CHAPTER X

y,ormynatureandIdonotthinkIevershall.And,withoutlove,IamsureIshouldbeafooltochangesuchasituationasmine.FortuneIdonotwantemploymentIdonotwantconsequenceIdonotwant:Ibelievefewmarriedwomenarehalfasmuchmistressoftheirhusband’shouseasIamofHartfieldandnever,nevercouldIexpecttobesotrulybelovedandimportantsoalwaysfirstandalwaysrightinanyman’seyesasIaminmyfather’s.” “Butthen,tobeanoldmaidatlast,likeMissBates!” “Thatisasformidableanimageasyoucouldpresent,HarrietandifIthoughtIshouldeverbelikeMissBates!sosilly—sosatisfied—sosmiling—soprosing—soundistinguishingandunfastidious—andsoapttotelleverythingrelativetoeverybodyaboutme,Iwouldmarryto-morrow.Butbetweenus,Iamconvincedtherenevercanbeanylikeness,exceptinbeingunmarried.” “Butstill,youwillbeanoldmaid!andthat’ssodreadful!” “Nevermind,Harriet,Ishallnotbeapooroldmaidanditispovertyonlywhichmakescelibacycontemptibletoagenerouspublic!Asinglewoman,withaverynarrowincome,mustbearidiculous,disagreeableoldmaid!thepropersportofboysandgirls,butasinglewoman,ofgoodfortune,isalwaysrespectable,andmaybeassensibleandpleasantasanybodyelse.Andthedistinctionisnotquitesomuchagainstthecandourandcommonsenseoftheworldasappearsatfirstforaverynarrowincomehasatendencytocontractthemind,andsourthetemper.Thosewhocanbarelylive,andwholiveperforceinaverysmall,andgenerallyveryinferior,society,maywellbeilliberalandcross.Thisdoesnotapply,however,toMissBatessheisonlytoogoodnaturedandtoosillytosuitmebut,ingeneral,sheisverymuchtothetasteofeverybody,thoughsingleandthoughpoor.Povertycertainlyhasnotcontractedhermind:Ireallybelieve,ifshehadonlyashillingintheworld,shewouldbeverylikelytogiveawaysixpenceofitandnobodyisafraidofher:thatisagreatcharm.” “Dearme!butwhatshallyoudo?howshallyouemployyourselfwhenyougrowold?” “IfIknowmyself,Harriet,mineisanactive,busymind,withagreatmanyindependentresourcesandIdonotperceivewhyIshouldbemoreinwantofemploymentatfortyorfiftythanone-and-twenty.Woman’susualoccupationsofhandandmindwillbeasopentomethenastheyarenoworwithnoimportantvariation.IfIdrawless,IshallreadmoreifIgiveupmusic,Ishalltaketocarpet-work.Andasforobjectsofinterest,objectsfortheaffections,whichisintruththegreatpointofinferiority,thewantofwhichisreallythegreateviltobeavoidedinnotmarrying,Ishallbeverywelloff,withallthechildrenofasisterIlovesomuch,tocareabout.Therewillbeenoughofthem,inallprobability,tosupplyev