Pride and Prejudice Becoming Jane Bennet

Not to mention how Mr. Collins praised the hospitality of Philip and his wife after accompanying several cousins ​​to visit them. Mrs. Philip was so polite and considerate that she even invited him to dinner tomorrow.Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have never disapproved of the intercourse between the two families.So the next day, several Miss Bennet and Mr. Collins arrived in Meryton on time in a carriage.

When they arrived they found that Mr. Philip had invited a number of officers, and the younger Miss Bennets were pleased to find Mr. Wickham among them.

Mrs. Philip always likes to see her nieces, especially the two older ones who seldom see each other recently. Jane has suffered from two consecutive illnesses, so she listened to Mr. Collins' praise of his house again - describing the size of the house The layout reminded him of the breakfast room in Rosings, his benefactor's mansion - interspersed with boasting about his humble home, and after greeting several officers, he took Jane's hand and asked if she was fully recovered, whether she could bear it Do a dance, pay attention to everything, so as not to catch a cold again.

Jane agreed one by one with a smile, noticing that her sister Elizabeth happened to be sitting with Mr. Wickham, and they were talking.

"How come I didn't see Mr. Bingley and his friend?" asked Mr. Wickham.

"I fancy some of Mr. Bingley's friends must have thought the occasion inappropriate," replied Elizabeth sarcastically.

"Really?" Mr. Wickham paused, and then asked hesitantly how long Elizabeth had known Mr. Darcy.

"About a month."

"I've known him a long time," said Mr. Wickham. "We were childhood friends."

Elizabeth's eyes widened in surprise.

"But..." She remembered the scene when the two gentlemen met yesterday.

"Yes, you will be surprised," said Mr. Wickham. "Perhaps you noticed yesterday the indifference with which we met?"

Elizabeth didn't speak, but her look showed that she did notice.

"You..." Mr. Wickham said, hesitantly, "are you familiar with Mr. Darcy?"

"As I wish," said Elizabeth deliberately, "I have been under one roof with him for five days, and I find him very disagreeable."

"I'm afraid few people think so, except myself," said Mr. Wickham.

"He's not popular in Hertfordshire at all!" said Elizabeth, somewhat surprised. "Everyone hates his arrogance."

Mr. Wickham asked whether Mr. Darcy would stay in Netherfield Garden for a long time. Elizabeth replied that she did not know, and hoped that this would not affect Mr. Wickham's plan to stay in Meryton.

"Thank you," said Mr. Wickham, "but it is not my business to leave because of Mr. Darcy. If he wants to avoid somebody, he should leave."

Elizabeth was more and more surprised at what he said, and she was a little tempted to ask, but she knew it was a rash move, so she just stared at Mr. Wickham, and Mr. Wickham, living up to her expectations, explained after a moment's hesitation. Said: "We are not friendly... I only have one reason to avoid him: he treats me unfairly."

Elizabeth felt that this was a bit strange, but it was inconvenient for her to ask, and the two then chatted about some general things.He spoke of Meryton, and of society, and spoke and behaved with an air of delicacy and gallantry, which was far from a soldier's.

"How did you come up with the idea of ​​joining the army?" Elizabeth asked.

"I didn't intend to live in the army at first, but circumstances forced me to join the army now." Mr. Wickham replied, "I should have been a priest, and that's what my family meant. If this gentleman likes me, maybe I also have a very considerable priest's salary now."

"is it?"

"Yes," said Mr. Wickham, "his father, the late Mr. Darcy, was my godfather, and he was the best man in the world."

He smiled and said again: "My father was his housekeeper. When he passed away, old Mr. Darcy took care of me and cared for me as if I were his own son. He wanted me to work in the church. It’s also the career I want the most.”

He sighed at this point.

"But when he died, the promise he made to me while alive was broken, and his son flat-out refused to keep his father's promise, and then I was left to work on my own."

"It's astonishing!" said Elizabeth. "I never thought Mr. Darcy could be so bad. Degrading himself for such malicious revenge! He deserves to be publicly humiliated!"

"One day he will," Mr Wickham said, "but I'm not going to do it. I can't expose him unless I forget his father."

At this moment the game in which Mr. Collins had been involved broke up, and he came between Jane and Mrs. Philip.Mrs. Philippe asked him, as usual, if he had won, and he replied that he hadn't, because he didn't care much about money, and begged her not to be disturbed, but then he mentioned that his benefactor, Madame Catherine de Bourgh, was at the game. The subsidy to him made Mrs. Philip feel a little uncomfortable for a moment.Mr. Collins saw that he seemed to have accidentally said something wrong, and apologized repeatedly to Mrs. Philip.

This development attracted the attention of Mr. Wickham, who asked Elizabeth if this relation of hers was any acquaintance with the de Bourghs.

"Lady Catherine de Bourgh recently gave him a priesthood," said Elizabeth.

"You must know that Mrs. Catherine de Bourgh and Mrs. Anne Darcy are sisters? Mrs. Catherine is the aunt of Mr. Darcy now."

"No, I don't know," said Elizabeth. "I didn't know of that person until the day before yesterday, and I don't know anything about her relations."

"Her daughter, Mademoiselle de Bourgh, will inherit a considerable fortune, and it is believed that she and her cousin will combine the two estates."

Elizabeth smiled. She thought of how she thought Mr. Darcy was going after her sister. Fortunately, Jane didn't care about Mr. Darcy. She thought of poor Miss Bingley again. If it was true what Mr. Wickham said , it would be in vain for Miss Bingley to be so courteous.

The next day, when the sisters went for a walk in the undergrowth near Longbourne, Elizabeth told Jane the whole conversation with Mr. Wickham.

"You seem to be mistaken," said she. "It is not Mr. Wickham who is at fault, but Mr. Darcy."

Jane didn't speak. She felt a little tired from walking, so she found a stone and sat down.

Elizabeth sat down beside her, and said again: "But you said you saw Mr. Wickham flustered when he greeted Mr. Darcy? Are you sure you read it right?"

"I think so." Jane replied, although Mr. Wickham's face was very calm at that time, but the hesitant and dodging eyes made Jane look at it.

"Hmm..." Elizabeth rested her chin and thought, "Maybe he is worried that Mr. Darcy will suppress his position in the army again?"

"I am sure that Mr. Darcy would not have committed such an un-Christian act," said Jane. "I also doubt your claim that Mr. Darcy has been unfair to Mr. Wickham. Come to think of it, Mr. Bingley." As Mr. Darcy's closest friend, will he be friends with the Mr. Darcy that Mr. Wickham said?"

"I would rather believe that Mr. Bingley was deceived than that Mr. Wickham had invented a story," said Elizabeth. "He is full of energy and good-humored, and his manner is very frank and natural."

"Does it seem natural to you, Liz?" said Jane, "to say that you can't forget old Mr. Darcy, and that you can't expose Mr. Darcy's wickedness, and at the same time tell you that Mr. Darcy is unfair?"

Elizabeth froze for a moment.

"We've almost just met him, and if he tells you about it, he'll tell everyone else," said Jane.

"But he gives all the occasions...names, incidents..." retorted Elizabeth, "let Mr. Darcy plead!"

"If it is a public accusation, then I believe Mr. Darcy will." Jane said, "but such a private statement? I'm afraid it will be difficult for Mr. Darcy to hear this matter, let alone explain it."

Jane paused, and then said: "I'm afraid this gentleman is not as decent as he seems, Liz."

Elizabeth pouted and said, "Let me find a chance to ask Mr. Bingley."

Jane smiled approvingly.