Page 73 of May I Have the Pleasure
CATHERINE
Out with it! I am exhausted.
ELIZABETH
Well, the young lady read the letter with a real bitterness of spirit and no desire to give it credence, but eventually understood it, and then...
(Catherine leans forward in her chair eagerly)
CATHERINE
Go on! Out with it!
(Elizabeth sighs heavily, then looks directly at Darcy)
ELIZABETH
She made it known to the gentleman that if he would correct his first error, the one that was done out of ignorance and not malice; and could manage the courage to ask again... politely... that it was not impossible he might eventually receive a different answer.
(Darcy looks at Elizabeth in shock with his mouth hanging open)
(Catherine stamps her walking stick again)
CATHERINE
Good God! This just gets worse and worse! It is not the lady’s place to tell the gentleman whether to propose or not. It is her place to await a proposal and answer, which she had already done once. Did she at least let him know this information with some subtlety?
ELIZABETH
It depends on your definition of subtlety.
CATHERINE
Ladies must walk a fine line. Describe her method of communication, and I shall tell you if it is sufficiently subtle.
(Elizabeth stares back at Darcy)
ELIZABETH
She told him point blank, in plain English, while looking him straight in the eyes, in front of unimpeachable witnesses.
(Catherine gasps)
CATHERINE
This just gets worse and worse! Is that the end?
ELIZABETH
Yes, my lady.
(Darcy still stares at Elizabeth, though he has at least closed his mouth)
CATHERINE
Well, it is certain now. They must indeed marry. It is essential. But before I am run away by my feelings on this subject,perhaps it would be advisable for me to state my reasons for their marrying.
First, I have never heard of any two individuals who more deserve to be stuck with each other until the end of time in the entire course of my life. Their whole acquaintance seems more fraught than most wars, and I must imagine they go through life surrounded by a barren wasteland.
