"thereisagentlemanwithhim,mamma,"saidkitty;"whocanitbe?"

"someacquaintanceorother,mydear,isuppose;iamsureidonotknow."

"la!"repliedkitty,"itlooksjustlikethatmanthatusedtobewithhimbefore.mr.what's-his-name.thattall,proudman."

"goodgracious!mr.darcy!—andsoitdoes,ivow.well,anyfriendofmr.bingley'swillalwaysbewelcomehere,tobesure;butelseimustsaythatihatetheverysightofhim."

janelookedatelizabethwithsurpriseandconcern.sheknewbutlittleoftheirmeetinginderbyshire,andthereforefeltfortheawkwardnesswhichmustattendhersister,inseeinghimalmostforthefirsttimeafterreceivinghisexplanatoryletter.bothsisterswereuncomfortableenough.eachfeltfortheother,andofcourseforthemselves;andtheirmothertalkedon,ofherdislikeofmr.darcy,andherresolutiontobeciviltohimonlyasmr.bingley'sfriend,withoutbeingheardbyeitherofthem.butelizabethhadsourcesofuneasinesswhichcouldnotbesuspectedbyjane,towhomshehadneveryethadcouragetoshewmrs.gardiner'sletter,ortorelateherownchangeofsentimenttowardshim.tojane,hecouldbeonlyamanwhoseproposalsshehadrefused,andwhosemeritshehadundervalued;buttoherownmoreextensiveinformation,hewasthepersontowhomthewholefamilywereindebtedforthefirstofbenefits,andwhomsheregardedherselfwithaninterest,ifnotquitesotender,atleastasreasonableandjustaswhatjanefeltforbingley.herastonishmentathiscoming—athiscomingtonetherfield,tolongbourn,andvoluntarilyseekingheragain,wasalmostequaltowhatshehadknownonfirstwitnessinghisalteredbehaviourinderbyshire.

thecolourwhichhadbeendrivenfromherface,returnedforhalfaminutewithanadditionalglow,andasmileofdelightaddedlustretohereyes,asshethoughtforthatspaceoftimethathisaffectionandwishesmuststillbeunshaken.butshewouldnotbesecure.

"letmefirstseehowhebehaves,"saidshe;"itwillthenbeearlyenoughforexpectation."

shesatintentlyatwork,strivingtobecomposed,andwithoutdaringtoliftuphereyes,tillanxiouscuriositycarriedthemtothefaceofhersisterastheservantwasapproachingthedoor.janelookedalittlepalerthanusual,butmoresedatethanelizabethhadexpected.onthegentlemen'sappearing,hercolourincreased;yetshereceivedthemwithtolerableease,andwithaproprietyofbehaviourequallyfreefromanysymptomofresentmentoranyunnecessarycomplaisance.

elizabethsaidaslittletoeitherascivilitywouldallow,andsatdownagaintoherwork,withaneagernesswhichitdidnotoftencommand.shehadventuredonlyoneglanceatdarcy.helookedserious,asusual;and,shethought,moreashehadbeenusedtolookinhertfordshire,thanasshehadseenhimatpemberley.but,perhapshecouldnotinhermother'spresencebewhathewasbeforeheruncleandaunt.itwasapainful,butnotanimprobable,conjecture.

bingley,shehadlikewiseseenforaninstant,andinthatshortperiodsawhimlookingbothpleasedandembarrassed.hewasreceivedbymrs.bennetwithadegreeofcivilitywhichmadehertwodaughtersashamed,especiallywhencontrastedwiththecoldandceremoniouspolitenessofhercurtseyandaddresstohisfriend.

elizabeth,particularly,whoknewthathermotherowedtothelatterthepreservationofherfavouritedaughterfromirremediableinfamy,washurtanddistressedtoamostpainfuldegreebyadistinctionsoillapplied.

darcy,afterenquiringofherhowmr.andmrs.gardinerdid,aquestionwhichshecouldnotanswerwithoutconfusion,saidscarcelyanything.hewasnotseatedbyher;perhapsthatwasthereasonofhissilence;butithadnotbeensoinderbyshire.therehehadtalkedtoherfriends,whenhecouldnottoherself.butnowseveralminuteselapsedwithoutbringingthesoundofhisvoice;andwhenoccasionally,unabletoresisttheimpulseofcuriosity,sheraisedheeyestohisface,sheasoftenfoundhimlookingatjaneasatherself,andfrequentlyonnoobjectbuttheground.morethoughtfulnessandlessanxietytoplease,thanwhentheylastmet,wereplainlyexpressed.shewasdisappointed,andangrywithherselfforbeingso.

"couldiexpectittobeotherwise!"saidshe."yetwhydidhecome?"

shewasinnohumourforconversationwithanyonebuthimself;andtohimshehadhardlycouragetospeak.

sheenquiredafterhissister,butcoulddonomore.

"itisalongtime,mr.bingley,sinceyouwentaway,"saidmrs.bennet.

hereadilyagreedtoit.

"ibegantobeafraidyouwouldnevercomebackagain.peopledidsayyoumeanttoquittheplaceentirelyatmichaelmas;but,however,ihopeitisnottrue.agreatmanychangeshavehappenedintheneighbourhood,sinceyouwentaway.misslucasismarriedandsettled.andoneofmyowndaughters.isupposeyouhaveheardofit;indeed,youmusthaveseenitinthepapers.itwasinthetimesandthecourier,iknow;thoughitwasnotputinasitoughttobe.itwasonlysaid,'lately,georgewickham,esq.tomisslydiabennet,'withouttherebeingasyllablesaidofherfather,ortheplacewhereshelived,oranything.itwasmybrothergardiner'sdrawinguptoo,andiwonderhowhecametomakesuchanawkwardbusinessofit.didyouseeit?"

bingleyrepliedthathedid,andmadehiscongratulations.elizabethdarednotliftuphereyes.howmr.darcylooked,therefore,shecouldnottell.

"itisadelightfulthing,tobesure,tohaveadaughterwellmarried,"continuedhermother,"butatthesametime,mr.bingley,itisveryhardtohavehertakensuchawayfromme.theyaregonedowntonewcastle,aplacequitenorthward,itseems,andtheretheyaretostayidonotknowhowlong.hisregimentisthere;forisupposeyouhaveheardofhisleavingthe—shire,andofhisbeinggoneintotheregulars.thankheaven!hehassomefriends,thoughperhapsnotsomanyashedeserves."

elizabeth,whoknewthistobelevelledatmr.darcy,wasinsuchmiseryofshame,thatshecouldhardlykeepherseat.itdrewfromher,however,theexertionofspeaking,whichnothingelsehadsoeffectuallydonebefore;andsheaskedbingleywhetherhemeanttomakeanystayinthecountryatpresent.afewweeks,hebelieved.

"whenyouhavekilledallyourownbirds,mr.bingley,"saidhermother,"ibegyouwillcomehere,andshootasmanyasyoupleaseonmr.bennet'smanor.iamsurehewillbevastlyhappytoobligeyou,andwillsaveallthebestofthecoviesforyou."

elizabeth'smiseryincreased,atsuchunnecessary,suchofficiousattention!werethesamefairprospecttoariseatpresentashadflatteredthemayearago,everything,shewaspersuaded,wouldbehasteningtothesamevexatiousconclusion.atthatinstant,shefeltthatyearsofhappinesscouldnotmakejaneorherselfamendsformomentsofsuchpainfulconfusion.

"thefirstwishofmyheart,"saidshetoherself,"isnevermoretobeincompanywitheitherofthem.theirsocietycanaffordnopleasurethatwillatoneforsuchwretchednessasthis!letmeneverseeeitheroneortheotheragain!"

yetthemisery,forwhichyearsofhappinessweretooffernocompensation,receivedsoonafterwardsmaterialrelief,fromobservinghowmuchthebeautyofhersisterre-kindledtheadmirationofherformerlover.whenfirsthecamein,hehadspokentoherbutlittle;buteveryfiveminutesseemedtobegivinghermoreofhisattention.hefoundherashandsomeasshehadbeenlastyear;asgoodnatured,andasunaffected,thoughnotquitesochatty.janewasanxiousthatnodifferenceshouldbeperceivedinheratall,andwasreallypersuadedthatshetalkedasmuchasever.buthermindwassobusilyengaged,thatshedidnotalwaysknowwhenshewassilent.

whenthegentlemenrosetogoaway,mrs.bennetwasmindfulofherintendedcivility,andtheywereinvitedandengagedtodineatlongbourninafewdaystime.

"youarequiteavisitinmydebt,mr.bingley,"sheadded,"forwhenyouwenttotownlastwinter,youpromisedtotakeafamilydinnerwithus,assoonasyoureturned.ihavenotforgot,yousee;andiassureyou,iwasverymuchdisappointedthatyoudidnotcomebackandkeepyourengagement."

bingleylookedalittlesillyatthisreflection,andsaidsomethingofhisconcernathavingbeenpreventedbybusiness.theythenwentaway.

mrs.bennethadbeenstronglyinclinedtoaskthemtostayanddinetherethatday;but,thoughshealwayskeptaverygoodtable,shedidnotthinkanythinglessthantwocoursescouldbegoodenoughforamanonwhomshehadsuchanxiousdesigns,orsatisfytheappetiteandprideofonewhohadtenthousandayear.