Part 43 (2/2)

[ELIZABETH _comes to her from the house_.]

LADY CATHERINE.

[_Without moving._] Miss Bennet, you can be at no loss to understand the reason of my journey hither. Your own heart--your own conscience must tell you why I come.

ELIZABETH.

[_In unaffected astonishment._] Indeed, you are mistaken, Madam. I am not at all able to account for the honour of seeing you here.

LADY CATHERINE.

Miss Bennet, you ought to know that I am not to be trifled with. I have just been told that you--that Miss Elizabeth Bennet would in all likelihood be soon married to my nephew, Mr. Darcy. Though I know it to be a scandalous falsehood, I instantly resolved on setting off for this place that I might make my sentiments known to you.

ELIZABETH.

[_With astonishment and disdain._] If you believed it impossible to be true, I wonder you took the trouble of coming so far. What could your Ladys.h.i.+p propose by it?

LADY CATHERINE.

At once to insist upon having such a report universally contradicted.

ELIZABETH.

[_Coolly._] Your coming to Longbourn to see me and my family, will be rather a confirmation of it, if indeed such a report is in existence.

LADY CATHERINE.

If! Do you then pretend to be ignorant of it? Do you not know that such a report is spread about?

ELIZABETH.

I never heard that it was.

LADY CATHERINE.

And can you likewise declare that there is no foundation for it?

ELIZABETH.

Your Ladys.h.i.+p may ask questions which I shall not choose to answer.

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