Pride and Prejudice Volume 2, Chapter 6

Mr. Collins is excited to show off the wealth and grandeur of his patroness to his father-in-law and Elizabeth. When Elizabeth meets Lady De Bourgh she sees that the sturdy woman's commanding air is exactly what Wickham said it was. Miss De Bourgh, so small and frail, bears hardly any resemblance to her mother in look or personality. While Lady De Bourgh has an definite opinion on every topic, Miss De Bourgh speaks only to her companion without whom she never goes anywhere.

While all the other members of the party seem to give in to Lady De Bourgh's instructions and opinions, Elizabeth is not intimidated enough to surrender her own opinion, especially when Lady De Bourgh is criticizing the fact that Elizabeth was raised without a governess and introduced into society in the same year that all of her other sisters were. When Elizabeth disagrees with Lady De Bourgh, she sees that the woman is ruffled and realizes that Lady De Bourgh has probably never been crossed before. She takes some form of pride and pleasure in disagreeing with the pushy woman.

When Collins later asks Elizabeth what she thought of Rosings and of Lady De Bourgh, Elizabeth lies and speaks highly of it all for Charlotte's sake.