Plot Summary
Chapter 28 of Pride and Prejudice follows Elizabeth Bennet's arrival at the Hunsford Parsonage with Sir William Lucas and Maria Lucas to visit Charlotte, now Mrs. Collins. The journey is pleasant, and Elizabeth's spirits are high after seeing Jane looking well in London and anticipating her northern tour. As the carriage approaches, everyone eagerly watches for the Parsonage, which sits alongside the palings of Rosings Park.
Arrival at the Parsonage
Mr. Collins and Charlotte greet the party at the door with warmth and ceremony. Elizabeth notes that her cousin's formal manners have not changed since his marriage -- he detains her at the gate with inquiries about her family and then welcomes them a second time inside with "ostentatious formality." Charlotte, however, receives Elizabeth with genuine affection, and Elizabeth is increasingly glad she came.
Mr. Collins Shows Off His Domain
Elizabeth observes Mr. Collins displaying every feature of the house with particular attention to her, as though wishing to make her feel what she lost in refusing his proposal. The house is neat and comfortable, but Elizabeth feels no regret. She watches Charlotte's skillful management: when Collins says something embarrassing, Charlotte "wisely did not hear." After an exhaustive tour of the parlour furniture, Collins leads the party through the garden, pointing out every walk, every field, and every distant clump of trees with tedious precision. The crowning glory, in his estimation, is the view of Rosings Park through an opening in the trees.
Charlotte's Quiet Contentment
When the ladies tour the house without Mr. Collins, Elizabeth sees that Charlotte has arranged everything with taste and good sense. There is "an air of great comfort throughout" when Collins can be forgotten, and Elizabeth concludes from Charlotte's evident enjoyment that he must be often forgotten. Charlotte has crafted a livable domestic space despite her husband's absurdity.
Lady Catherine and Dinner at Rosings
At dinner, Mr. Collins announces that Elizabeth will have "the honour" of seeing Lady Catherine de Bourgh at church on Sunday and lavishes praise on her condescension, boasting that her ladyship's carriage is regularly sent for them. Charlotte diplomatically calls Lady Catherine "a very respectable, sensible woman" and "a most attentive neighbour." That evening, Elizabeth privately meditates on Charlotte's degree of contentment and her skill in managing her husband, acknowledging "it was all done very well."
Miss de Bourgh's Visit
The next day, Maria Lucas rushes breathlessly to fetch Elizabeth to witness "such a sight" -- two ladies in a phaeton at the garden gate. Elizabeth expects something dramatic but finds only Lady Catherine's daughter, Miss de Bourgh, and her companion Mrs. Jenkinson. Miss de Bourgh is thin, small, and sickly-looking. Elizabeth, thinking of Darcy's reported engagement to her, remarks with quiet irony: "She will do for him very well. She will make him a very proper wife." While Collins and Charlotte converse with the visitors and Sir William bows reverently, the chapter closes with an invitation for the entire party to dine at Rosings the following day.