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dressed in a white gown, with green ornaments, which convinces me of

what I had always supposed, that green was a favourite colour with her.'

Finally we learn that 'Kitty Bennet was satisfactorily married to a

clergyman near Pemberley, while Mary attained nothing higher than

one of her uncle Philip's clerks, and was content to be considered a star

in the society of Meryton.'

It is impossible not to recognize that, however 'lop't and cropY in

her maturity, Pride and Prejudice still presents the spring-time of its author's

Genius; and, despite the criticisms suggested, it has undoubtedly, in an

exceptional degree, the most striking and original qualities of her best

work, and is in every point thoroughly characteristic. Confined entirely

to domesticities, without any sensationalism from tragedy or adventure,

the interest and human drama of the story is maintained by minute

fidelity to life and the supremely natural dialogue or description creating

characters familiar to the experience of every reader in the course of what

on the surface appears a narrow and commonplace existence. It is,

however, for this very reason -- because they are ordinary men and

women, of like stature and countenance to our own -- that Miss Austen's

people are so vivid and alive; at once so individual and so universal,

belonging to all time, and thus, as children of an artistic imagination,

immortal in the true sense, no way subject to the fashions, conventions,

or dogmas of a generation.

Her priceless gifts of humour and wit, comforting the soul of man,

are revealed not only in the outstanding figures of exceeding excellence

named above, but in the scholarly indolence and irresponsibility of Mr.

Bennet, the jealous folly of Miss Binglcy, the pedantry of Mary, the

pomposity of Sir William Lucas, and a hundred kindly smiles at

human weakness or absurdity; as her tenderness towards all sincere

emotion and goodness of heart (only denied the noisy Lydia) shines

through every word written on honest Bingley and modest Jane, of the

estimable Gardiners and Georgiana Darcy. On the other hand,

Charlotte Lucas

'had gained her point and had time to consider of it. Her re^

flections were in general satisfactory. Mr. Collins, to be sure, was

neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his

attachment to her must be imaginary. But still he would be her

husband, and without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony,

marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable pro'

vision for well'cducated young women of small fortune and, however

uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantcst preservative

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