Mr. and Mrs. Darcy were dismayed at the haggard aspect of their cousin
when he joined them at breakfast the next morning. He looked like a man
who had not slept, and whose wakefulness had some distressing cause. To
their inquiries he replied by giving as brief and quiet an account as he
could of the incident of the preceding evening. Elizabeth exclaimed with
consternation when he described Miss Crawford's manner to him at the
door, but refrained from making any comment until he had related how he
had gone in search of his aunt, to obtain, if possible, an explanation
from her. He had had to wait some time, until all but one or two of the
guests had gone and he could be alone with her, but she had been most
difficult to talk to on the subject; when reproached with her treatment
of Miss Crawford and Mrs. Grant, she had admitted that perhaps she did
speak rather severely to Miss Crawford, but the latter's attitude had
annoyed her; that everything she had said was fully justified, and she
was perfectly convinced that Miss Crawford was a most undesirable
person, and one she should never have had in her house.
"Good heavens! can such things be said without impunity?" exclaimed
Elizabeth. "What did you say, Robert?"
Colonel Fitzwilliam replied that he hoped he had controlled his temper,
but it had been no easy matter. His aunt would not even substantiate her
charges, and only referred to the shocking conduct of Miss Crawford and
her brother towards a family called Bertram, adding that though this
information had only just come to her ears, she believed that in London
it was common property. Needless to say, her nephew's assurances that
whatever the brother might have done Miss Crawford herself was
absolutely innocent of any wrongdoing whatever, had not the slightest
effect. Neither was she able to perceive that upon no basis but a shred
of vulgar gossip she had done a vile thing in attacking and defaming two
guests under her own roof.
"That made her more enraged than ever," continued Colonel Fitzwilliam;
"she said it was not vulgar gossip, but a well-founded fact; and though
she evidently was under a promise not to reveal the source of her
knowledge, the word Ferrars slipped out once, so I was assured of what
in fact I had guessed before, namely, to whom we owe this whole
abominable affair."
"It is most deplorable," said Darcy gravely. "We can never regret it
enough. I am sorry for you, Fitzwilliam, and still more sorry for Mrs.
Grant and her sister, but I do not see that there is anything to be
done, beyond apologies from all who are in any way connected with my
aunt. It must be talked of as little as possible, for Miss Crawford's
sake. The Ferrars will do their mischievous part; and it must be the
duty of her friends to take it for granted and ignore it; there is a
modicum of truth in the story, I suppose?"
"I do not know, or wish to know, anything about it," began Fitzwilliam,
but Elizabeth interposed eagerly: "I can tell you all there is to know.
I heard the story, if you can call it so, from Anne Wentworth only the
other day: but I did not mention it again, for there is no use in
reviving these things. It is true that Miss Crawford's brother ran away
with Mrs. Rushworth, who had been Miss Bertram. He had treated her very
badly before her marriage, gaining her affections and then showing her
he did not intend to marry her. Mary Crawford had been on terms of
friendship with the whole family, and one of the brothers, a young
Bertram, had paid her attention. Naturally, the scandal of the divorce
separated the two families; and I suppose ill-natured people can find
some reason why Mary should be blamed for it, but I know of none."
"How came Mrs. Wentworth to be acquainted with these events?" asked
Darcy. Colonel Fitzwilliam seemed to pay little heed; he rose from the
table, leaving his untasted breakfast.
"Because they have a great friend, a naval officer, young Lieutenant
Price, who is also connected with the Bertrams; his sister married one
of the sons. In fact, she was adopted by the family as a child, and
would naturally know all its affairs. I suppose the Ferrars got their
information from that Mr. Yates who was there last night; I do not know
anything about him, but I will ask Anne Wentworth."
"You know my advice, which is, as little said as possible," was Darcy's
reply; and he crossed to the window, to lay his hand on his cousin's
shoulder, and say warmly: "Do not take it too much to heart, my dear
fellow. On reflection, Miss Crawford, when she is a little less upset,
will see that you are not to blame, and Mrs. Grant, who is evidently a
sensible woman, will take the right line when she has had time to think
things over."
"I hope so," returned Colonel Fitzwilliam; but very little hope was
expressed in his voice or bearing.
"I wish we could stay another day or two, to do some good in this
miserable business," exclaimed Elizabeth. "We might even now put off
starting."
"No, Elizabeth, we could hardly do that, and it would not be advisable,"
said Darcy, with decision. "None of us could make my aunt's peace with
these ladies; and if we have to make our own, as well as Robert his, we
can do it better by letter. By the way, Robert, how do you stand with my
aunt?"
"We parted in anger, I fear," replied Fitzwilliam; "it was inevitable,
after the argument we had had. It is immaterial to me; she knows now
that I am an advocate for Miss Crawford, and she will consequently not
expect to see me again."
"In spite of what you say, Darcy, I do think we might do some good,"
Elizabeth interrupted. "Let us countermand the carriage. We can easily
tell the landlord we wish to keep these rooms till Monday."
Fitzwilliam begged his cousins not to put themselves to such an
inconvenience on his account; and Darcy being also unwilling to change
his plans at the moment when the carriages were driving to the door
Elizabeth was obliged to give up the idea, which she did with greater
reluctance through feeling that had she not persuaded Miss Crawford to
go to Lady Catherine's reception, this disaster would not have occurred.
Revolving in her mind plans for the future, when all the parties
concerned should be removed from the influences at work in Bath, she
continued her preparations for departure; and when all was ready, and
the luggage placed on the vehicles, she walked downstairs with Colonel
Fitzwilliam, speaking words of consolation and encouragement to him,
promising to write to Miss Crawford from their first stopping-place, and
urging him to wait patiently and not be deterred by Mary's being
reluctant to see him again for some time after her very painful
experience. He promised not to give up hope, but feared that this might
cause him to lose the ground he had gained.
"You are very good, Elizabeth," he said, as they shook hands. "Whatever
happiness comes out of this I shall owe to you. But it is beyond what I
can expect. There never was much reason why she should look at me, and
now, if she connects me with this wretched affair, there is less than
ever."
Elizabeth once more earnestly begged him to take a more cheerful view,
and immediately afterwards she and Darcy started their long journey
northwards; and their cousin, having exchanged a few words with James
Morland, who had walked round to the hotel a few moments earlier to take
leave of his friends, returned to his own rooms and to the thought of
Mary Crawford, which, indeed, was never absent from him. His eagerness
to be with her once more was only exceeded by his desire to protect her
fair name against the danger which threatened it; and in spite of
Darcy's advice he came to the conclusion, after long thought, that he
was justified in going first to the Ferrars's and then, if necessary, to
Mr. Yates, to demand that whoever was responsible for the calumny should
retract it. He did not wish to pose as Mary's champion until she had
given him the right to take a warmer interest in her than he might yet
assert; but as he could not in any case have failed to be aware of the
insult last night, and as he was at the same time Miss Crawford's friend
and Lady Catherine's nephew, he felt that he could do no less than
endeavour to right the wrong himself, having been unsuccessful in an
appeal to his aunt, which seemed the most direct.
He accordingly repaired at once to the Ferrars's lodgings, the address
of which had been given to him by Anne Steele on one of the many
occasions on which she had begged him to call there--a request hitherto
ignored; and as soon as he was shown into the room he perceived that his
two errands would be accomplished in one, as Mr. Yates was sitting with
the Ferrars and Miss Steele. Fitzwilliam would neither shake hands nor
take the offered seat, and addressing himself to Ferrars and Mr. Yates,
he requested, in a tone as calm and deliberate as he could make it, that
they would immediately and unreservedly withdraw all the accusations
they had brought against Miss Crawford, and would furthermore go to Lady
Catherine and make to her the same complete denial of their previous
statements. He was careful to utter Miss Crawford's name as seldom as
possible, and refrained from demanding an apology to be made to her
personally, as he felt the greatest delicacy about appearing to act on
her behalf, and could judge also that it was not the unkind talk, but
the insult from her hostess, that had given her such deep offence. He
found his present task an easier one than he had expected; and had his
heart been lighter, he could have derived amusement from witnessing the
kind of turmoil which his words immediately created amongst his hearers.
Neither Robert Ferrars nor Mr. Yates was of a quarrelsome disposition;
they were alike in living only for trifles, and in being of an idle,
careless, gossiping nature, tolerably good-humoured when it did not
interfere with their pleasure or comfort. At that moment the matter of
greatest importance to them was to set themselves right with this
extremely distinguished gentleman, who came to them with an air of such
authority; and they hastened with the utmost zeal to assure and protest,
to deny, regret or explain away whatever might have happened to annoy
any friend of his.
Robert Ferrars, who, beyond listening eagerly to the story, had had
nothing to do with the affair, was not long in discovering that his wife
and her sister were really responsible for the mischief; and both he and
Mr. Yates bitterly reproached the ladies for having broken their promise
and carried Mr. Yates's information to Lady Catherine. Anne Steele's
composure was not proof against this attack, especially in the presence
of her admired Colonel Fitzwilliam, and she found a burst of tears the
most convenient resource, but Lucy defended herself with spirit, and
declared that she had only told Lady Catherine what it was right for her
to know, as certainly her ladyship would not wish to receive Miss
Crawford if half of what Mr. Yates had said was true. This produced a
renewed flood of eloquence from Mr. Yates, who denied in the handsomest
manner having said anything to Miss Crawford's disadvantage, and wound
up by boldly asserting that she was a lady for whom he had the greatest
respect; that she could not help the faults of her brother, and that as
for Edmund Bertram, everyone considered that it was _he_ who had treated
her badly, "hanging round her always and never making her an offer--we
none of us knew what he could be at."
Colonel Fitzwilliam intimated that he did not wish to know any of these
particulars; that he was come simply because he had learnt that Lady
Catherine, in consequence of what she had heard, had been led to treat
her guests with great injustice--injustice was the strongest word he
would allow himself to use--and that, for everyone's sake, it was highly
necessary for her mind to be disabused of all false impressions. Mr.
Yates, when it was made clear to him, professed himself perfectly ready
to go to Lady Catherine and give her what he termed the true facts, and
he heartily supported Colonel Fitzwilliam in the latter's request that
Mr. Ferrars should accompany him. Mr. Ferrars looked from his friend to
his wife, extremely ruffled and uncomfortable; Lucy was reduced to such
a state of anger that she could scarcely speak; but Mr. Yates speedily
recovered his usual state of easy _insouciance_ and volubility, and was
the only one of the party able to walk with Colonel Fitzwilliam to the
door and usher him out with many bows and smiles and promises to wait on
him in the course of a day or two to tell him the result of his
forthcoming interview. Mr. Yates was not a man who could long be
disconcerted by anything; and he probably looked forward to his scene
with Lady Catherine as one in which he could play a leading part.
Colonel Fitzwilliam walked away, smiling for a moment at the thought of
the storm of mutual recrimination that was going on in the room he had
just left; he feared that what he had achieved would be of little use,
for his aunt would be much more desirous of believing the first version
than the second. Everything depended now upon the effect of his own
influence upon Mary and her sister--upon whether he could succeed in
atoning to them to any extent for what they had suffered. He greatly
distrusted his own powers, and walked to their house in the deepest
dejection of spirits.
The servant said the ladies were at home, and he waited for some time in
the drawing-room. Mrs. Grant's countenance, when at last she appeared,
was not such as to reassure him. She did not ask him to sit down, and
remained herself standing at a little distance while she explained,
briefly and formally, that her sister was not at all well, and was
unable to receive visitors. Colonel Fitzwilliam's heart sank at this
confirmation of his worst fears. He hastened to reply that he knew he
could not have expected her to be willing to see any member of his
family after what had happened the night before, but that he brought the
sincerest, most heartfelt apologies on his own behalf and that of his
cousins. He was only too sensible that nothing he could say could
obliterate the memory of the treatment to which Mrs. Grant and her
sister had been subjected, but he had been endeavouring to right the
wrong, and hoped that "when Lady Catherine should be brought to
acknowledge--"
Mrs. Grant here interrupted him. "Colonel Fitzwilliam, I must tell you
plainly that it is not of the slightest use to mention that lady's name
to my sister or myself. I know you mean very kindly, but the harm is
done now, and nothing Lady Catherine can do or say can repair it. I do
not wish to go into the whole matter, it is too unspeakably painful; but
if you had been aware of the language she used towards us, you would see
that it is not a thing which can ever be forgotten--I had almost said
forgiven."
Colonel Fitzwilliam admitted it fully. He told her who were the real
authors of the calumny, as far as regarded Lady Catherine, and he could
guess how she had been incited to anger, and how she must have spoken,
even though he had not been present, and he repeated that Lady Catherine
would be enlightened, and would regret as much as anyone having spoken
so hastily; but none of this had any effect on Mrs. Grant. She gradually
realized Colonel Fitzwilliam's anxiety to spare her and her sister pain,
and thanked him for what he had endeavoured to do; but concluded by
saying that she sympathized with her sister in feeling that all
intercourse between the two families had better cease.
Colonel Fitzwilliam's dismay was extreme. He felt himself dismissed, but
rallied his energies enough to ask: "But you do not identify us, Mrs.
Grant, my cousins and myself, with everything that my aunt does? Surely
you must know Mrs. Darcy, at least, better than to include her in such a
condemnation?"
Mrs. Grant appeared confused. "Mrs. Darcy has been very kind," she said
hesitatingly. "I have appreciated it."
There seemed a "but" behind this, and Colonel Fitzwilliam gently pressed
for further reasons, when the lady at last said: "The truth is, Colonel
Fitzwilliam, if you will have it, my sister feels--and I, though not
going the whole way with her, do understand her point of view--feels at
present too bitterly about it to be able to judge impartially. She
thinks that she should not have allowed Mrs. Darcy to over persuade
her--that she did wrongly to go to Lady Catherine's on what was
practically Mrs. Darcy's invitation."
"Good God!" broke from Fitzwilliam; "but she does not consider my cousin
in any way to blame for this behaviour of my aunt's?"
"No, certainly not," returned Mrs. Grant; "she blames herself, as I have
said; but she regrets also that Mrs. Darcy took so many pains to induce
Lady Catherine to show us any civility. Lady Catherine disliked us, and
when the opportunity of showing her real feelings arrived, she was glad
to take full advantage of it."
"Mrs. Grant, believe me, it is not as you think," said Fitzwilliam
earnestly. "My aunt is just now entirely in the hands of some
evil-natured and unscrupulous persons, who can make her act in any way
they choose."
"It may be so; I try to think so; but it does not excuse her conduct,"
returned Mrs. Grant.
Fitzwilliam took two or three turns about the room, wrapped in thought.
At length he approached Mrs. Grant, and in tones which scarcely
concealed his emotion, said: "Forgive me, but I cannot take what you
say as final. It is, of course, for you and your sister to decide, but I
cannot think that you mean to cast us off, myself and my cousins, on
account of this thing which has happened, a thing which you know we
deplore as much as we condemn. May I not hope to be allowed to call upon
your sister, if only for a few minutes? not to-day, I know, but
to-morrow, or the next day? Mrs. Grant, I have no right to say anything;
but I think you can guess what it means to me."
Mrs. Grant's countenance softened, and she spoke more kindly than she
had done during the interview. "I will not pretend to misunderstand you,
Colonel Fitzwilliam; but, frankly, my sister would not see you just now,
and it would do no good to anyone if you did see her. Her feelings have
been deeply wounded--more deeply, probably, than you have any idea of.
It would be far better for you not to think of it any more. You are
shortly quitting Bath; we, too, shall be leaving for the summer; and at
some future time we may, possibly, meet again, and be able then to
gather up the threads of our friendship."
Fitzwilliam had turned very pale; for though partly prepared for the
blow, he had hoped for some mitigating circumstances, and Mrs. Grant's
words conveyed to him at that moment nothing but a counsel of despair.
He could not immediately reply, but mastering himself with an effort, he
said, steadily: "I only care for your sister's happiness, and whatever
she wishes shall be done"; then bowed and quickly left the room.
Mrs. Grant, left alone, reflected with an aching heart upon the scene
that had just closed. Resentful though she felt both on Mary's account
and her own, yet she had been a very unwilling bearer of the message
which she had delivered to her visitor. She had liked him, she liked
him still; she had observed with keen pleasure the growing mutual
attraction between himself and Mary, for she considered him _almost_
worthy of that beloved sister. The event of the night before had not
shaken that belief; whoever was to blame for it, she knew it was not
Lady Catherine's nephew; and when she had partly recovered from her
agitation she had tried to persuade Mary to do him equal justice,
knowing well that he would not let the matter rest and that they would
hear from him again. But Mary had been unpersuadable. The shock had been
very great, not only from the incredible insult, but from the sight of
the buried past, risen up again to be an undying reproach to her. All
that she most bitterly regretted, of her own acts and of other persons',
all that she most wished to forget, had been revived in her mind,
exactly at a time when she had allowed herself to think that a new
prospect of happiness might be opening up before her, in the midst of a
set of people and circumstances with which the past should be wholly
unconnected. But now the painful memories had intruded into the present,
and, thrust upon her in a peculiarly galling manner, threatened to mar
and taint the new life. Mary's mind was in a state of too great distress
and tumult for her to see that their power of doing so lay in her own
hands, that she only could let herself fall back into that wretched,
listless, discontented condition from which she had so lately emerged;
she only knew that the old influences had returned, and she was bitterly
angry at the knowledge. In response to her sister's pleading she replied
that she was determined not to see any of them again, they were all
alike, proud and hard-hearted; they patronized her, they made her do
things she did not want to do, and she wished she had never met one of
them. Mrs. Grant ventured to speak a word on Colonel Fitzwilliam's
behalf, but Mary, sore at heart and suffering the more for knowing she
was unjust, replied that Colonel Fitzwilliam meant well, but really he
ought to keep his most terrible old aunt in better order. She would not
confess even to herself, far less to her sister, how much she had
learned to care for the man whom she was now sending away--through
wounded pride, perversity, anger ... she could hardly have told for what
reason.
Mrs. Grant could only endeavour to soothe and sympathize. She saw it was
better not to continue the discussion of the subject, and looked forward
to the lapse of time, and a change of scene and companionship, to
restore to Mary some measure of comfort and serenity.
Of these blessings Colonel Fitzwilliam was in even greater need. He
walked back to the hotel in an agony of mind such as he had never before
in his life experienced. To the pain of his disappointment was added
hopelessness, for he felt that the cause of his repulse lay beyond his
power to remove. She was too deeply offended to see him, or to hear what
he had to say, and as she would not do these things he thought she could
not possibly care for him. And now, completely cut off from her, he had
no chance of ever winning his way. His anger against his aunt remained
unabated; but even were she persuaded to make all the reparation in her
power, he had been told that it would be unavailing; there was nothing
more that anyone could do.
He called his servant, and gave him directions for leaving Bath early on
the following day, then made a pretence of dining, and threw himself
into his chair for an evening of sad and solitary reflection. It was
nearly half-past nine when a card was brought up to him, and it was
with a start of surprise that he recollected he had been promised a
visit from Mr. Yates.
That gentleman, well-bred, easy and talkative as usual, was shown into
his room a few moments later. Colonel Fitzwilliam had never been more
ill-disposed to receive a guest, but this one must be listened to, and
it was a relief when he passed from his compliments and observations on
the weather to the business at hand, which he introduced with an air of
nonchalance, as if he had only just remembered what he had come to say.
"By the way, Colonel," he began, "I was calling on Lady Catherine this
afternoon, and I took the opportunity of mentioning to her that subject
which we were discussing this morning."
"Did you indeed?" returned Colonel Fitzwilliam. "And I hope you were
able to convince her."
"Why, as to that," proceeded Mr. Yates, settling himself more
comfortably in his chair, "I hardly know; I have seldom found a lady so
hard to convince. But wishing to oblige you, my dear sir, I did my best;
in all honesty, I did my best. I explained, as I told you I should, that
she had been quite misled. Miss Crawford was not at all the sort of
person she assumed her to be, and that was very nearly the end of our
conversation; for I give you my word, Colonel, with all respect to her
ladyship, that she became quite violent; declared that she did not want
to hear the young lady's name or another word about her, that she was
tired to death of the whole affair."
"It is probable she would not like to find she had made a mistake," said
Fitzwilliam, as Mr. Yates paused, evidently expecting some comment.
"Well, no; I suppose that was what caused the sting; for it seemed as
though she did not want to have to think well of Miss Crawford, which
could not be so really, you know. I told her what I had said, I mean,
what I had intended to convey to the Ferrars, that I was surprised no
one knew the story about her brother, and added that I could not imagine
how anyone could twist and turn my remarks--merely general ones, made in
no ill-natured spirit--to Miss Crawford's disadvantage. That set her off
cross-questioning me, as to what there was at the back of it all, till I
hardly knew where I was; and I finally had to point out to her that
owing to my connection with the family I could not enter into the
details of its affairs."
He paused again, and Fitzwilliam forced himself to say: "I am obliged to
you for doing what you could, though I feared it might not be of much
avail."
"True enough, I thought it was not going to be, but just at the end, her
ladyship said, evidently with much resentment: 'There must be something
in all this, though you deny it. Why should Mrs. Ferrars and Miss Steele
concoct a story to tell me? Why should it be in their interest to vilify
Miss Crawford? There was no reason why they should make the worst of
what they had heard.' So, of course, in reply to that, I simply told her
the truth: 'My dear Lady Catherine,' I said, 'you ask why; the reason
is, as everyone knows, that Mrs. Ferrars was anxious to secure Colonel
Fitzwilliam for her sister, and both the ladies were very much
disappointed when he paid attention to Miss Crawford instead.' Why,
Colonel, you are looking quite annoyed; don't trouble to protest, my
dear sir; between friends, you know, it is not necessary."
"I wish you would confine yourself to talking of things you know
something about, Mr. Yates," broke out the Colonel in extreme vexation;
"this is not one of them."
"Nonsense, my good sir; not know anything about it! I could not fail to
see what was before my very eyes. Before ever we started for your aunt's
reception last night, Mrs. Ferrars and her sister were talking of you in
a manner as to make me expect that it would be you who would be in
attendance on Miss Steele all the evening--or at all events, that that
was what she hoped for. Of course, I said not a word, but I could see
that things turned out very differently. And if that were not enough,
Ferrars himself told me all about it during the evening, of Miss
Steele's fancy, and what they had planned, and so on. Really, I can
hardly suppose that being as they are, such friends of Lady Catherine's,
she should not have had some idea of it."
Fitzwilliam had not thought that anything was needed to complete his
disgust and annoyance where the whole Ferrars party was concerned; but
this tale of gossip and vulgar intrigue had that effect, and he was
conscious of a strong desire to get rid of his visitor and hear no more
of the whole nauseous affair. He rose, and again thanked Mr. Yates
coldly for the trouble he had taken, and that gentleman, too courteous
not to take the hint, rose also, though with evident unwillingness to
end the conversation, and, drawing near the fire, stretched out a foot
towards the blaze, and continued: "But I must not leave you with the
impression that Lady Catherine was _not_ convinced. On the contrary, I
am inclined to think she eventually was, for her manner quite changed
after what I had told her; she seemed first astonished at it, and showed
considerable incredulity and indignation, asking how anyone dared to
think or say such a thing, though, as I explained to her, sorry though I
was to have given her any unpleasing intelligence, the idea did not
emanate from me. Upon that, she became calmer and seemed to be
reflecting, then thanked me and asked to be excused, requesting me, if I
was going back to the lodgings, to send Mrs. Ferrars and Miss Steele to
her at once. I was not particularly anxious to be her messenger, and I
fancy she saw this, for she called me back and said that it did not
signify, she would write to them instead."
"I have gathered," said Fitzwilliam, "that Mr. Ferrars did not accompany
you on this occasion."
"Oh, Lord, no! I should have mentioned that at first, but it escaped me.
No, I could not persuade him to come. I fancy he had private information
that his wife did not wish it."
"It was a pity, as he might have confirmed your statements, and afforded
further proof to Lady Catherine," observed Colonel Fitzwilliam.
"He might have said something, no doubt, but I hardly think he would
have succeeded if I had failed," was Mr. Yates's complacent reply. "My
dear sir, I think you may sleep easily. If Lady Catherine is not
persuaded of her error now, she never will be. At this moment she is
very probably explaining to the Ferrars how unfortunately they have
caused her to be mistaken."
Colonel Fitzwilliam felt tolerably certain that his aunt was doing
nothing of the kind, and that the interview pictured by Mr. Yates was
turning upon a different subject from Miss Crawford's rehabilitation.
But even if Mr. Yates's explanation had caused the Ferrars to fall into
disfavour, it would not mean that the harm they had done the day before
would be wiped out; Lady Catherine would not be more inclined to forgive
Miss Crawford because her own friends had made her angry. And angry
Fitzwilliam guessed that she must be at the machinations which Mr.
Yates had casually disclosed. It was always particularly offensive to
her, and her nephew could conjecture that even the tact and ready wit of
Mrs. Ferrars would not be able to avert the torrent of her displeasure.
It was but poor comfort to him to feel assured that she would disapprove
of Miss Steele as a possible wife for him, quite as much as Miss
Crawford; and the very idea that such an alternative could have been
thought of was so repugnant to him that he was glad to dismiss it from
his mind. These people had done their worst, and whatever happened now,
they could not injure Miss Crawford any more, or blight his own
prospects more completely.
Mr. Yates having, as he considered, disposed of the subject in hand,
proceeded to others, but Colonel Fitzwilliam contrived to cut him short,
and to hasten his guest's departure, by indicating his wish to make
preparations for his early start the following morning. Mr. Yates was
desolated to hear that the Colonel would actually have left Bath by
eight o'clock. He himself proposed leaving on the morrow; he had come
intending to stay with the Ferrars for a week, but really everything was
so infernally upset, owning to this tiresome affair--he declared Mrs.
Ferrars had as good as called him a liar!--and that he was inclined to
shorten his visit and go straight to his sister's place in Berkshire. He
feared he could not be ready before twelve noon--would not Colonel
Fitzwilliam delay in starting, and accept of a seat in his curricle? The
Colonel regretted it was not in his power, but thought Mr. Yates was
doing wisely in going away; and in his own mind added the
heartily-expressed wish that that well-meaning gentleman had never
come.