Every object in the next day's journey was new and interesting to Elizabeth; and her spirits were in a state for enjoyment; for she had seen her sister looking so well as to banish all fear for her health, and the prospect of her northern tour was a constant source of delight.
When they left the high-road for the lane to Hunsford, every eye was in search of the Parsonage, and every turning expected to bring it in view. The palings of Rosings Park was their boundary on one side. Elizabeth smiled at the recollection of all that she had heard of its inhabitants.
At length the Parsonage was discernable. The garden sloping to the road, the house standing in it, the green pales and the laurel hedge, everything declared that they were arriving. Mr. Collins and Charlotte appeared at the door, and the carriage stopped at a small gate, which led by a short gravel walk to the house, amidst the nods and smiles of the whole party. In a moment they were all out of the chaise, rejoicing at the sight of each other. Mrs. Collins welcomed her friend with the liveliest pleasure, and Elizabeth was more and more satisfied with coming, when she found herself so affectionately received. She saw instantly that her cousin's manners were not altered by his marriage; his formal civility was just what it had been, and he detained her some minutes at the gate to hear and satisfy his enquiries after all her family. They were then, with no other delay than his pointing out the neatness of the entrance, taken into the house; and as soon as they were in the parlour, he welcomed them a second time with ostentatious formality to his humble abode, and punctually repeated all his wife's offers of refreshment.
Elizabeth was prepared to see him in his glory; and she could not help fancying that in displaying the good proportion of the room, its aspect and its furniture, he addressed himself particularly to her, as if wishing to make her feel what she had lost in refusing him. But though every thing seemed neat and comfortable, she was not able to gratify him by any sigh of repentance; and rather looked with wonder at her friend that she could have so cheerful an air, with such a companion. When Mr. Collins said any thing of which his wife might reasonably be ashamed, which certainly was not unseldom, she involuntarily turned her eye on Charlotte. Once or twice she could discern a faint blush; but in general Charlotte wisely did not hear. After sitting long enough to admire every article of furniture in the room, from the sideboard to the fender, to give an account of their journey, and of all that had happened in London, Mr. Collins invited them to take a stroll in the garden, which was large and well laid out, and to the cultivation of which he attended himself. To work in his garden was one of his most respectable pleasures; and Elizabeth admired the command of countenance with which Charlotte talked of the healthfulness of the excercise, and owned she encouraged it as much as possible. Here, leading the way through every walk and cross walk, and scarcely allowing them an interval to utter the praises he asked for, every view was pointed out with a minuteness which left beauty entirely behind. He could number the fields in every direction, and could tell how many trees there were in the most distant clump. But of all the views which his garden, or which the country, or the kingdom could boast, none were to be compared with the prospect of Rosings, afforded by an opening in the trees that bordered the park nearly opposite the front of his house. It was a handsome modern building, well situated on rising ground.
From his garden, Mr. Collins would have led them round his two meadows, but the ladies, not having shoes to encounter the remains of a white frost, turned back; and while Sir William accompanied him, Charlotte took her sister and friend over the house, extremely well pleased, probably, to have the opportunity of shewing it without her husband's help. It was rather small, but well built and convenient; and everything was fitted up and arranged with a neatness and consistency of which Elizabeth gave Charlotte all the credit. When Mr. Collins could be forgotten, there was really a great air of comfort throughout, and by Charlotte's evident enjoyment of it, Elizabeth supposed he must be often forgotten. She had already learnt that Lady Catherine was still in the country. It was spoken of again while they were at dinner, when Mr. Collins joining in, observed,
"Yes, Miss Elizabeth, you will have the honour of seeing Lady Catherine de Bourgh on the ensuing Sunday at church, and I need not say you will be delighted with her. She is all affability and condescension, and I doubt not but you will be honoured with some portion of her notice when service is over. I have scarcely any hesitation in saying that she will include you and my sister Maria in every invitation with which she honours us during your stay here. Her behaviour to my dear Charlotte is charming. We dine at Rosings twice every week, and are never allowed to walk home. Her ladyship's carriage is regularly ordered for us. I should say, one of her ladyship's carriages, for she has several."
"Lady Catherine is a very respectable, sensible woman indeed," added Charlotte, "and a most attentive neighbour."
"Very true, my dear, that is exactly what I say. She is the sort of woman whom one cannot regard with too much deference."
The evening was spent chiefly in talking over Hertfordshire news, and telling again what had been already written; and when it closed, Elizabeth, in the solitude of her chamber, had to meditate upon Charlotte's degree of contentment, to understand her address in guiding, and composure in bearing with her husband, and to acknowledge that it was all done very well. She had also to anticipate how her visit would pass, the quiet tenor of their usual employments, the vexatious interruptions of Mr. Collins, and the gaieties of their intercourse with Rosings. A lively imagination soon settled it all. About the middle of the next day, as she was in her room getting ready for a walk, a sudden noise below seemed to speak the whole house in confusion; and after listening a moment, she heard somebody running up stairs in a violent hurry, and calling loudly after her. She opened the door, and met Maria in the landing place, who, breathless with agitation, cried out,
"Oh, my dear Eliza! pray make haste and come into the dining-room, for there is such a sight to be seen! I will not tell you what it is. Make haste, and come down this moment."
Elizabeth asked questions in vain; Maria would tell her nothing more, and down they ran into the dining-room, which fronted the lane, in quest of this wonder; it was two ladies stopping in a low phaeton at the garden gate.
"And is this all?" cried Elizabeth. "I expected at least that the pigs were got into the garden, and here is nothing but Lady Catherine and her daughter!"
"La! my dear," said Maria quite shocked at the mistake, "it is not Lady Catherine. The old lady is Mrs. Jenkinson, who lives with them. The other is Miss De Bourgh. Only look at her. She is quite a little creature. Who would have thought she could be so thin and small!"
"She is abominably rude to keep Charlotte out of doors in all this wind. Why does she not come in?"
"Oh! Charlotte says, she hardly ever does. It is the greatest of favours when Miss De Bourgh comes in."
"I like her appearance," said Elizabeth, struck with other ideas. "She looks sickly and cross. -- Yes, she will do for him very well. She will make him a very proper wife."
Mr. Collins and Charlotte were both standing at the gate in conversation with the ladies; and Sir William, to Elizabeth's high diversion, was stationed in the doorway, in earnest contemplation of the greatness before him, and constantly bowing whenever Miss De Bourgh looked that way.
At length there was nothing more to be said; the ladies drove on, and the others returned into the house. Mr. Collins no sooner saw the two girls than he began to congratulate them on their good fortune, which Charlotte explained by letting them know that the whole party was asked to dine at Rosings the next day.
--正文
第二天的旅程对于伊丽莎白来说，每一样东西都是崭新的。见到自己姐姐气色很好， 她多日来的担心都消除了，此时她完全沉浸在快乐里，她对这次北上之旅充满了期待。
当他们从大道换到了小道，赶去夯斯屯时，每个人都在找着柯林斯那栋房子，每次转弯大家都以为能看到它。他们一直沿着罗星庄园的围栏朝前走。伊丽莎白想起来之前听说过的，关于房主人的种种故事，不禁笑了起来。
终于，能看到柯林斯的那栋牧师宅子了。花园紧挨着大路，而那个房子正好在花园中间，绿色的栅栏，和月桂树篱交相辉映...所有的一切，都宣布了他们的到来。柯林斯和夏洛特出现在门前，马车在一个小门前停下，在大家的点头致意和欢声笑语中，他们穿过一段沙石小路，最终来到了房子面前。不一会大家都下了马车，沉浸在见到彼此的欣喜之中。柯林斯太太无比热情的迎接了她的朋友，而伊丽莎白发现夏洛特如此热情，对这次选择来访也就越来越满意了。她发现柯林斯并没有因为结了婚，风格而有所改变。他还是一如既往得正式，在门口还留了伊丽莎白几分钟，询问她家里的每个人是否安好，而他对答案也十分满意。柯林斯也就没有再耽搁大家，在指给了大家看入口是多么整洁后，也就把大伙带进了屋。一到客厅后，他又十分摆谱地第二次欢迎大家光临寒舍，并把他太太准备的甜点一一介绍了遍。
伊丽莎白早就预料到柯林斯这番容光焕发的样子。她忍不住得想，柯林斯在那夸耀房子的良好布局，外观和家具的时候，他好像是特地说给自己听的，好像是为了让她觉得当初拒绝他，是多么大的损失。但是尽管这屋里干净舒适，伊丽莎白没有失望地叹一口气。恰恰相反，她看到夏洛特跟柯林斯这样的人在一起，竟然还能如此开心，这倒让她满脸好奇。当柯林斯说着可能让自己老婆难为情的话的时候，而这种情况一点也不少见，伊丽莎白不自觉地望向了夏洛特。有那么一两次，她看到夏洛特好像微微脸红了一下下。但是大多数时候，夏洛特很聪明地选择不听。他们坐了好一会，从餐具柜看到壁炉栅栏，他们观赏了屋里的每一个家具，然后又聊到了旅途中的事情，然后又说到了伦敦发生的事情。最终，柯林斯邀请他们到花园里逛逛。花园很大而且布置得很好看，也能看得出柯林斯是精心照料的。照料这个花园是他最喜欢的事情之一。夏洛特说起经常锻炼有益健康，伊丽莎白很钦佩她说这话时镇定自若的神气。夏洛特也很鼓励这么做。柯林斯领着他们在花园里穿来穿去，但是又没留什么时间给他们夸夸这花园，每处的景色都是随便提了提，把真正的美景都给抛到了脑后，别人想夸几句也说不上嘴。他能说出每个方向有几块地，也能分辨出最远的土堆上面能有几棵树。但是他自己花园里的景色，或者这片村子里的景色，甚至整个国家的景色，都比不上罗星花园的那一抹美景。柯林斯房子对面有一片树林，正挨着罗星花园，透过那里的一个缺口可以看到——一栋漂亮的现代建筑正端坐在罗星的土地上。
本来柯林斯还想带着客人去两片牧场上看看的，但是姑娘们没有鞋子再去霜地里走了，于是一行人就返回了。威廉姆爵士跟柯林斯作陪的时候，夏洛特就带着妹妹和伊丽莎白在屋里转了转，她非常高兴能自己带着客人看看，而不是靠丈夫陪着。房子其实不大，但是建造得很好，住起来也挺方便。房间里每样东西都布置得很好，干净整洁，伊丽莎白觉得这都是夏洛特的功劳。没人想起柯林斯的时候，大家都待得挺舒服。而从夏洛特享受的样子来看，伊丽莎白觉得柯林斯应该常常被遗忘。她已经知道了卡瑟林夫人还在村子里。吃晚饭的时候，又聊起了这个话题，柯林斯见机行事，插嘴说：“
是啊，伊丽莎白小姐，这周日你来教堂就能一睹卡瑟林.德.包尔夫人的尊容了。不必说，你肯定会很喜欢她的。卡瑟林夫人为人十分亲和，又没有什么架子，礼拜结束她会跟你说些话，我想你肯定会倍感荣幸的。我可以毫不犹疑的说，只要你在这住，卡瑟林夫人一邀请我们过去，就一定会把你和玛丽亚妹妹都捎带上。她对我的夏洛特很好。我们每周去罗星吃两次晚餐，从来不让我们走回来，每次都会派她老人家的车送我们回来。我应该说她的一辆车，因为她有好几辆。”
“卡瑟林夫人是个十分可敬的，明事理的人，”夏洛特补充说，“而且还是个十分关心人的邻居。”
“说得太对了，亲爱的，我就是这个意思。她是那种值得尊重的夫人，怎么尊重都不为过。”
当晚基本上都在讨论赫特福德的新闻，又聊了些信上写的旧事。晚餐结束后，伊丽莎白独自在房间里，想象着夏洛特对这种生活究竟有多满意，又试着理解她领着参观时说的话，以及她应付丈夫时的沉着镇定，最终伊丽莎白确定这些事情做得都很好。她也想象了这次拜访会如何度过：平淡安静的日常起居，柯林斯那惹人厌的插科打诨，还有在罗星花园的有趣拜访。伊丽莎白那活跃的想象力很快把一切都搞定了。第二天大约中午的时候，她正在屋里准备出去走走，楼下突然传出一阵噪声，屋子一下子吵闹了起来。听了一阵子后，伊丽莎白听到有个人匆匆忙忙地爬上楼梯，大声得叫她。她打开们看到玛丽亚站在楼梯口，气喘吁吁得说：“
哦，我亲爱的利兹，快点到餐厅来吧，那儿有好东西看！我现在不告诉你是什么东西。快点来，现在就下来。”
伊丽莎白问了很多问题，但是没用，玛丽亚什么话都不愿意多说。于是他们跑到了餐厅里来一探究竟，餐厅正朝着大路。原来是两个女士驾着马车，停在了花园口。
“就这些？”伊丽莎白叫着说，“我还以为最起码也得是猪跑进了花园，但这除了卡瑟林夫人和她女儿，啥也没有啊。”
“哎哟！小妮子，”玛丽亚听到这话吓坏了，“这可不是卡瑟林夫人。这位上年纪的女士是詹金森夫人，她跟卡瑟林夫人一家住一起。另外一位才是德.包尔小姐。快瞧瞧她！可真是个瘦弱的姑娘。谁能想到她会这么瘦小？”
“她就让夏洛特在大风里，在门外站着，这真是太没有礼貌了。她为什么不进来呢？”
“额，夏洛特说她基本没进来过。德.包尔小姐要是进来，那这可真是蓬荜生辉了。”
“我喜欢她的长相，”伊丽莎白说，脑子里却想着别的东西，“她看起来体弱，而且很生气的样子。但是配他确实很合适，她会做一个很称职的妻子。”
柯林斯和夏洛特都站在门口跟女士们说话。让伊丽莎白觉得好玩的是，威廉姆爵士也杵在门口，毕恭毕敬的注视着眼前的贵妇人，每当德.包尔小姐朝他这边看的时候，他都会鞠上一躬。
最终，大家的话说完了。女士们驾车离开，其他人都回到了屋里来。柯林斯一看到玛丽亚和伊丽莎白，就祝贺她们真是好运气。夏洛特解释说：他们所有人都被邀请了，明天去罗星庄园吃晚饭。
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