Nodiver d.o.o. · Pride & Prejudice · page 121 of 640

Pride & Prejudice – page 121

Pride and Prejudice

nance, and, except in an occasional glance at Elizabeth,

requiring no partner in his pleasure.

By tea-time, however, the dose had been enough,

and Mr. Bennet was glad to take his guest into the

drawing-room again, and, when tea was over, glad to

invite him to read aloud to the ladies. Mr. Collins readily

assented, and a book was produced; but, on beholding

it (for everything announced it to be from a circulating

library), he started back, and begging pardon, protested

that he never read novels. Kitty stared at him, and

Lydia exclaimed. Other books were produced, and after

some deliberation he chose Fordyce’s Sermons. Lydia

gaped as he opened the volume, and before he had,

with very monotonous solemnity, read three pages, she

interrupted him with:

“Do you know, mamma, that my uncle Phillips talks

of turning away Richard; and if he does, Colonel Forster

will hire him. My aunt told me so herself on Saturday.

I shall walk to Meryton to-morrow to hear more about

it, and to ask when Mr. Denny comes back from town.”

Lydia was bid by her two eldest sisters to hold her

tongue; but Mr. Collins, much offended, laid aside his

book, and said:

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