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'Her daughter, Miss de Bourgh, will have a very large

fortune, and it is believed that she and her cousin will unite

the two estates.'

This information made Elizabeth smile, as she thought

of poor Miss Bingley. Vain indeed must be all her attentions,

vain and useless her affection for his sister and her praise

of himself, if he were already self-destined to another.

'Mr. Collins,' said she, 'speaks highly both of Lady

Catherine and her daughter; but, from some particulars that

he has related of her Ladyship, I suspect his gratitude mis-

leads him; and that, in spite of her being his patroness, she

is an arrogant, conceited woman.'

'I believe her to be both in a great degree,' replied Wick-

ham: 'I have not seen her for many years; but I very well

remember that I never liked her, and that her manners were

dictatorial and insolent. She has the reputation of being

remarkably sensible and clever; but I rather believe she de-

rives part of her abilities from her rank and fortune, part

from her authoritative manner, and the rest from the pride

of her nephew, who chooses that every one connected with

him should have an understanding of the first class.'

Elizabeth allowed that he had given a very rational ac-

count of it, and they continued talking together with mutual

satisfaction till supper put an end to cards, and gave the rest

of the ladies their share of Mr. Wickham's attentions. There

could be no conversation in the noise of Mrs. Philips's sup-

per party, but his manners, recommended him to everybody.

Whatever he said, was said well; and whatever he did, done

gracefully. Elizabeth went away with her head full of him.

She could think of nothing but of Mr. Wickham, and of

what he had told her, all the way home; but there was not

time for her even to mention his name as they went, for

neither Lydia nor Mr. Collins was once silent. Lydia talked

incessantly of lottery tickets, of the fish she had lost and the

fish she had won; and Mr. Collins, in describing the civility

of Mr. and Mrs. Philips, protesting that he did not in the least

regard his losses at whist, enumerating all the dishes at sup-

per, and repeatedly fearing that he crowded his cousins, had

more to say than he could well manage before the carriage

stopped at Longbourn House.

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