“You are very kind, sir, I am sure; and I wish with all{83} my heart it may

prove so; for else they will be destitute enough. Things are settled so

oddly.”
“You allude, perhaps, to the entail of this estate.”
“Ah, sir, I do indeed. It is a grievous affair to my poor girls, you

must confess. Not that I mean to find fault with you, for such things,

I know, are all chance in this world. There is no knowing how estates

will go when once they come to be entailed.”
“I am very sensible, madam, of the hardship to my fair cousins, and

could say much on the subject, but that I am cautious of appearing

forward and precipitate. But I can assure the young ladies that I come

prepared to admire them. At present I will not say more, but, perhaps,

when we are better acquainted——”
He was interrupted by a summons to dinner; and the girls smiled on each

other. They were not the only objects of Mr. Collins’s admiration. The

hall, the dining-room, and all its furniture, were examined and praised;

and his commendation of everything would have touched Mrs. Bennet’s

heart, but for the mortifying supposition of his viewing it all as his

own future property. The dinner, too, in its turn, was highly admired;

and he begged to know to which of his fair cousins the excellence of its

cookery was owing. But here he was set right by Mrs. Bennet, who assured

him, with some asperity, that they were very well able to keep a good

cook, and that her daughters had nothing to do in the kitchen. He begged

pardon for having displeased her. In a softened tone she declared

herself not at all offended; but he continued to apologize for about a

quarter of an hour.{84}

CHAPTER XIV


DURING dinner, Mr. Bennet scarcely spoke at all; but when the servants

were withdrawn, he thought it time to have some conversation with his

guest, and therefore started a subject in which he expected him to

shine, by observing that he seemed very fortunate in his patroness. Lady