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without speaking to anybody. At length, however, his civility

was so far awakened as to inquire of Elizabeth after the health

of her family. She answered him in the usual way, and after a

moment's pause, added,

'My eldest sister has been in town these three months. Have

you never happened to see her there?'

She was perfectly sensible that he never had; but she wished to

see whether he would betray any consciousness of what had

passed between the Bingleys and Jane; and she thought he looked

a little confused as he answered that he had never been so fortunate

as to meet Miss Bennet. The subject was pursued no farther, and

the gentlemen soon afterwards went away.

Chapter XXXI

Colonel Fitzwilliam's manners were very much admired at

the Parsonage, and the ladies all felt that he must add considerably

to the pleasure of their engagements at Rosings. It was some

days, however, before they received any invitation thither, for

while there were visitors in the house, they could not be necessary;

and it was not till Easter^day, almost a week after the gentlemen's

arrival, that they were honoured by such an attention, and then

they were merely asked on leaving church to come there in the

evening. For the last week they had seen very little of either

Lady Catherine or her daughter. Colonel Fitzwilliam had

called at the Parsonage more than once during the time, but

Mr. Darcy they had only seen at church.

The invitation was accepted of course, and at a proper hour

they joined the party in Lady Catherine's drawing room. Her

ladyship received them civilly, but it was plain that their company

was by no means so acceptable as when she could get nobody

else; and she was, in fact, almost engrossed by her nephews,

speaking to them, especially to Darcy, much more than to any

other person in the room.

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