“I cannot pretend to be sorry,” said Wickham, after a short interruption, “that he or that any man should not be estimated beyond their deserts; but with him I believe it does not often happen. The world is blinded by his fortune and consequence, or frightened by his high and imposing manners, and sees him only as he chuses to be seen.”
Pride and Prejudice, Vol. 1, Ch. 16
MR. COLLINS was not a sensible man . . . The subjection in which his father had brought him up had given him originally great humility of manner, but it was now a good deal counteracted by the self-conceit of a weak head, living in retirement, and the consequential feelings of early and unexpected prosperity. A fortunate chance had recommended him to Lady Catherine de Bourgh when the living of Hunsford was vacant; and the respect which he felt for her high rank and his veneration for her as his patroness, mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his rights as a rector, made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility.
Pride and Prejudice, Vol. 1, Ch. 15
Comments Off on Not a sensible man
Filed under Humility, Money, Mr. Collins, Power, Pride, Pride and Prejudice, Wealth
“I have more than once observed to Lady Catherine that her charming daughter seemed born to be a duchess, and that the most elevated rank, instead of giving her consequence, would be adorned by her. — These are the kind of little things which please her ladyship, and it is a sort of attention which I conceive myself peculiarly bound to pay.”
Mr. Collins
Pride and Prejudice, Vol. 1, Ch. 14
Comments Off on Her charming daughter
Filed under Flattery, Lady Catherine, Money, Mr. Collins, On being a lady, Power, Pride and Prejudice, Wealth
“Lady Catherine herself says that in point of true beauty, Miss De Bourgh is far superior to the handsomest of her sex; because there is that in her features which marks the young woman of distinguished birth.”
Mr. Collins
Pride and Prejudice, Vol. 1, Ch. 14
Comments Off on True beauty
Filed under Beauty, Lady Catherine, Money, Power, Pride and Prejudice, Wealth
“I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologise for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends . . .”
Mr. Collins, in his letter to Mr. Bennet
The Bennet girls will not want his amends.
Pride and Prejudice, Vol. 1, Ch. 13
Comments Off on Ready to make amends
Filed under Inheritance, Money, Money and Marriage, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice
“It certainly is a most iniquitous affair,” said Mr. Bennet, “and nothing can clear Mr. Collins from the guilt of inheriting Longbourn.”
Rational Mr. Bennet, being somewhat irrational for the sake of appeasing his wife, regarding the entail that cuts his five daughters out of inheriting the family home
Pride and Prejudice, Vol. 1, Ch. 13
Comments Off on Entails, a most iniquitous affair
Filed under Inheritance, Money, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice
“Teaze him — laugh at him. — Intimate as you are, you must know how it is to be done.”
Elizabeth to Miss Bingley, re: Darcy (How dare she!)
Pride and Prejudice, Vol. 1, Ch. 11
Comments Off on Tease him
Filed under Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Flirting, Humor, Miss Bingley, Pride and Prejudice
“How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book!”
Miss Bingley, who is pretending to love reading because Darcy does, but she’s really incredibly bored by it
Pride and Prejudice, Vol 1, Ch 11
Comments Off on No enjoyment like reading
Filed under Miss Bingley, Pride and Prejudice, Reading, Self-deception
. . . Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.
Pride and Prejudice, Vol 1, Ch 10
Comments Off on Bewitched
Filed under Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Love, Money, Money and Marriage, Pride and Prejudice
“I assure you that if Darcy were not such a great tall fellow, in comparison with myself, I should not pay him half so much deference. I declare I do not know a more aweful object than Darcy, on particular occasions, and in particular places; at his own house especially, and of a Sunday evening when he has nothing to do.”
Bingley poking a bit of fun at his friend, the aweful Darcy
Pride and Prejudice, Vol 1, Ch 10
Comments Off on Aweful Darcy
Filed under Darcy, Mr. Bingley, Power, Pride and Prejudice
The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman (May, 2012)
A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love, and Faith