Pride and Prejudice Page #7

for me to assure you

of the violence of my affection.

Why, you are too hasty, sir!

You forget that

I have made no answer.

Let me do so at once.

I appreciate

the honor of your proposal,

Oh, my dear Miss Elizabeth!

But, I must decline with thanks!

I understand,

my dear Miss Elizabeth,

that it is the delicate and

charming custom of young ladies

to say no when they mean yes,

even three or four refusals.

I am, therefore, by no means

discouraged

by what you have said.

Upon my word, sir!

You are very hardly discouraged!

Ah, my dear!

Mr. Collins,

you have made your offer,

I have refused it!

You can, therefore,

take possession of this estate

without the least compassion

or selfreproach

whenever it falls to you.

So, let's regard the incident

as closed.

But, my dear Miss Elizabeth,

I think you ought

to take into consideration

that in spite of your loveliness

and amiable qualifications,

you are practically penniless.

And, it's by no means certain

that another offer of marriage

may ever be made to you.

Well, by all the-!

So, I must, therefore,

attribute your refusal of me

to your wish of

increasing my love by suspense!

Which is, I'm told, the usual

practice of elegant females!

Believe me, sir! I am not

one of those elegant females

who takes pleasure

in tormenting a respectable man.

I am a rational creature speaking

the truth from her heart.

Ahh! Thank you!

You make me feel certain,

the way

my proposal is sanctioned

by the authority of your parents,

you would plainly say yes!

Ohh!

Oh, Papa!

What is it, dear?

Lizzie!

Oh, Papa, dear! I must tell you!

Well, come into the library.

Lizzie, bu-!

Oh, my dear future son-in-law!

Let me be the first

to wish you joy!

Well, thank you, Madame.

Indeed, I trust

I have a good reason for joy.

Of course, I know that

my cousin's refusal

naturally springs

from her bashful modesty.

Refusal!

With Lizzie, that does not mean

bashful modesty!

But, never mind, Mr. Collins!

She's a very foolish

headstrong girl

and does not know

her own interest!

Foolish? Headstrong? Dear me!

Those failures will not make her

a very desirable wife!

Oh, but, you quite

misunderstand, Mr. Collins!

Lizzie is only headstrong

in matters such as this!

Ah, you just wait, Mr. Collins!

Mr. Bennet always brings her

to reason!

Headstrong! Foolish! Dear me!

Lady Catherine

will never approve!

Mr. Bennet! Mr. Bennet!

We are all in an uproar!

Lizzie has refused to marry

Mr. Collins!

You must force her

to change her mind immediately!

Or, he will change his

and not have her!

In which event, my dear,

the matter will be settled

to the satisfaction of both!

Please be serious! Speak to her!

Tell her you insist

upon her marrying him!

Lizzie.

Yes, Papa?

Your mother insists

that you accept Mr. Collins.

Isn't that so, Mrs. Bennet?

Or else,

I shall never see her again.

An unhappy alternative

is before you, Elizabeth.

Your mother

will never see you again

if you do not marry Mr. Collins.

And I will never see you again

if you do.

Dear Papa!

But, Mama! You have no right

to open Jane's letter!

It's against the principles of

Magna Carta.

No right to open

my own daughter's letters?

I-I've never heard

of such thing!

Besides,

dear Jane need never know.

Oh! I'm sure it's a proposal!

I can feel it in my bones!

My dearest Jane,

Oh! Oh! She's lost him!

She's lost him!

We lost two of them!

What is lost, Mama?

Your husbands!

You throw away Mr. Collins, and,

now, here's Jane,

losing Mr. Bingley!

What are you talking about,

Mama?

Read that!

No, no, it belongs to Jane.

I-I thought it was a declaration,

so, I opened it.

They're gone!

They've gone to London.

Well, who's gone to London?

Mr. Bingley,

his sister and Mr. Darcy!

They packed up and left

without even saying goodbye!

Read it!

Read what Mr. Bingley has to say!

Lizzie!

Well! Nobody is going to miss

that high and mighty Mr. Darcy!

Oh, do be quiet, Lydia!

Without a sign of a proposal!

After his

compromising attentions to Jane!

Mama!

He did not compromise Jane.

He is a very

undeserving young man!

My only comfort is

he should die of a broken heart!

But, he'll be sorry!

Mr. Wickham.

Oh, how do you do, Mr. Wickham?

You'll excuse me, but, I'm much

too upset to talk to anyone.

Liizie will give you tea.

Oh! I'm sorry you're disturbed,

Madame.

My visit is ill-timed,

I'm afraid.

No, no!

Mama has just had some rather

surprising news, that's all.

She'll be herself again

in no time, honestly.

I heard some surprising news

myself this morning.

Really?

Yes! But, it was good news!

It is?

Good news, indeed!

Well?

Mr. Darcy has left Netherfield.

So I hear.

Well, don't you want to know

why he went?

I should like very much to know.

His conscience drove him away,

Miss Elizabeth.

You mean he was ashamed of his

behavior at the Assembly Ball.

Oh, that was nothing.

Thank you.

Maybe the insult Mr. Darcy

likes to add to injury.

Miss Elizabeth, having confided

so much of my story to you,

I'd like you

to understand the rest.

Would it bother you?

No. On the contrary,

I'm deeply interested.

How kind

and sympathetic you are!

Would it surprise you to learn

that I was once intended

for the church, Miss Elizabeth?

Really? Oh, you seem so

well-fitted for the Army.

I have no taste for soldiering!

The church ought to have been

my profession.

And, would have been if Mr. Darcy

hadn't chosen to disregard

his father's will.

Disregard a will?

Oh, how could he?

For a man of honor,

it would have been impossible.

But Darcy chose to regard the

annuity which his father left me,

provided I entered the church,

as a mere recommendation

and not a bequest.

I knew Mr. Darcy

was proud and arrogant.

I never imagined him

dishonorable!

He should be publicly exposed!

Not by me, Miss Elizabeth.

While I remember the father,

I could never bring myself

to disgrace the son.

I admire your generosity,

Mr. Wickham.

Thank you, Miss Elizabeth!

Your sympathy

means very much to me!

Oh, there you are!

We won't let you keep him,

Lizzie!

He's got to come

and play with us.

You are going to be my partner,

Mr. Wickham.

What an honor!

I'm being kidnapped,

Miss Elizabeth!

Won't you join us,

Miss Elizabeth?

Come on, Lizzie!

Oh, no, thanks, Mr. James!

Later, perhaps.

Why, Jane!

Oh, Lizzie!

You let that Caroline Bingley

make you cry, I'll shake you!

She says none of them

intend to return

to Netherfield this winter.

She means she intends

none of them to return.

Oh, Lizzie!

How can you think that?

After all, he is his own master.

Look. Read this part.

My brother has long had

an affectionate interest

in Mr. Darcy's sister, Georgiana.

And, during the next few months

in London,

both families are hoping

that their attachment

will flower into an event

which will secure

the happiness of us all.

You see, she knows her brother

is fond of someone else.

Doesn't want me

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