Chapter: "I hope, my dear," said Mr. Bennet to his wife, as they were at
breakfast the next morning, "that you have ordered a good dinner to-day,
because I have reason to expect an addition to our family party."

"Who do you mean, my dear? I know of nobody that is coming I am sure,
unless Charlotte Lucas should happen to call in, and I hope _my_ dinners
are good enough for her. I do not believe she often sees such at home."

"The person of whom I speak, is a gentleman and a stranger." Mrs.
Bennet's eyes sparkled.--"A gentleman and a stranger! It is Mr. Bingley
I am sure. Why Jane--you never dropt a word of this; you sly thing!
Well, I am sure I shall be extremely glad to see Mr. Bingley.--But--good
lord! how unlucky! there is not a bit of fish to be got to-day. Lydia,
my love, ring the bell. I must speak to Hill, this moment."

"It is _not_ Mr. Bingley," said her husband; "it is a person whom I
never saw in the whole course of my life."

This roused a general astonishment; and he had the pleasure of being
eagerly questioned by his wife and five daughters at once.

After amusing himself some time with their curiosity, he thus explained.
"About a month ago I received this letter, and about a fortnight ago I
answered it, for I thought it a case of some delicacy, and requiring
early attention. It is from my cousin, Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead,
may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases."

"Oh! my dear," cried his wife, "I cannot bear to hear that mentioned.
Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing
in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own
children; and I am sure if I had been you, I should have tried long ago
to do something or other about it."

Jane and Elizabeth attempted to explain to her the nature of an entail.
They had often attempted it before, but it was a subject on which Mrs.
Bennet was beyond the reach of reason; and she continued to rail
bitterly against the cruelty of settling an estate away from a family of
five daughters, in favour of a man whom nobody cared anything about.

"It certainly is a most iniquitous affair," said Mr. Bennet, "and
nothing can clear Mr. Collins from the guilt of inheriting Longbourn.
But if you will listen to his letter, you may perhaps be a little
softened by his manner of expressing himself."

"No, that I am sure I shall not; and I think it was very impertinent of
him to write to you at all, and very hypocritical. I hate such false
friends. Why could not he keep on quarrelling with you, as his father
did before him?"

"Why, indeed, he does seem to have had some filial scruples on that
head, as you will hear."

     _Hunsford, near Westerham, Kent,

     15th October._

     DEAR SIR,

     The disagreement subsisting between yourself and my late honoured
     father, always gave me much uneasiness, and since I have had the
     misfortune to lose him, I have frequently wished to heal the
     breach; but for some time I was kept back by my own doubts, fearing
     lest it might seem disrespectful to his memory for me to be on good
     terms with any one, with whom it had always pleased him to be at
     variance.--"There, Mrs. Bennet."--My mind however is now made up on
     the subject, for having received ordination at Easter, I have been
     so fortunate as to be distinguished by the patronage of the Right
     Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh,
     whose bounty and beneficence has preferred me to the valuable
     rectory of this parish, where it shall be my earnest endeavour to
     demean myself with grateful respect towards her Ladyship, and be
     ever ready to perform those rites and ceremonies which are
     instituted by the Church of England. As a clergyman, moreover, I
     feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessing of peace in
     all families within the reach of my influence; and on these grounds
     I flatter myself that my present overtures of good-will are highly
     commendable, and that the circumstance of my being next in the
     entail of Longbourn estate, will be kindly overlooked on your side,
     and not lead you to reject the offered olive branch. I cannot be
     otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your
     amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologise for it, as well as to
     assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends,--but
     of this hereafter. If you should have no objection to receive me
     into your house, I propose myself the satisfaction of waiting on
     you and your family, Monday, November 18th, by four o'clock, and
     shall probably trespass on your hospitality till the Saturday
     se'night following, which I can do without any inconvenience, as
     Lady Catherine is far from objecting to my occasional absence on a
     Sunday, provided that some other clergyman is engaged to do the
     duty of the day. I remain, dear sir, with respectful compliments to
     your lady and daughters, your well-wisher and friend,

     WILLIAM COLLINS."

"At four o'clock, therefore, we may expect this peace-making gentleman,"
said Mr. Bennet, as he folded up the letter. "He seems to be a most
conscientious and polite young man, upon my word; and I doubt not will
prove a valuable acquaintance, especially if Lady Catherine should be so
indulgent as to let him come to us again."

"There is some sense in what he says about the girls however; and if he
is disposed to make them any amends, I shall not be the person to
discourage him."

"Though it is difficult," said Jane, "to guess in what way he can mean
to make us the atonement he thinks our due, the wish is certainly to his
credit."

Elizabeth was chiefly struck with his extraordinary deference for Lady
Catherine, and his kind intention of christening, marrying, and burying
his parishioners whenever it were required.

"He must be an oddity, I think," said she. "I cannot make him
out.--There is something very pompous in his style.--And what can he
mean by apologizing for being next in the entail?--We cannot suppose he
would help it, if he could.--Can he be a sensible man, sir?"

"No, my dear; I think not. I have great hopes of finding him quite the
reverse. There is a mixture of servility and self-importance in his
letter, which promises well. I am impatient to see him."

"In point of composition," said Mary, "his letter does not seem
defective. The idea of the olive branch perhaps is not wholly new, yet I
think it is well expressed."

To Catherine and Lydia, neither the letter nor its writer were in any
degree interesting. It was next to impossible that their cousin should
come in a scarlet coat, and it was now some weeks since they had
received pleasure from the society of a man in any other colour. As for
their mother, Mr. Collins's letter had done away much of her ill-will,
and she was preparing to see him with a degree of composure, which
astonished her husband and daughters.

Mr. Collins was punctual to his time, and was received with great
politeness by the whole family. Mr. Bennet indeed said little; but the
ladies were ready enough to talk, and Mr. Collins seemed neither in need
of encouragement, nor inclined to be silent himself. He was a tall,
heavy looking young man of five and twenty. His air was grave and
stately, and his manners were very formal. He had not been long seated
before he complimented Mrs. Bennet on having so fine a family of
daughters, said he had heard much of their beauty, but that, in this
instance, fame had fallen short of the truth; and added, that he did
not doubt her seeing them all in due time well disposed of in marriage.
This gallantry was not much to the taste of some of his hearers, but
Mrs. Bennet, who quarrelled with no compliments, answered most readily,

"You are very kind, sir, I am sure; and I wish with all 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 every thing 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 apologise for about a
quarter of an hour.

 Mr. Bennet reveals that he has received a letter from a stranger who will be arriving to stay with them a few days. After amusing himself for a while with their curiosity, he tells them that it is Mr. Collins, his cousin. The Bennet's estate will go to Mr. Collins on Mr. Bennet's death, as the Bennets have no sons. Mr. Collins writes how guilty he feels about his future inheritance of their property, and tells how he has become a clergyman and has been given the patronage of the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mr. Bennet finds the letter full of self-importance. Mr. Collins arrives, admires everything, and has perfect manners, and it soon becomes clear that he intends to marry one of the Bennet sisters

