Chapter 31 Chapter Thirty

Sir William only stayed in Hunsford for a week, but after this short visit, he could do it: his daughter was married to his heart's desire, and had such a rare husband and such rare neighbors.While Sir William was here, Mr. Collins used to drive with him every morning in a hansom, and take him for country rambles;Thank goodness Elizabeth.Because this time as a guest, she didn't meet her cousin Collins very often.It turned out that during the period from breakfast to lunch, he was either tidying the garden, or reading and writing in his study facing the road, overlooking the distance from the window, and the sitting room for the ladies was in the back. between.Elizabeth was very strange at the beginning: the dining room here is bigger and the lighting is better. Why is Charlotte unwilling to use the dining room as a living room?But she saw at once that her friend was very justified in doing so, for Mr. Collins would spend less time in his own room if the lady guest were in an equally comfortable sitting-room. ; she appreciated Charlotte's arrangement.

From the parlour, they could not see the road at all, but Mr. Collins always wanted to tell them of any passing traffic;Miss Power drove by in her pony-cart almost every day, and never once did he fail to tell them.The Mademoiselle often stopped at the Vicar's door, and chatted with Charlotte for a few minutes, but the master never asked her to get out. Mr. Collins went to Rosings almost every day, and his wife every few days.Elizabeth always imagined that they had other entitlements to attend to, or she would not understand why so much time was sacrificed.Sometimes the wife would also visit their house, and when she came, she would see everything in the house.She asked them about their daily life, inspected their household affairs, advised them to do it differently; and found fault with their furniture, or their servants being lazy; if she would eat here, it seemed to be just In order to see if Mrs. Collins is thrifty in her household and does not eat and abuse.

Elizabeth at once saw that, though this lady did not hold the county sheriff, she was in fact the most active judge in her own parish, and that Mr. Collins reported to her every detail; When a poor person is quarreling, getting angry, or is too poor to survive, she will personally go to the village to mediate and deal with it, suppress and subdue them, and scold them so that they all live in peace and no longer complain about their misery. Rosings invited them to dine about once or twice a week; and though Sir William was absent, and there was only one table of cards, each such party was prepared in the same manner as the first.They scarcely had any other parties, for Collins was beyond his reach in the general style of life in the neighbourhood.Elizabeth was not sorry, however, for she was generally comfortable enough here: there were frequent half-hours' conversations with Charlotte, and the weather was fine this season, so that she could often go out of doors and enjoy herself.When others called on Mrs. Catelyn she always liked to go for a walk in the little wood by the garden, where there was a beautiful shady path, which she felt was the only place she could appreciate, and when she got there, so as not to arouse Lady Catelyn's curiosity.

Thus quietly passed her first two weeks as a guest.Easter was approaching, and a week before it there was a new guest at the Rosings house.In such a small circle, it was certainly a big deal.Elizabeth had heard, on her arrival, that Mr. Darcy would be coming within the next few weeks, and though she felt that almost no one she knew was so objectionable as Darcy, his presence would give Rosings the benefit of the doubt. It would be much more amusing to add a fresher-looking person to our party, and at the same time it can be seen from his attitude towards his cousin that Miss Bingley's plans for him are going to be completely thwarted.Mrs. Catelyn had evidently arranged for him with his cousin, and was very pleased with his coming, and praised him very much; It's almost like getting angry.

It was not long before the Collinses knew of Darcy's arrival; for the Mr. Vicar had been walking about the porterhouse at Hansford all that morning, in order to obtain as soon as possible certain news; to report the big news.The next morning, he hurried to Rosings to call on him.He was going to call on two of Lady Catelyn's nephews, for Mr. Darcy had brought along a Colonel Fitzwilliam, the youngest son of Uncle Darcy (Sir So-and-so).When Mr. Collins came home, he brought the two distinguished guests with him, to the astonishment of all.From her husband's room Charlotte saw the three of them coming across the road, and at once ran into the other room, and told the ladies that they would have a visitor shortly, adding:

Eliza, I have to thank you for this distinguished guest.Otherwise Mr. Darcy would not have called on me all at once. Elizabeth heard this compliment, and before she could reply, the bell rang, announcing the presence of the distinguished guest.After a while, the three guests and the host came into the room together.In the lead was Colonel Fitzwilliam, about thirty years old, not handsome, but by appearance and conversation, he was a real gentleman.Mr. Darcy, in his usual Hertfordshire self, greeted Mrs. Collins with his usual reserve.Though he might have had other feelings for her friend Elizabeth, he saw her with the utmost poise.Elizabeth only curtseyed to him, but said nothing.

Colonel Fitzwilliam immediately struck up conversation with everyone, articulate and well-bred, and with some good humor; but his cousin made only a few comments about the house and gardens with Mrs. Collins. , just sat there and didn't talk to anyone.After a while, returning to the question of manners, he greeted Elizabeth with regard to her well-being and that of all her family.Elizabeth, as usual, parried him a few words, paused for a moment, and then said: My sister has been in the city for the last three months.Have you never met her? In fact, she knew that he had never met Jane, but she just wanted to sound out his tone, to see if he knew the relationship between the Bingleys and Jane.He replied that he had unfortunately never met Miss Bennet, and she thought he looked a little flustered in reply.The matter was not discussed any further, and the two honored guests left at once.