第22章

Mrs. Philips was always glad to see her nieces，and the two eldest，from their recent absence，were particularly welcome，and she was eagerly expressing her surprise at their sudden return home，which，as their own carriage had not fetched them，she should have known nothing about，if she had not happened to see Mr.Jones's shop boy in the street，who had told her that they were not to send any more draughts to Netherfield because the Miss Bennets were come away，when her civility was claimed towards Mr.Collins by Jane's introduction of him.She received him with her very best politeness，which he returned with as much more，apologising for his intrusion，without any previous acquaintance with her，which he could not help flattering himself however might be justified by his relationship to the young ladies who introduced him to her notice.Mrs.Philips was quite awed by such an excess of good breeding；but her contemplation of one stranger was soon put an end to by exclamations and inquiries about the other，of whom，however，she could only tell her nieces what they already knew，that Mr.Denny had brought him from London，and that he was to have a lieutenant's commission in the—shire.She had been watching him the last hour，she said，as he walked up and down the street，and had Mr.Wickham appeared Kitty and Lydia would certainly have continued the occupation，but unluckily no one passed the windows now except a few of the officers，who in comparison with the stranger，were become'stupid，disagreeable fellows.'Some of them were to dine with the Philipses the next day，and their aunt promised to make her husband call on Mr.Wickham，and give him an invitation also，if the family from Longbourn would come in the evening.This was agreed to，and Mrs.Philips protested that they would have a nice comfortable noisy game of lottery tickets，and a little bit of hot supper afterwards.The prospect of such delights was very cheering，and they parted in mutual good spirits.Mr.Collins repeated his apologies in quitting the room，and was assured with unwearying civility that they were perfectly needless.

As they walked home，Elizabeth related to Jane what she had seen pass between the two gentlemen；but though Jane would have defended either or both，had they appeared to be wrong，she could no more explain such behaviour than her sister.

Mr. Collins on his return highly gratified Mrs.Bennet by admiring Mrs.Philips's manners and politeness.He protested that except Lady Catherine and her daughter，he had never seen a more elegant woman；for she had not only received him with the utmost civility，but had even pointedly included him in her invitation for the next evening，although utterly unknown to her before.Something he supposed might be attributed to his connection with them，but yet he had never met with so much attention in the whole course of his life.

XVI

A s no objection was made to the young people's engagement with their aunt，and all Mr. Collins's scruples of leaving Mr.and Mrs.Bennet for a single evening during his visit were most steadily resisted，the coach conveyed him and his five cousins at a suitable hour to Meryton；and the girls had the pleasure of hearing，as they entered the drawing-room，that Mr.Wickham had accepted their uncle's invitation，and was then in the house.

When this information was given，and they had all taken their seats，Mr. Collins was at leisure to look around him and admire，and he was so much struck with the size and furniture of the apartment，that he declared he might almost have supposed himself in the small summer breakfast parlour at Rosings；a comparison that did not at first convey much gratification；but when Mrs.Philips understood from him what Rosings was，and who was its proprietor，when she had listened to the deion of only one of Lady Catherine's drawing-rooms，and found that the chimney-piece alone had cost eight hundred pounds，she felt all the force of the compliment，and would hardly have resented a comparison with the housekeeper's room.

In describing to her all the grandeur of Lady Catherine and her mansion，with occasional digressions in praise of his own humble abode，and the improvements it was receiving，he was happily employed until the gentlemen joined them；and he found in Mrs. Philips a very attentive listener，whose opinion of his consequence increased with what she heard，and who was resolving to retail it all among her neighbours as soon as she could.To the girls，who could not listen to their cousin，and who had nothing to do but to wish for an instrument，and examine their own indifferent imitations of china on the mantlepiece，the interval of waiting appeared very long.It was over at last however.The gentlemen did approach；and when Mr.Wickham walked into the room，Elizabeth felt that she had neither been seeing him before，nor thinking of him since，with the smallest degree of unreasonable admiration.The officers of the—shire were in general a very creditable，gentlemanlike set，and the best of them were of the present party；but Mr.Wickham was as far beyond them all in person，countenance，air，and walk，as they were superior to the broad-faced stuffy uncle Philips，breathing port wine，who followed them into the room.

Mr. Wickham was the happy man towards whom almost every female eye was turned，and Elizabeth was the happy woman by whom he finally seated himself；and the agreeable manner in which he immediately fell into conversation，though it was only on its being a wet night，and on the probability of a rainy season，made her feel that the commonest，dullest，most threadbare topic might be rendered interesting by the skill of the speaker.