insteadofreceivinganysuchletterofexcusefromhisfriend,aselizabethhalfexpectedmr.bingleytodo,hewasabletobringdarcywithhimtolongbournbeforemanydayshadpassedafterladycatherine'svisit.thegentlemenarrivedearly;and,beforemrs.bennethadtimetotellhimoftheirhavingseenhisaunt,ofwhichherdaughtersatinmomentarydread,bingley,whowantedtobealonewithjane,proposedtheirallwalkingout.itwasagreedto.mrs.bennetwasnotinthehabitofwalking;marycouldneversparetime;buttheremainingfivesetofftogether.bingleyandjane,however,soonallowedtheotherstooutstripthem.theylaggedbehind,whileelizabeth,kitty,anddarcyweretoentertaineachother.verylittlewassaidbyeither;kittywastoomuchafraidofhimtotalk;elizabethwassecretlyformingadesperateresolution;andperhapshemightbedoingthesame.

theywalkedtowardsthelucases,becausekittywishedtocalluponmaria;andaselizabethsawnooccasionformakingitageneralconcern,whenkittyleftthemshewentboldlyonwithhimalone.nowwasthemomentforherresolutiontobeexecuted,and,whilehercouragewashigh,sheimmediatelysaid,"mr.darcy,iamaveryselfishcreature;and,forthesakeofgivingrelieftomyownfeelings,carenothowmuchimaybewoundingyour's.icannolongerhelpthankingyouforyourunexampledkindnesstomypoorsister.eversinceihaveknownit,ihavebeenmostanxioustoacknowledgetoyouhowgratefullyifeelit.wereitknowntotherestofmyfamily,ishouldnothavemerelymyowngratitudetoexpress."

"iamsorry,exceedinglysorry,"replieddarcy,inatoneofsurpriseandemotion,"thatyouhaveeverbeeninformedofwhatmay,inamistakenlight,havegivenyouuneasiness.ididnotthinkmrs.gardinerwassolittletobetrusted."

"youmustnotblamemyaunt.lydia'sthoughtlessnessfirstbetrayedtomethatyouhadbeenconcernedinthematter;and,ofcourse,icouldnotresttilliknewtheparticulars.letmethankyouagainandagain,inthenameofallmyfamily,forthatgenerouscompassionwhichinducedyoutotakesomuchtrouble,andbearsomanymortifications,forthesakeofdiscoveringthem."

"ifyouwillthankme,"hereplied,"letitbeforyourselfalone.thatthewishofgivinghappinesstoyoumightaddforcetotheotherinducementswhichledmeon,ishallnotattempttodeny.butyourfamilyowemenothing.muchasirespectthem,ibelieveithoughtonlyofyou."

elizabethwastoomuchembarrassedtosayaword.afterashortpause,hercompanionadded,"youaretoogeneroustotriflewithme.ifyourfeelingsarestillwhattheywerelastapril,tellmesoatonce.myaffectionsandwishesareunchanged,butonewordfromyouwillsilencemeonthissubjectforever."

elizabeth,feelingallthemorethancommonawkwardnessandanxietyofhissituation,nowforcedherselftospeak;andimmediately,thoughnotveryfluently,gavehimtounderstandthathersentimentshadundergonesomaterialachange,sincetheperiodtowhichhealluded,astomakeherreceivewithgratitudeandpleasurehispresentassurances.thehappinesswhichthisreplyproduced,wassuchashehadprobablyneverfeltbefore;andheexpressedhimselfontheoccasionassensiblyandaswarmlyasamanviolentlyinlovecanbesupposedtodo.hadelizabethbeenabletoencounterhiseye,shemighthaveseenhowwelltheexpressionofheartfeltdelight,diffusedoverhisface,becamehim;but,thoughshecouldnotlook,shecouldlisten,andhetoldheroffeelings,which,inprovingofwhatimportanceshewastohim,madehisaffectioneverymomentmorevaluable.

theywalkedon,withoutknowinginwhatdirection.therewastoomuchtobethought,andfelt,andsaid,forattentiontoanyotherobjects.shesoonlearntthattheywereindebtedfortheirpresentgoodunderstandingtotheeffortsofhisaunt,whodidcallonhiminherreturnthroughlondon,andthererelateherjourneytolongbourn,itsmotive,andthesubstanceofherconversationwithelizabeth;dwellingemphaticallyoneveryexpressionofthelatterwhich,inherladyship'sapprehension,peculiarlydenotedherperversenessandassurance;inthebeliefthatsucharelationmustassistherendeavourstoobtainthatpromisefromhernephewwhichshehadrefusedtogive.but,unluckilyforherladyship,itseffecthadbeenexactlycontrariwise.

"ittaughtmetohope,"saidhe,"asihadscarcelyeverallowedmyselftohopebefore.iknewenoughofyourdispositiontobecertainthat,hadyoubeenabsolutely,irrevocablydecidedagainstme,youwouldhaveacknowledgedittoladycatherine,franklyandopenly."

elizabethcolouredandlaughedasshereplied,"yes,youknowenoughofmyfranknesstobelievemecapableofthat.afterabusingyousoabominablytoyourface,icouldhavenoscrupleinabusingyoutoallyourrelations."

"whatdidyousayofme,thatididnotdeserve?for,thoughyouraccusationswereill-founded,formedonmistakenpremises,mybehaviourtoyouatthetimehadmeritedtheseverestreproof.itwasunpardonable.icannotthinkofitwithoutabhorrence."

"wewillnotquarrelforthegreatershareofblameannexedtothatevening,"saidelizabeth."theconductofneither,ifstrictlyexamined,willbeirreproachable;butsincethen,wehaveboth,ihope,improvedincivility."

"icannotbesoeasilyreconciledtomyself.therecollectionofwhatithensaid,ofmyconduct,mymanners,myexpressionsduringthewholeofit,isnow,andhasbeenmanymonths,inexpressiblypainfultome.yourreproof,sowellapplied,ishallneverforget:"hadyoubehavedinamoregentleman-likemanner."thosewereyourwords.youknownot,youcanscarcelyconceive,howtheyhavetorturedme;—thoughitwassometime,iconfess,beforeiwasreasonableenoughtoallowtheirjustice."

"iwascertainlyveryfarfromexpectingthemtomakesostronganimpression.ihadnotthesmallestideaoftheirbeingeverfeltinsuchaway."

"icaneasilybelieveit.youthoughtmethendevoidofeveryproperfeeling,iamsureyoudid.theturnofyourcountenanceishallneverforget,asyousaidthaticouldnothaveaddressedyouinanypossiblewaythatwouldinduceyoutoacceptme."

"oh!donotrepeatwhatithensaid.theserecollectionswillnotdoatall.iassureyouthatihavelongbeenmostheartilyashamedofit."

darcymentionedhisletter."didit,"saidhe,"diditsoonmakeyouthinkbetterofme?didyou,onreadingit,giveanycredittoitscontents?"

sheexplainedwhatitseffectonherhadbeen,andhowgraduallyallherformerprejudiceshadbeenremoved.

"iknew,"saidhe,"thatwhatiwrotemustgiveyoupain,butitwasnecessary.ihopeyouhavedestroyedtheletter.therewasonepartespecially,theopeningofit,whichishoulddreadyourhavingthepowerofreadingagain.icanremembersomeexpressionswhichmightjustlymakeyouhateme."

"thelettershallcertainlybeburnt,ifyoubelieveitessentialtothepreservationofmyregard;but,thoughwehavebothreasontothinkmyopinionsnotentirelyunalterable,theyarenot,ihope,quitesoeasilychangedasthatimplies."

"wheniwrotethatletter,"replieddarcy,"ibelievedmyselfperfectlycalmandcool,butiamsinceconvincedthatitwaswritteninadreadfulbitternessofspirit."

"theletter,perhaps,beganinbitterness,butitdidnotendso.theadieuischarityitself.butthinknomoreoftheletter.thefeelingsofthepersonwhowrote,andthepersonwhoreceivedit,arenowsowidelydifferentfromwhattheywerethen,thateveryunpleasantcircumstanceattendingitoughttobeforgotten.youmustlearnsomeofmyphilosophy.thinkonlyofthepastasitsremembrancegivesyoupleasure."

"icannotgiveyoucreditforanyphilosophyofthekind.yourretrospectionsmustbesototallyvoidofreproach,thatthecontentmentarisingfromthemisnotofphilosophy,but,whatismuchbetter,ofinnocence.butwithme,itisnotso.painfulrecollectionswillintrudewhichcannot,whichoughtnot,toberepelled.ihavebeenaselfishbeingallmylife,inpractice,thoughnotinprinciple.asachildiwastaughtwhatwasright,butiwasnottaughttocorrectmytemper.iwasgivengoodprinciples,butlefttofollowtheminprideandconceit.unfortunatelyanonlyson(formanyyearsanonlychild),iwasspoiltbymyparents,who,thoughgoodthemselves(myfather,particularly,allthatwasbenevolentandamiable),allowed,encouraged,almosttaughtmetobeselfishandoverbearing;tocarefornonebeyondmyownfamilycircle;tothinkmeanlyofalltherestoftheworld;towishatleasttothinkmeanlyoftheirsenseandworthcomparedwithmyown.suchiwas,fromeighttoeightandtwenty;andsuchimightstillhavebeenbutforyou,dearest,loveliestelizabeth!whatdoinotoweyou!youtaughtmealesson,hardindeedatfirst,butmostadvantageous.byyou,iwasproperlyhumbled.icametoyouwithoutadoubtofmyreception.youshewedmehowinsufficientwereallmypretensionstopleaseawomanworthyofbeingpleased."