Elizabeth frowned. “Or they could just as well get worse.”
“True. They could also go in waves, improving for a few generations then declining. But all that is neither here nor there. My experience here and now suggests most menwe are likely to meetlean towards the better side of average. Keep in mind that there is almost no chance either of you will be exposed to the worst of men, or even the lowest quarter, again. Miss Lucas has a better than even chance of success, but the slightest investigation could improve her odds considerably by weeding out the worst options.”
Elizabeth laughed gaily. “Yes, well, she will have an entirely new environment to deal with now. I made Lady Catherine responsible for throwing Miss Lucas into a bigger pond. Let us see if the attitude she carried when she lived in a 5-gallon bucket survives in a 10-acre pond guarded by sharks.”
Resilience & Imagination
Elizabeth and Georgiana were fascinated by the story, and neither was in any hurry to resume a more difficult conversation, so they spent a good half-hour peppering Mrs Annesley with questions about her life and listening to stories of her parish. Elizabeth considered introducing Mrs Annesley to Mary; the companion seemed to have a fount of useful tricks to impart.
Georgiana asked, “Mrs Annesley, would you say you have seen quite a few young ladies make the transition from childhood to adulthood?”
“I would expand that considerably. I was the wife of a parson, but the daughter of a gentleman. He was a simple country squire, much like Mr Bennet.”
“You know about my father? You only met me a few hours ago.”
“When a statue speaks, one takes note.”
Unfortunately, Elizabeth was sipping tea at that moment, so she spat most of it out and laughed wildly for some time.
Eventually, she regulated herself enough to answer. “I beg your pardon. That was unexpected.”
Mrs Annesley gave her a knowing smile, and Georgiana giggled.
“Unexpected, yes, but that might well be the second or third most amusing thing that has happened in this room in my lifetime.”
“I shudder to think what the first might be.”
“At the risk of sending you into another fit, Lizzy, I would say that the statue speaking was the first. Can you tell me why you found it so funny?”
Elizabeth had never been in such harmony with any two new acquaintances in her life, so she replied, “I cannot… well, I mean, Iwillnot tell you the entire story, but… well… let me tell you about the mirror and the statue.”
She spent a quarter-hour on the subject, while her companions passed from shock to amusement, then to outright laughter.
Eventually, Georgiana controlled her mirth—barely. “That presents quite an image.”
“I confess I pictured a statue covered in bird dung speaking, and it was just too much to maintain my equanimity.”
Everyone smiled, and Mrs Annesley called them back to the topic at hand. “The master spent some time talking about you. He, of course, said nothing untoward. It was all quite complimentary, but… the sheer quantity of discourse was notable.”
What should she think about that?
Elizabeth returned to the original topic. “You have seen many ladies grow up.”
“I have, but I must correct your wording. Changeladiestowomenand you will be nearer the mark. I was the second daughter, the last of my parents’ children. My elder brother inherited, and my elder sister married well. My father thought I married beneath me when I accepted my Harold, but I was a stubborn creature, not to be swayed by pretty words or even not-so-pretty words. I eventually prevailed.”
“I am always happy to meet another stubborn creature. I imagine you saw all classes in your parish, and if you were as active as I surmise, you probably observed many transitions. With your husband and son involved in the marrying and burying, you must have had a good vantage point.”
“Precisely. I must shamefully admit that I looked down on the so-called lower classes at first. I am not certain what changed my attitude. Perhaps it was that St Peter said, ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality’; or it was merely living with people day by day, seeing that they were neither better nor worse than the gentry. It is hard to say. In the end, I treated them all the same, and I was the better for it.”
“That is admirable. Do you know anyone else of the gentry who does that?”
Quite to her shock, Mrs Annesley stared her down like a disappointed governess. “I understand your father is lazy, but that is no excuse for following his example. You know the answer perfectly well.”
Elizabeth was neither intimidated nor troubled by the stare. “I suppose that is what a good statue should do.”
“Exactly. I do not claim to know Mr Darcy well, and I am the first to admit that he was an overly proud and dismissive man to certain classes of individuals, but I can tell you what you already know. Talk to anyone in Lambton or Kympton, or to his tenants or servants, and the question will answer itself.”
“You are correct. I thank you for the intelligence.”
