The Darcys found plenty to enjoy during their stay in Bath, as after
dutifully allotting part of the day to a call on Lady Catherine, or to
joining her at the Lower Rooms, they were free to make their own
engagements, and passed a good deal of their time with Lord and Lady
Portinscale, Mr. Morland and the Wentworths, Colonel Fitzwilliam
invariably forming one of the party. James Morland, the Portinscales'
youngest guest, had favourably impressed them from the first, being a
young man of sense, education and good address. The experience he had
gained from his somewhat unfortunate friendship with the Thorpe family,
followed by his closer acquaintance with the Tilneys, had been an
incalculable benefit to him in helping to form his character and in
teaching him what are the qualities in a friend which win sincere love
and respect. Hard work, resolution and regret for his own follies, and
the encouragement and kindness he had received from his relations, had
combined to put Isabella Thorpe out of his head, and to recuperate a
heart he had thought blighted over for ever. He had within the last few
weeks been obliged to resign the curacy he had held since his
ordination, on account of the ill effects of the air of the valley on
his health; and was now earnestly hoping to grow strong enough to resume
work in some other part of the country, as he had, of course, resolved
upon remaining a bachelor all his life, and making his church and parish
suffice in place of domestic joys. His somewhat diffident manner in the
society of men so much older than himself as Mr. Darcy and Captain
Wentworth did him no disservice with them; and before they had known the
particulars of his history for many days, Mr. Darcy was meditating upon
the possibility of giving him material assistance in his career.
In the meantime, Elizabeth, independently of Lady Catherine, had
exchanged calls with Mrs. Grant, whom she found anxious to be friendly,
more anxious, indeed, than Mary, who, while appreciating Mrs. Darcy's
kindness and charm, greatly disliked the patronizing manners of the
mistress of Rosings Park. A few days after the concert the sisters spent
a morning in Mrs. Darcy's sitting-room. Elizabeth had never neglected
her study of the pianoforte or of singing, and as Mary, at the earnest
request of her hostess, had brought her harp, the pleasure of the whole
party, sometimes in conversation, sometimes in music, was ensured.
"Colonel Fitzwilliam is very fond of music, is he not?" Mrs. Grant said
to Mrs. Darcy, glancing across the room to where the Colonel and her
sister were engaged in animated discussion of the latest importations
from German composers. "He really does like it, does not praise it out
of mere politeness?"
"My dear Mrs. Grant! He is the most enthusiastic amateur I know. I often
tell my husband that he would never have fallen in love with me if
Colonel Fitzwilliam and I had not struck up a friendship over music,
which made him think there was more in me than he had perceived before.
He himself is not such a good judge of it, but my cousin was greatly
struck with your sister's playing the other night, and it really is
appreciation from him."
"I am so glad: it will be a pleasure to Mary to meet him. Excuse my
asking--I cannot quite understand--does he live with you or with your
aunt?"
"With neither; he is our guest when we are in Bath, and he stays a great
deal with us in the country; but he has rooms in London, and, I think,
honestly prefers town as a residence, but that he is so fond of my
husband and all his belongings."
There was a pause, and then Elizabeth added, a sudden thought having
flashed through her mind: "He is an excellent man; it is impossible for
us to think more highly of anyone than we do of him; but he labours
under what he considers to be an insuperable disadvantage--he is a
younger son, and therefore not much blessed with this world's goods."
She had hardly finished speaking when the door opened to admit two
ladies, whom she recognized as her aunt's latest protégées.
"Dear me!" exclaimed Anne Steele, before she was fairly in the room;
"quite a cosy little musical party, I declare! Lord! what a pity we have
interrupted the music! We wouldn't have if we'd have known! And here
we've run all the way upstairs--"
Lucy managed to silence her sister, and began a kind of tour of the
room, making formal greetings to everyone she knew, and pausing in so
pointed a way before Mrs. Grant and Mary, that Elizabeth, with great
reluctance, was obliged to introduce Mrs. Robert Ferrars and Miss
Steele. This accomplished, Lucy's errand was allowed to be divulged.
"We are driving out with Lady Catherine in the barouche landau, and she
called here in passing, to say if Colonel Fitzwilliam was in she would
like him to come too and make a fourth," she explained, with assistance
from Anne. "We are not going far," she added for the benefit of the
company in general; "only to Monkton Combe and back before dinner. Poor
Miss de Bourgh is so very unwell to-day she did not feel inclined to
drive out; and my sister and I just happened to be calling in Pulteney
Street as Lady Catherine was starting out, so she was so very kind as to
bring us along."
"It is fortunate," said Elizabeth smilingly, "that my aunt was able to
secure your companionship; for, as I have visitors, I am not sure that I
could spare my cousin this morning." She glanced at Fitzwilliam, who was
impatiently waiting for an opportunity to answer. "No, certainly not. I
am much obliged, but I am not able to come to-day."
Miss Steele's manner suffered from a diminution of sprightliness, even
while she urged on the Colonel the necessity of taking advantage of the
fine weather; but Darcy quietly interposed with: "Is my aunt's carriage
at the door?" Lucy was obliged to admit that it was.
"Shall we go and make your excuses then, Fitzwilliam," he continued, "if
our guests will kindly excuse us for a moment? Will you give Mrs.
Ferrars your arm? Mrs. Ferrars, I greatly regret not being able to
detain you, but I know it would not be kind, as my aunt has such a
dislike to be kept waiting, especially in the open street."
The result of this was, that without quite knowing how it happened, Lucy
and her sister found themselves in the hall again almost as soon as the
waiter showed them up; were in the carriage, and driving away, the
apologies of the gentlemen having been graciously accepted, and Mr.
Darcy was saying to his friend as they returned: "The only way with
these people is firmness; you are much too gentle."
"I don't feel particularly gentle after that interruption," replied the
other, "though you got me out of it very well. My aunt seems to have a
special grudge against me this time. I suppose she is working off her
irritation; well, rather on me than on your sister."
"I do not believe it is that," answered Darcy; "she is, and always was,
a tool in the hands of unscrupulous flatterers. If it were worthwhile,
Elizabeth and I would rush to the rescue; but there is sure to be a
tremendous explosion before long; they will all quarrel violently, she
will come and tell us that they are ungrateful vipers, or something like
that, and next year it will begin all over again with someone else."
"Well!" cried Elizabeth, as they opened the door, "did Aunt Catherine
mind?"
"No, he has got off with a whole skin this time," replied her husband,
"or rather, not quite a whole one, for he has had to pledge himself to
join the expedition to Clifton to-morrow instead."
"I had forgotten that expedition to Clifton," Elizabeth exclaimed in
dismay; "I wish it would rain! But if it did, we should only have to go
another day. Mr. Morland, have you been to Clifton? Oh, do say it will
be quite new to you! You can't? Is there no one who has never been
there? My aunt makes up a party every year, for her newest friends, and
we always do the same things and make the same remarks."
Elizabeth's forecast created much amusement, and Miss Crawford said:
"Everything I hear beforehand of Lady Catherine is very alarming to a
stranger like myself. I shall have to have caught a bad cold before her
reception next week, for I shall not have the courage to appear and
play."
"Oh, no, Miss Crawford, you must appear," said Darcy. "We are all too
bad, with our jokes about her, for really she means to be very kind. But
we have got into shocking ways since my wife married into the family."
"On the contrary, I think I have educated you all admirably."
"You are a privileged person, you see," said Colonel Fitzwilliam. "Miss
Crawford, will you do us the kindness of playing again? I want to reap
the advantage of the present moment, as the reception is a long way
off."
The lady acceded with willingness, and at the conclusion of her piece
Colonel Fitzwilliam sat down near her and found himself soon conversing
with more ease and enjoyment than he had done for many months. Their
talk was only of the most ordinary subjects; but the Colonel's
simplicity and culture appealed to the best that was in Mary, and he
found in her a ready sympathy, felt rather than expressed. His views of
London life--so pleasant, so stimulating for the greater part of the
year, but the country was better for a permanent home--exactly coincided
with Mary's; and almost to her surprise, she heard herself vehemently
asserting that town might be the place to make friends, but the country
was the place to enjoy them. "You are a lover of country sports?"
questioned the Colonel; "of riding and driving?" Mary answered
enthusiastically, though repressing a sigh at the recollection of her
first riding lessons. Did she ride at Bath? He could recommend her some
good livery stables. His cousin, Mrs. Darcy, did not care for it, else
some agreeable plans might have been made.
Meantime, the conversation was quite as animated in the other group.
James Morland was asking if the ladies were those whom General Tilney
and his son had lately met at dinner in Pulteney Street.
"Yes, you are right," replied Elizabeth. "Did you hear of that
dinner-party?"
"Lady Portinscale told me. I should not otherwise have known, for I
don't see much of the General and Captain Tilney," James Morland
answered with a smile.
"I thought Eleanor told me all was forgiven?"
"Catherine is, but her relations do not pass the censor. Still, it does
not matter in the least, so long as he is kind to her, and I think I may
say he is."
"I suppose he is often at the Portinscales'?" observed Elizabeth.
"Fairly often, but Lord Portinscale contrives that he does not stay too
long; he thinks it worries Eleanor, and, as you know, she is anxious to
take care of herself and go in thoroughly for the cure."
"Dear Eleanor! I am so devoted to her."
"Yes, indeed, one would be; she is the kindest friend anyone could
possibly have. Do you know, Mrs. Darcy, they insist on my having a
sitting-room to myself, where I can read undisturbed, or I can spend my
time with them, just as I like."
"That is a nice arrangement; and you are better for coming to Bath?"
"Yes, a great deal better. I should be able to get to work in a very
short time now, if only" (rather mournfully), "some work could be
found."
"I am sure it can, if you are patient," said Elizabeth kindly. "The very
thing one wants often drops upon one unexpectedly. Do you know our part
of the world at all? You must come and pay us a visit some time; the
Derbyshire air is splendidly bracing, and would benefit you."
Morland said all that was proper, and Elizabeth, who had been trying
unsuccessfully to catch her husband's eye, continued: "We are fortunate
in our Rector at home, and even more fortunate in his wife; they have
just come to Pemberley, and oddly enough, they are related to these very
people of whom we have been talking, but as different from them as
possible."
"Indeed! the Ferrars, or Steele--I have not made them out yet--"
"Mr. Edward Ferrars, our Rector, is a brother of Mr. Robert Ferrars,
husband of the lady in blue. It is rather difficult to keep Mrs. Robert
Ferrars off the subject when she is with us, as she seems to think it
establishes a sort of connection, although they don't visit their
relations."
"Perhaps they will do so now," said Morland, with a slight smile. "It is
your own parish that you mentioned?"
"Yes, it is a fair-sized village that has grown up round the house, or,
rather, round a much older house that formerly stood on the site. It is
such beautiful country, Mr. Morland! You really must see it."
Mrs. Grant came towards Elizabeth to take leave, and they stood chatting
together while Colonel Fitzwilliam and Miss Crawford rose and joined
them.
"To-morrow, then, at eleven o'clock, you are sure suits you?" the
gentleman was saying. "Mrs. Grant, your sister has been so kind as to
say that, with your permission, I may be her escort on a ride, if a
horse can be found that suits her."
"Riding? She will enjoy that," said Mrs. Grant, with momentary surprise.
"She has not ridden for a long time. We have never tried to get her a
horse in Bath."
It seemed that the whole thing had been thought out--all difficulties
could be got over, Colonel Fitzwilliam assured her, if she would trust
her sister to him for an hour or two; and Mary having expressed a proper
amount of amiability and approbation, the arrangement was confirmed.
"But what about your engagement--the day at Clifton?" Mrs. Grant
unluckily remembered, in the midst of the adieux. Colonel Fitzwilliam
looked as if he were determined to forget the existence of such a place;
Mr. Darcy reproached himself for having furthered the scheme; and Miss
Crawford immediately said: "Oh, pray do not give that up on my account.
We can ride another day, if we care about it."
"Not at all, Miss Crawford. Excuse me, but I should not think of giving
up our plan. It is not at all necessary for me to go to Clifton."
"It would not be fair to make you break a prior engagement. No, let us
put it off from to-morrow," was the lady's response.
Elizabeth interposed with, "If you and Miss Crawford went out a little
earlier, you could still be at Clifton in time for dinner, Robert, which
would quite satisfy my aunt."
Darcy joined his advice to his wife's; and as a matter can generally be
easily arranged by a number of people who are all in favour of it, the
ride was fixed for ten o'clock, and the ladies took their departure
among many promises of meeting again. James Morland shortly afterwards
left, Colonel Fitzwilliam accompanying him as far as his road lay in the
direction of the livery stables; and Elizabeth sat down to write
letters, but she had not got very far before a new idea struck her which
must immediately be acted upon. "Darcy," she exclaimed, rising and going
to her husband, who was occupied with the newspaper, "can you listen to
me? I want to help Mr. Morland in some way. I was thinking about it this
morning while I was talking to him. He ought to have work to do, and he
is such a good young fellow. Could you not make him Mr. Ferrars's
curate, or something?"
Darcy smiled at his wife's earnestness. "You will be surprised to hear,
my dear, that I had already thought of helping him."
"You had? How good of you. You can do it better than anyone else. He
will be an object worthy of your interest."
"But though I had considered the question of the curacy, I had dismissed
it as unsatisfactory. Mr. Ferrars does not want a curate, and Mr.
Morland does want a living. I do not know if I told you that I heard
before I went away that the old Rector of Kympton was likely to resign.
If so, I shall have a living to present."
"And did you think of Mr. Morland? How delightful that would be. The
very thing for him."
"We must not say anything about it at present, for I cannot hurry the
old man out; but I expect to hear in the course of a month."
"I am sure you can bring it about successfully. How well everything is
going to-day! Some dreadful catastrophe is sure to happen soon."
"What else has gone well?"
"Why, Robert's getting on so excellently with Miss Crawford. She is such
a thoroughly nice woman, and it is certain to do Robert good."
"I would not think too much about that, Lizzy. Robert gets on well with
all nice women, and as to Miss Crawford, I should say she is accustomed
to receiving a considerable amount of admiration."
"Nonsense! You shall not spoil my pleasure in it. Why should they not be
friends and nothing more? I took care to do him a good turn too; I told
Mrs. Grant the thing I could about him, namely, that he is not well off.
I knew he would tell them himself, and make the most of it, in that
disparaging way he has, as if it were a great blot on his character, or
some serious personal defect. He has become so diffident the last few
months that I have no patience with him! He does not value himself
properly, and causes people to undervalue him."
"One cannot say that diffidence is a fault of Miss Crawford's other
admirer, Sir Walter Elliot."
"No, the tiresome, dressed-up doll! She is so sensible, that I cannot
understand her having those people for her friends."
"Perhaps she has no choice. Possibly the acquaintance was of their
seeking; she may have made a mistake. Who knows? Even the wisest of us
may sometimes be mistaken in our estimates of one another, may we not,
Elizabeth?"