{"id":"01KJRRE0MQQQVKP45444PTSSC1","cid":"bafkreiajzwj5edts6p5zc3abnr6r5xul3hmdjsop6lrycrzvdz4qzwufja","type":"text_chunk","properties":{"char_end":157927,"char_start":149926,"chunk_index":21,"chunk_total":108,"estimated_tokens":2001,"label":"Catherine de Bourgh’s attention to his wishes, and","source_file_key":"pride-and-prejudice","text":"Catherine de Bourgh’s attention to his wishes, and consideration for his\r\ncomfort, appeared very remarkable. Mr. Bennet could not have chosen\r\nbetter. Mr. Collins was eloquent in her praise. The subject elevated him\r\nto more than usual solemnity of manner; and with a most important aspect\r\nhe protested that he had never in his life witnessed such behaviour in a\r\nperson of rank--such affability and condescension, as he had himself\r\nexperienced from Lady Catherine. She had been graciously pleased to\r\napprove of both the discourses which he had already had the honour of\r\npreaching before her. She had also asked him twice to dine at Rosings,\r\nand had sent for him only the Saturday before, to make up her pool of\r\nquadrille in the evening. Lady Catherine was reckoned proud by many\r\npeople, he knew, but _he_ had never seen anything but affability in her.\r\nShe had always spoken to him as she would to any other gentleman; she\r\nmade not the smallest objection to his joining in the society of the\r\nneighbourhood, nor to his leaving his parish occasionally for a week or\r\ntwo to visit his relations. She had even condescended to advise him to\r\nmarry as soon as he could, provided he chose with discretion; and had\r\nonce paid him a visit in his humble parsonage, where she had perfectly\r\napproved all the alterations he had been making, and had even vouchsafed\r\nto suggest some herself,--some shelves in the closets upstairs.\r\n\r\n“That is all very proper and civil, I am sure,” said Mrs. Bennet, “and I\r\ndare say she is a very agreeable woman. It is a pity that great ladies\r\nin general are not more like her. Does she live near you, sir?”\r\n\r\n“The garden in which stands my humble abode is separated only by a lane\r\nfrom Rosings Park, her Ladyship’s residence.”\r\n\r\n“I think you said she was a widow, sir? has she any family?”\r\n\r\n“She has one only daughter, the heiress of Rosings, and of very\r\nextensive property.”\r\n\r\n“Ah,” cried Mrs. Bennet, shaking her head, “then she is better off than\r\nmany girls. And what sort of young lady is she? Is she handsome?”\r\n\r\n“She is a most charming young lady, indeed. Lady Catherine herself says\r\nthat, in point of true beauty, Miss de Bourgh is far superior to the\r\nhandsomest of her sex; because there is that in her features which marks\r\nthe young woman of distinguished birth. She is unfortunately of a sickly\r\nconstitution, which has prevented her making that progress in many\r\naccomplishments which she could not otherwise have failed of, as I am\r\ninformed by the lady who superintended her education, and who still\r\nresides with them. But she is perfectly amiable, and often condescends\r\nto drive by my humble abode in her little phaeton and ponies.”\r\n\r\n“Has she been presented? I do not remember her name among the ladies at\r\ncourt.”\r\n\r\n“Her indifferent state of health unhappily prevents her being in town;\r\nand by that means, as I told Lady Catherine myself one day, has deprived\r\nthe British Court of its brightest ornament. Her Ladyship seemed pleased\r\nwith the idea; and you may imagine that I am happy on every occasion to\r\noffer those little delicate compliments which are always acceptable to\r\nladies. I have more than once observed to Lady Catherine, that her\r\ncharming daughter seemed born to be a duchess; and that the most\r\nelevated rank, instead of giving her consequence, would be adorned by\r\nher. These are the kind of little things which please her Ladyship, and\r\nit is a sort of attention which I conceive myself peculiarly bound to\r\npay.”\r\n\r\n“You judge very properly,” said Mr. Bennet; “and it is happy for you\r\nthat you possess the talent of flattering with delicacy. May I ask\r\nwhether these pleasing attentions proceed from the impulse of the\r\nmoment, or are the result of previous study?”\r\n\r\n“They arise chiefly from what is passing at the time; and though I\r\nsometimes amuse myself with suggesting and arranging such little elegant\r\ncompliments as may be adapted to ordinary occasions, I always wish to\r\ngive them as unstudied an air as possible.”\r\n\r\nMr. Bennet’s expectations were fully answered. His cousin was as absurd\r\nas he had hoped; and he listened to him with the keenest enjoyment,\r\nmaintaining at the same time the most resolute composure of countenance,\r\nand, except in an occasional glance at Elizabeth, requiring no partner\r\nin his pleasure.\r\n\r\nBy tea-time, however, the dose had been enough, and Mr. Bennet was glad\r\nto take his guest into the drawing-room again, and when tea was over,\r\nglad to invite him\r\n\r\n[Illustration:\r\n\r\n“Protested\r\nthat he never read novels”      H.T Feb 94\r\n]\r\n\r\nto read aloud to the ladies. Mr. Collins readily assented, and a book\r\nwas produced; but on beholding it (for everything announced it to be\r\nfrom a circulating library) he started back, and, begging pardon,\r\nprotested that he never read novels. Kitty stared at him, and Lydia\r\nexclaimed. Other books were produced, and after some deliberation he\r\nchose “Fordyce’s Sermons.” Lydia gaped as he opened the volume; and\r\nbefore he had, with very monotonous solemnity, read three pages, she\r\ninterrupted him with,--\r\n\r\n“Do you know, mamma, that my uncle Philips talks of turning away\r\nRichard? and if he does, Colonel Forster will hire him. My aunt told me\r\nso herself on Saturday. I shall walk to Meryton to-morrow to hear more\r\nabout it, and to ask when Mr. Denny comes back from town.”\r\n\r\nLydia was bid by her two eldest sisters to hold her tongue; but Mr.\r\nCollins, much offended, laid aside his book, and said,--\r\n\r\n“I have often observed how little young ladies are interested by books\r\nof a serious stamp, though written solely for their benefit. It amazes\r\nme, I confess; for certainly there can be nothing so advantageous to\r\nthem as instruction. But I will no longer importune my young cousin.”\r\n\r\nThen, turning to Mr. Bennet, he offered himself as his antagonist at\r\nbackgammon. Mr. Bennet accepted the challenge, observing that he acted\r\nvery wisely in leaving the girls to their own trifling amusements. Mrs.\r\nBennet and her daughters apologized most civilly for Lydia’s\r\ninterruption, and promised that it should not occur again, if he would\r\nresume his book; but Mr. Collins, after assuring them that he bore his\r\nyoung cousin no ill-will, and should never resent her behaviour as any\r\naffront, seated himself at another table with Mr. Bennet, and prepared\r\nfor backgammon.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[Illustration]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nCHAPTER XV.\r\n\r\n\r\n[Illustration]\r\n\r\nMr. Collins was not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had\r\nbeen but little assisted by education or society; the greatest part of\r\nhis life having been spent under the guidance of an illiterate and\r\nmiserly father; and though he belonged to one of the universities, he\r\nhad merely kept the necessary terms without forming at it any useful\r\nacquaintance. The subjection in which his father had brought him up had\r\ngiven him originally great humility of manner; but it was now a good\r\ndeal counteracted by the self-conceit of a weak head, living in\r\nretirement, and the consequential feelings of early and unexpected\r\nprosperity. A fortunate chance had recommended him to Lady Catherine de\r\nBourgh when the living of Hunsford was vacant; and the respect which he\r\nfelt for her high rank, and his veneration for her as his patroness,\r\nmingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a\r\nclergyman, and his right as a rector, made him altogether a mixture of\r\npride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility.\r\n\r\nHaving now a good house and a very sufficient income, he intended to\r\nmarry; and in seeking a reconciliation with the Longbourn family he had\r\na wife in view, as he meant to choose one of the daughters, if he found\r\nthem as handsome and amiable as they were represented by common report.\r\nThis was his plan of amends--of atonement--for inheriting their father’s\r\nestate; and he thought it an excellent one, full of eligibility and\r\nsuitableness, and excessively generous and disinterested on his own\r\npart.\r\n\r\nHis plan did not vary on 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