Mr. Collins Arrives at Longbourn

Mr. Collins arrives at Longbourn, a tall, heavy-looking young man with formal and pompous manners. He immediately begins flattering Mrs. Bennet and praising the house, which he will one day inherit. He also reveals his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and speaks of her with excessive deference. The family finds him ridiculous, but Mrs. Bennet is somewhat mollified by his compliments. Mr. Collins's arrival introduces a new dynamic into the household, as he is clearly looking for a wife among his cousins.