Part 52 (2/2)

'If he had had any compassion for me,' cried her husband impatiently, 'he would not have danced half so much! For God's sake, say no more of his partners O that he had sprained his ankle in the first dance!'

'Oh! hted with him He is so excessively handso woant than their dresses

I dare say the lace upon Mrs Hurst's gown----'

Here she was interrupted again Mr Bennet protested against any description of finery, &c

Now, here there can be little doubt that we should read, as in Bentley's edition,[372] 'and the two sixth with Lizzie, and the _Boulanger_----'

(ie Bingley danced the _Boulanger_ with another partner, whose naiven but for her husband interrupting her) In the first place, there is every reason to suppose that Mr Bingley danced no more than 'the two sixth' (each dance seee of partners) with Lizzie, for Mrs Bennet has already said that Jane 'was the only creature in the roo of the first edition destroys the point of 'Here she was interrupted again'

2 The next passage which is frequently misprinted is in Chapter XIX, where Mr Collins in the course of his proposal to Elizabeth quotes the advice of his very noble patroness Bentley's edition here reads:--

'Mr Collins, you yentlewoman for my sake, and for your own; let her be an active, useful sort of person not brought up high, but able toa comma and a se a most characteristic bit of advice of Lady Catherine's

The first three editions, followed by Mr Johnson; all read 'Choose properly, choose a gentlewoman for my sake; and for your own, let her be an active, useful sort of person,' &c, and there can hardly be two opinions as to which reading is the right one

3 In Chapter xxxVI, where Elizabeth is reviewing her conduct towards Darcy, Bentley's edition, following the first and second editions, makes her exclaim:--

'How despicably have I acted,' she cried; 'I, who have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued enerous candour of ratified my vanity in useless or blameless distrust'

'Blameless' makes little or no sense, and we should surely follow the third edition, which gives 'blameable'

4 Chapter xxxVIII, when Elizabeth Bennet and Maria Lucas are leaving Hunsford Parsonage, Mr Bri the first and second editions, arranges the sentences as follows:--

'Good gracious!' cried Maria, after a few minutes'

silence, 'it seems but a day or two since we first careat h 'We have dined nine ti tea there twice! How much I shall have to tell!'

Elizabeth privately added, 'And how much I shall have to conceal!'

The effect of this is to give the extres to Elizabeth instead of to Maria The third edition, followed by all the others, gives the correct arrangereat h

'We have dined nine ti tea there twice! How much I shall have to tell!'

5 In Chapter L, where Mrs Bennet is discussing the various houses in the neighbourhood which ht suit Wickham and Lydia, Mr Bennet is made in Bentley's and all subsequent editions to remark:--

'Mrs Bennet, before you take any or all of these houses for your son and daughter, let us cohbourhood they shall never have ade the ibourn'

Now 'imprudence' seems distinctly below Mr Bennet's usual form, and we should obviously follow the first and second editions and read 'impudence' Co of Mr Collins's correspondence, says:--

'When I read a letter of his, I cannot help giving him the preference even over Wickham, much as I value the impudence and hypocrisy of my son-in-law'