"oh!yes,"saidelizabethdrily—"mr.darcyisuncommonlykindtomr.bingley,andtakesaprodigiousdealofcareofhim."

"careofhim!—yes,ireallybelievedarcydoestakecareofhiminthosepointswherehemostwantscare.fromsomethingthathetoldmeinourjourneyhither,ihavereasontothinkbingleyverymuchindebtedtohim.butioughttobeghispardon,forihavenorighttosupposethatbingleywasthepersonmeant.itwasallconjecture."

"whatisityoumean?"

"itisacircumstancewhichdarcy,ofcourse,wouldnotwishtobegenerallyknown,becauseifitweretogetroundtothelady'sfamily,itwouldbeanunpleasantthing."

"youmaydependuponmynotmentioningit."

"andrememberthatihavenotmuchreasonforsupposingittobebingley.whathetoldmewasmerelythis;thathecongratulatedhimselfonhavinglatelysavedafriendfromtheinconveniencesofamostimprudentmarriage,butwithoutmentioningnamesoranyotherparticulars,andionlysuspectedittobebingleyfrombelievinghimthekindofyoungmantogetintoascrapeofthatsort,andfromknowingthemtohavebeentogetherthewholeoflastsummer."

"didmr.darcygiveyouhisreasonsforthisinterference?"

"iunderstoodthatthereweresomeverystrongobjectionsagainstthelady."

"andwhatartsdidheusetoseparatethem?"

"hedidnottalktomeofhisownarts,"saidfitzwilliamsmiling."heonlytoldmewhatihavenowtoldyou."

elizabethmadenoanswer,andwalkedon,herheartswellingwithindignation.afterwatchingheralittle,fitzwilliamaskedherwhyshewassothoughtful.

"iamthinkingofwhatyouhavebeentellingme,"saidshe."yourcousin'sconductdoesnotsuitmyfeelings.whywashetobethejudge?"

"youareratherdisposedtocallhisinterferenceofficious?"

"idonotseewhatrightmr.darcyhadtodecideontheproprietyofhisfriend'sinclination,orwhy,uponhisownjudgmentalone,hewastodetermineanddirectinwhatmannerthatfriendwastobehappy.""but,"shecontinued,recollectingherself,"asweknownoneoftheparticulars,itisnotfairtocondemnhim.itisnottobesupposedthattherewasmuchaffectioninthecase."

"thatisnotanunnaturalsurmise,"saidfitzwilliam,"butitislesseningthehonourofmycousin'striumphverysadly."

thiswasspokenjestingly,butitappearedtohersojustapictureofmr.darcythatshewouldnottrustherselfwithananswer;and,therefore,abruptlychangingtheconversation,talkedonindifferentmatterstilltheyreachedtheparsonage.there,shutintoherownroomassoonastheirvisitorleftthem,shecouldthinkwithoutinterruptionofallthatshehadheard.itwasnottobesupposedthatanyotherpeoplecouldbemeantthanthosewithwhomshewasconnected.therecouldnotexistintheworldtwomenoverwhommr.darcycouldhavesuchboundlessinfluence.thathehadbeenconcernedinthemeasurestakentoseparatemr.bingleyandjane,shehadneverdoubted;butshehadalwaysattributedtomissbingleytheprincipaldesignandarrangementofthem.ifhisownvanity,however,didnotmisleadhim,hewasthecause,hisprideandcapricewerethecause,ofallthatjanehadsuffered,andstillcontinuedtosuffer.hehadruinedforawhileeveryhopeofhappinessforthemostaffectionate,generousheartintheworld;andnoonecouldsayhowlastinganevilhemighthaveinflicted.

"thereweresomeverystrongobjectionsagainstthelady,"werecolonelfitzwilliam'swords,andthesestrongobjectionsprobablywere,herhavingoneunclewhowasacountryattorney,andanotherwhowasinbusinessinlondon.

"tojaneherself,"sheexclaimed,"therecouldbenopossibilityofobjection.alllovelinessandgoodnessassheis!herunderstandingexcellent,hermindimproved,andhermannerscaptivating.neithercouldanythingbeurgedagainstmyfather,who,thoughwithsomepeculiarities,hasabilitieswhichmr.darcyhimselfneednotdisdain,andrespectabilitywhichhewillprobablyneverreach."whenshethoughtofhermother,indeed,herconfidencegavewayalittle,butshewouldnotallowthatanyobjectionstherehadmaterialweightwithmr.darcy,whosepride,shewasconvinced,wouldreceiveadeeperwoundfromthewantofimportanceinhisfriend'sconnections,thanfromtheirwantofsense;andshewasquitedecidedatlast,thathehadbeenpartlygovernedbythisworstkindofpride,andpartlybythewishofretainingmr.bingleyforhissister.

theagitationandtearswhichthesubjectoccasionedbroughtonaheadache;anditgrewsomuchworsetowardstheeveningthat,addedtoherunwillingnesstoseemr.darcy,itdeterminedhernottoattendhercousinstorosings,wheretheywereengagedtodrinktea.mrs.collins,seeingthatshewasreallyunwell,didnotpresshertogo,andasmuchaspossiblepreventedherhusbandfrompressingher,butmr.collinscouldnotconcealhisapprehensionofladycatherine'sbeingratherdispleasedbyherstayingathome.