convincedaselizabethnowwasthatmissbingley'sdislikeofherhadoriginatedinjealousy,shecouldnothelpfeelinghowveryunwelcomeherappearanceatpemberleymustbetoher,andwascurioustoknowwithhowmuchcivilityonthatlady'ssidetheacquaintancewouldnowberenewed.

onreachingthehouse,theywereshewnthroughthehallintothesaloon,whosenorthernaspectrendereditdelightfulforsummer.itswindows,openingtotheground,admittedamostrefreshingviewofthehighwoodyhillsbehindthehouse,andofthebeautifuloaksandspanishchesnutswhichwerescatteredovertheintermediatelawn.

inthisroomtheywerereceivedbymissdarcy,whowassittingtherewithmrs.hurstandmissbingley,andtheladywithwhomshelivedinlondon.georgiana'sreceptionofthemwasverycivil;butattendedwithallthatembarrassmentwhich,thoughproceedingfromshynessandthefearofdoingwrong,wouldeasilygivetothosewhofeltthemselvesinferiorthebeliefofherbeingproudandreserved.mrs.gardinerandherniece,however,didherjustice,andpitiedher.

bymrs.hurstandmissbingley,theywerenoticedonlybyacurtsey;andontheirbeingseated,apause,awkwardassuchpausesmustalwaysbe,succeededforafewmoments.itwasfirstbrokenbymrs.annesley,agenteel,agreeablelookingwoman,whoseendeavourtointroducesomekindofdiscourseprovedhertobemoretrulywellbredthaneitheroftheothers;andbetweenherandmrs.gardiner,withoccasionalhelpfromelizabeth,theconversationwascarriedon.missdarcylookedasifshewishedforcourageenoughtojoininit;andsometimesdidventureashortsentence,whentherewasleastdangerofitsbeingheard.

elizabethsoonsawthatshewasherselfcloselywatchedbymissbingley,andthatshecouldnotspeakaword,especiallytomissdarcy,withoutcallingherattention.thisobservationwouldnothavepreventedherfromtryingtotalktothelatter,hadtheynotbeenseatedataninconvenientdistance;butshewasnotsorrytobesparedthenecessityofsayingmuch.herownthoughtswereemployingher.sheexpectedeverymomentthatsomeofthegentlemenwouldentertheroom.shewished,shefeared,thatthemasterofthehousemightbeamongstthem;andwhethershewishedorfeareditmost,shecouldscarcelydetermine.aftersittinginthismanneraquarterofanhourwithouthearingmissbingley'svoice,elizabethwasrousedbyreceivingfromheracoldenquiryafterthehealthofherfamily.sheansweredwithequalindifferenceandbrevity,andtheothersaidnomore.

thenextvariationwhichtheirvisitaffordedwasproducedbytheentranceofservantswithcoldmeat,cake,andavarietyofallthefinestfruitsinseason;butthisdidnottakeplacetillaftermanyasignificantlookandsmilefrommrs.annesleytomissdarcyhadbeengiven,toremindherofherpost.therewasnowemploymentforthewholeparty;forthoughtheycouldnotalltalk,theycouldalleat;andthebeautifulpyramidsofgrapes,nectarines,andpeachessooncollectedthemroundthetable.

whilethusengaged,elizabethhadafairopportunityofdecidingwhethershemostfearedorwishedfortheappearanceofmr.darcy,bythefeelingswhichprevailedonhisenteringtheroom;andthen,thoughbutamomentbeforeshehadbelievedherwishestopredominate,shebegantoregretthathecame.

hehadbeensometimewithmr.gardiner,who,withtwoorthreeothergentlemenfromthehouse,wasengagedbytheriver,andhadlefthimonlyonlearningthattheladiesofthefamilyintendedavisittogeorgianathatmorning.nosoonerdidheappear,thanelizabethwiselyresolvedtobeperfectlyeasyandunembarrassed;—aresolutionthemorenecessarytobemade,butperhapsnotthemoreeasilykept,becauseshesawthatthesuspicionsofthewholepartywereawakenedagainstthem,andthattherewasscarcelyaneyewhichdidnotwatchhisbehaviourwhenhefirstcameintotheroom.innocountenancewasattentivecuriositysostronglymarkedasinmissbingley's,inspiteofthesmileswhichoverspreadherfacewhenevershespoketooneofitsobjects;forjealousyhadnotyetmadeherdesperate,andherattentionstomr.darcywerebynomeansover.missdarcy,onherbrother'sentrance,exertedherselfmuchmoretotalk;andelizabethsawthathewasanxiousforhissisterandherselftogetacquainted,andforwarded,asmuchaspossible,everyattemptatconversationoneitherside.missbingleysawallthislikewise;and,intheimprudenceofanger,tookthefirstopportunityofsaying,withsneeringcivility,"pray,misseliza,arenottheshiremilitiaremovedfrommeryton?theymustbeagreatlosstoyourfamily."

indarcy'spresenceshedarednotmentionwickham'sname;butelizabethinstantlycomprehendedthathewasuppermostinherthoughts;andthevariousrecollectionsconnectedwithhimgaveheramoment'sdistress;but,exertingherselfvigorouslytorepeltheill-naturedattack,shepresentlyansweredthequestioninatolerablydisengagedtone.whileshespoke,aninvoluntaryglanceshewedherdarcywithanheightenedcomplexion,earnestlylookingather,andhissisterovercomewithconfusionandunabletoliftuphereyes.hadmissbingleyknownwhatpainshewasthengivingherbelovedfriend,sheundoubtedlywouldhaverefrainedfromthehint;butshehadmerelyintendedtodiscomposeelizabeth,bybringingforwardtheideaofamantowhomshebelievedherpartial,tomakeherbetrayasensibilitywhichmightinjureherindarcy'sopinion,andperhapstoremindthelatterofallthefolliesandabsurditiesbywhichsomepartofherfamilywereconnectedwiththatcorps.notasyllablehadeverreachedherofmissdarcy'smeditatedelopement.tonocreaturehaditbeenrevealed,wheresecrecywaspossible,excepttoelizabeth;andfromallbingley'sconnectionsherbrotherwasparticularlyanxioustoconcealit,fromthatverywishwhichelizabethhadlongagoattributedtohim,oftheirbecominghereafterherown.hehadcertainlyformedsuchaplan,andwithoutmeaningthatitshouldaffecthisendeavourtoseparatehimfrommissbennet,itisprobablethatitmightaddsomethingtohislivelyconcernforthewelfareofhisfriend.

elizabeth'scollectedbehaviour,however,soonquietedhisemotion;andasmissbingley,vexedanddisappointed,darednotapproachnearertowickham,georgianaalsorecoveredintime,thoughnotenoughtobeabletospeakanymore.herbrother,whoseeyeshefearedtomeet,scarcelyrecollectedherinterestintheaffair,andtheverycircumstancewhichhadbeendesignedtoturnhisthoughtsfromelizabeth,seemedtohavefixedthemonhermore,andmorecheerfully.

theirvisitdidnotcontinuelongafterthequestionandanswerabove-mentioned;andwhilemr.darcywasattendingthemtotheircarriage,missbingleywasventingherfeelingsincriticismsonelizabeth'sperson,behaviour,anddress.butgeorgianawouldnotjoinher.herbrother'srecommendationwasenoughtoensureherfavour:hisjudgmentcouldnoterr,andhehadspokeninsuchtermsofelizabethastoleavegeorgianawithoutthepoweroffindingherotherwisethanlovelyandamiable.whendarcyreturnedtothesaloon,missbingleycouldnothelprepeatingtohimsomepartofwhatshehadbeensayingtohissister.

"howveryillelizabennetlooksthismorning,mr.darcy,"shecried;"ineverinmylifesawanyonesomuchalteredassheissincethewinter.sheisgrownsobrownandcoarse!louisaandiwereagreeingthatweshouldnothaveknownheragain."

howeverlittlemr.darcymighthavelikedsuchanaddress,hecontentedhimselfwithcoollyreplyingthatheperceivednootheralterationthanherbeingrathertanned—nomiraculousconsequenceoftravellinginthesummer.

"formyownpart,"sherejoined,"imustconfessthatinevercouldseeanybeautyinher.herfaceistoothin;hercomplexionhasnobrilliancy;andherfeaturesarenotatallhandsome.hernosewantscharacter;thereisnothingmarkedinitslines.herteetharetolerable,butnotoutofthecommonway;andasforhereyes,whichhavesometimesbeencalledsofine,inevercouldperceiveanythingextraordinaryinthem.theyhaveasharp,shrewishlook,whichidonotlikeatall;andinherairaltogether,thereisaself-sufficiencywithoutfashionwhichisintolerable."

persuadedasmissbingleywasthatdarcyadmiredelizabeth,thiswasnotthebestmethodofrecommendingherself;butangrypeoplearenotalwayswise;andinseeinghimatlastlooksomewhatnettled,shehadallthesuccesssheexpected.hewasresolutelysilenthowever;and,fromadeterminationofmakinghimspeakshecontinued,

"iremember,whenwefirstknewherinhertfordshire,howamazedweallweretofindthatshewasareputedbeauty;andiparticularlyrecollectyoursayingonenight,aftertheyhadbeendiningatnetherfield,'sheabeauty!—ishouldassooncallhermotherawit.'butafterwardssheseemedtoimproveonyou,andibelieveyouthoughtherratherprettyatonetime."

"yes,"replieddarcy,whocouldcontainhimselfnolonger,"butthatwasonlywhenifirstknewher,foritismanymonthssinceihaveconsideredherasoneofthehandsomestwomenofmyacquaintance."

hethenwentaway,andmissbingleywaslefttoallthesatisfactionofhavingforcedhimtosaywhatgavenooneanypainbutherself.

mrs.gardinerandelizabethtalkedofallthathadoccurredduringtheirvisit,astheyreturned,exceptwhathadparticularlyinterestedthemboth.thelooksandbehaviourofeverybodytheyhadseenwerediscussed,exceptofthepersonwhohadmostlyengagedtheirattention.theytalkedofhissister,hisfriends,hishouse,hisfruit,ofeverythingbuthimself;yetelizabethwaslongingtoknowwhatmrs.gardinerthoughtofhim,andmrs.gardinerwouldhavebeenhighlygratifiedbyherniece'sbeginningthesubject.