He was not, however, reckoned so charitably by all. Possessed of a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, his commentaries could be idiosyncratic and censorious, and his unfortunate prolixity when describing the defects—particularly in visage or habits—of his parishioners was disagreeable to some who believed that a parson should be more tolerant of the varieties and vagaries of human nature, and set a more tolerant example of Christian charity. Whilst Mr. Darcy was undisturbed by the speeches of the outspoken rector, being content in his conscientious discharge of duty to the parish, Elizabeth found him to be an exception to the peace of Pemberley. She went to unusual lengths to avoid conversing with the rector, including the expedient of an inconvenient detour in returning from the village, and on more than one occasion, caused tea to be later than its usual time.

There was no avoiding Parson Overstowey on every outing, however. Having been informed by the reliable Mrs. Reynolds that the parson was to be out of town for two days altogether, Elizabeth and Georgiana confidently drove past the rectory to visit one of the families of the parish whose wife had recently been brought to bed of a child, and was poorly. No sooner had Elizabeth expressed her relief that they were spared the parson’s insights on that day, than they were greeted with the sight of the parson himself, hastening from his rectory with such hurry as his bulky form would allow. He had, no doubt, espied the Darcys from his usual position at the front window of his study, and was now rushing outside to arrest their flight. Elizabeth’s attempt to satisfy the parson with a cordial wave, a slight change of course, and a quickening of pace went unnoticed by the voluble parson, and common decency prevented them from fleeing entirely. In a short space of time the ladies found themselves within the parsonage, being ushered into the drawing-room and plied with offers of cake and tea by a delighted Parson Overstowey, who relished the opportunity of an impromptu entertainment on such a grand scale.