Pride and Prejudice — Chapter Thirty-Seven (Abridged)

Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam left Rosings the next morning. Mr. Collins had been waiting near the gate to bow goodbye to them, and he happily reported that both men looked healthy, even after such a difficult visit. He then hurried to Rosings to comfort Lady Catherine and her daughter, and he came home pleased to say that Lady Catherine felt so bored without them that she wanted everyone to come and have dinner with her.

Elizabeth could not look at Lady Catherine without remembering that she might have become her niece, if she had chosen to accept Mr. Darcy. She smiled to herself, imagining how angry Lady Catherine would have been.

At dinner, Lady Catherine talked about how much she missed the two young men. "I feel it more than anyone could," she said. "They were terribly sad to leave. Darcy seemed to feel it more strongly this year than ever before." Mr. Collins quickly added a compliment, which pleased both Lady Catherine and her daughter.

Later, Lady Catherine noticed that Elizabeth seemed a little sad, and she guessed it was because Elizabeth did not want to go home yet. "You should write to your mother and ask to stay longer," she said.

"Thank you, but I cannot," Elizabeth replied. "I must be back in town by next Saturday."

"That means you will have stayed only six weeks! I expected two months. Surely your mother can spare you a little longer."

"My father cannot," Elizabeth said. "He wrote last week asking me to come home soon."

Lady Catherine offered to take one of the girls to London in her own carriage, since she was traveling there in June. But Elizabeth politely explained that they would follow their original plan instead. Lady Catherine then insisted that a servant must travel with the young women, since she believed it was improper for two girls to travel alone. Elizabeth explained that her uncle would already be sending a servant to meet them, which finally satisfied Lady Catherine.

During her last week at Hunsford, Elizabeth spent much of her free time thinking quietly about Mr. Darcy's letter. She had almost memorized it by now. Her feelings about him kept changing. Sometimes she still felt angry about the proud way he had spoken to her. But other times, she felt guilty for judging him so unfairly, and she began to feel sorry for him instead. She respected him and was grateful for his honesty, even though she still did not regret refusing his proposal.

She also felt disappointed in herself and in her own family. Her father only laughed at her younger sisters' silly behavior instead of correcting them, and her mother did not even notice how improperly they behaved. Elizabeth and Jane had often tried to guide Catherine and Lydia, but the two girls never listened, especially since their mother always encouraged them. They cared only about parties and about the soldiers stationed near their home.

She also thought sadly about Jane. Darcy's letter had proven that Bingley's feelings for Jane had been real and honest, which made Jane's loss feel even worse. It seemed clear now that Jane had lost a wonderful chance at happiness partly because of her own family's poor behavior. And remembering the truth about Wickham's character made Elizabeth feel even more troubled.

On their last evening at Rosings, Lady Catherine gave the girls detailed instructions about packing their bags properly, so many instructions that Maria had to unpack and repack her trunk again the next morning. When it was finally time to leave, Lady Catherine wished them a pleasant journey and invited them to visit again next year, while her daughter managed a polite curtsey and a handshake.