Austen Said:

“None at all. We all know him to be a proud, unpleasant sort of man; but this would be nothing if you really liked him.”

“Lizzy,”

“I have given him my consent. He is the kind of man, indeed, to whom I should never dare refuse anything, which he condescended to ask. I now give it to you, if you are resolved on having him. But let me advise you to think better of it. I know your disposition, Lizzy. I know that you could be neither happy nor respectable, unless you truly esteemed your husband; unless you looked up to him as a superior. Your lively talents would place you in the greatest danger in an unequal marriage. You could scarcely escape discredit and misery. My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life. You know not what you are about.”

“Well, my dear,”

“I have no more to say. If this be the case, he deserves you. I could not have parted with you, my Lizzy, to anyone less worthy.”

“This is an evening of wonders, indeed! And so, Darcy did every thing; made up the match, gave the money, paid the fellow's debts, and got him his commission! So much the better. It will save me a world of trouble and economy. Had it been your uncle's doing, I must and would have paid him; but these violent young lovers carry every thing their own way. I shall offer to pay him to-morrow; he will rant and storm about his love for you, and there will be an end of the matter.”

“If any young men come for Mary or Kitty, send them in, for I am quite at leisure.”

he was rising every hour in his esteem.

“I admire all my three sons-in-law highly,”

“Wickham, perhaps, is my favourite; but I think I shall like your husband quite as well as Jane's.”

“Dear Sir,

“I must trouble you once more for congratulations. Elizabeth will soon be the wife of Mr. Darcy. Console Lady Catherine as well as you can. But, if I were you, I would stand by the nephew. He has more to give.

“Yours sincerely, etc.”

she submitted to the change without much reluctance.

the limited remnant of the earliest patents;

the blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing of a baronetcy;

remaining single for his dear daughters' sake.

His two other children were of very inferior value. Mary had acquired a little artificial importance, by becoming Mrs Charles Musgrove;

Anne,

was nobody

ever reading her name in any other page of his favourite work.

All equality of alliance must rest with Elizabeth, for Mary had merely connected herself with an old country family of respectability and large fortune, and had therefore given all the honour and received none: Elizabeth would, one day or other, marry suitably.

himself and Elizabeth as blooming as ever, amidst the wreck of the good looks of everybody else;

how old all the rest of his family and acquaintance were growing. Anne haggard, Mary coarse, every face in the neighbourhood worsting,

the modest drawing-back of youth;

he ought to have been consulted, especially after taking the young man so publicly by the hand;

"For they must have been seen together,"

"once at Tattersall's, and twice in the lobby of the House of Commons."

It had not been possible for him to spend less; he had done nothing but what Sir Walter Elliot was imperiously called on to do;

"Can we retrench? Does it occur to you that there is any one article in which we can retrench?"

No; he would never disgrace his name so far. The Kellynch estate should be transmitted whole and entire, as he had received it.

begged leave to recommend an implicit reference to the excellent judgement of Lady Russell,

could not be put up with, were not to be borne.

"What! every comfort of life knocked off! Journeys, London, servants, horses, table--contractions and restrictions every where! To live no longer with the decencies even of a private gentleman! No, he would sooner quit Kellynch Hall at once, than remain in it on such disgraceful terms."

"Quit Kellynch Hall."

nothing would be done without a change of abode.

"Since the idea had been started in the very quarter which ought to dictate, he had no scruple,"

"in confessing his judgement to be entirely on that side. It did not appear to him that Sir Walter could materially alter his style of living in a house which had such a character of hospitality and ancient dignity to support. In any other place Sir Walter might judge for himself; and would be looked up to, as regulating the modes of life in whatever way he might choose to model his household."

he could not be trusted in London,

It was a much safer place for a gentleman in his predicament: he might there be important at comparatively little expense.

"advertise,"

spurned the idea of its being offered in any manner; forbad the slightest hint being dropped of his having such an intention; and it was only on the supposition of his being spontaneously solicited by some most unexceptionable applicant, on his own terms, and as a great favour, that he would let it at all.

"I must take leave to observe, Sir Walter,"

"that the present juncture is much in our favour. This peace will be turning all our rich naval officers ashore. They will be all wanting a home. Could not be a better time, Sir Walter, for having a choice of tenants, very responsible tenants. Many a noble fortune has been made during the war. If a rich admiral were to come in our way, Sir Walter --"

"He would be a very lucky man, Shepherd,"

"that's all I have to remark. A prize indeed would Kellynch Hall be to him; rather the greatest prize of all, let him have taken ever so many before; hey, Shepherd?"

"I presume to observe, Sir Walter, that, in the way of business, gentlemen of the navy are well to deal with. I have had a little knowledge of their methods of doing business; and I am free to confess that they have very liberal notions, and are as likely to make desirable tenants as any set of people one should meet with. Therefore, Sir Walter, what I would take leave to suggest is, that if in consequence of any rumours getting abroad of your intention; which must be contemplated as a possible thing, because we know how difficult it is to keep the actions and designs of one part of the world from the notice and curiosity of the other; consequence has its tax; I, John Shepherd, might conceal any family-matters that I chose, for nobody would think it worth their while to observe me; but Sir Walter Elliot has eyes upon him which it may be very difficult to elude; and therefore, thus much I venture upon, that it will not greatly surprise me if, with all our caution, some rumour of the truth should get abroad; in the supposition of which, as I was going to observe, since applications will unquestionably follow, I should think any from our wealthy naval commanders particularly worth attending to; and beg leave to add, that two hours will bring me over at any time, to save you the trouble of replying."

"There are few among the gentlemen of the navy, I imagine, who would not be surprised to find themselves in a house of this description."

"As to all that,"

"supposing I were induced to let my house, I have by no means made up my mind as to the privileges to be annexed to it. I am not particularly disposed to favour a tenant. The park would be open to him of course, and few navy officers, or men of any other description, can have had such a range; but what restrictions I might impose on the use of the pleasure-grounds, is another thing. I am not fond of the idea of my shrubberies being always approachable; and I should recommend Miss Elliot to be on her guard with respect to her flower garden. I am very little disposed to grant a tenant of Kellynch Hall any extraordinary favour, I assure you, be he sailor or soldier."