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Mr. Collins on his return highly gratified Mrs. Bennet by

admiring Mrs. Philips's manners and politeness. He protested

that, except Lady Catherine and her daughter, he had never seen a

more elegant woman; for she had not only received him with the

utmost civility, but had even pointedly included him in her

invitation for the next evening, although utterly unknown to her

before. Something, he supposed, might be attributed to his

connection with them, but yet he had never met with so much

attention in the whole course of his life.

CHAPTER XVI.

As no objection was made to the young people's engagement with

their aunt, and all Mr. Collins's scruples of leaving Mr. and

Mrs. Bennet for a single evening during his visit were most

steadily resisted, the coach conveyed him and his five cousins at

a suitable hour to Meryton; and the girls had the pleasure of

hearing, as they entered the drawing-room, that Mr. Wickham had

accepted their uncle's invitation, and was then in the house.