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grateful to her, and that she wished her all imaginable

happiness.

'I see what you are feeling,' replied Charlotte: 'you must

be surprised, very much surprised, so lately as Mr. Collins

was wishing to marry you. But when you have had time to

think it all over, I hope you will be satisfied with what I have

done. I am not romantic, you know. I never was. I ask

only a comfortable home; and, considering Mr. Collins's

character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced

that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most

people can boast on entering the marriage state.'

Elizabeth quietly answered 'undoubtedly;' and, after an

awkward pause, they returned to the rest of the family.

Charlotte did not stay much longer; and Elizabeth was then

left to reflect on what she had heard. It was a long time

before she became at all reconciled to the idea of so unsuit-

able a match. The strangeness of Mr. Collins's making two

offers of marriage within three days was nothing in com-

parison of his being now accepted. She had always felt that

Charlotte's opinion of matrimony was not exactly like her

own; but she could not have supposed it possible that, when

called into action, she would have sacrificed every better

feeling to worldly advantage. Charlotte, the wife of Mr.

Collins, was a most humiliating picture! And to the pang of

a friend disgracing herself, and sunk in her esteem, was

added the distressing conviction that it was impossible for

that friend to be tolerably happy in the lot she had chosen.

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