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 gentleman 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. _