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CHAPTER 30
Sir William stayed only a week at Hunsford, but his visit was long enough to convince
him of his daughter's being most comfortably settled, and of her possessing
such a husband and such a neighbour as were not often met with.
While Sir William was with them, Mr. Collins devoted his morning to driving him
out in his gig, and showing him the country; but when he went away, the whole
family returned to their usual employments,
and Elizabeth was thankful to find that they did not see more of her cousin by the
alteration, for the chief of the time between breakfast and dinner was now passed
by him either at work in the garden or in
reading and writing, and looking out of the window in his own book-room, which fronted
the road. The room in which the ladies sat was
backwards.
Elizabeth had at first rather wondered that Charlotte should not prefer the dining-
parlour for common use; it was a better sized room, and had a more pleasant aspect;
but she soon saw that her friend had an
excellent reason for what she did, for Mr. Collins would undoubtedly have been much
less in his own apartment, had they sat in one equally lively; and she gave Charlotte
credit for the arrangement.
From the drawing-room they could distinguish nothing in the lane, and were
indebted to Mr. Collins for the knowledge of what carriages went along, and how often
especially Miss de Bourgh drove by in her
phaeton, which he never failed coming to inform them of, though it happened almost
every day.
She not unfrequently stopped at the Parsonage, and had a few minutes'
conversation with Charlotte, but was scarcely ever prevailed upon to get out.
Very few days passed in which Mr. Collins did not walk to Rosings, and not many in
which his wife did not think it necessary to go likewise; and till Elizabeth
recollected that there might be other
family livings to be disposed of, she could not understand the sacrifice of so many
hours.
Now and then they were honoured with a call from her ladyship, and nothing escaped her
observation that was passing in the room during these visits.
She examined into their employments, looked at their work, and advised them to do it
differently; found fault with the arrangement of the furniture; or detected
the housemaid in negligence; and if she
accepted any refreshment, seemed to do it only for the sake of finding out that Mrs.
Collins's joints of meat were too large for her family.
Elizabeth soon perceived, that though this great lady was not in commission of the
peace of the county, she was a most active magistrate in her own parish, the minutest
concerns of which were carried to her by
Mr. Collins; and whenever any of the cottagers were disposed to be quarrelsome,
discontented, or too poor, she sallied forth into the village to settle their
differences, silence their complaints, and scold them into harmony and plenty.
The entertainment of dining at Rosings was repeated about twice a week; and, allowing
for the loss of Sir William, and there being only one card-table in the evening,
every such entertainment was the counterpart of the first.
Their other engagements were few, as the style of living in the neighbourhood in
general was beyond Mr. Collins's reach.
This, however, was no evil to Elizabeth, and upon the whole she spent her time
comfortably enough; there were half-hours of pleasant conversation with Charlotte,
and the weather was so fine for the time of
year that she had often great enjoyment out of doors.
Her favourite walk, and where she frequently went while the others were
calling on Lady Catherine, was along the open grove which edged that side of the
park, where there was a nice sheltered
path, which no one seemed to value but herself, and where she felt beyond the
reach of Lady Catherine's curiosity. In this quiet way, the first fortnight of
her visit soon passed away.
Easter was approaching, and the week preceding it was to bring an addition to
the family at Rosings, which in so small a circle must be important.
Elizabeth had heard soon after her arrival that Mr. Darcy was expected there in the
course of a few weeks, and though there were not many of her acquaintances whom she
did not prefer, his coming would furnish
one comparatively new to look at in their Rosings parties, and she might be amused in
seeing how hopeless Miss Bingley's designs on him were, by his behaviour to his
cousin, for whom he was evidently destined
by Lady Catherine, who talked of his coming with the greatest satisfaction, spoke of
him in terms of the highest admiration, and seemed almost angry to find that he had
already been frequently seen by Miss Lucas and herself.
His arrival was soon known at the Parsonage; for Mr. Collins was walking the
whole morning within view of the lodges opening into Hunsford Lane, in order to
have the earliest assurance of it, and
after making his bow as the carriage turned into the Park, hurried home with the great
intelligence. On the following morning he hastened to
Rosings to pay his respects.
There were two nephews of Lady Catherine to require them, for Mr. Darcy had brought
with him a Colonel Fitzwilliam, the younger son of his uncle Lord ----, and, to the
great surprise of all the party, when Mr.
Collins returned, the gentlemen accompanied him.
Charlotte had seen them from her husband's room, crossing the road, and immediately
running into the other, told the girls what an honour they might expect, adding:
"I may thank you, Eliza, for this piece of civility.
Mr. Darcy would never have come so soon to wait upon me."
Elizabeth had scarcely time to disclaim all right to the compliment, before their
approach was announced by the door-bell, and shortly afterwards the three gentlemen
entered the room.
Colonel Fitzwilliam, who led the way, was about thirty, not handsome, but in person
and address most truly the gentleman.
Mr. Darcy looked just as he had been used to look in Hertfordshire--paid his
compliments, with his usual reserve, to Mrs. Collins, and whatever might be his
feelings toward her friend, met her with every appearance of composure.
Elizabeth merely curtseyed to him without saying a word.
Colonel Fitzwilliam entered into conversation directly with the readiness
and ease of a well-bred man, and talked very pleasantly; but his cousin, after
having addressed a slight observation on
the house and garden to Mrs. Collins, sat for some time without speaking to anybody.
At length, however, his civility was so far awakened as to inquire of Elizabeth after
the health of her family.
She answered him in the usual way, and after a moment's pause, added:
"My eldest sister has been in town these three months.
Have you never happened to see her there?"
She was perfectly sensible that he never had; but she wished to see whether he would
betray any consciousness of what had passed between the Bingleys and Jane, and she
thought he looked a little confused as he
answered that he had never been so fortunate as to meet Miss Bennet.
The subject was pursued no farther, and the gentlemen soon afterwards went away.