{"id":"01KJRRE0N92K4V4B9X5K3P4VR4","cid":"bafkreigknv7ymx43ht5br3df2rmvzhwz65ufpa5idvd4v7ecwiyalbyvt4","type":"text_chunk","properties":{"char_end":264659,"char_start":256863,"chunk_index":36,"chunk_total":108,"estimated_tokens":1949,"label":"secure, and with reason, for Charlotte had been to","source_file_key":"pride-and-prejudice","text":"secure, and with reason, for Charlotte had been tolerably encouraging,\r\nhe was comparatively diffident since the adventure of Wednesday. His\r\nreception, however, was of the most flattering kind. Miss Lucas\r\nperceived him from an upper window as he walked towards the house, and\r\ninstantly set out to meet him accidentally in the lane. But little had\r\nshe dared to hope that so much love and eloquence awaited her there.\r\n\r\nIn as short a time as Mr. Collins’s long speeches would allow,\r\neverything was settled between them to the satisfaction of both; and as\r\nthey entered the house, he earnestly entreated her to name the day that\r\nwas to make him the happiest of men; and though such a solicitation must\r\nbe waived for the present, the lady felt no inclination to trifle with\r\nhis happiness. The stupidity with which he was favoured by nature must\r\nguard his courtship from any charm that could make a woman wish for its\r\ncontinuance; and Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and\r\ndisinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that\r\nestablishment were gained.\r\n\r\nSir William and Lady Lucas were speedily applied to for their consent;\r\nand it was bestowed with a most joyful alacrity. Mr. Collins’s present\r\ncircumstances made it a most eligible match for their daughter, to whom\r\nthey could give little fortune; and his prospects of future wealth were\r\nexceedingly fair. Lady Lucas began directly to calculate, with more\r\ninterest than the matter had ever\r\n\r\n[Illustration:\r\n\r\n     “So much love and eloquence”\r\n\r\n[_Copyright 1894 by George Allen._]]\r\n\r\nexcited before, how many years longer Mr. Bennet was likely to live; and\r\nSir William gave it as his decided opinion, that whenever Mr. Collins\r\nshould be in possession of the Longbourn estate, it would be highly\r\nexpedient that both he and his wife should make their appearance at St.\r\nJames’s. The whole family in short were properly overjoyed on the\r\noccasion. The younger girls formed hopes of _coming out_ a year or two\r\nsooner than they might otherwise have done; and the boys were relieved\r\nfrom their apprehension of Charlotte’s dying an old maid. Charlotte\r\nherself was tolerably composed. She had gained her point, and had time\r\nto consider of it. Her reflections were in general satisfactory. Mr.\r\nCollins, to be sure, was neither sensible nor agreeable: his society was\r\nirksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary. But still he would\r\nbe her husband. Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony,\r\nmarriage had always been her object: it was the only honourable\r\nprovision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and, however\r\nuncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative\r\nfrom want. This preservative she had now obtained; and at the age of\r\ntwenty-seven, without having ever been handsome, she felt all the good\r\nluck of it. The least agreeable circumstance in the business was the\r\nsurprise it must occasion to Elizabeth Bennet, whose friendship she\r\nvalued beyond that of any other person. Elizabeth would wonder, and\r\nprobably would blame her; and though her resolution was not to be\r\nshaken, her feelings must be hurt by such a disapprobation. She resolved\r\nto give her the information herself; and therefore charged Mr. Collins,\r\nwhen he returned to Longbourn to dinner, to drop no hint of what had\r\npassed before any of the family. A promise of secrecy was of course very\r\ndutifully given, but it could not be kept without difficulty; for the\r\ncuriosity excited by his long absence burst forth in such very direct\r\nquestions on his return, as required some ingenuity to evade, and he was\r\nat the same time exercising great self-denial, for he was longing to\r\npublish his prosperous love.\r\n\r\nAs he was to begin his journey too early on the morrow to see any of\r\nthe family, the ceremony of leave-taking was performed when the ladies\r\nmoved for the night; and Mrs. Bennet, with great politeness and\r\ncordiality, said how happy they should be to see him at Longbourn again,\r\nwhenever his other engagements might allow him to visit them.\r\n\r\n“My dear madam,” he replied, “this invitation is particularly\r\ngratifying, because it is what I have been hoping to receive; and you\r\nmay be very certain that I shall avail myself of it as soon as\r\npossible.”\r\n\r\nThey were all astonished; and Mr. Bennet, who could by no means wish for\r\nso speedy a return, immediately said,--\r\n\r\n“But is there not danger of Lady Catherine’s disapprobation here, my\r\ngood sir? You had better neglect your relations than run the risk of\r\noffending your patroness.”\r\n\r\n“My dear sir,” replied Mr. Collins, “I am particularly obliged to you\r\nfor this friendly caution, and you may depend upon my not taking so\r\nmaterial a step without her Ladyship’s concurrence.”\r\n\r\n“You cannot be too much on your guard. Risk anything rather than her\r\ndispleasure; and if you find it likely to be raised by your coming to us\r\nagain, which I should think exceedingly probable, stay quietly at home,\r\nand be satisfied that _we_ shall take no offence.”\r\n\r\n“Believe me, my dear sir, my gratitude is warmly excited by such\r\naffectionate attention; and, depend upon it, you will speedily receive\r\nfrom me a letter of thanks for this as well as for every other mark of\r\nyour regard during my stay in Hertfordshire. As for my fair cousins,\r\nthough my absence may not be long enough to render it necessary, I shall\r\nnow take the liberty of wishing them health and happiness, not excepting\r\nmy cousin Elizabeth.”\r\n\r\nWith proper civilities, the ladies then withdrew; all of them equally\r\nsurprised to find that he meditated a quick return. Mrs. Bennet wished\r\nto understand by it that he thought of paying his addresses to one of\r\nher younger girls, and Mary might have been prevailed on to accept him.\r\nShe rated his abilities much higher than any of the others: there was a\r\nsolidity in his reflections which often struck her; and though by no\r\nmeans so clever as herself, she thought that, if encouraged to read and\r\nimprove himself by such an example as hers, he might become a very\r\nagreeable companion. But on the following morning every hope of this\r\nkind was done away. Miss Lucas called soon after breakfast, and in a\r\nprivate conference with Elizabeth related the event of the day before.\r\n\r\nThe possibility of Mr. Collins’s fancying himself in love with her\r\nfriend had once occurred to Elizabeth within the last day or two: but\r\nthat Charlotte could encourage him seemed almost as far from possibility\r\nas that she could encourage him herself; and her astonishment was\r\nconsequently so great as to overcome at first the bounds of decorum, and\r\nshe could not help crying out,--\r\n\r\n“Engaged to Mr. Collins! my dear Charlotte, impossible!”\r\n\r\nThe steady countenance which Miss Lucas had commanded in telling her\r\nstory gave way to a momentary confusion here on receiving so direct a\r\nreproach; though, as it was no more than she expected, she soon regained\r\nher composure, and calmly replied,--\r\n\r\n“Why should you be surprised, my dear Eliza? Do you think it incredible\r\nthat Mr. Collins should be able to procure any woman’s good opinion,\r\nbecause he was not so happy as to succeed with you?”\r\n\r\nBut Elizabeth had now recollected herself; and, making a strong effort\r\nfor it, was able to assure her, with tolerable firmness, that the\r\nprospect of their relationship was highly grateful to her, and that she\r\nwished her all imaginable happiness.\r\n\r\n“I see what you are feeling,” replied Charlotte; “you must be surprised,\r\nvery much surprised, so lately as Mr. Collins was wishing to marry you.\r\nBut when you have had time to think it all over, I hope you will be\r\nsatisfied with what I have done. I am not romantic, you know. I never\r\nwas. I ask only a comfortable home; and, considering Mr."},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KJRRD3TNE5A6AKAVXSRFT9RC","peer_label":"pride-and-prejudice","peer_type":"text","predicate":"derived_from"},{"peer":"01KJRRC2C7K6XERRJES8143XGV","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KJRREYSX336MNFYYQ2MPNB60","peer_label":"lady lucas","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYW2V9QH9GNRQRJT67GK","peer_label":"mr bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY6ZWGAT4FYVDEM6VE2E","peer_label":"mr collins","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZFDNHD81TMSJQPDWV69","peer_label":"charlotte lucas","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYTMYM5H9026MPV0AJMX","peer_label":"sir william lucas","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZKG263C7SQSDV3TZ5MX","peer_label":"elizabeth bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYT564P5405ZE4Q76ZF5","peer_label":"mrs bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY7G184NZ401P9V4JV87","peer_label":"lady catherine de bourgh","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZBKA6Z1AYDP1MV6531D","peer_label":"hertfordshire","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"location","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY63WYEJRTN7FS2QXC2P","peer_label":"mary bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFEK3SST04FB29QVC6N10","peer_label":"establishment social concept","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFEJ8055B1EAE6W7JDKSY","peer_label":"illustration so much love and eloquence","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"artwork","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFEVHVFYCDB6DSKQSFXKE","peer_label":"longbourn estate","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"location","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFFD65AWKZJCWNVQX0AYV","peer_label":"st jamess","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"location","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFFS9HE03FX9QY3YXFQQ9","peer_label":"george allen publisher","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"organization","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFFYK7YMKX3SFTHJT52A8","peer_label":"engagement of charlotte lucas and mr collins","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"event","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:51.565Z"}}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:01.225Z","ts":"2026-03-03T02:29:52.339Z","edited_by":{"method":"system","user_id":"01KJ60XQBHJ0GBGTP9X8HXAPPM"}}