycorroborateditwithabow,andwasbeginningtodeterminenottofixhiseyesonelizabeth,whentheyweresuddenlyarrestedbythesightofthestranger,andelizabethhappeningtoseethecountenanceofbothastheylookedateachother,wasallastonishmentattheeffectofthemeeting.bothchangedcolour,onelookedwhite,theotherred.mr.wickham,afterafewmoments,touchedhishat—asalutationwhichmr.darcyjustdeignedtoreturn.whatcouldbethemeaningofit?—itwasimpossibletoimagine;itwasimpossiblenottolongtoknow.

inanotherminutemr.bingley,butwithoutseemingtohavenoticedwhatpassed,tookleaveandrodeonwithhisfriend.

mr.dennyandmr.wickhamwalkedwiththeyoungladiestothedoorofmr.philips'shouse,andthenmadetheirbows,inspiteofmisslydia'spressingentreatiesthattheywouldcomein,andeveninspiteofmrs.philips'throwinguptheparlourwindowandloudlysecondingtheinvitation.

mrs.philipswasalwaysgladtoseehernieces,andthetwoeldest,fromtheirrecentabsence,wereparticularlywelcome,andshewaseagerlyexpressinghersurpriseattheirsuddenreturnhome,which,astheirowncarriagehadnotfetchedthem,sheshouldhaveknownnothingabout,ifshehadnothappenedtoseemr.jones'sshopboyinthestreet,whohadtoldherthattheywerenottosendanymoredraughtstonetherfieldbecausethemissbennetswerecomeaway,whenhercivilitywasclaimedtowardsmr.collinsbyjane'sintroductionofhim.shereceivedhimwithherverybestpoliteness,whichhereturnedwithasmuchmore,apologisingforhisintrusionwithoutanypreviousacquaintancewithher,whichhecouldnothelpflatteringhimself,however,mightbejustifiedbyhisrelationshiptotheyoungladieswhointroducedhimtohernotice.mrs.philipswasquiteawedbysuchanexcessofgoodbreeding;buthercontemplationofonestrangerwassoonputanendtobyexclamationsandinquiriesabouttheother,ofwhom,however,shecouldonlytellhernieceswhattheyalreadyknew,thatmr.dennyhadbroughthimfromlondon,andthathewastohavealieutenant'scommissioninthe—shire.shehadbeenwatchinghimthelasthour,shesaid,ashewalkedupanddownthestreet,andhadmr.wickhamappeared,kittyandlydiawouldcertainlyhavecontinuedtheoccupation,butunluckilynoonepassedthewindowsnowexceptafewoftheofficers,whoincomparisonwiththestranger,werebecome"stupid,disagreeablefellows."someofthemweretodinewiththephilipsesthenextday,andtheirauntpromisedtomakeherhusbandcallonmr.wickham,andgivehimaninvitationalso,ifthefamilyfromlongbournwouldcomeintheevening.thiswasagreedto,andmrs.philipsprotestedthattheywouldhaveanicecomfortablenoisygameoflotterytickets,andalittlebitofhotsupperafterwards.theprospectofsuchdelightswasverycheering,andtheypartedinmutualgoodspirits.mr.collinsrepeatedhisapologiesinquittingtheroom,andwasassuredwithunwearyingcivilitythattheywereperfectlyneedless.

astheywalkedhome,elizabethrelatedtojanewhatshehadseenpassbetweenthetwogentlemen;butthoughjanewouldhavedefendedeitherorboth,hadtheyappearedtobewrong,shecouldnomoreexplainsuchbehaviourthanhersister.

mr.collins,onhisreturn,highlygratifiedmrs.bennetbyadmiringmrs.philips'smannersandpoliteness.heprotestedthatexceptladycatherineandherdaughter,hehadneverseenamoreelegantwoman;forshehadnotonlyreceivedhimwiththeutmostcivility,buthadevenpointedlyincludedhiminherinvitationforthenextevening,althoughutterlyunknowntoherbefore.somethinghesupposedmightbeattributedtohisconnectionwiththem,butyethehadnevermetwithsomuchattentioninthewholecourseofhislife.