mr.collins'striumphinconsequenceofthisinvitationwascomplete.thepowerofdisplayingthegrandeurofhispatronesstohiswonderingvisitors,andoflettingthemseehercivilitytowardshimselfandhiswife,wasexactlywhathehadwishedfor;andthatanopportunityofdoingitshouldbegivensosoonwassuchaninstanceofladycatherine'scondescensionasheknewnothowtoadmireenough.

"iconfess,"saidhe,"thatishouldnothavebeenatallsurprisedbyherladyship'saskingusonsundaytodrinkteaandspendtheeveningatrosings.iratherexpected,frommyknowledgeofheraffability,thatitwouldhappen.butwhocouldhaveforeseensuchanattentionasthis?whocouldhaveimaginedthatweshouldreceiveaninvitationtodinethere(aninvitationmoreoverincludingthewholeparty)soimmediatelyafteryourarrival!"

"iamthelesssurprisedatwhathashappened,"repliedsirwilliam,"fromthatknowledgeofwhatthemannersofthegreatreallyare,whichmysituationinlifehasallowedmetoacquire.aboutthecourt,suchinstancesofelegantbreedingarenotuncommon."

scarcelyanythingwastalkedofthewholeday,ornextmorning,buttheirvisittorosings.mr.collinswascarefullyinstructingtheminwhattheyweretoexpect,thatthesightofsuchrooms,somanyservants,andsosplendidadinnermightnotwhollyoverpowerthem.

whentheladieswereseparatingforthetoilette,hesaidtoelizabeth,

"donotmakeyourselfuneasy,mydearcousin,aboutyourapparel.ladycatherineisfarfromrequiringthateleganceofdressinus,whichbecomesherselfanddaughter.iwouldadviseyoumerelytoputonwhateverofyourclothesissuperiortotherest,thereisnooccasionforanythingmore.ladycatherinewillnotthinktheworseofyouforbeingsimplydressed.shelikestohavethedistinctionofrankpreserved."

whiletheyweredressing,hecametwoorthreetimestotheirdifferentdoors,torecommendtheirbeingquick,asladycatherineverymuchobjectedtobekeptwaitingforherdinner.—suchformidableaccountsofherladyship,andhermannerofliving,quitefrightenedmarialucas,whohadbeenlittleusedtocompany,andshelookedforwardtoherintroductionatrosingswithasmuchapprehension,asherfatherhaddonetohispresentationatst.james's.

astheweatherwasfine,theyhadapleasantwalkofabouthalfamileacrossthepark.—everyparkhasitsbeautyanditsprospects;andelizabethsawmuchtobepleasedwith,thoughshecouldnotbeinsuchrapturesasmr.collinsexpectedthescenetoinspire,andwasbutslightlyaffectedbyhisenumerationofthewindowsinfrontofthehouse,andhisrelationofwhattheglazingaltogetherhadoriginallycostsirlewisdebourgh.

whentheyascendedthestepstothehall,maria'salarmwaseverymomentincreasing,andevensirwilliamdidnotlookperfectlycalm.—elizabeth'scouragedidnotfailher.shehadheardnothingofladycatherinethatspokeherawfulfromanyextraordinarytalentsormiraculousvirtue,andthemerestatelinessofmoneyandrankshethoughtshecouldwitnesswithouttrepidation.

fromtheentrancehall,ofwhichmr.collinspointedout,witharapturousair,thefineproportionandfinishedornaments,theyfollowedtheservantsthroughanantechamber,totheroomwhereladycatherine,herdaughter,andmrs.jenkinsonweresitting.—herladyship,withgreatcondescension,arosetoreceivethem;andasmrs.collinshadsettleditwithherhusbandthattheofficeofintroductionshouldbeher's,itwasperformedinapropermanner,withoutanyofthoseapologiesandthankswhichhewouldhavethoughtnecessary.

inspiteofhavingbeenatst.james's,sirwilliamwassocompletelyawedbythegrandeursurroundinghim,thathehadbutjustcourageenoughtomakeaverylowbow,andtakehisseatwithoutsayingaword;andhisdaughter,frightenedalmostoutofhersenses,satontheedgeofherchair,notknowingwhichwaytolook.elizabethfoundherselfquiteequaltothescene,andcouldobservethethreeladiesbeforehercomposedly.—ladycatherinewasatall,largewoman,withstrongly-markedfeatures,whichmightoncehavebeenhandsome.herairwasnotconciliating,norwashermannerofreceivingthemsuchastomakehervisitorsforgettheirinferiorrank.shewasnotrenderedformidablebysilence;butwhatevershesaidwasspokeninsoauthoritativeatoneasmarkedherself-importance,andbroughtmr.wickhamimmediatelytoelizabeth'smind;andfromtheobservationofthedayaltogether,shebelievedladycatherinetobeexactlywhathehadrepresented.

when,afterexaminingthemother,inwhosecountenanceanddeportmentshesoonfoundsomeresemblanceofmr.darcy,sheturnedhereyesonthedaughter,shecouldalmosthavejoinedinmaria'sastonishmentatherbeingsothin,andsosmall.therewasneitherinfigurenorfaceanylikenessbetweentheladies.missdebourghwaspaleandsickly;herfeatures,thoughnotplain,wereinsignificant;andshespokeverylittle,exceptinalowvoicetomrs.jenkinson,inwhoseappearancetherewasnothingremarkable,andwhowasentirelyengagedinlisteningtowhatshesaid,andplacingascreenintheproperdirectionbeforehereyes.

aftersittingafewminutes,theywereallsenttooneofthewindowstoadmiretheview,mr.collinsattendingthemtopointoutitsbeauties,andladycatherinekindlyinformingthemthatitwasmuchbetterworthlookingatinthesummer.

thedinnerwasexceedinglyhandsome,andtherewerealltheservants,andallthearticlesofplatewhichmr.collinshadpromised;and,ashehadlikewiseforetold,hetookhisseatatthebottomofthetable,byherladyship'sdesire,andlookedasifhefeltthatlifecouldfurnishnothinggreater.—hecarved,andate,andpraisedwithdelightedalacrity;andeverydishwascommended,firstbyhim,andthenbysirwilliam,whowasnowenoughrecoveredtoechowhateverhissoninlawsaid,inamannerwhichelizabethwonderedladycatherinecouldbear.butladycatherineseemedgratifiedbytheirexcessiveadmiration,andgavemostgracioussmiles,especiallywhenanydishonthetableprovedanoveltytothem.thepartydidnotsupplymuchconversation.elizabethwasreadytospeakwhenevertherewasanopening,butshewasseatedbetweencharlotteandmissdebourgh—theformerofwhomwasengagedinlisteningtoladycatherine,andthelattersaidnotawordtoheralldinnertime.mrs.jenkinsonwaschieflyemployedinwatchinghowlittlemissdebourghate,pressinghertotrysomeotherdish,andfearingshewereindisposed.mariathoughtspeakingoutofthequestion,andthegentlemendidnothingbuteatandadmire.

whentheladiesreturnedtothedrawingroom,therewaslittletobedonebuttohearladycatherinetalk,whichshedidwithoutanyintermissiontillcoffeecamein,deliveringheropiniononeverysubjectinsodecisiveamannerasprovedthatshewasnotusedtohaveherjudgmentcontroverted.sheenquiredintocharlotte'sdomesticconcernsfamiliarlyandminutely,andgaveheragreatdealofadviceastothemanagementofthemall;toldherhoweverythingoughttoberegulatedinsosmallafamilyasher's,andinstructedherastothecareofhercowsandherpoultry.elizabethfoundthatnothingwasbeneaththisgreatlady'sattention,whichcouldfurnishherwithanoccasionofdictatingtoothers.intheintervalsofherdiscoursewithmrs.collins,sheaddressedavarietyofquestionstomariaandelizabeth,butespeciallytothelatter,ofwhoseconnectionssheknewtheleast,andwho,sheobservedtomrs.collins,wasaverygenteel,prettykindofgirl.sheaskedheratdifferenttimes,howmanysistersshehad,whethertheywereolderoryoungerthanherself,whetheranyofthemwerelikelytobemarried,whethertheywerehandsome,wheretheyhadbeeneducated,whatcarriageherfatherkept,andwhathadbeenhermother'smaidenname?—elizabethfeltalltheimpertinenceofherquestions,butansweredthemverycomposedly.—ladycatherinethenobserved,

"yourfather'sestateisentailedonmr.collins,ithink.foryoursake,"turningtocharlotte,"iamgladofit;butotherwiseiseenooccasionforentailingestatesfromthefemaleline.itwasnotthoughtnecessaryinsirlewisdebourgh'sfamily.doyouplayandsing,missbennet?"

"alittle."

"oh!then—sometimeorotherweshallbehappytohearyou.ourinstrumentisacapitalone,probablysuperiorto—youshalltryitsomeday.—doyoursistersplayandsing?"

"oneofthemdoes."

"whydidnotyoualllearn?—yououghtalltohavelearned.themisswebbsallplay,andtheirfatherhasnotsogoodanincomeasyour's.—doyoudraw?"

"no,notatall."