"butyouarenotentitledtoknowmine;norwillsuchbehaviourasthis,everinducemetobeexplicit."

"letmeberightlyunderstood.thismatch,towhichyouhavethepresumptiontoaspire,cannevertakeplace.no,never.mr.darcyisengagedtomydaughter.nowwhathaveyoutosay?"

"onlythis;thatifheisso,youcanhavenoreasontosupposehewillmakeanoffertome."

ladycatherinehesitatedforamoment,andthenreplied,

"theengagementbetweenthemisofapeculiarkind.fromtheirinfancy,theyhavebeenintendedforeachother.itwasthefavouritewishofhismother,aswellasofher's.whileintheircradles,weplannedtheunion:andnow,atthemomentwhenthewishesofbothsisterswouldbeaccomplishedintheirmarriage,tobepreventedbyayoungwomanofinferiorbirth,ofnoimportanceintheworld,andwhollyunalliedtothefamily!doyoupaynoregardtothewishesofhisfriends?tohistacitengagementwithmissdebourgh?areyoulosttoeveryfeelingofproprietyanddelicacy?haveyounotheardmesaythatfromhisearliesthourshewasdestinedforhiscousin?"

"yes,andihadhearditbefore.butwhatisthattome?ifthereisnootherobjectiontomymarryingyournephew,ishallcertainlynotbekeptfromitbyknowingthathismotherandauntwishedhimtomarrymissdebourgh.youbothdidasmuchasyoucouldinplanningthemarriage.itscompletiondependedonothers.ifmr.darcyisneitherbyhonournorinclinationconfinedtohiscousin,whyisnothetomakeanotherchoice?andifiamthatchoice,whymaynotiaccepthim?"

"becausehonour,decorum,prudence,nay,interest,forbidit.yes,missbennet,interest;fordonotexpecttobenoticedbyhisfamilyorfriends,ifyouwilfullyactagainsttheinclinationsofall.youwillbecensured,slighted,anddespised,byeveryoneconnectedwithhim.youralliancewillbeadisgrace;yournamewillneverevenbementionedbyanyofus."

"theseareheavymisfortunes,"repliedelizabeth."butthewifeofmr.darcymusthavesuchextraordinarysourcesofhappinessnecessarilyattachedtohersituation,thatshecould,uponthewhole,havenocausetorepine."

"obstinate,headstronggirl!iamashamedofyou!isthisyourgratitudeformyattentionstoyoulastspring?isnothingduetomeonthatscore?letussitdown.youaretounderstand,missbennet,thaticameherewiththedeterminedresolutionofcarryingmypurpose;norwillibedissuadedfromit.ihavenotbeenusedtosubmittoanyperson'swhims.ihavenotbeeninthehabitofbrookingdisappointment."

"thatwillmakeyourladyship'ssituationatpresentmorepitiable;butitwillhavenoeffectonme."

"iwillnotbeinterrupted.hearmeinsilence.mydaughterandmynephewareformedforeachother.theyaredescended,onthematernalside,fromthesamenobleline;and,onthefather's,fromrespectable,honourable,andancient—thoughuntitled—families.theirfortuneonbothsidesissplendid.theyaredestinedforeachotherbythevoiceofeverymemberoftheirrespectivehouses;andwhatistopidethem?theupstartpretensionsofayoungwomanwithoutfamily,connections,orfortune.isthistobeendured!butitmustnot,shallnotbe.ifyouweresensibleofyourowngood,youwouldnotwishtoquitthesphereinwhichyouhavebeenbroughtup."

"inmarryingyournephew,ishouldnotconsidermyselfasquittingthatsphere.heisagentleman;iamagentleman'sdaughter;sofarweareequal."

"true.youareagentleman'sdaughter.butwhowasyourmother?whoareyourunclesandaunts?donotimaginemeignorantoftheircondition."

"whatevermyconnectionsmaybe,"saidelizabeth,"ifyournephewdoesnotobjecttothem,theycanbenothingtoyou."

"tellmeonceforall,areyouengagedtohim?"

thoughelizabethwouldnot,forthemerepurposeofobligingladycatherine,haveansweredthisquestion,shecouldnotbutsay,afteramoment'sdeliberation,"iamnot."

ladycatherineseemedpleased.

"andwillyoupromiseme,nevertoenterintosuchanengagement?"

"iwillmakenopromiseofthekind."

"missbennetiamshockedandastonished.iexpectedtofindamorereasonableyoungwoman.butdonotdeceiveyourselfintoabeliefthatiwilleverrecede.ishallnotgoawaytillyouhavegivenmetheassuranceirequire."

"andicertainlynevershallgiveit.iamnottobeintimidatedintoanythingsowhollyunreasonable.yourladyshipwantsmr.darcytomarryyourdaughter;butwouldmygivingyouthewished-forpromisemaketheirmarriageatallmoreprobable?supposinghimtobeattachedtome,wouldmyrefusingtoaccepthishandmakehimwishtobestowitonhiscousin?allowmetosay,ladycatherine,thattheargumentswithwhichyouhavesupportedthisextraordinaryapplicationhavebeenasfrivolousastheapplicationwasill-judged.youhavewidelymistakenmycharacter,ifyouthinkicanbeworkedonbysuchpersuasionsasthese.howfaryournephewmightapproveofyourinterferenceinhisaffairs,icannottell;butyouhavecertainlynorighttoconcernyourselfinmine.imustbeg,therefore,tobeimportunednofartheronthesubject."

"notsohasty,ifyouplease.ihavebynomeansdone.toalltheobjectionsihavealreadyurged,ihavestillanothertoadd.iamnostrangertotheparticularsofyouryoungestsister'sinfamouselopement.iknowitall;thattheyoungman'smarryingherwasapatched-upbusiness,attheexpenceofyourfatheranduncles.andissuchagirltobemynephew'ssister?isherhusband,isthesonofhislatefather'ssteward,tobehisbrother?heavenandearth!—ofwhatareyouthinking?aretheshadesofpemberleytobethuspolluted?"

"youcannowhavenothingfarthertosay,"sheresentfullyanswered."youhaveinsultedmeineverypossiblemethod.imustbegtoreturntothehouse."

andsheroseasshespoke.ladycatherinerosealso,andtheyturnedback.herladyshipwashighlyincensed.

"youhavenoregard,then,forthehonourandcreditofmynephew!unfeeling,selfishgirl!doyounotconsiderthataconnectionwithyoumustdisgracehimintheeyesofeverybody?"

"ladycatherine,ihavenothingfarthertosay.youknowmysentiments."

"youarethenresolvedtohavehim?"

"ihavesaidnosuchthing.iamonlyresolvedtoactinthatmanner,whichwill,inmyownopinion,constitutemyhappiness,withoutreferencetoyou,ortoanypersonsowhollyunconnectedwithme."

"itiswell.yourefuse,then,toobligeme.yourefusetoobeytheclaimsofduty,honour,andgratitude.youaredeterminedtoruinhimintheopinionofallhisfriends,andmakehimthecontemptoftheworld."

"neitherduty,norhonour,norgratitude,"repliedelizabeth,"haveanypossibleclaimonme,inthepresentinstance.noprincipleofeitherwouldbeviolatedbymymarriagewithmr.darcy.andwithregardtotheresentmentofhisfamily,ortheindignationoftheworld,iftheformerwereexcitedbyhismarryingme,itwouldnotgivemeonemoment'sconcern—andtheworldingeneralwouldhavetoomuchsensetojoininthescorn."

"andthisisyourrealopinion!thisisyourfinalresolve!verywell.ishallnowknowhowtoact.donotimagine,missbennet,thatyourambitionwilleverbegratified.icametotryyou.ihopedtofindyoureasonable;but,dependuponit,iwillcarrymypoint."

inthismannerladycatherinetalkedon,tilltheywereatthedoorofthecarriage,when,turninghastilyround,sheadded,"itakenoleaveofyou,missbennet.isendnocomplimentstoyourmother.youdeservenosuchattention.iammostseriouslydispleased."

elizabethmadenoanswer;andwithoutattemptingtopersuadeherladyshiptoreturnintothehouse,walkedquietlyintoitherself.sheheardthecarriagedriveawayassheproceededupstairs.hermotherimpatientlymetheratthedoorofthedressing-room,toaskwhyladycatherinewouldnotcomeinagainandrestherself.

"shedidnotchooseit,"saidherdaughter,"shewouldgo."

"sheisaveryfine-lookingwoman!andhercallingherewasprodigiouslycivil!forsheonlycame,isuppose,totellusthecollinseswerewell.sheisonherroadsomewhere,idaresay,andso,passingthroughmeryton,thoughtshemightaswellcallonyou.isupposeshehadnothingparticulartosaytoyou,lizzy?"

elizabethwasforcedtogiveintoalittlefalsehoodhere;fortoacknowledgethesubstanceoftheirconversationwasimpossible.