What Jane Austen Didn't Tell Us!. Austen Alliance
robust health: I will not be dying anytime soon. Our girls are safe enough ... Was that the butler announcing dinner?
But his equanimity was short-lived. No sooner did he exit the library than his wife accosted him. “Mr. Bennet, my nerves are destroyed when I think of that terrible entail and our girls being forced from the only home they have ever known by your odious relatives. What will the neighbors think? What of the feelings of our servants and tenants when they see their mistresses treated so rudely?”
“In that unlikely event, Madam, it gives me great comfort to know our girls will surely be the handsomest and best dressed women ever turned out into the streets.” And with that sarcastic reply, she had to content herself.
Poor Mrs. Bennet. Her one tragic impropriety served as justification for her husband’s every excuse to do nothing.
Some time thereafter Mr. Bennet received a letter from Mr. Christopher, a dealer in rare books and manuscripts who had supplied some of the volumes in his library. The dealer asked to call on Mr. Bennet the following week when he would be in the vicinity. Humphrey assumed Christopher had a prize manuscript for sale, and reflected ruefully that he had only scant funds available for new acquisitions. Thus he was surprised when the book dealer arrived and after looking around the Longbourn library and some polite small talk began:
“Mr. Bennet, I am delighted to see your entire collection—very fine, sir, very fine. One of the most impressive small personal libraries it has been my pleasure to see. I had no idea you had acquired these rare incunabulae! Such early examples! Your taste is superb and reflects a genuine respect for and understanding of the printed word!”
Humphrey smiled, pleased with this expert’s opinion of his collection.
Christopher continued: “I have a client who, having inherited a large fortune, has purchased a country home with an empty library room that he is eager to fill. In effect, he wishes to obtain a collection of volumes to furnish his bare shelves.”
Humphrey thought: How delightful to be able to purchase many volumes at once, but how sad to deny oneself the pleasure of acquiring each volume. He could not envy the would-be collector.
“Not to put too fine a point to it, Mr. Bennet, would you be willing to sell your entire collection to equip his book room? The buyer has authorized me to purchase such a library at a considerable sum. As his agent, I would make all arrangements for relocating the volumes, and collect my agent’s commission from him—There would be no trouble or expense on your part.” Humphrey was immensely flattered, and tempted—The sum mentioned would certainly enhance the dowries of his five daughters! But to give up his precious library where each volume had been so carefully selected over more than two decades?
Never!
I have put my heart as well as my intellect into this collection. It has been my consolation for an unfortunate marriage and the lack of an heir. He declined Mr. Christopher’s offer and made no mention of it to Mrs. Bennet.
* * *
Mr. Bennet rarely took up his pen, but occasionally roused himself to attend to correspondence with his oldest friend, Frederick Fielding.
Letters from Freddie, outrageous as ever, could always provoke a smile. In his last communication he had written some amusing nonsense about Humphrey permitting him to introduce:
whichever of your ten daughters is “out” to the eligible Baron Kreutzer who is actually making his bow at Almack’s! True, his debts are alarming, but the title alone makes him as fine a fellow as even you could want when he is sober!
Reading this, Humphrey laughed aloud! But perusing further, he found the letter continued with some actual news:
Now that Mother is residing in Bath, and having no taste for country life myself, I have let Netherfield Park to a single young gentleman of good fortune from the North whom I think will prove interesting, both to yourself and your daughters.
Mr. Bennet frowned. His wife would soon hear of a well-bred, cultivated young man moving into the neighborhood and see him as a heaven-sent marital prospect. Doubtless she would then commence a relentless campaign to gain an introduction.
Reflecting that engaging this Mr. Bingley in polite conversation was unlikely to be half so amusing as vexing his wife by not mentioning the visit, Mr. Bennet rode to Netherfield to meet his new neighbor directly.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.