“Her daughter, Miss de Bourgh, will have a very large fortune, and it is

believed that she and her cousin will unite the two estates.”
This information made Elizabeth smile, as she thought of poor Miss

Bingley. Vain indeed must be all her attentions, vain and useless her

affection for his sister and her praise of himself, if he were already

self-destined to another.
“Mr. Collins,” said she, “speaks highly both of Lady Catherine and her

daughter; but, from some particulars{107} that he has related of her

Ladyship, I suspect his gratitude misleads him; and that, in spite of

her being his patroness, she is an arrogant, conceited woman.”
“I believe her to be both in a great degree,” replied Wickham; “I have

not seen her for many years; but I very well remember that I never liked

her, and that her manners were dictatorial and insolent. She has the

reputation of being remarkably sensible and clever; but I rather believe

she derives part of her abilities from her rank and fortune, part from

her authoritative manner, and the rest from the pride of her nephew, who

chooses that everyone connected with him should have an understanding of

the first class.”
Elizabeth allowed that he had given a very rational account of it, and

they continued talking together with mutual satisfaction till supper put

an end to cards, and gave the rest of the ladies their share of Mr.

Wickham’s attentions. There could be no conversation in the noise of

Mrs. Philips’s supper party, but his manners recommended him to

everybody. Whatever he said, was said well; and whatever he did, done

gracefully. Elizabeth went away with her head full of him. She could

think of nothing but of Mr. Wickham, and of what he had told her, all

the way home; but there was not time for her even to mention his name as

they went, for neither Lydia nor Mr. Collins were once silent. Lydia

talked incessantly of lottery tickets, of the fish she had lost and the