"what,noneofyou?"

"notone."

"thatisverystrange.butisupposeyouhadnoopportunity.yourmothershouldhavetakenyoutotowneveryspringforthebenefitofmasters."

"mymotherwouldhavehadnoobjection,butmyfatherhateslondon."

"hasyourgovernessleftyou?"

"weneverhadanygoverness."

"nogoverness!howwasthatpossible?fivedaughtersbroughtupathomewithoutagoverness!—ineverheardofsuchathing.yourmothermusthavebeenquiteaslavetoyoureducation."

elizabethcouldhardlyhelpsmiling,assheassuredherthathadnotbeenthecase.

"then,whotaughtyou?whoattendedtoyou?withoutagovernessyoumusthavebeenneglected."

"comparedwithsomefamilies,ibelievewewere;butsuchofusaswishedtolearn,neverwantedthemeans.wewerealwaysencouragedtoread,andhadallthemastersthatwerenecessary.thosewhochosetobeidle,certainlymight."

"aye,nodoubt;butthatiswhatagovernesswillprevent,andifihadknownyourmother,ishouldhaveadvisedhermoststrenuouslytoengageone.ialwayssaythatnothingistobedoneineducationwithoutsteadyandregularinstruction,andnobodybutagovernesscangiveit.itiswonderfulhowmanyfamiliesihavebeenthemeansofsupplyinginthatway.iamalwaysgladtogetayoungpersonwellplacedout.fourniecesofmrs.jenkinsonaremostdelightfullysituatedthroughmymeans;anditwasbuttheotherdaythatirecommendedanotheryoungperson,whowasmerelyaccidentallymentionedtome,andthefamilyarequitedelightedwithher.mrs.collins,diditellyouofladymetcalfe'scallingyesterdaytothankme?shefindsmisspopeatreasure.'ladycatherine,'saidshe,'youhavegivenmeatreasure.'areanyofyouryoungersistersout,missbennet?"

"yes,ma'am,all."

"all!—what,allfiveoutatonce?veryodd!—andyouonlythesecond.—theyoungeronesoutbeforetheelderaremarried!—youryoungersistersmustbeveryyoung?"

"yes,myyoungestisnotsixteen.perhapssheisfullyoungtobemuchincompany.butreally,ma'am,ithinkitwouldbeveryharduponyoungersisters,thattheyshouldnothavetheirshareofsocietyandamusementbecausetheeldermaynothavethemeansorinclinationtomarryearly.—thelastbornhasasgoodarighttothepleasuresofyouth,asthefirst.andtobekeptbackonsuchamotive!—ithinkitwouldnotbeverylikelytopromotesisterlyaffectionordelicacyofmind."

"uponmyword,"saidherladyship,"yougiveyouropinionverydecidedlyforsoyoungaperson.—pray,whatisyourage?"

"withthreeyoungersistersgrownup,"repliedelizabethsmiling,"yourladyshipcanhardlyexpectmetoownit."

ladycatherineseemedquiteastonishedatnotreceivingadirectanswer;andelizabethsuspectedherselftobethefirstcreaturewhohadeverdaredtotriflewithsomuchdignifiedimpertinence!

"youcannotbemorethantwenty,iamsure,—thereforeyouneednotconcealyourage."

"iamnotoneandtwenty."

whenthegentlemenhadjoinedthem,andteawasover,thecardtableswereplaced.ladycatherine,sirwilliam,andmr.andmrs.collinssatdowntoquadrille;andasmissdebourghchosetoplayatcassino,thetwogirlshadthehonourofassistingmrs.jenkinsontomakeupherparty.theirtablewassuperlativelystupid.scarcelyasyllablewasutteredthatdidnotrelatetothegame,exceptwhenmrs.jenkinsonexpressedherfearsofmissdebourgh'sbeingtoohotortoocold,orhavingtoomuchortoolittlelight.agreatdealmorepassedattheothertable,ladycatherinewasgenerallyspeaking—statingthemistakesofthethreeothers,orrelatingsomeanecdoteofherself.mr.collinswasemployedinagreeingtoeverythingherladyshipsaid,thankingherforeveryfishhewon,andapologisingifhethoughthewontoomany.sirwilliamdidnotsaymuch.hewasstoringhismemorywithanecdotesandnoblenames.

whenladycatherineandherdaughterhadplayedaslongastheychose,thetableswerebrokeup,thecarriagewasofferedtomrs.collins,gratefullyaccepted,andimmediatelyordered.thepartythengatheredroundthefiretohearladycatherinedeterminewhatweathertheyweretohaveonthemorrow.fromtheseinstructionstheyweresummonedbythearrivalofthecoach,andwithmanyspeechesofthankfulnessonmr.collins'sside,andasmanybowsonsirwilliam's,theydeparted.assoonastheyhaddrivenfromthedoor,elizabethwascalledonbyhercousintogiveheropinionofallthatshehadseenatrosings,which,forcharlotte'ssake,shemademorefavourablethanitreallywas.buthercommendation,thoughcostinghersometrouble,couldbynomeanssatisfymr.collins,andhewasverysoonobligedtotakeherladyship'spraiseintohisownhands.