On Saturday morning, Elizabeth and Mr. Collins met for breakfast before the others arrived. Mr. Collins took this opportunity to say goodbye in his usual formal way.
"My dear Miss Elizabeth," he said, "I hope you have enjoyed your stay. We know that our simple home and our small rooms might seem dull to a young lady like you. However, we have done our best to make your visit pleasant. We have been lucky to introduce you to the high society of Rosings, and I hope you will tell your family in Hertfordshire how happy we are here."
Elizabeth thanked him sincerely. She had truly enjoyed her six weeks in Kent, mostly because of her friendship with Charlotte.
Mr. Collins continued, "You can see that my dear Charlotte and I were made for each other. We think the same way about everything. I wish you the same happiness in your own marriage one day."
Elizabeth smiled and agreed that they seemed very happy. She felt a bit sad for Charlotte, who had to live with such a boring man, but she saw that her friend was satisfied with her life. Charlotte had her house, her garden, and her poultry to look after, and she seemed content.
Soon, the carriage arrived. After a warm goodbye between the two friends, Elizabeth and Maria Lucas got into the carriage. As they were driving away, Maria exclaimed, "It feels like we only arrived yesterday! So many things have happened!"
"A great many things indeed," Elizabeth said with a sigh. While Maria was thinking about the dinners at Rosings, Elizabeth was thinking about everything she had to keep secret—especially Mr. Darcy’s letter.
In four hours, they reached London, where they stayed with Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, for a few days. Elizabeth was very happy to see her sister Jane. Jane looked well, but Elizabeth wanted to find out if she was still sad about Mr. Bingley.
Elizabeth was tempted to tell Jane about Mr. Darcy’s proposal immediately. She knew the news would shock her sister. However, she decided to wait until they were back at Longbourn. She wasn't sure how much she should tell Jane about Mr. Bingley’s role in the story, and she didn't want to make her sister cry while they were visiting their aunt.