Jane Austen
Mr. Collins
was eloquent in her praise. The subject elevated him to more than usual solemnity of
manner, and with a most important aspect he protested that "he had never in his life
witnessed such behaviour in a person of rank--such affability and condescension, as he had
himself experienced from Lady Catherine. She had been graciously pleased to approve of
both of the discourses which he had already had the honour of preaching before her. She
had also asked him twice to dine at Rosings, and had sent for him only the Saturday before,
to make up her pool of quadrille in the evening. Lady Catherine was reckoned proud by
many people he knew, but he had never seen anything but affability in her. She had always
spoken to him as she would to any other gentleman; she made not the smallest objection to
his joining in the society of the neighbourhood nor to his leaving the parish occasionally for
a week or two, to visit his relations
annaabi.ee 
