mrs.gardiner'scautiontoelizabethwaspunctuallyandkindlygivenonthefirstfavourableopportunityofspeakingtoheralone;afterhonestlytellingherwhatshethought,shethuswenton:

"youaretoosensibleagirl,lizzy,tofallinlovemerelybecauseyouarewarnedagainstit;and,therefore,iamnotafraidofspeakingopenly.seriously,iwouldhaveyoubeonyourguard.donotinvolveyourself,orendeavourtoinvolvehiminanaffectionwhichthewantoffortunewouldmakesoveryimprudent.ihavenothingtosayagainsthim;heisamostinterestingyoungman;andifhehadthefortuneheoughttohave,ishouldthinkyoucouldnotdobetter.butasitis—youmustnotletyourfancyrunawaywithyou.youhavesense,andweallexpectyoutouseit.yourfatherwoulddependonyourresolutionandgoodconduct,iamsure.youmustnotdisappointyourfather."

"mydearaunt,thisisbeingseriousindeed."

"yes,andihopetoengageyoutobeseriouslikewise."

"well,then,youneednotbeunderanyalarm.iwilltakecareofmyself,andofmr.wickhamtoo.heshallnotbeinlovewithme,ificanpreventit."

"elizabeth,youarenotseriousnow."

"ibegyourpardon.iwilltryagain.atpresentiamnotinlovewithmr.wickham;no,icertainlyamnot.butheis,beyondallcomparison,themostagreeablemanieversaw—andifhebecomesreallyattachedtome—ibelieveitwillbebetterthatheshouldnot.iseetheimprudenceofit.—oh!thatabominablemr.darcy!—myfather'sopinionofmedoesmethegreatesthonor;andishouldbemiserabletoforfeitit.myfather,however,ispartialtomr.wickham.inshort,mydearaunt,ishouldbeverysorrytobethemeansofmakinganyofyouunhappy;butsinceweseeeverydaythatwherethereisaffection,youngpeopleareseldomwithheldbyimmediatewantoffortunefromenteringintoengagementswitheachother,howcanipromisetobewiserthansomanyofmyfellowcreaturesifiamtempted,orhowamieventoknowthatitwouldbewisdomtoresist?allthaticanpromiseyou,therefore,isnottobeinahurry.iwillnotbeinahurrytobelievemyselfhisfirstobject.wheniamincompanywithhim,iwillnotbewishing.inshort,iwilldomybest."

"perhapsitwillbeaswell,ifyoudiscouragehiscomingheresoveryoften.atleast,youshouldnotremindyourmotherofinvitinghim."

"asididtheotherday,"saidelizabeth,withaconscioussmile;"verytrue,itwillbewiseinmetorefrainfromthat.butdonotimaginethatheisalwaysheresooften.itisonyouraccountthathehasbeensofrequentlyinvitedthisweek.youknowmymother'sideasastothenecessityofconstantcompanyforherfriends.butreally,anduponmyhonour,iwilltrytodowhatithinktobewisest;andnow,ihopeyouaresatisfied."

herauntassuredherthatshewas;andelizabethhavingthankedherforthekindnessofherhints,theyparted;awonderfulinstanceofadvicebeinggivenonsuchapointwithoutbeingresented.

mr.collinsreturnedintohertfordshiresoonafterithadbeenquittedbythegardinersandjane;butashetookuphisabodewiththelucases,hisarrivalwasnogreatinconveniencetomrs.bennet.hismarriagewasnowfastapproaching,andshewasatlengthsofarresignedastothinkitinevitable,andevenrepeatedlytosayinanillnaturedtonethatshe"wishedtheymightbehappy."thursdaywastobetheweddingday,andonwednesdaymisslucaspaidherfarewellvisit;andwhensherosetotakeleave,elizabeth,ashamedofhermother'sungraciousandreluctantgoodwishes,andsincerelyaffectedherself,accompaniedheroutoftheroom.astheywentdownstairstogether,charlottesaid,

"ishalldependonhearingfromyouveryoften,eliza."

"thatyoucertainlyshall."

"andihaveanotherfavourtoask.willyoucomeandseeme?"

"weshalloftenmeet,ihope,inhertfordshire."

"iamnotlikelytoleavekentforsometime.promiseme,therefore,tocometohunsford."