MR. COLLINS was not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society; the greatest part of his life having been spent under the guidance of an illiterate¹（文盲的） and miserly father; and though he belonged to one of the universities, he had merely kept the necessary terms, without forming at it any useful acquaintance. The subjection in which his father had brought him up had given him originally great humility² of manner, but it was now a good deal counteracted³ by the self-conceit⁴ of a weak head, living in retirement⁵, and the consequential⁶ feelings of early and unexpected prosperity. A fortunate chance had recommended him to Lady Catherine de Bourgh when the living of Hunsford was vacant; and the respect which he felt for her high rank and his veneration⁷（尊敬） for her as his patroness（女主顾） , mingling⁸ with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his rights as a rector, made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness⁹（谄媚，奉承） , self-importance and humility.

Having now a good house and very sufficient income, he intended to marry; and in seeking a reconciliation¹⁰ with the Longbourn family he had a wife in view, as he meant to chuse one of the daughters, if he found them as handsome and amiable¹¹ as they were represented by common report. This was his plan of amends¹² -- of atonement -- for inheriting their father's estate; and he thought it an excellent one, full of eligibility¹³ and suitableness, and excessively generous and disinterested¹⁴ on his own part.

His plan did not vary on seeing them. -- Miss Bennet's lovely face confirmed his views, and established all his strictest notions of what was due to seniority; and for the first evening she was his settled choice. The next morning, however, made an alteration¹⁵; for in a quarter of an hour's te^te-a`-te^te with Mrs. Bennet before breakfast, a conversation beginning with his parsonage-house, and leading naturally to the avowal¹⁶ of his hopes that a mistress for it might be found at Longbourn, produced from her, amid very complaisant¹⁷ smiles and general encouragement, a caution against the very Jane he had fixed¹⁸ on. -- ``As to her younger daughters she could not take upon her to say -- she could not positively¹⁹ answer -- but she did not know of any prepossession; -- her eldest²⁰ daughter, she must just mention -- she felt it incumbent²¹ on her to hint, was likely to be very soon engaged.''

Mr. Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth -- and it was soon done -- done while Mrs. Bennet was stirring the fire. Elizabeth, equally next to Jane in birth and beauty, succeeded her of course.

Mrs. Bennet treasured up the hint, and trusted that she might soon have two daughters married; and the man whom she could not bear to speak of the day before was now high in her good graces.

Lydia's intention of walking to Meryton was not forgotten; every sister except Mary agreed to go with her; and Mr. Collins was to attend them, at the request of Mr. Bennet, who was most anxious to get rid of him, and have his library to himself; for thither²²（对岸的） Mr. Collins had followed him after breakfast, and there he would continue, nominally²³ engaged with one of the largest folios（一页，页码） in the collection, but really talking to Mr. Bennet, with little cessation, of his house and garden at Hunsford. Such doings discomposed Mr. Bennet exceedingly. In his library he had been always sure of leisure and tranquillity²⁴（安定） ; and though prepared, as he told Elizabeth, to meet with folly²⁵ and conceit in every other room in the house, he was used to be free from them there; his civility, therefore, was most prompt in inviting²⁶ Mr. Collins to join his daughters in their walk; and Mr. Collins, being in fact much better fitted for a walker than a reader, was extremely well pleased to close his large book, and go.

In pompous²⁷（自大的） nothings on his side, and civil assents²⁸ on that of his cousins, their time passed till they entered Meryton. The attention of the younger ones was then no longer to be gained by him. Their eyes were immediately wandering up in the street in quest of the officers, and nothing less than a very smart bonnet²⁹（阀盖，软帽） indeed, or a really new muslin in a shop window, could recall them.

But the attention of every lady was soon caught by a young man, whom they had never seen before, of most gentlemanlike appearance, walking with an officer on the other side of the way. The officer was the very Mr. Denny, concerning whose return from London Lydia came to inquire, and he bowed as they passed. All were struck with the stranger's air, all wondered who he could be, and Kitty and Lydia, determined³⁰ if possible to find out, led the way across the street, under pretence³¹（假装，借口） of wanting something in.