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- pride-and-prejudice
- text
- introduction at Rosings with as much apprehension as her father had done
to his presentation at St. James’s.
As the weather was fine, they had a pleasant walk of about half a mile
across the park. Every park has its beauty and its prospects; and
Elizabeth saw much to be pleased with, though she could not be in such
raptures as Mr. Collins expected the scene to inspire, and was but
slightly affected by his enumeration of the windows in front of the
house, and his relation of what the glazing altogether had originally
cost Sir Lewis de Bourgh.
When they ascended the steps to the hall, Maria’s alarm was every moment
increasing, and even Sir William did not look perfectly calm.
Elizabeth’s courage did not fail her. She had heard nothing of Lady
Catherine that spoke her awful from any extraordinary talents or
miraculous virtue, and the mere stateliness of money and 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 finished ornaments, they followed
the servants through an antechamber 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 had 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
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
the dinnertime. 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 judgment controverted. She inquired into Charlotte’s domestic
concerns familiarly and minutely, and 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 for 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?”
“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 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.”
“Ay, no doubt: but that is what a governess will prevent; and if I had
known your mother, I should have advised her most strenuously to engage
one. I always say that nothing is to be done in education without steady
and regular instruction, and nobody but a governess can give it.