elizabethwassittingbyherselfthenextmorning,andwritingtojane,whilemrs.collinsandmariaweregoneonbusinessintothevillage,whenshewasstartledbyaringatthedoor,thecertainsignalofavisitor.asshehadheardnocarriage,shethoughtitnotunlikelytobeladycatherine,andunderthatapprehensionwasputtingawayherhalf-finishedletterthatshemightescapeallimpertinentquestions,whenthedooropened,andtoherverygreatsurprise,mr.darcy,andmr.darcyonly,enteredtheroom.

heseemedastonishedtooonfindingheralone,andapologisedforhisintrusionbylettingherknowthathehadunderstoodalltheladiestobewithin.

theythensatdown,andwhenherenquiriesafterrosingsweremade,seemedindangerofsinkingintototalsilence.itwasabsolutelynecessary,therefore,tothinkofsomething,andinthisemergencyrecollectingwhenshehadseenhimlastinhertfordshire,andfeelingcurioustoknowwhathewouldsayonthesubjectoftheirhastydeparture,sheobserved,"howverysuddenlyyouallquittednetherfieldlastnovember,mr.darcy!itmusthavebeenamostagreeablesurprisetomr.bingleytoseeyouallafterhimsosoon;for,ifirecollectright,hewentbutthedaybefore.heandhissisterswerewell,ihope,whenyouleftlondon."

"perfectlyso—ithankyou."

shefoundthatshewastoreceivenootheranswer—and,afterashortpause,added,"ithinkihaveunderstoodthatmr.bingleyhasnotmuchideaofeverreturningtonetherfieldagain?"

"ihaveneverheardhimsayso;butitisprobablethathemayspendverylittleofhistimethereinfuture.hehasmanyfriends,andheisatatimeoflifewhenfriendsandengagementsarecontinuallyincreasing."

"ifhemeanstobebutlittleatnetherfield,itwouldbebetterfortheneighbourhoodthatheshouldgiveuptheplaceentirely,forthenwemightpossiblygetasettledfamilythere.butperhapsmr.bingleydidnottakethehousesomuchfortheconvenienceoftheneighbourhoodasforhisown,andwemustexpecthimtokeeporquititonthesameprinciple."

"ishouldnotbesurprised,"saiddarcy,"ifheweretogiveitup,assoonasanyeligiblepurchaseoffers."

elizabethmadenoanswer.shewasafraidoftalkinglongerofhisfriend;and,havingnothingelsetosay,wasnowdeterminedtoleavethetroubleoffindingasubjecttohim.

hetookthehint,andsoonbeganwith,"thisseemsaverycomfortablehouse.ladycatherine,ibelieve,didagreatdealtoitwhenmr.collinsfirstcametohunsford."

"ibelieveshedid—andiamsureshecouldnothavebestowedherkindnessonamoregratefulobject."

"mr.collinsappearsveryfortunateinhischoiceofawife."

"yes,indeed;hisfriendsmaywellrejoiceinhishavingmetwithoneoftheveryfewsensiblewomenwhowouldhaveacceptedhim,orhavemadehimhappyiftheyhad.myfriendhasanexcellentunderstanding—thoughiamnotcertainthaticonsiderhermarryingmr.collinsasthewisestthingsheeverdid.sheseemsperfectlyhappy,however,andinaprudentiallight,itiscertainlyaverygoodmatchforher."

"itmustbeveryagreeabletohertobesettledwithinsoeasyadistanceofherownfamilyandfriends."

"aneasydistancedoyoucallit?itisnearlyfiftymiles."

"andwhatisfiftymilesofgoodroad?littlemorethanhalfaday'sjourney.yes,icallitaveryeasydistance."

"ishouldneverhaveconsideredthedistanceasoneoftheadvantagesofthematch,"criedelizabeth."ishouldneverhavesaidmrs.collinswassettlednearherfamily."

"itisaproofofyourownattachmenttohertfordshire.anythingbeyondtheveryneighbourhoodoflongbourn,isuppose,wouldappearfar."

ashespoketherewasasortofsmile,whichelizabethfanciedsheunderstood;hemustbesupposinghertobethinkingofjaneandnetherfield,andsheblushedassheanswered,"idonotmeantosaythatawomanmaynotbesettledtoonearherfamily.thefarandthenearmustberelative,anddependonmanyvaryingcircumstances.wherethereisfortunetomaketheexpenceoftravellingunimportant,distancebecomesnoevil.butthatisnotthecasehere.mr.andmrs.collinshaveacomfortableincome,butnotsuchaoneaswillallowoffrequentjourneys—andiampersuadedmyfriendwouldnotcallherselfnearherfamilyunderlessthanhalfthepresentdistance."

mr.darcydrewhischairalittletowardsher,andsaid,"youcannothavearighttosuchverystronglocalattachment.youcannothavebeenalwaysatlongbourn."

elizabethlookedsurprised.thegentlemanexperiencedsomechangeoffeeling;hedrewbackhischair,tookanewspaperfromthetable,and,glancingoverit,said,inacoldervoice,

"areyoupleasedwithkent?"

ashortdialogueonthesubjectofthecountryensued,oneithersidecalmandconcise—andsoonputanendtobytheentranceofcharlotteandhersister,justreturnedfromtheirwalk.thetête-a-têtesurprisedthem.mr.darcyrelatedthemistakewhichhadoccasionedhisintrudingonmissbennet,andaftersittingafewminuteslongerwithoutsayingmuchtoanybody,wentaway.

"whatcanbethemeaningofthis!"saidcharlotte,assoonashewasgone."mydearelizahemustbeinlovewithyou,orhewouldneverhavecalledonusinthisfamiliarway."

butwhenelizabethtoldofhissilence,itdidnotseemverylikely,eventocharlotte'swishes,tobethecase;andaftervariousconjectures,theycouldatlastonlysupposehisvisittoproceedfromthedifficultyoffindinganythingtodo,whichwasthemoreprobablefromthetimeofyear.allfieldsportswereover.withindoorstherewasladycatherine,books,andabilliardtable,butgentlemencannotbealwayswithindoors;andinthenearnessoftheparsonage,orthepleasantnessofthewalktoit,orofthepeoplewholivedinit,thetwocousinsfoundatemptationfromthisperiodofwalkingthitheralmosteveryday.theycalledatvarioustimesofthemorning,sometimesseparately,sometimestogether,andnowandthenaccompaniedbytheiraunt.itwasplaintothemallthatcolonelfitzwilliamcamebecausehehadpleasureintheirsociety,apersuasionwhichofcourserecommendedhimstillmore;andelizabethwasremindedbyherownsatisfactioninbeingwithhim,aswellasbyhisevidentadmirationofher,ofherformerfavouritegeorgewickham;andthough,incomparingthem,shesawtherewaslesscaptivatingsoftnessincolonelfitzwilliam'smanners,shebelievedhemighthavethebestinformedmind.

butwhymr.darcycamesooftentotheparsonage,itwasmoredifficulttounderstand.itcouldnotbeforsociety,ashefrequentlysattheretenminutestogetherwithoutopeninghislips;andwhenhedidspeak,itseemedtheeffectofnecessityratherthanofchoice—asacrificetopropriety,notapleasuretohimself.heseldomappearedreallyanimated.mrs.collinsknewnotwhattomakeofhim.colonelfitzwilliam'soccasionallylaughingathisstupidity,provedthathewasgenerallydifferent,whichherownknowledgeofhimcouldnothavetoldher;andasshewouldhavelikedtobelievethischangetheeffectoflove,andtheobjectofthatlove,herfriendeliza,shesatherselfseriouslytoworktofinditout.—shewatchedhimwhenevertheywereatrosings,andwheneverhecametohunsford;butwithoutmuchsuccess.hecertainlylookedatherfriendagreatdeal,buttheexpressionofthatlookwasdisputable.itwasanearnest,steadfastgaze,butsheoftendoubtedwhetherthereweremuchadmirationinit,andsometimesitseemednothingbutabsenceofmind.

shehadonceortwicesuggestedtoelizabeththepossibilityofhisbeingpartialtoher,butelizabethalwayslaughedattheidea;andmrs.collinsdidnotthinkitrighttopressthesubject,fromthedangerofraisingexpectationswhichmightonlyendindisappointment;forinheropinionitadmittednotofadoubt,thatallherfriend'sdislikewouldvanish,ifshecouldsupposehimtobeinherpower.

inherkindschemesforelizabeth,shesometimesplannedhermarryingcolonelfitzwilliam.hewasbeyondcomparisonthepleasantestman;hecertainlyadmiredher,andhissituationinlifewasmosteligible;but,tocounterbalancetheseadvantages,mr.darcyhadconsiderablepatronageinthechurch,andhiscousincouldhavenoneatall.