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{205} 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.{206}”
“What, none of you?”