Plot Summary
Chapter 38 of Pride and Prejudice marks Elizabeth's departure from Hunsford Parsonage after her eventful six-week stay with Charlotte and Mr. Collins. The chapter serves as a transitional moment between the dramatic events at Rosings -- Darcy's proposal, his letter -- and Elizabeth's return to her family, where she must process everything she has learned.
Mr. Collins's Parting Civilities
The chapter opens on a Saturday morning with Mr. Collins cornering Elizabeth at breakfast before the others appear, seizing the opportunity for a farewell speech. In his characteristically pompous style, he assures Elizabeth that despite the "humble abode" with its "small rooms and few domestics," the connection to Rosings and Lady Catherine has surely prevented her visit from being "entirely irksome." His self-congratulation reaches comic heights as he declares that he and Charlotte have "but one mind and one way of thinking" and seem to have been "designed for each other," oblivious to the irony of these claims.
Elizabeth's Private Reflections on Charlotte
Elizabeth plays the gracious guest, expressing genuine thanks for Charlotte's kind attentions. Yet Austen reveals Elizabeth's private thoughts: "Poor Charlotte!" She finds it melancholy to leave her friend to "such society," though she acknowledges Charlotte chose this life "with her eyes open." The narrator notes that Charlotte, while "evidently regretting that her visitors were to go," does not ask for compassion -- her home, housekeeping, parish, and poultry "had not yet lost their charms."
The Journey to London and the Weight of Secrets
After an affectionate farewell between the friends and a last flurry of commissions from Mr. Collins -- including the comically belated reminder to send respects to Lady Catherine -- Elizabeth and Maria Lucas depart. Maria's innocent excitement about dining "nine times at Rosings" contrasts sharply with Elizabeth's sigh and private reflection: "And how much I shall have to conceal!" They arrive at the Gardiners' house in London within four hours. Jane is there and looks well, but Elizabeth resists the powerful temptation to tell her sister about Darcy's proposal, held back by uncertainty about how much to reveal and fear of causing Jane pain by mentioning Bingley.