Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 28

Jane Austen · Mountaineers 10th–12th

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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 exercise, 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.

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 tenour 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.

Read both passages aloud. If they were read to Charlotte, which sentence would she choose not to hear?

For the educator Two passages from the narrator, close to Elizabeth’s view: the garden, and her thoughts alone that night. The first sentence crosses a semicolon from Mr. Collins’s pleasure to Charlotte’s straight face, and ends on two things she does: she “talked of” the gardening and “owned” she encouraged it. The second opens with two -ing phrases (“leading the way”, “scarcely allowing them”) before its subject, “every view”, arrives. Those phrases belong to Mr. Collins, who is not the subject, so they dangle. The sentence ends on its verdict, setting a small word against a large one: “a minuteness which left beauty entirely behind”. The third pairs two things he “could” do, the second running out to the farthest clump. The long sentence of the second passage hangs three phrases on “had to”: “to meditate upon”, “to understand”, “to acknowledge”. The middle one holds two nouns that share one object, set off by commas: “her address in guiding, and composure in bearing with, her husband”. The next sentence lists four things to expect, and their tones clash: “quiet”, “vexatious”, “gaieties”. A sentence of eight words closes the paragraph. Here “command of countenance” means control of one’s face, “owned” means admitted, “minuteness” means close attention to small details, “address” means skill in handling people, “vexatious” means annoying, and “intercourse” means social dealings, its usual sense in Austen’s day. For mechanics, notice the semicolons, and the commas around “in the solitude of her chamber” and “and composure in bearing with”. For the talk prompt, which plays on the chapter’s “Charlotte wisely did not hear”, listen for a student who picks “the vexatious interruptions of Mr. Collins”, the plainest naming of what she lives with. Listen for one who picks the garden sentence, because there her straight face is watched and admired, and being seen through may be harder to hear than being praised. Listen for one who picks “her address in guiding, and composure in bearing with, her husband”: praise for bearing with someone says there is something to bear. And listen for one who weighs “degree of contentment”: a degree is a measure, not a yes or no. No answer may say what Charlotte feels in private; the passages give Elizabeth’s view of her, not Charlotte’s own.

Discussion

Narration Tell the chapter back in a few sentences, from the journey to Hunsford to the invitation to dine at Rosings. Then pick the one sentence that matters most, and say why.

When Mr. Collins says something foolish, Elizabeth’s eyes go to Charlotte, and once or twice she sees “a faint blush”. Would Charlotte blush if Elizabeth were not there to see it? Inference
Of all the views in the kingdom, Mr. Collins’s favourite is a glimpse of Rosings through the trees. Why is the best view from his garden someone else’s house? Author's choice
Charlotte tells her guests that gardening is good for her husband’s health, and she encourages it “as much as possible.” Is that fair to him? Moral reasoning
While her husband is out in the meadows, Charlotte shows her guests the house, “extremely well pleased, probably”. Why won’t the narrator say for sure? Author's choice
Charlotte adds one sentence to her husband’s long praise of Lady Catherine, and he answers, “that is exactly what I say.” Is it? Tone
From the dining-room, Elizabeth looks at Miss De Bourgh and says, “she will do for him very well”, meaning Mr. Darcy. Who is the joke on? Character

Make a Connection Think of someone, in a book or in your own life, who visited a friend after doubting the friend’s choice. What was the visitor hoping to find?

Vocabulary

condescension: She is all affability and condescension, In Austen’s sense, a person of high rank treating someone of lower rank with gracious kindness; in her time praise, not an insult (from Latin con-, with, and descendere, to come down; related to condescend). Mr. Collins means it as the highest praise: Lady Catherine comes down to his level. Today the word means talking down to someone, so read it here as he means it.
healthfulness: with which Charlotte talked of the healthfulness of the exercise, The quality of being good for the body (healthful, good for health, with -ness, which turns a quality into a noun). Charlotte talks of “the healthfulness of the exercise” when she praises her husband’s gardening. It is a sober, almost medical word, a reason no one could argue with, and Elizabeth admires the straight face with which she gives it.
tenour: the quiet tenour of their usual employments, The steady, settled course of something; how it usually goes (an older spelling of tenor, from Latin tenere, to hold; related to tenacious and tenant). Elizabeth pictures “the quiet tenour of their usual employments”: days at the Parsonage that hold to one even course. Here “employments” means occupations, the things they do with their time.
abominably: She is abominably rude to keep Charlotte out of doors in all this wind. Dreadfully; in a way that deserves strong dislike (from abominable, from Latin abominari, to shrink from as a bad omen; related to abomination). Elizabeth calls Miss De Bourgh “abominably rude” for keeping Charlotte out in the wind. It is a strong word for a stranger she has seen only from the dining-room, and a moment later she likes “her appearance”.

Critical thinking

On her first night at Hunsford, Elizabeth’s “lively imagination soon settled” how her visit would pass. How far can we trust her judgment of the people there?
Charlotte keeps Mr. Collins busy in his garden and seldom seems to hear his foolish remarks. Is she content at Hunsford, or simply skilled at seeming so?