thediscussionofmr.collins'sofferwasnownearlyatanend,andelizabethhadonlytosufferfromtheuncomfortablefeelingsnecessarilyattendingit,andoccasionallyfromsomepeevishallusionofhermother.asforthegentlemanhimself,hisfeelingswerechieflyexpressed,notbyembarrassmentordejection,orbytryingtoavoidher,butbystiffnessofmannerandresentfulsilence.hescarcelyeverspoketoher,andtheassiduousattentionswhichhehadbeensosensibleofhimself,weretransferredfortherestofthedaytomisslucas,whosecivilityinlisteningtohim,wasaseasonablerelieftothemall,andespeciallytoherfriend.

themorrowproducednoabatementofmrs.bennet'sillhumourorillhealth.mr.collinswasalsointhesamestateofangrypride.elizabethhadhopedthathisresentmentmightshortenhisvisit,buthisplandidnotappearintheleastaffectedbyit.hewasalwaystohavegoneonsaturday,andtosaturdayhestillmeanttostay.

afterbreakfast,thegirlswalkedtomeryton,toinquireifmr.wickhamwerereturned,andtolamentoverhisabsencefromthenetherfieldball.hejoinedthemontheirenteringthetownandattendedthemtotheiraunt's,wherehisregretandvexation,andtheconcernofeverybodywaswelltalkedover.—toelizabeth,however,hevoluntarilyacknowledgedthatthenecessityofhisabsencehadbeenselfimposed.

"ifound,"saidhe,"asthetimedrewnear,thatihadbetternotmeetmr.darcy;—thattobeinthesameroom,thesamepartywithhimforsomanyhourstogether,mightbemorethanicouldbear,andthatscenesmightariseunpleasanttomorethanmyself."

shehighlyapprovedhisforbearance,andtheyhadleisureforafulldiscussionofit,andforallthecommendationwhichtheycivillybestowedoneachother,aswickhamandanotherofficerwalkedbackwiththemtolongbourn,andduringthewalkheparticularlyattendedtoher.hisaccompanyingthemwasadoubleadvantage;shefeltallthecomplimentitofferedtoherself,anditwasmostacceptableasanoccasionofintroducinghimtoherfatherandmother.

soonaftertheirreturn,aletterwasdeliveredtomissbennet;itcamefromnetherfield,andwasopenedimmediately.theenvelopecontainedasheetofelegant,little,hot-pressedpaper,wellcoveredwithalady'sfair,flowinghand;andelizabethsawhersister'scountenancechangeasshereadit,andsawherdwellingintentlyonsomeparticularpassages.janerecollectedherselfsoon,andputtingtheletteraway,triedtojoinwithherusualcheerfulnessinthegeneralconversation;butelizabethfeltananxietyonthesubjectwhichdrewoffherattentionevenfromwickham;andnosoonerhadheandhiscompaniontakenleave,thanaglancefromjaneinvitedhertofollowherupstairs.whentheyhadgainedtheirownroom,janetakingouttheletter,said,"thisisfromcarolinebingley;whatitcontains,hassurprisedmeagooddeal.thewholepartyhaveleftnetherfieldbythistime,andareontheirwaytotown;andwithoutanyintentionofcomingbackagain.youshallhearwhatshesays."

shethenreadthefirstsentencealoud,whichcomprisedtheinformationoftheirhavingjustresolvedtofollowtheirbrothertotowndirectly,andoftheirmeaningtodinethatdayingrosvenorstreet,wheremr.hursthadahouse.thenextwasinthesewords."idonotpretendtoregretanythingishallleaveinhertfordshire,exceptyoursociety,mydearestfriend;butwewillhopeatsomefutureperiod,toenjoymanyreturnsofthedelightfulintercoursewehaveknown,andinthemeanwhilemaylessenthepainofseparationbyaveryfrequentandmostunreservedcorrespondence.idependonyouforthat."tothesehighflownexpressions,elizabethlistenedwithalltheinsensibilityofdistrust;andthoughthesuddennessoftheirremovalsurprisedher,shesawnothinginitreallytolament;itwasnottobesupposedthattheirabsencefromnetherfieldwouldpreventmr.bingley'sbeingthere;andastothelossoftheirsociety,shewaspersuadedthatjanemustsoonceasetoregardit,intheenjoymentofhis.

"itisunlucky,"saidshe,afterashortpause,"thatyoushouldnotbeabletoseeyourfriendsbeforetheyleavethecountry.butmaywenothopethattheperiodoffuturehappinesstowhichmissbingleylooksforward,mayarriveearlierthansheisaware,andthatthedelightfulintercourseyouhaveknownasfriends,willberenewedwithyetgreatersatisfactionassisters?—mr.bingleywillnotbedetainedinlondonbythem."

"carolinedecidedlysaysthatnoneofthepartywillreturnintohertfordshirethiswinter.iwillreadittoyou—"

"whenmybrotherleftusyesterday,heimaginedthatthebusinesswhichtookhimtolondon,mightbeconcludedinthreeorfourdays,butaswearecertainitcannotbeso,andatthesametimeconvincedthatwhencharlesgetstotownhewillbeinnohurrytoleaveitagain,wehavedeterminedonfollowinghimthither,thathemaynotbeobligedtospendhisvacanthoursinacomfortlesshotel.manyofmyacquaintancearealreadythereforthewinter;iwishicouldhearthatyou,mydearestfriend,hadanyintentionofmakingoneinthecroud,butofthatidespair.isincerelyhopeyourchristmasinhertfordshiremayaboundinthegaietieswhichthatseasongenerallybrings,andthatyourbeauxwillbesonumerousastopreventyourfeelingthelossofthethreeofwhomweshalldepriveyou."

"itisevidentbythis,"addedjane,"thathecomesbacknomorethiswinter."

"itisonlyevidentthatmissbingleydoesnotmeanheshould."

"whywillyouthinkso?itmustbehisowndoing.—heishisownmaster.butyoudonotknowall.iwillreadyouthepassagewhichparticularlyhurtsme.iwillhavenoreservesfromyou.""mr.darcyisimpatienttoseehissister,andtoconfessthetruth,wearescarcelylesseagertomeetheragain.ireallydonotthinkgeorgianadarcyhasherequalforbeauty,elegance,andaccomplishments;andtheaffectionsheinspiresinlouisaandmyselfisheightenedintosomethingstillmoreinteresting,fromthehopewedaretoentertainofherbeinghereafteroursister.idonotknowwhetherieverbeforementionedtoyoumyfeelingsonthissubject,butiwillnotleavethecountrywithoutconfidingthem,anditrustyouwillnotesteemthemunreasonable.mybrotheradmireshergreatlyalready,hewillhavefrequentopportunitynowofseeingheronthemostintimatefooting,herrelationsallwishtheconnectionasmuchashisown,andasister'spartialityisnotmisleadingme,ithink,whenicallcharlesmostcapableofengaginganywoman'sheart.withallthesecircumstancestofavouranattachmentandnothingtopreventit,amiwrong,mydearestjane,inindulgingthehopeofaneventwhichwillsecurethehappinessofsomany?"

"whatthinkyouofthissentence,mydearlizzy?"—saidjaneasshefinishedit."isitnotclearenough?—doesitnotexpresslydeclarethatcarolineneitherexpectsnorwishesmetobehersister;thatsheisperfectlyconvincedofherbrother'sindifference,andthatifshesuspectsthenatureofmyfeelingsforhim,shemeans(mostkindly!)toputmeonmyguard?cantherebeanyotheropiniononthesubject?"

"yes,therecan;formineistotallydifferent.—willyouhearit?"

"mostwillingly."

"youshallhaveitinfewwords.missbingleyseesthatherbrotherisinlovewithyou,andwantshimtomarrymissdarcy.shefollowshimtotowninthehopeofkeepinghimthere,andtriestopersuadeyouthathedoesnotcareaboutyou."

janeshookherhead.

"indeed,jane,yououghttobelieveme.—noonewhohaseverseenyoutogether,candoubthisaffection.missbingleyiamsurecannot.sheisnotsuchasimpleton.couldshehaveseenhalfasmuchloveinmr.darcyforherself,shewouldhaveorderedherweddingclothes.butthecaseisthis.wearenotrichenough,orgrandenoughforthem;andsheisthemoreanxioustogetmissdarcyforherbrother,fromthenotionthatwhentherehasbeenoneintermarriage,shemayhavelesstroubleinachievingasecond;inwhichthereiscertainlysomeingenuity,andidaresayitwouldsucceed,ifmissdebourghwereoutoftheway.but,mydearestjane,youcannotseriouslyimaginethatbecausemissbingleytellsyouherbrothergreatlyadmiresmissdarcy,heisinthesmallestdegreelesssensibleofyourmeritthanwhenhetookleaveofyouontuesday,orthatitwillbeinherpowertopersuadehimthatinsteadofbeinginlovewithyou,heisverymuchinlovewithherfriend."

"ifwethoughtalikeofmissbingley,"repliedjane,"yourrepresentationofallthis,mightmakemequiteeasy.butiknowthefoundationisunjust.carolineisincapableofwilfullydeceivinganyone;andallthaticanhopeinthiscaseis,thatsheisdeceivedherself."

"thatisright.—youcouldnothavestartedamorehappyidea,sinceyouwillnottakecomfortinmine.believehertobedeceivedbyallmeans.youhavenowdoneyourdutybyher,andmustfretnolonger."

"but,mydearsister,canibehappy,evensupposingthebest,inacceptingamanwhosesistersandfriendsareallwishinghimtomarryelsewhere?"

"youmustdecideforyourself,"saidelizabeth,"andif,uponmaturedeliberation,youfindthatthemiseryofdisobliginghistwosistersismorethanequivalenttothehappinessofbeinghiswife,iadviseyoubyallmeanstorefusehim."

"howcanyoutalkso?"—saidjanefaintlysmiling,—"youmustknowthatthoughishouldbeexceedinglygrievedattheirdisapprobation,icouldnothesitate."

"ididnotthinkyouwould;—andthatbeingthecase,icannotconsideryoursituationwithmuchcompassion."

"butifhereturnsnomorethiswinter,mychoicewillneverberequired.athousandthingsmayariseinsixmonths!"

theideaofhisreturningnomoreelizabethtreatedwiththeutmostcontempt.itappearedtohermerelythesuggestionofcaroline'sinterestedwishes,andshecouldnotforamomentsupposethatthosewishes,howeveropenlyorartfullyspoken,couldinfluenceayoungmansototallyindependentofeveryone.

sherepresentedtohersisterasforciblyaspossiblewhatshefeltonthesubject,andhadsoonthepleasureofseeingitshappyeffect.jane'stemperwasnotdesponding,andshewasgraduallyledtohope,thoughthediffidenceofaffectionsometimesovercamethehope,thatbingleywouldreturntonetherfieldandanswereverywishofherheart.

theyagreedthatmrs.bennetshouldonlyhearofthedepartureofthefamily,withoutbeingalarmedonthescoreofthegentleman'sconduct;buteventhispartialcommunicationgaveheragreatdealofconcern,andshebewaileditasexceedinglyunluckythattheladiesshouldhappentogoaway,justastheywereallgettingsointimatetogether.afterlamentingithoweveratsomelength,shehadtheconsolationofthinkingthatmr.bingleywouldbesoondownagainandsoondiningatlongbourn,andtheconclusionofallwasthecomfortabledeclarationthat,thoughhehadbeeninvitedonlytoafamilydinner,shewouldtakecaretohavetwofullcourses.