As soon as her suitor paused, which admittedly he did not do for some time, she accepted his offer with as much speed as was consistent with modesty. Fortunately, he was looking neither for declarations of devotion from her side, nor speeches about her good fortune in receiving such a propitious offer. For him, it was enough that she accepted his proposal without hesitation, and in terms that left no room for doubt.

The newly engaged couple took several turns up and down the lane, a little unsure about how to proceed, until Charlotte invited the man with whom she was to spend the rest of her natural life to join her family at breakfast. This reminded the successful suitor that his next step was to gain parental approval for the impending match. However, on this score, he told her that he had no anxiety, and as they approached the house, he pressed Charlotte to name the day that would secure his perennial happiness. She demurred for the moment, while making it clear that she had no intention of delaying the happiness to which he laid claim. She had little interest in a prolonged courtship or further declarations of imaginary ardour; her aim was to secure a future free of anxiety and material want, and, short of some disaster befalling her new fiancé, that future now seemed assured.

Mr Collins lost no time in applying to Sir William and Lady Lucas for their consent, and the habitual length of his speeches enabled them to make the transition from astonishment to delight by the time he paused for breath. While innocent of Mr Collins’s interest in their daughter, and somewhat unflatteringly surprised that she should have attracted his addresses, their surprise only enlarged their pleasure at the news of the engagement. They had no intention of raising any objections or asking any difficult questions, and bestowed their blessings upon the union with almost indecent haste. The house filled with cries of congratulation, joy, and no small amount of relief: Sir William could give his eldest daughter little fortune, and her advancing age had been a source of growing anxiety for them all.