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“ My dear madam , ” replied he , “ let us be for ever silent on this point . Far be it from me , ” he presently continued , in a voice that marked his displeasure , “ to resent the behaviour of your daughter . Resignation to inevitable evils is the duty of us all : the peculiar duty of a young man who has been so fortunate as I have been , in early preferment ; and , I trust , I am resigned . Perhaps not the less so from feeling a doubt of my positive happiness had my fair cousin honoured me with her hand ; for I have often observed , that resignation is never so perfect as when the blessing denied begins to lose somewhat of its value in our estimation . You will not , I hope , consider me as showing any disrespect to your family , my dear madam , by thus withdrawing my pretensions to your daughter’s favour , without having paid yourself and Mr . Bennet the compliment of requesting you to interpose your authority in my behalf . My conduct may , I fear , be objectionable in having accepted my dismission from your daughter’s lips instead of your own ; but we are all liable to error . I have certainly meant well through the whole affair . My object has been to secure an amiable companion for myself , with due consideration for the advantage of all your family ; and if my manner has been at all reprehensible , I here beg leave to apologize . ” CHAPTER XXI . THE discussion of Mr . Collins’s offer was now nearly at an end , and Elizabeth had only to suffer from the uncomfortable feelings necessarily attending it , and occasionally from some peevish allusion of her mother . As for the gentleman himself , his feelings were chiefly expressed , not by embarrassment or dejection , or by trying to avoid her , but by stiffness of manner and resentful silence . He scarcely ever spoke to her ; and the assiduous attentions which he had been so sensible of himself were transferred for the rest of the day to Miss Lucas , whose civility in listening to him was a seasonable relief to them all , and especially to her friend . The morrow produced no abatement of Mrs . Bennet’s ill humour or ill health . Mr . Collins was also in the same state of angry pride . Elizabeth had hoped that his resentment might shorten his visit , but his plan did not appear in the least affected by it . He was always to have gone on Saturday , and to Saturday he still meant to stay . After breakfast , the girls walked to Meryton , to inquire if Mr . Wickham were returned , and to lament over his absence from the Netherfield ball . He joined them on their entering the town , and attended them to their aunt’s , where his regret and vexation and the concern of everybody were well talked over . To Elizabeth , however , he voluntarily acknowledged that the necessity of his absence had been self - imposed . “ I found , ” said he , “ as the time drew near , that I had better not meet Mr . Darcy ; — that to be in the same room , the same party with him for so many hours together , might be more than I could bear , and that scenes might arise unpleasant to more than myself . ”
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