Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 30

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 morning 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 the

window in his own book-room, which fronted the road. The

room in which the ladies sat was backwards. Elizabeth had at

first rather wondered that Charlotte should not prefer the

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

had a more pleasant aspect; but she soon saw that her friend

had an excellent reason for what she did, for Mr. Collins would

undoubtedly have been much less in his own apartment, had they

sat in one equally lively; and she gave Charlotte credit for

the arrangement.

From the drawing-room they could distinguish nothing in the

lane, and were indebted to Mr. Collins for the knowledge of

what carriages went along, and how often especially Miss de

Bourgh drove by in her phaeton, which he never failed coming

to inform them of, though it happened almost every day. She

not unfrequently stopped at the Parsonage, and had a few

minutes' conversation with Charlotte, but was scarcely ever

prevailed upon to get out.

Very few days passed in which Mr. Collins did not walk to

Rosings, and not many in which his wife did not think it

necessary to go likewise; and till Elizabeth recollected that

there might be other family livings to be disposed of, she could

not understand the sacrifice of so many hours. Now and then

they were honoured with a call from her ladyship, and nothing

escaped her observation that was passing in the room during

these visits. She examined into their employments, looked at

their work, and advised them to do it differently; found fault

with the arrangement of the furniture; or detected the housemaid

in negligence; and if she accepted any refreshment, seemed to do

it only for the sake of finding out that Mrs. Collins's joints of

meat were too large for her family.

Elizabeth soon perceived, that though this great lady was not in