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Chapter XXXVII

The two gentlemen left Rosings the next morning; and

Mr. Collins having been in waiting near the lodges, to

make them his parting obeisance, was able to bring

home the pleasing intelligence of their appearing in very

good health, and in as tolerable spirits as could be expected,

after the melancholy scene so lately gone through at Rosings.

To Rosings he then hastened to console Lady Catherine and

her daughter; and on his return brought back, with great

satisfaction, a message from her Ladyship, importing that she

felt herself so dull as to make her very desirous of having

them all to dine with her.

Elizabeth could not see Lady Catherine without recollecting

that, had she chosen it, she might by this time have been

presented to her as her future niece; nor could she think,

without a smile, of what her Ladyship's indignation would

have been. 'What would she have said? how would she have

behaved?' were questions with which she amused herself.

Their first subject was the diminution of the Rosings

party. 'I assure you I feel it exceedingly,' said Lady Cath-

erine; 'I believe nobody feels the loss of friends so much as

I do. But I am particularly attached to these young men;

and know them to be so much attached to me! They were

excessively sorry to go! But so they always are. The dear

Colonel rallied his spirits tolerably till just at last; but Darcy

seemed to feel it most acutely -- more, I think, than last year.

His attachment to Rosings certainly increases.'

Mr. Collins had a compliment and an allusion to throw

in here, which were kindly smiled on by the mother and

daughter.

Lady Catherine observed, after dinner, that Miss Bennet

seemed out of spirits; and immediately accounting for it

herself, by supposing that she did not like to go home again

so soon, she added,--

'But if that is the case, you must write to your mother to

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