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Mrs. Collins and Maria went to the village the next morning on business.
Sitting by herself, and writing to Jane, Elizabeth was startled by a ring at the door, the certain signal of a visitor. As she had heard no carriage, she thought it not unlikely to be Lady Catherine. Under that apprehension, she put away her half-finished letter that she might escape all impertinent questions. When the door opened, to her very great surprise, it was Mr. Darcy and only Mr. Darcy.
Astonished on finding her alone, he apologised for his intrusion by letting her know that he had understood all the ladies were to be within.
They sat down, and once her inquiries after Rosings were made, they seemed in danger of sinking into total silence. It was necessary, to think of something.
In this emergency, she recollected when she had seen him last in Hertfordshire and their hasty departure. "How very suddenly you all quitted Netherfield last November, Mr. Darcy! It must have been a most agreeable surprise to Mr. Bingley to see you all after him so soon. If I recollect right, he went but the day before. He and his sisters were well, I hope, when you left London?"
"Perfectly so, I thank you."
She found that she was to receive no other answer. "I have understood that Mr. Bingley has not much idea of ever returning to Netherfield again?"
"I have never heard him say so, but it is probable that he may spend very little of his time there in the future. He has many friends, and is at a time of life when friends and engagements are increasing."
"If he means to be but little at Netherfield, it would be better for the neighbourhood that he should give up the place entirely. Then we might get a settled family there. But, perhaps, Mr. Bingley did not take the house so much for the convenience of the neighbourhood as for his own, and we must expect him to keep it or quit it on the same principle."
"I should not be surprised if he were to give it up as soon as any eligible purchase offers," said Darcy.
Elizabeth made no answer. She was afraid of talking longer of his friend. Having nothing else to say, she determined to leave the trouble of finding a subject to him.
He took the hint and soon began with, "This seems a very comfortable house. Lady Catherine, did a great deal to it when Mr. Collins first came to Hunsford."
"I believe she did—and I am sure she could not have bestowed her kindness on a more grateful object."
"Mr. Collins appears to be very fortunate in his choice of a wife."
"Yes, indeed, his friends may well rejoice in his having met with one of the very few sensible women who would have accepted him. My friend has an excellent understanding, though I am that marrying Mr. Collins as the wisest thing she ever did. She seems happy, and in a prudential light it is a very good match for her."
"It must be very agreeable for her to be settled within so easy a distance of her own family and friends."
"An easy distance, do you call it? It is nearly fifty miles."
"And what is fifty miles of good road? Little more than half a day's journey. Yes, I call it a very easy distance."
"I should never have considered the distance as one of the advantages of the match. I should never have said Mrs. Collins was settled near her family."
"It is a proof of your own attachment to Hertfordshire. Anything beyond the very neighbourhood of Longbourn, I suppose, would appear far."
As he spoke, there was a sort of smile which Elizabeth fancied she understood. He must be supposing her to be thinking of Jane and Netherfield, and she blushed.
"I do not mean to say that a woman may not be settled too near her family. The far and the near must be relative, and depend on many varying circumstances. Where there is the fortune to make the expenses of travelling unimportant, distance becomes no evil. But that is not the case here. Mr. and Mrs. Collins have a comfortable income, but not such a one as will allow of frequent journeys. I am persuaded my friend would not call herself near her family under less than half the present distance."
Mr. Darcy drew his chair a little towards her, and said, "You cannot have a right to such very strong local attachment. You cannot have been always at Longbourn."
Elizabeth was surprised.
The gentleman drew back his chair, took a newspaper from the table, and glancing over it. In a colder voice, he asked, "Are you pleased with Kent?"
A short dialogue on the subject of the country ensued. On either side calm and concise and soon put an end to by the entrance of Charlotte and her sister, just returned from her walk. The tete-a-tete surprised them. Mr. Darcy related the mistake which had occasioned his intruding on Miss Bennet. After sitting a few minutes longer without saying much to anybody, he went away.
"What can be the meaning of this?" said Charlotte, as soon as he was gone. "My dear, Eliza, he must be in love with you, or he would never have called us in this familiar way."
But when Elizabeth told of his silence; it did not seem very likely, even to Charlotte's wishes, to be the case. After various conjectures, they could at last only suppose his visit to proceed from the difficulty of finding anything to do, which was the more probable from the time of year. All field sports were over. Within doors, there was Lady Catherine, books, and a billiard-table, but gentlemen cannot always be within doors. In the nearness of the Parsonage, or the pleasantness of the walk to it, or of the people who lived in it may be found the reason for his visit.
The two cousins found a temptation from this period of walking thither almost every day.
They called at various times of the morning, sometimes separately, sometimes together, and now and then accompanied by their aunt. It was plain to them all that Colonel Fitzwilliam came because he had pleasure in their society, a persuasion which of course recommended him still more.
Elizabeth was reminded by her own satisfaction in being with him, as well as by his evident admiration of her, of her former favourite George Wickham. In comparing them, she saw there was less captivating softness in Colonel Fitzwilliam's manners. She believed he might have the best-informed mind.
Why Mr. Darcy came so often to the Parsonage, it was more difficult to understand. It could not be for society, as he frequently sat there ten minutes together without opening his lips. When he did speak, it seemed the effect of necessity rather than of choice. A sacrifice to propriety, not a pleasure to himself. He seldom appeared animated. Mrs. Collins knew not what to make of him.
Charlotte studied the both men. She watched Colonel Fitzwilliam whenever they were at Rosings, and whenever he came to Hunsford; but without much success. He looked at her friend a great deal, but the expression of that look was disputable. It was an earnest, steadfast gaze, but sometimes it seemed nothing but absence of mind.
She suggested to Elizabeth the possibility of Colonel Fitzwilliam being partial to her, but Elizabeth laughed at the idea.