Pagina 236 di 817

Her daughters listened in silence to this effusion, sensible that

any attempt to reason with or soothe her would only increase the

irritation. She talked on, therefore, without interruption from

any of them till they were joined by Mr. Collins, who entered

with an air more stately than usual, and on perceiving whom, she

said to the girls,--

"Now, I do insist upon it, that you, all of you, hold your

tongues, and let Mr. Collins and me have a little conversation

together."

Elizabeth passed quietly out of the room, Jane and Kitty

followed, but Lydia stood her ground, determined to hear all she

could; and Charlotte, detained first by the civility of Mr.

Collins, whose inquiries after herself and all her family were

very minute, and then by a little curiosity, satisfied herself

with walking to the window and pretending not to hear. In a

doleful voice Mrs. Bennet thus began the projected

conversation:--

"Oh, Mr. Collins!"