nothing of Lady Catherine that spoke her awful from any extraordinary talents or miraculous
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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
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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?"
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"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