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Гордость и предубеждение
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Глава 29
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Pride and Prejudice
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When the ladies returned to the drawing-room,
2
there was little to be done but to hear Lady Catherine talk,
3
which she did without any intermission till coffee came in,
4
delivering her opinion on every subject in so decisive a manner,
5
as proved that she was not used to have her judgement controverted.
6
She inquired into Charlotte’s domestic concerns familiarly and minutely,
7
gave her a great deal of advice as to the management of them all;
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told her how everything ought to be regulated in so small a family as hers,
9
and instructed her as to the care of her cows and her poultry.
10
Elizabeth found that nothing was beneath this great lady’s attention,
11
which could furnish her with an occasion of dictating to others.
12
In the intervals of her discourse with Mrs. Collins,
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she addressed a variety of questions to Maria and Elizabeth,
14
but especially to the latter,
15
of whose connections she knew the least,
16
and who she observed to Mrs. Collins was a very genteel,
17
pretty kind of girl.
18
She asked her,
19
at different times,
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how many sisters she had,
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whether they were older or younger than herself,
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whether any of them were likely to be married,
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whether they were handsome,
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where they had been educated,
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what carriage her father kept,
26
and what had been her mother’s maiden name?
27
Elizabeth felt all the impertinence of her questions but answered them very composedly.
28
Lady Catherine then observed,
29
“Your father’s estate is entailed on Mr. Collins,
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I think.
31
For your sake,”
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turning to Charlotte,
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“I am glad of it;
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but otherwise I see no occasion for entailing estates from the female line.
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It was not thought necessary in Sir Lewis de Bourgh’s family.
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Do you play and sing,
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Miss Bennet?”
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“A little.”
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“Oh!
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then—some time or other we shall be happy to hear you.
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Our instrument is a capital one,
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probably superior to——You shall try it some day.
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Do your sisters play and sing?”
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“One of them does.”
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“Why did not you all learn?
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You ought all to have learned.
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The Miss Webbs all play,
48
and their father has not so good an income as yours.
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Do you draw?”
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“No,
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not at all.”
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“What,
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none of you?”
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“Not one.”
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“That is very strange.
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But I suppose you had no opportunity.
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Your mother should have taken you to town every spring for the benefit of masters.”
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“My mother would have had no objection,
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but my father hates London.”
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“Has your governess left you?”
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“We never had any governess.”
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“No governess!
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How was that possible?
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Five daughters brought up at home without a governess!
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I never heard of such a thing.
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Your mother must have been quite a slave to your education.”
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Elizabeth could hardly help smiling as she assured her that had not been the case.
68
“Then,
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who taught you?
70
who attended to you?
71
Without a governess,
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you must have been neglected.”
73
“Compared with some families,
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I believe we were;
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but such of us as wished to learn never wanted the means.
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We were always encouraged to read,
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and had all the masters that were necessary.
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Those who chose to be idle,
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certainly might.”
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“Aye,
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no doubt;
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but that is what a governess will prevent,
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and if I had known your mother,
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I should have advised her most strenuously to engage one.
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I always say that nothing is to be done in education without steady and regular instruction,
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and nobody but a governess can give it.
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It is wonderful how many families I have been the means of supplying in that way.
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I am always glad to get a young person well placed out.
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Four nieces of Mrs. Jenkinson are most delightfully situated through my means;
90
and it was but the other day that I recommended another young person,
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who was merely accidentally mentioned to me,
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and the family are quite delighted with her.
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Mrs. Collins,
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did I tell you of Lady Metcalf’s calling yesterday to thank me?
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She finds Miss Pope a treasure.
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‘Lady Catherine,’
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said she,
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‘you have given me a treasure.’
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Are any of your younger sisters out,
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Miss Bennet?”
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“Yes,
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ma’am,
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all.”
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“All!
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What,
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all five out at once?
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Very odd!
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And you only the second.
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The younger ones out before the elder ones are married!
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Your younger sisters must be very young?”
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“Yes,
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my youngest is not sixteen.
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Perhaps she is full young to be much in company.
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But really,
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ma’am,
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I think it would be very hard upon younger sisters,
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that they should not have their share of society and amusement,
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because the elder may not have the means or inclination to marry early.
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The last-born has as good a right to the pleasures of youth as the first.
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And to be kept back on such a motive!
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I think it would not be very likely to promote sisterly affection or delicacy of mind.”
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“Upon my word,”
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said her ladyship,
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“you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person.
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Pray,
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what is your age?”
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“With three younger sisters grown up,”
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replied Elizabeth,
129
smiling,
130
“your ladyship can hardly expect me to own it.”
131
Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer;
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and Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence.
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“You cannot be more than twenty,
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I am sure,
135
therefore you need not conceal your age.”
136
“I am not one-and-twenty.”
137
When the gentlemen had joined them,
138
and tea was over,
139
the card-tables were placed.
140
Lady Catherine,
141
Sir William,
142
and Mr. and Mrs. Collins sat down to quadrille;
143
and as Miss de Bourgh chose to play at cassino,
144
the two girls had the honour of assisting Mrs. Jenkinson to make up her party.
145
Their table was superlatively stupid.
146
Scarcely a syllable was uttered that did not relate to the game,
147
except when Mrs. Jenkinson expressed her fears of Miss de Bourgh’s being too hot or too cold,
148
or having too much or too little light.
149
A great deal more passed at the other table.
150
Lady Catherine was generally speaking—stating the mistakes of the three others,
151
or relating some anecdote of herself.
152
Mr. Collins was employed in agreeing to everything her ladyship said,
153
thanking her for every fish he won,
154
and apologising if he thought he won too many.
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Sir William did not say much.
156
He was storing his memory with anecdotes and noble names.
157
When Lady Catherine and her daughter had played as long as they chose,
158
the tables were broken up,
159
the carriage was offered to Mrs. Collins,
160
gratefully accepted and immediately ordered.
161
The party then gathered round the fire to hear Lady Catherine determine what weather they were to have on the morrow.
162
From these instructions they were summoned by the arrival of the coach;
163
and with many speeches of thankfulness on Mr. Collins’s side and as many bows on Sir William’s they departed.
164
As soon as they had driven from the door,
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Elizabeth was called on by her cousin to give her opinion of all that she had seen at Rosings,
166
which,
167
for Charlotte’s sake,
168
she made more favourable than it really was.
169
But her commendation,
170
though costing her some trouble,
171
could by no means satisfy Mr. Collins,
172
and he was very soon obliged to take her ladyship’s praise into his own hands.
173
End of chapter 29.
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