Summary: Chapters 27–29
In March, Elizabeth travels with Sir William
Lucas to visit Charlotte and her new husband, Mr. Collins. On the
way, they spend a night in London with Jane and the Gardiners. Elizabeth
and Mrs. Gardiner speak about Wickham’s attempts to win over Miss King.
Mrs. Gardiner is critical of him, calling him a “mercenary,” but
Elizabeth defends him, calling him prudent. Before Elizabeth leaves
London, the Gardiners invite her to accompany them on a tour, perhaps out to the lakes. Elizabeth
gleefully accepts.
When Elizabeth arrives in Hunsford, the location
of Mr. Collins’s parish, the clergyman greets her enthusiastically,
as does Charlotte. On the second day of her visit, she sees Miss
de Bourgh, Lady de Bourgh’s daughter, from a window. The girl is “sickly
and cross,” Elizabeth decides, and she imagines with some satisfaction
Darcy’s marrying such an unappealing person. Miss de Bourgh invites
them to dine at Rosings, a mansion that awes even Sir William Lucas
with its grandeur.
At dinner, Lady Catherine dominates the conversation.
After the meal, she grills Elizabeth concerning her upbringing,
deciding that the Bennet sisters have been badly reared. The failure
of Mrs. Bennet to hire a governess, the girls’ lack of musical and artistic
talents, and Elizabeth’s own impudence are all mentioned before
the end of the evening.
Summary: Chapters 30–32
Sir William departs after a week, satisfied with his daughter’s
contentment. Shortly thereafter, Darcy and a cousin named Colonel Fitzwilliam
visit their aunt at Rosings. When Mr. Collins pays his respects,
the two men accompany him back to his parsonage and visit briefly
with Elizabeth and Charlotte.
Another invitation to Rosings follows, and Colonel Fitzwilliam pays
special attention to Elizabeth during the dinner. After the meal, she
plays the pianoforte and pokes fun at Darcy, informing Colonel Fitzwilliam
of his bad behavior at the Meryton ball, at which he refused to
dance with her. Lady Catherine lectures Elizabeth on the proper
manner of playing the instrument, forcing Elizabeth to remain at
the keyboard until the end of the evening.
The next day, Darcy visits the parsonage and tells Elizabeth
that Bingley is unlikely to spend much of his time at Netherfield
Park in the future. The rest of their conversation is awkward, and
when Darcy departs, Charlotte declares that he must be in love with
Elizabeth, or he would never have called in such an odd manner.
In the days that follow, both Darcy and his cousin visit frequently,
however, and eventually Charlotte surmises that it is perhaps Colonel Fitzwilliam
who is interested in Elizabeth.
