To Make Sport for our Neighbours by Ronald McGowan

Author:Ronald McGowan [McGowan, Ronald]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-07-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen A Name of Power

Mr. Collins dawdled about Longbourn all the following day, and I was set to be hard-pressed to invent errands to keep him out of my library, where he seemed to think his cloth and his duty to repair the breach caused by our fathers obliged him constantly to attend on me. I recommended him to view the dairy, the bakehouse, the stables, the icehouse. I extolled the necessity, for a prospective proprietor, of being familiar with the workings of the Home Farm. I sent Mary to show him round the garden, enjoining her to be sure to point out each and every plant and omit no detail about any specimen, including their botanical names, with an explanation of the derivation from the Latin.

But still he kept appearing in my doorway, begging to intrude, “for nothing can be more conducive to wisdom than the study of good books.”

By the evening I was ready to invent a Town Council meeting to escape his attentions, and when he began to protest that he could not possibly join the girls in their Aunt Philips’s party, but must stay and keep company with Mrs. Bennet and me, I was like to run mad.

But from desperation came inspiration.

“You are too good, Mr. Collins,” I cried, “and far too scrupulous. Your escorting our girls will ease our minds, you may be sure. And would not Lady Catherine wish you to be better acquainted with the notables of the manor which you are soon to possess? Everyone of any consequence in Meryton will be there. I am sure that Lady Catherine would wish you to meet them at the earliest opportunity.”

“Do you think so?” he asked.

“I am convinced of it.” I replied, “ Sir William and Lady Lucas will be there, no doubt, and you must not miss your chance of becoming acquainted with them.”

“That is a consideration, to be sure. Do you really consider that Lady Catherine would wish me to attend this function?”

“She would be sorely disappointed in you if you failed to do so. She will expect more of her clergyman than that, you may rely upon it.”

“In that case, if you are certain that my absence this evening will not incommode your lady wife and yourself, I confess that I would be greatly desirous of taking part.”

“Pray, never think of us, Mr. Collins, but of Lady Catherine.”

Ah, blessed name of Lady Catherine, which secured for us a few hours’ peace that evening! Which acted as a talisman for the rest of my kinsman’s stay with us, and defended us from his worst excesses! What should we have done without that as our resort?

As it was, we spent the evening at leisure, until the return of the partygoers, when we must perforce endure the comparison of Mrs.Phillips’s best parlour to the small breakfast room at Rosings, and listen to our guest’s prosing about his evening’s activities.

“Mrs. Philips very kindly entertained me by playing all the evening with me at whist.

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