Pride and Prejudice — Chapter Fifty-Six
Abridged for Intermediate-High Learners

One morning, about a week after Bingley and Jane became engaged, the family was sitting together in the dining room when the sound of a carriage drew them to the window. It was too early for visitors, and no one knew the carriage. To everyone's surprise, the visitor who entered was Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Bingley persuaded Jane to walk with him into the shrubbery and avoid the visit, while Mrs. Bennet, Kitty, and Elizabeth stayed to receive the stranger. Mrs. Bennet was amazed and flattered to receive such an important guest, and Lady Catherine was proud and unfriendly. She refused to eat anything, then asked Elizabeth to walk with her alone in the wilderness beyond the lawn.

"You have a very small park here," said Lady Catherine. Mrs. Bennet said it was much larger than Sir William Lucas's. Lady Catherine looked round the rooms and called them decent-looking, then sat in silence. Elizabeth now expected a letter from Charlotte, but none appeared.

As soon as they were alone, Lady Catherine spoke. "You cannot pretend you do not know why I am here," she said. "A terrible report reached me two days ago: that you, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, will soon marry my nephew, Mr. Darcy. I know it must be a lie, but I came to make my feelings known."

Elizabeth asked why she had come so far if she believed it impossible. "I came to have this report denied everywhere," said Lady Catherine. "Has my nephew made you an offer of marriage?" "You say it is impossible," said Elizabeth, "so why ask?" "Perhaps his reason failed him for a moment," Lady Catherine answered. "But you shall not have him. Mr. Darcy is engaged to my daughter."

"From their infancy, Darcy and Anne were intended for each other," she said. "It was the dearest wish of his mother. Are you so lost to propriety that you would steal him from his family?" Elizabeth replied, "If he is neither bound by honour nor by inclination to his cousin, why may he not choose another? And if I am that choice, why may I not accept him?"

"Honour, prudence, and interest forbid it," said Lady Catherine. "His family will censure and despise you. Your marriage would be a disgrace." Elizabeth answered calmly, "The wife of Mr. Darcy would find so much happiness that she would have little cause to complain."

"Obstinate, headstrong girl!" cried Lady Catherine. "I am not used to being disobeyed. I came here determined to carry my purpose." Elizabeth answered, "Your situation is more pitiable than mine, but you have no right to interfere in my affairs. I must beg you to importune me no further."

"Then will you promise me never to marry him?" demanded Lady Catherine. "I will make no such promise," said Elizabeth. "I am not to be frightened into anything so unreasonable. If Mr. Darcy is attached to me, how would my refusal make him marry your daughter?"

Lady Catherine then spoke of Lydia's shameful elopement. "And is such a girl to be my nephew's sister? Is her husband, the son of his father's steward, to be his brother?" "You have insulted me in every possible way," said Elizabeth. "I must return to the house."

Lady Catherine followed, furious. "I take no leave of you, Miss Bennet," she said, and drove away in anger. Elizabeth said nothing. Mrs. Bennet, who knew nothing of the conversation, supposed Lady Catherine had only come to tell them the Collinses were well. Elizabeth was forced to answer with a little falsehood, for the real subject of the conversation could never be told.