Maria immediately ran upstairs to attend to her toilette before facing their formidable visitor, while Charlotte stepped towards the sounds of voices, Mr Darcy’s grave and measured baritone, and her friend’s swifter and more musical tones.

‘Mr Collins seems very fortunate in his choice of wife,’ she heard Mr Darcy say. This was gratifying, and Elizabeth responded almost as satisfactorily: ‘Yes, indeed; his friends may well rejoice in his having met with one of the few sensible women who would have accepted him, or made him happy if they had. My friend has an excellent understanding – though I am not certain that I consider her marrying Mr Collins as the wisest thing she ever did. She seems perfectly happy, however, and in a prudential light it is certainly a very good match for her.’

This time, Charlotte overheard what gave her mostly cause for satisfaction; it was no small thing to gain the approbation of a man such as Mr Darcy, and she was glad to hear Lizzy give a softer account of her marriage, one that seemed based on conviction brought about by the evidence of her own eyes. But she did not wish to risk hearing something to her detriment, so she entered the parlour with all due speed and no small amount of curiosity. Neither party seemed quite easy, although Mr Darcy rose to his feet and made his bows with courtesy and conviction. Lizzy seemed flustered, and Mr Darcy was at pains to explain that he was under the impression all the ladies were at home, otherwise he would not have disturbed Miss Bennet at her letters. He apologised for having come and, having come, he further apologised for staying. But this did not last long; shortly after Maria tripped into the parlour, almost as wide-eyed as the maid, he made his excuses and left.

Charlotte turned to her friend, eyebrows raised: ‘My dear Eliza, he must be in love with you, or he would never have called on us in this familiar way.’ But Lizzy herself argued against this case so strongly that in the end it seemed safer to attribute his motive for visiting to boredom; the lack of any sports the gentlemen might pursue outdoors at that time of year, and the ever-present threat of quadrille with Lady Catherine indoors.