When Lady Catherine and her daughter had played as long as they chose,

the tables were broken up, the carriage was offered to Mrs. Collins,

gratefully accepted, and immediately ordered. The party then gathered

round the fire to hear Lady Catherine determine what weather they were

to have on the morrow. From these instructions they were summoned by the

arrival of the coach; and with many speeches of thankfulness on Mr.

Collins’s side, and as many bows on Sir William’s, they departed. As

soon as they had driven from the door, Elizabeth was called on by her

cousin to give her opinion of all that she had seen at Rosings, which,

for Charlotte’s sake, she made more favourable than it really was. But

her commendation, though costing her some trouble, could by no means

satisfy Mr. Collins, and he was very soon obliged to take her Ladyship’s

praise into his own hands.{209}

CHAPTER XXX.

SIR WILLIAM stayed only a week at Hunsford; but his visit was long

enough to convince him of his daughter’s being most comfortably settled,

and of her possessing such a husband and such a neighbour as were not

often met with. While Sir William was with them, Mr. Collins devoted his

mornings to driving him out in his gig, and showing him the country: but

when he went away, the whole family returned to their usual employments,

and Elizabeth was thankful to find that they did not see more of her

cousin by the alteration; for the chief of the time between breakfast

and dinner was now passed by him either at work in the garden, or in

reading and writing, and looking out of window in his own book room,

which fronted the road.{210} The room in which the ladies sat was backwards.

Elizabeth at first had rather wondered that Charlotte should not prefer

the dining parlour for common use; it was a better sized room, and had a

pleasanter aspect: but she soon saw that her friend had an excellent

reason for what she did, for Mr. Collins would undoubtedly have been