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Chapter 11 Elizabeth Visits Hunsford
In March, Elizabeth was visiting Hunsford, at Charlotte's invitation. She had not at first thought very seriously of going there, but she found that her friend was depending on the arrangement. Absence had increased her desire to see Charlotte again, and lessened her disgust for Mr Collins. The journey would also give her a moment with Jane as she would spend the night in London. She would travel with Sir William Lucas and his second daughter Maria.
It was only 24 miles to London, and they began early so that they could arrive before midday. As they drove to Mr Gardiner's door, Jane was at a sitting room window watching for their arrival. When they entered the hall, she was there to welcome them, and Elizabeth, looking closely at her face, was pleased to see it as healthy and beautiful as ever. On the stairs was a crowd of little girls and boys, whose eagerness for their cousin's appearance would not allow them to wait in the sitting room, and whose shyness, as they had not seen her for a year, prevented them from coming down any further.

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All was joy and kindness. The day passed away most pleasantly, the afternoon in shopping, and the evening at one of the theatres.
During the performance, Elizabeth managed to sit by her aunt. Their first subject was her sister, and she was more troubled than surprised to hear that, though Jane struggled to be cheerful, there were times when she was very sad. It was reasonable, though, to hope that this would not continue for too long.
Before they were separated by the end of the play, Elizabeth had the unexpected happiness of an invitation to go with her uncle and aunt on a tour which they planned to take in the summer.
'We have not quite decided how far it will take us,' said Mrs
Gardiner,'but perhaps to the Lakes.'
No plan could have been more welcome to Elizabeth, and her
acceptance of the invitation was immediate and grateful.
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Every object in the next day's journey was new and interesting to Elizabeth. When they left the main road for the smaller road to Hunsford, every eye was in search of the Parsonage. At last it appeared. Mr Collins and Charlotte were at the door, and the carriage stopped at the small gate among the smiles and greetings of the whole party. Mrs Collins welcomed her friend with the greatest pleasure, and Elizabeth was more and more pleased that she had come, as she found herself so warmly received.
She could not help thinking, as Mr Collins proudly showed her his house and furniture, that he wished to make her feel what she had lost by refusing him. She was not able to please him, though, by any sign of unhappiness; instead she looked with surprise at her friend, who could appear so cheerful with such a companion. After admiring the house, they were invited by their host to take a walk in the garden. One of his chief pleasures was
to work in the garden, and Elizabeth smiled to herself as she
heard Charlotte talk of the healthiness of the exercise, and say that she encouraged it as much as possible.
The house itself, though small, was neat and convenient, and when Mr Collins could be forgotten, there was a great feeling of comfort everywhere — and by Charlotte's enjoyment, which was quite plain, Elizabeth supposed he must often be forgotten.
It was mentioned at dinner that Lady Catherine was still in the country. Mr Collins poured out his praises of her kind attentions to himself and Charlotte, and expressed the expectation that she would honour Elizabeth with her notice.
The evening was spent chiefly in talking over the news from home, and when it had passed, Elizabeth, in the quietness of her own room, had to think over Charlotte's degree of satisfaction, to understand her skill in guiding her husband, and her self-control in managing to deal with him, and to admit that it was well done.
At around the middle of the next day, as she was in her room getting ready for a walk, a sudden noise below showed the whole house to be in a state of excitement, and, after listening for a moment, Elizabeth heard somebody running upstairs in a violent hurry, and calling loudly to her. She opened the door, and met Maria, who cried to her to come down that moment.
Elizabeth asked questions without success. Maria would tell her nothing more, and they ran down to the dining room in search of the cause of her excitement. It was two ladies stopping in a carriage at the garden gate.
'And is this all?' cried Elizabeth. 'I expected at least that the pigs had got into the garden, and here is nothing but Lady Catherine and her daughter!'
'My dear!' said Maria, quite shocked at the mistake. 'It is not Lady Catherine. The old lady is Mrs Jenkinson, who lives with them. The other is Miss de Bourgh. Only look at her. Who would have thought she could be so thin and small!'
'I like her appearance,' said Elizabeth, who was struck with

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other ideas. 'She looks weak and disagreeable. Yes, she will suit him very well. She will make him a very fitting wife.'