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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.

Chapter XVI

As 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

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