missbingley'sletterarrived,andputanendtodoubt.theveryfirstsentenceconveyedtheassuranceoftheirbeingallsettledinlondonforthewinter,andconcludedwithherbrother'sregretatnothavinghadtimetopayhisrespectstohisfriendsinhertfordshirebeforeheleftthecountry.

hopewasover,entirelyover;andwhenjanecouldattendtotherestoftheletter,shefoundlittle,excepttheprofessedaffectionofthewriter,thatcouldgiveheranycomfort.missdarcy'spraiseoccupiedthechiefofit.hermanyattractionswereagaindwelton,andcarolineboastedjoyfullyoftheirincreasingintimacy,andventuredtopredicttheaccomplishmentofthewisheswhichhadbeenunfoldedinherformerletter.shewrotealsowithgreatpleasureofherbrother'sbeinganinmateofmr.darcy'shouse,andmentionedwithrapturessomeplansofthelatterwithregardtonewfurniture.

elizabeth,towhomjaneverysooncommunicatedthechiefofallthis,hearditinsilentindignation.herheartwaspidedbetweenconcernforhersister,andresentmentagainstalltheothers.tocaroline'sassertionofherbrother'sbeingpartialtomissdarcyshepaidnocredit.thathewasreallyfondofjane,shedoubtednomorethanshehadeverdone;andmuchasshehadalwaysbeendisposedtolikehim,shecouldnotthinkwithoutanger,hardlywithoutcontempt,onthateasinessoftemper,thatwantofproperresolutionwhichnowmadehimtheslaveofhisdesigningfriends,andledhimtosacrificehisownhappinesstothecapriceoftheirinclinations.hadhisownhappiness,however,beentheonlysacrifice,hemighthavebeenallowedtosportwithitinwhatevermannerhethoughtbest;buthersister'swasinvolvedinit,as,shethought,hemustbesensiblehimself.itwasasubject,inshort,onwhichreflectionwouldbelongindulged,andmustbeunavailing.shecouldthinkofnothingelse,andyetwhetherbingley'sregardhadreallydiedaway,orweresuppressedbyhisfriends'interference;whetherhehadbeenawareofjane'sattachment,orwhetherithadescapedhisobservation;whicheverwerethecase,thoughheropinionofhimmustbemateriallyaffectedbythedifference,hersister'ssituationremainedthesame,herpeaceequallywounded.

adayortwopassedbeforejanehadcouragetospeakofherfeelingstoelizabeth;butatlastonmrs.bennet'sleavingthemtogether,afteralongerirritationthanusualaboutnetherfieldanditsmaster,shecouldnothelpsaying,"oh!thatmydearmotherhadmorecommandoverherself;shecanhavenoideaofthepainshegivesmebyhercontinualreflectionsonhim.butiwillnotrepine.itcannotlastlong.hewillbeforgot,andweshallallbeaswewerebefore."

elizabethlookedathersisterwithincreduloussolicitude,butsaidnothing.

"youdoubtme,"criedjane,slightlycolouring;"indeedyouhavenoreason.hemayliveinmymemoryasthemostamiablemanofmyacquaintance,butthatisall.ihavenothingeithertohopeorfear,andnothingtoreproachhimwith.thankgod!ihavenotthatpain.alittletimetherefore.—ishallcertainlytrytogetthebetter."

withastrongervoiceshesoonadded,"ihavethiscomfortimmediately,thatithasnotbeenmorethananerroroffancyonmyside,andthatithasdonenoharmtoanyonebutmyself."

"mydearjane!"exclaimedelizabeth,"youaretoogood.yoursweetnessanddisinterestednessarereallyangelic;idonotknowwhattosaytoyou.ifeelasifihadneverdoneyoujustice,orlovedyouasyoudeserve."

missbenneteagerlydisclaimedallextraordinarymerit,andthrewbackthepraiseonhersister'swarmaffection.

"nay,"saidelizabeth,"thisisnotfair.youwishtothinkalltheworldrespectable,andarehurtifispeakillofanybody.ionlywanttothinkyouperfect,andyousetyourselfagainstit.donotbeafraidofmyrunningintoanyexcess,ofmyencroachingonyourprivilegeofuniversalgoodwill.youneednot.therearefewpeoplewhomireallylove,andstillfewerofwhomithinkwell.themoreiseeoftheworld,themoreamidissatisfiedwithit;andeverydayconfirmsmybeliefoftheinconsistencyofallhumancharacters,andofthelittledependencethatcanbeplacedontheappearanceofeithermeritorsense.ihavemetwithtwoinstanceslately;oneiwillnotmention;theotherischarlotte'smarriage.itisunaccountable!ineveryviewitisunaccountable!"

"mydearlizzy,donotgivewaytosuchfeelingsasthese.theywillruinyourhappiness.youdonotmakeallowanceenoughfordifferenceofsituationandtemper.considermr.collins'srespectability,andcharlotte'sprudent,steadycharacter.rememberthatsheisoneofalargefamily;thatastofortune,itisamosteligiblematch;andbereadytobelieve,foreverybody'ssake,thatshemayfeelsomethinglikeregardandesteemforourcousin."

"toobligeyou,iwouldtrytobelievealmostanything,butnooneelsecouldbebenefitedbysuchabeliefasthis;forwereipersuadedthatcharlottehadanyregardforhim,ishouldonlythinkworseofherunderstanding,thaninowdoofherheart.mydearjane,mr.collinsisaconceited,pompous,narrow-minded,sillyman;youknowheis,aswellasido;andyoumustfeel,aswellasido,thatthewomanwhomarrieshim,cannothaveaproperwayofthinking.youshallnotdefendher,thoughitischarlottelucas.youshallnot,forthesakeofoneinpidual,changethemeaningofprincipleandintegrity,norendeavourtopersuadeyourselformethatselfishnessisprudence,andinsensibilityofdanger,securityforhappiness."

"imustthinkyourlanguagetoostronginspeakingofboth,"repliedjane,"andihopeyouwillbeconvincedofit,byseeingthemhappytogether.butenoughofthis.youalludedtosomethingelse.youmentionedtwoinstances.icannotmisunderstandyou,butiintreatyou,dearlizzy,nottopainmebythinkingthatpersontoblame,andsayingyouropinionofhimissunk.wemustnotbesoreadytofancyourselvesintentionallyinjured.wemustnotexpectalivelyyoungmantobealwayssoguardedandcircumspect.itisveryoftennothingbutourownvanitythatdeceivesus.womenfancyadmirationmeansmorethanitdoes."

"andmentakecarethattheyshould."

"ifitisdesignedlydone,theycannotbejustified;butihavenoideaoftherebeingsomuchdesignintheworldassomepersonsimagine."

"iamfarfromattributinganypartofmr.bingley'sconducttodesign,"saidelizabeth;"butwithoutschemingtodowrong,ortomakeothersunhappy,theremaybeerror,andtheremaybemisery.thoughtlessness,wantofattentiontootherpeople'sfeelings,andwantofresolution,willdothebusiness,"

"anddoyouimputeittoeitherofthose?"

"yes;tothelast.butifigoon,ishalldispleaseyoubysayingwhatithinkofpersonsyouesteem.stopmewhilstyoucan."

"youpersist,then,insupposinghissistersinfluencehim."

"yes,inconjunctionwithhisfriend."

"icannotbelieveit.whyshouldtheytrytoinfluencehim?theycanonlywishhishappiness,andifheisattachedtome,nootherwomancansecureit."

"yourfirstpositionisfalse.theymaywishmanythingsbesideshishappiness;theymaywishhisincreaseofwealthandconsequence;theymaywishhimtomarryagirlwhohasalltheimportanceofmoney,greatconnections,andpride."

"beyondadoubt,theydowishhimtochusemissdarcy,"repliedjane;"butthismaybefrombetterfeelingsthanyouaresupposing.theyhaveknownhermuchlongerthantheyhaveknownme;nowonderiftheyloveherbetter.but,whatevermaybetheirownwishes,itisveryunlikelytheyshouldhaveopposedtheirbrother's.whatsisterwouldthinkherselfatlibertytodoit,unlessthereweresomethingveryobjectionable?iftheybelievedhimattachedtome,theywouldnottrytopartus;ifhewereso,theycouldnotsucceed.bysupposingsuchanaffection,youmakeeverybodyactingunnaturallyandwrong,andmemostunhappy.donotdistressmebytheidea.iamnotashamedofhavingbeenmistaken—or,atleast,itisslight,itisnothingincomparisonofwhatishouldfeelinthinkingillofhimorhissisters.letmetakeitinthebestlight,inthelightinwhichitmaybeunderstood."

elizabethcouldnotopposesuchawish;andfromthistimemr.bingley'snamewasscarcelyevermentionedbetweenthem.

mrs.bennetstillcontinuedtowonderandrepineathisreturningnomore,andthoughadayseldompassedinwhichelizabethdidnotaccountforitclearly,thereseemedlittlechanceofhereverconsideringitwithlessperplexity.herdaughterendeavouredtoconvinceherofwhatshedidnotbelieveherself,thathisattentionstojanehadbeenmerelytheeffectofacommonandtransientliking,whichceasedwhenhesawhernomore;butthoughtheprobabilityofthestatementwasadmittedatthetime,shehadthesamestorytorepeateveryday.mrs.bennet'sbestcomfortwasthatmr.bingleymustbedownagaininthesummer.

mr.bennettreatedthematterdifferently."so,lizzy,"saidheoneday,"yoursisteriscrossedinloveifind.icongratulateher.nexttobeingmarried,agirllikestobecrossedinlovealittlenowandthen.itissomethingtothinkof,andgivesherasortofdistinctionamonghercompanions.whenisyourturntocome?youwillhardlybeartobelongoutdonebyjane.nowisyourtime.hereareofficersenoughatmerytontodisappointalltheyoungladiesinthecountry.letwickhambeyourman.heisapleasantfellow,andwouldjiltyoucreditably."

"thankyou,sir,butalessagreeablemanwouldsatisfyme.wemustnotallexpectjane'sgoodfortune."

"true,"saidmr.bennet,"butitisacomforttothinkthat,whateverofthatkindmaybefallyou,youhaveanaffectionatemotherwhowillalwaysmakethemostofit."

mr.wickham'ssocietywasofmaterialserviceindispellingthegloom,whichthelateperverseoccurrenceshadthrownonmanyofthelongbournfamily.theysawhimoften,andtohisotherrecommendationswasnowaddedthatofgeneralunreserve.thewholeofwhatelizabethhadalreadyheard,hisclaimsonmr.darcy,andallthathehadsufferedfromhim,wasnowopenlyacknowledgedandpubliclycanvassed;andeverybodywaspleasedtothinkhowmuchtheyhadalwaysdislikedmr.darcybeforetheyhadknownanythingofthematter.

missbennetwastheonlycreaturewhocouldsupposetheremightbeanyextenuatingcircumstancesinthecase,unknowntothesocietyofhertfordshire;hermildandsteadycandouralwayspleadedforallowances,andurgedthepossibilityofmistakes—butbyeverybodyelsemr.darcywascondemnedastheworstofmen.