Mr. Collins Proposes
by Susan Mason-Milks
After the ball, Mrs. Bennet lay awake delighting in thoughts of Jane’s wedding to Mr. Bingley. He had not yet proposed, but after making his preference for Jane so clear at the ball tonight, it was surely only a matter of time before he declared himself. What fun it would be to shop for new wedding clothes in London, and of course, her eldest daughter must have the very best! Although Netherfield was a grand house, the furniture and draperies were quite another story. They would definitely have to be replaced, and Jane would need her advice on the colors, the fabrics, and style. The prospect excited her more and more. It was all she could do to keep from clapping her hands together with joy. The idea of having a daughter settled so close by was delightful. She would be able to visit nearly every day!
When Mrs. Bennet awoke late the next morning, her head throbbed from lack of sleep and possibly that final glass of punch at the ball last night. As she lay abed absently pondering her plans for Jane’s wedding, she noticed some enticing smells coming from downstairs, and following her nose, made her way to the breakfast room. Yes, a little coffee was just the thing she needed to clear her head this morning.
As she sipped, she did a mental inventory of the family. Mr. Bennet had already retreated to his library and would probably not emerge for the rest of the day. Jane and Lydia were still in bed, while Elizabeth and Kitty lingered in the breakfast room talking softly—thank goodness—about the ball. And Mary? Oh, no one cared where she was as long as she refrained from practicing the pianoforte today. The noise would simply be intolerable.
Having finished her first cup of coffee, Mrs. Bennet was just spreading butter and jam on a thick piece of bread when Mr. Collins appeared and addressed her, asking for a private interview with Miss Elizabeth. Suddenly, all her senses were alert! She had been hoping for this for the past several days but had not expected Mr. Collins to approach her this morning!
“Oh, dear! Yes, certainly. I am sure Lizzy will be very happy— I am sure she can have no objection. Come, Kitty, I want you upstairs.”
As surprised as Mrs. Bennet was at his application, she was even more surprised by her second daughter’s reaction. Lizzy, looking startled and confused, begged her mother and Kitty not to leave her. To Mrs. Bennet, this seemed like a strange response. Surely, after Mr. Collins’s attentions the last few days, her daughter must have been expecting his proposal. She should be happy to hear he had requested a “private interview.” When Lizzy’s eyes narrowed in one of her defiant looks, and she appeared ready to bolt from the room, Mrs. Bennet glared at her and firmly insisted she stay and listen to what Mr. Collins had to say. Taking Kitty by the arm, she pulled her toward the door.
“Mama, please,” Kitty whined. “You are hurting my arm!”
Mrs. Bennet silenced Kitty with a withering look, and then quickly directed her best reassuring smile at Mr. Collins. Exiting the room, daughter in tow, she was careful to leave the door slightly ajar. After shooing Kitty off to rouse her other sisters, she moved back to the breakfast room doorway. At first, all she could hear was the throbbing of her head.
Then she heard Mr. Collins nervously clear his throat several times and begin his speech. His proposal started off with promise. He generously complimented Elizabeth on her modesty and enumerated her other admirable traits. Thank goodness, he does not yet know what a trial the girl can be, Mrs. Bennet thought to herself. Then he went on for some time explaining how he had singled her out as the companion of his life almost from the first moment he entered the house. Mrs. Bennet frowned. She knew this was not exactly true. His first interest had been in Jane, but after a few hints about Jane’s anticipated engagement, he had quickly redirected his attentions to Lizzy.
As Mr. Collins began a rather long-winded recitation of his reasons for marrying, Mrs. Bennet nearly stomped her foot in irritation. She could not understand why he did not just get on with it! No one cared why he wanted to marry. It was only important that he did. But the self-absorbed parson was not to be hurried. Droning on, he complimented himself on his generosity in choosing his bride from among his cousins, as this would ensure the security of the rest of the family once he inherited Longbourn. The comfort of knowing that if Mr. Bennet died they would not be put out into the hedgerows made the pounding in Mrs. Bennet’s head begin to subside.
As Lizzy started to speak, her voice was so soft her mother had to strain to hear. What was she saying? Why was she disagreeing with him? It took all of Mrs. Bennet’s self-control not to push the door open and rush into the room so she could shake some sense into her foolish daughter. How could she do this to her family? Although Mrs. Bennet tried to calm herself, the pounding intensified in her head again. It began to feel as if it might explode. Of course, Lizzy would come to her senses and accept him. She simply must! The conversation went back and forth for several minutes with Lizzy remaining firm in her refusal, and Mr. Collins refusing to accept her protestations. She had to give Mr. Collins credit. He might not be a very exciting man, but he was persistent.
Feeling secure that Lizzy would see reason and do the right thing, Mrs. Bennet retreated into the vestibule, took a few deep breaths, and waited for the appropriate time to rush in and express her surprise and happiness at their engagement. After a few minutes, her daughter emerged, and without even a glance in her mother’s direction, retreated up the stairs towards her bedchamber. “Lizzy, dear, where are you going?” Mrs. Bennet waved her hands wildly and called after her, “You must come back. Lizzy! Lizzy?”
Mrs. Bennet pressed a hand to her throbbing head. Then shrugging her shoulders, she sighed and rushed into the breakfast room to congratulate Mr. Collins in the warmest terms and express her joy that they would soon be more closely related. He happily received her felicitations.
“Her modest refusals of my proposal only show what a bashful, delicate creature she truly is. Certainly, her purpose is to increase my love by suspense, and that she most assuredly has accomplished. I am now more eager than ever to call her my wife,” he said, brushing back an oily lock of hair that was stuck to his forehead.
Although Mr. Collins did not seem disturbed by his ladylove’s reluctance, Mrs. Bennet quickly became concerned. Something was not right. “Depend upon it, Mr. Collins!” she assured him. “Lizzy shall be brought to reason. I will speak to her about it directly. She is a very headstrong, foolish girl and does not know her own interests, but I will make her see reason.”
At this, the smile on Mr. Collins’s face faded a bit. “Pardon me for interrupting you, madam, but if she is really headstrong and foolish, I wonder if she would be a very desirable wife for a man in my situation. I am one who naturally looks for happiness in the marital state. If she persists in rejecting my suit, perhaps it would be better not to force her into accepting me. Such defects of temper would not be conducive to marital felicity.”
Suddenly, Mrs. Bennet felt faint and wavered on her feet. Oh, no, he could not be allowed to change his mind! To keep from toppling over, she grabbed the back of a chair for support and began reassuring him that Lizzy was only headstrong in matters such as this—whatever that meant. She told him again of her daughter’s gentle nature even though she knew in her heart Lizzy could be just like her father—very stubborn indeed! Mr. Collins would find that out for himself once they were married, but by then, it would be too late, and Lizzy would be securely established at Hunsford.
“I will go directly to Mr. Bennet, and I am sure we shall have it all settled very soon,” she said. Without giving Mr. Collins a chance to reply, Mrs. Bennet left and flew directly to the library where she knew she would find Mr. Bennet ensconced among his books. Although she was certain the sound of her excited breathing should have alerted him to her arrival, he did not seem to notice her standing there for at least a minute. When her husband finally did look up, he appeared disinterested.
“Yes, what is it, Mrs. Bennet?”
While trying to keep her voice from becoming too shrill, she begged for his help in making Lizzy accept Mr. Collins. As sweat popped out on her forehead from the exertion, she began dabbing at it with her hankie. In spite of the urgency she tried to convey, Mr. Bennet continued to look at her blankly as if she were a fly buzzing around the room. Why did he not offer to help? After all, he was not doing anything important—only reading a book. Mrs. Bennet’s agitation rose in direct proportion to his refusal to understand her. How could he not support her in this? Certainly, he understood the importance of finding suitable husbands for their five daughters? She had discussed this with him repeatedly although she often suspected he was only pretending to listen.
Finally, much to her relief, Mr. Bennet seemed to grasp the situation and agreed to speak with Lizzy. Confident her husband would take her side, she waited for him to take charge.
After asking Lizzy a few questions, Mr. Bennet cleared his throat. “Very well. We now come to the point. Your mother insists upon your accepting Mr. Collins. Is it not so, Mrs. Bennet?”
“Yes, or I will never see her again,” she declared firmly crossing her arms across her chest. Certain he was about to tell Lizzy she must comply, Mrs. Bennet stopped listening for a moment and began congratulating herself on her success. Then, suddenly, Lizzy was smiling. Mrs. Bennet looked at them both in confusion. Something had gone horribly wrong! What had she missed? Surely, he would never allow his daughter to refuse a perfectly good proposal? The pounding in her ears increased until it sounded like an entire drum corps marching through her head.
“What do you mean, Mr. Bennet, in talking this way? You promised to insist upon her marrying him.”
“Mrs. Bennet, I promised no such thing. I said I would speak with her about it, and that I have done. The matter is settled.” When she did not move, he added, “I would appreciate having my library to myself again—as soon as possible.” And with that, he returned to his book.
At first Mrs. Bennet was not certain she had heard him correctly, but as she watched her daughter leaving the room looking happy, she fully realized what had just happened. He had taken Lizzy’s side, and she was being thrown out of his library—in her own house! This was not to be tolerated! “Oh, Mr. Bennet!” she cried and ran from the room.
Since her husband had once again proved to be of no help, she knew it was entirely up to her to salvage the situation. With that in mind, Mrs. Bennet burst into Lizzy’s room and began trying to wear her down, urging her again and again to accept Mr. Collins before he changed his mind and would not have her. She coaxed, cajoled, pleaded, and tearfully called for Lizzy to have mercy on her poor nerves. Finally, she resorted to threats in a desperate effort to convince her disobedient daughter.
When she was exhausted and her head began to pound, Mrs. Bennet gave up and returned to the breakfast room, sitting down with a loud sigh. Just as she was pouring another cup of coffee and wondering if she should add a bit of Mr. Bennet’s brandy—medicinally, of course—she was startled by the appearance of Charlotte Lucas. Without considering that news of Lizzy’s refusal might become fodder for neighborhood gossip, she took up her case with Charlotte. As Mrs. Bennet continued to fan herself with her handkerchief, she bemoaned to her new audience that no one seemed to be taking her part in the dispute.
“I have only the best interests of my daughters at heart. Surely, you understand that, Charlotte. Perhaps you could explain it to Lizzy for me,” she said, directing a scowl in the direction of her second daughter who had just entered. Waving a handkerchief in front of her face, she moaned, “No one is concerned for me! Oh, the flutterings, the spasms of my poor nerves! What did I do to deserve such a disobedient daughter?”
“I am certain everything will work out for the best,” Charlotte said giving her a reassuring look. As Mrs. Bennet felt Charlotte put a comforting hand on her arm, she wondered why her Lizzy could not be more like her sweet friend.
Glancing up, Mrs. Bennet saw Lizzy looking unconcerned and very satisfied with herself. At times like this, Mrs. Bennet could see her daughter’s resemblance—both in temperament and in expression—to her father, and it was infuriating!
When Mr. Collins arrived and basically withdrew his offer, Mrs. Bennet completely lost heart. Unable to think of another strategy, she succumbed to her headache and retreated to her bedchamber. Jane, her good, kind daughter, who would never betray her the way Lizzy had, came and laid a cool compress on her mother’s head. “You must not worry, Mama. All will be well,” Jane said softly.
Mrs. Bennet took her eldest daughter’s hand in hers, “Oh, Jane, I was so certain today when Mr. Collins asked for a private interview that I would have at least one of my daughters engaged before the morning was over. I do not understand what went wrong! Now it is all up to you to secure Mr. Bingley, my dear.”
Please note: I am posting this on behalf of Susan Mason-Milks, who wrote the scene for the original Pride & Prejudice 200 project. Lucy Marin
1 comments
Belatedly catching up with the TUS posts. Love that you’ve given Mrs. Bennet a hangover (or that’s how I interpreted it) during this proposal scene. Helps explain her “headstrong” comment, which really was a slip on her part! Oh, Mrs. Bennet. I almost felt sorry for you!