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Pride & Prejudice – page 577

Pride and Prejudice

and their visitor entered. It was Lady Catherine de

Bourgh.

They were of course all intending to be surprised;

but their astonishment was beyond their expectation;

and on the part of Mrs. Bennet and Kitty, though she

was perfectly unknown to them, even inferior to what

Elizabeth felt.

She entered the room with an air more than

usually ungracious, made no other reply to Elizabeth’s

salutation than a slight inclination of the head, and sat

down without saying a word. Elizabeth had mentioned

her name to her mother on her ladyship’s entrance,

though no request of introduction had been made.

Mrs. Bennet, all amazement, though flattered by

having a guest of such high importance, received her

with the utmost politeness. After sitting for a moment

in silence, she said very stiffly to Elizabeth:

“I hope you are well, Miss Bennet. That lady, I

suppose, is your mother.”

Elizabeth replied very concisely that she was.

“And that I suppose is one of your sisters.”

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