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Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer ; and Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence . “ You cannot be more than twenty , I am sure , — therefore you need not conceal your age . ” “ I am not one - and - twenty . ” When the gentlemen had joined them , and tea was over , the card tables were placed . Lady Catherine , Sir William , and Mr . and Mrs . Collins sat down to quadrille ; and as Miss De Bourgh chose to play at cassino , the two girls had the honour of assisting Mrs . Jenkinson to make up her party . Their table was superlatively stupid . Scarcely a syllable was uttered that did not relate to the game , except when Mrs . Jenkinson expressed her fears of Miss De Bourgh’s being too hot or too cold , or having too much or too little light . A great deal more passed at the other table . Lady Catherine was generally speaking — stating the mistakes of the three others , or relating some anecdote of herself . Mr . Collins was employed in agreeing to everything her Ladyship said , thanking her for every fish he won , and apologizing if he thought he won too many . Sir William did not say much . He was storing his memory with anecdotes and noble names . When Lady Catherine and her daughter had played as long as they chose , the tables were broken up , the carriage was offered to Mrs . Collins , gratefully accepted , and immediately ordered . The party then gathered round the fire to hear Lady Catherine determine what weather they were to have on the morrow . From these instructions they were summoned by the arrival of the coach ; and with many speeches of thankfulness on Mr . Collins’s side , and as many bows on Sir William’s , they departed . As soon as they had driven from the door , Elizabeth was called on by her cousin to give her opinion of all that she had seen at Rosings , which , for Charlotte’s sake , she made more favourable than it really was . But her commendation , though costing her some trouble , could by no means satisfy Mr . Collins , and he was very soon obliged to take her Ladyship’s praise into his own hands . CHAPTER XXX . SIR WILLIAM stayed only a week at Hunsford ; but his visit was long enough to convince him of his daughter’s being most comfortably settled , and of her possessing such a husband and such a neighbour as were not often met with . While Sir William was with them , Mr . Collins devoted his mornings to driving him out in his gig , and showing him the country : but when he went away , the whole family returned to their usual employments , and Elizabeth was thankful to find that they did not see more of her cousin by the alteration ; for the chief of the time between breakfast and dinner was now passed by him either at work in the garden , or in reading and writing , and looking out of window in his own book room , which fronted the road .
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