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  • CHAPTER 29

  • Mr. Collins's triumph, in consequence of this invitation, was complete.

  • The power of displaying the grandeur of his patroness to his wondering visitors, and of

  • letting them see her civility towards himself and his wife, was exactly what he

  • had wished for; and that an opportunity of

  • doing it should be given so soon, was such an instance of Lady Catherine's

  • condescension, as he knew not how to admire enough.

  • "I confess," said he, "that I should not have been at all surprised by her

  • ladyship's asking us on Sunday to drink tea and spend the evening at Rosings.

  • I rather expected, from my knowledge of her affability, that it would happen.

  • But who could have foreseen such an attention as this?

  • Who could have imagined that we should receive an invitation to dine there (an

  • invitation, moreover, including the whole party) so immediately after your arrival!"

  • "I am the less surprised at what has happened," replied Sir William, "from that

  • knowledge of what the manners of the great really are, which my situation in life has

  • allowed me to acquire.

  • About the court, such instances of elegant breeding are not uncommon."

  • Scarcely anything was talked of the whole day or next morning but their visit to

  • Rosings.

  • Mr. Collins was carefully instructing them in what they were to expect, that the sight

  • of such rooms, so many servants, and so splendid a dinner, might not wholly

  • overpower them.

  • When the ladies were separating for the toilette, he said to Elizabeth--

  • "Do not make yourself uneasy, my dear cousin, about your apparel.

  • Lady Catherine is far from requiring that elegance of dress in us which becomes

  • herself and her daughter.

  • I would advise you merely to put on whatever of your clothes is superior to the

  • rest--there is no occasion for anything more.

  • Lady Catherine will not think the worse of you for being simply dressed.

  • She likes to have the distinction of rank preserved."

  • While they were dressing, he came two or three times to their different doors, to

  • recommend their being quick, as Lady Catherine very much objected to be kept

  • waiting for her dinner.

  • Such formidable accounts of her ladyship, and her manner of living, quite frightened

  • Maria Lucas who had been little used to company, and she looked forward to her

  • introduction at Rosings with as much

  • apprehension as her father had done to his presentation at St. James's.

  • As the weather was fine, they had a pleasant walk of about half a mile across

  • the park.

  • Every park has its beauty and its prospects; and Elizabeth saw much to be

  • pleased with, though she could not be in such raptures as Mr. Collins expected the

  • scene to inspire, and was but slightly

  • affected by his enumeration of the windows in front of the house, and his relation of

  • what the glazing altogether had originally cost Sir Lewis de Bourgh.

  • When they ascended the steps to the hall, Maria's alarm was every moment increasing,

  • and even Sir William did not look perfectly calm.

  • Elizabeth's courage did not fail her.

  • She had heard nothing of Lady Catherine that spoke her awful from any extraordinary

  • talents or miraculous virtue, and the mere stateliness of money or rank she thought

  • she could witness without trepidation.

  • From the entrance-hall, of which Mr. Collins pointed out, with a rapturous air,

  • the fine proportion and the finished ornaments, they followed the servants

  • through an ante-chamber, to the room where

  • Lady Catherine, her daughter, and Mrs. Jenkinson were sitting.

  • Her ladyship, with great condescension, arose to receive them; and as Mrs. Collins

  • had settled it with her husband that the office of introduction should be hers, it

  • was performed in a proper manner, without

  • any of those apologies and thanks which he would have thought necessary.

  • In spite of having been at St. James's Sir William was so completely awed by the

  • grandeur surrounding him, that he had but just courage enough to make a very low bow,

  • and take his seat without saying a word;

  • and his daughter, frightened almost out of her senses, sat on the edge of her chair,

  • not knowing which way to look.

  • Elizabeth found herself quite equal to the scene, and could observe the three ladies

  • before her composedly.

  • Lady Catherine was a tall, large woman, with strongly-marked features, which might

  • once have been handsome.

  • Her air was not conciliating, nor was her manner of receiving them such as to make

  • her visitors forget their inferior rank.

  • She was not rendered formidable by silence; but whatever she said was spoken in so

  • authoritative a tone, as marked her self- importance, and brought Mr. Wickham

  • immediately to Elizabeth's mind; and from

  • the observation of the day altogether, she believed Lady Catherine to be exactly what

  • he represented.

  • When, after examining the mother, in whose countenance and deportment she soon found

  • some resemblance of Mr. Darcy, she turned her eyes on the daughter, she could almost

  • have joined in Maria's astonishment at her being so thin and so small.

  • There was neither in figure nor face any likeness between the ladies.

  • Miss de Bourgh was pale and sickly; her features, though not plain, were

  • insignificant; and she spoke very little, except in a low voice, to Mrs. Jenkinson,

  • in whose appearance there was nothing

  • remarkable, and who was entirely engaged in listening to what she said, and placing a

  • screen in the proper direction before her eyes.

  • After sitting a few minutes, they were all sent to one of the windows to admire the

  • view, Mr. Collins attending them to point out its beauties, and Lady Catherine kindly

  • informing them that it was much better worth looking at in the summer.

  • The dinner was exceedingly handsome, and there were all the servants and all the

  • articles of plate which Mr. Collins had promised; and, as he had likewise foretold,

  • he took his seat at the bottom of the

  • table, by her ladyship's desire, and looked as if he felt that life could furnish

  • nothing greater.

  • He carved, and ate, and praised with delighted alacrity; and every dish was

  • commended, first by him and then by Sir William, who was now enough recovered to

  • echo whatever his son-in-law said, in a

  • manner which Elizabeth wondered Lady Catherine could bear.

  • But Lady Catherine seemed gratified by their excessive admiration, and gave most

  • gracious smiles, especially when any dish on the table proved a novelty to them.

  • The party did not supply much conversation.

  • Elizabeth was ready to speak whenever there was an opening, but she was seated between

  • Charlotte and Miss de Bourgh--the former of whom was engaged in listening to Lady

  • Catherine, and the latter said not a word to her all dinner-time.

  • Mrs. Jenkinson was chiefly employed in watching how little Miss de Bourgh ate,

  • pressing her to try some other dish, and fearing she was indisposed.

  • Maria thought speaking out of the question, and the gentlemen did nothing but eat and

  • admire.

  • When the ladies returned to the drawing- room, there was little to be done but to

  • hear Lady Catherine talk, which she did without any intermission till coffee came

  • in, delivering her opinion on every subject

  • in so decisive a manner, as proved that she was not used to have her judgement

  • controverted.

  • She inquired into Charlotte's domestic concerns familiarly and minutely, gave her

  • a great deal of advice as to the management of them all; told her how everything ought

  • to be regulated in so small a family as

  • hers, and instructed her as to the care of her cows and her poultry.

  • Elizabeth found that nothing was beneath this great lady's attention, which could

  • furnish her with an occasion of dictating to others.

  • In the intervals of her discourse with Mrs. Collins, she addressed a variety of

  • questions to Maria and Elizabeth, but especially to the latter, of whose

  • connections she knew the least, and who she

  • observed to Mrs. Collins was a very genteel, pretty kind of girl.

  • She asked her, at different times, how many sisters she had, whether they were older or

  • younger than herself, whether any of them were likely to be married, whether they

  • were handsome, where they had been

  • educated, what carriage her father kept, and what had been her mother's maiden name?

  • Elizabeth felt all the impertinence of her questions but answered them very

  • composedly.

  • Lady Catherine then observed, "Your father's estate is entailed on Mr.

  • Collins, I think.

  • For your sake," turning to Charlotte, "I am glad of it; but otherwise I see no occasion

  • for entailing estates from the female line. It was not thought necessary in Sir Lewis

  • de Bourgh's family.

  • Do you play and sing, Miss Bennet?" "A little."

  • "Oh! then--some time or other we shall be happy to hear you.

  • Our instrument is a capital one, probably superior to----You shall try it some day.

  • Do your sisters play and sing?" "One of them does."

  • "Why did not you all learn?

  • You ought all to have learned. The Miss Webbs all play, and their father

  • has not so good an income as yours. Do you draw?"

  • "No, not at all."

  • "What, none of you?" "Not one."

  • "That is very strange. But I suppose you had no opportunity.

  • Your mother should have taken you to town every spring for the benefit of masters."

  • "My mother would have had no objection, but my father hates London."

  • "Has your governess left you?"

  • "We never had any governess." "No governess!

  • How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without a

  • governess!

  • I never heard of such a thing. Your mother must have been quite a slave to

  • your education." Elizabeth could hardly help smiling as she

  • assured her that had not been the case.

  • "Then, who taught you? who attended to you? Without a governess, you must have been

  • neglected."

  • "Compared with some families, I believe we were; but such of us as wished to learn

  • never wanted the means. We were always encouraged to read, and had

  • all the masters that were necessary.

  • Those who chose to be idle, certainly might."

  • "Aye, no doubt; but that is what a governess will prevent, and if I had known

  • your mother, I should have advised her most strenuously to engage one.

  • I always say that nothing is to be done in education without steady and regular

  • instruction, and nobody but a governess can give it.

  • It is wonderful how many families I have been the means of supplying in that way.

  • I am always glad to get a young person well placed out.

  • Four nieces of Mrs. Jenkinson are most delightfully situated through my means; and

  • it was but the other day that I recommended another young person, who was merely

  • accidentally mentioned to me, and the family are quite delighted with her.

  • Mrs. Collins, did I tell you of Lady Metcalf's calling yesterday to thank me?

  • She finds Miss Pope a treasure.

  • 'Lady Catherine,' said she, 'you have given me a treasure.'

  • Are any of your younger sisters out, Miss Bennet?"

  • "Yes, ma'am, all."

  • "All! What, all five out at once? Very odd!

  • And you only the second. The younger ones out before the elder ones

  • are married!

  • Your younger sisters must be very young?" "Yes, my youngest is not sixteen.

  • Perhaps she is full young to be much in company.

  • But really, ma'am, I think it would be very hard upon younger sisters, that they should

  • not have their share of society and amusement, because the elder may not have

  • the means or inclination to marry early.

  • The last-born has as good a right to the pleasures of youth at the first.

  • And to be kept back on such a motive!

  • I think it would not be very likely to promote sisterly affection or delicacy of

  • mind."

  • "Upon my word," said her ladyship, "you give your opinion very decidedly for so

  • young a person. Pray, what is your age?"

  • "With three younger sisters grown up," replied Elizabeth, smiling, "your ladyship

  • can hardly expect me to own it."

  • Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer; and

  • Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with

  • so much dignified impertinence.

  • "You cannot be more than twenty, I am sure, therefore you need not conceal your age."

  • "I am not one-and-twenty." When the gentlemen had joined them, and tea

  • was over, the card-tables were placed.

  • Lady Catherine, Sir William, and Mr. and Mrs. Collins sat down to quadrille; and as

  • Miss de Bourgh chose to play at cassino, the two girls had the honour of assisting

  • Mrs. Jenkinson to make up her party.

  • Their table was superlatively stupid.

  • Scarcely a syllable was uttered that did not relate to the game, except when Mrs.

  • Jenkinson expressed her fears of Miss de Bourgh's being too hot or too cold, or

  • having too much or too little light.

  • A great deal more passed at the other table.

  • Lady Catherine was generally speaking-- stating the mistakes of the three others,

  • or relating some anecdote of herself.

  • Mr. Collins was employed in agreeing to everything her ladyship said, thanking her

  • for every fish he won, and apologising if he thought he won too many.

  • Sir William did not say much.

  • He was storing his memory with anecdotes and noble names.

  • When Lady Catherine and her daughter had played as long as they chose, the tables

  • were broken up, the carriage was offered to Mrs. Collins, gratefully accepted and

  • immediately ordered.

  • The party then gathered round the fire to hear Lady Catherine determine what weather

  • they were to have on the morrow.

  • From these instructions they were summoned by the arrival of the coach; and with many

  • speeches of thankfulness on Mr. Collins's side and as many bows on Sir William's they

  • departed.

  • As soon as they had driven from the door, Elizabeth was called on by her cousin to

  • give her opinion of all that she had seen at Rosings, which, for Charlotte's sake,

  • she made more favourable than it really was.

  • But her commendation, though costing her some trouble, could by no means satisfy Mr.

  • Collins, and he was very soon obliged to take her ladyship's praise into his own

  • hands.

CHAPTER 29

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