{{prxprp160.jpg}} || 160 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ||

Jane had not written in spirits, when, instead of being again

surprized by Mr. Darcy, she saw on looking up that Colonel

Fitzwilliam was meeting her. Putting away the letter immediately

and forcing a smile, she said:

'I did not know before that you ever walked this way.'

'I have been making the tour of the Park,' he replied, ' as I

generally do every year, and intended to close it with a call at the

Parsonage. Are you going much farther J '

'No, I should have turned in a moment.'

And accordingly she did turn, and they walked towards the

Parsonage together.

'Do you certainly leave Kent on Saturday?' said she.

'Yes -- if Darcy does not put it off again. But I am at his

disposal. He arranges the business just as he pleases.'

'And if not able to please himself in the arrangement, he has

at least great pleasure in the power of choice. I do not know

any-body who seems more to enjoy the power of doing what he

likes than Mr. Darcy.'

'He likes to have his own way very well,' replied Colonel

Fitzwilliam. 'But so we all do. It is only that he has better

means of having it than many others, because he is rich, and

many others are poor. I speak feelingly. A younger son, you

know, must be enured to self-denial and dependence.'

'In my opinion, the younger son of an earl can know very

little of either. Now, seriously, what have you ever known of

self-denial and dependence? When have you been prevented

by want of money from going wherever you chose, or procuring

any thing you had a fancy for?'

'These are home questions -- and perhaps I cannot say that

I have experienced many hardships of that nature. But in

matters of greater weight, I may suffer from the want of money.

Younger sons cannot marry where they like.'

'Unless where they like women of fortune, which I think they

very often do.'

'Our habits of expense make us too dependent, and there are

not many in my rank of life who can afford to marry without

some attention to money.'

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