elizabeth'sspiritssoonrisingtoplayfulnessagain,shewantedmr.darcytoaccountforhishavingeverfalleninlovewithher."howcouldyoubegin?"saidshe."icancomprehendyourgoingoncharmingly,whenyouhadoncemadeabeginning;butwhatcouldsetyouoffinthefirstplace?"

"icannotfixonthehour,orthespot,orthelook,orthewords,whichlaidthefoundation.itistoolongago.iwasinthemiddlebeforeiknewthatihadbegun."

"mybeautyyouhadearlywithstood,andasformymanners—mybehaviourtoyouwasatleastalwaysborderingontheuncivil,andineverspoketoyouwithoutratherwishingtogiveyoupainthannot.nowbesincere;didyouadmiremeformyimpertinence?"

"forthelivelinessofyourmind,idid."

"youmayaswellcallitimpertinenceatonce.itwasverylittleless.thefactis,thatyouweresickofcivility,ofdeference,ofofficiousattention.youweredisgustedwiththewomenwhowerealwaysspeaking,andlooking,andthinkingforyourapprobationalone.iroused,andinterestedyou,becauseiwassounlikethem.hadyounotbeenreallyamiable,youwouldhavehatedmeforit;butinspiteofthepainsyoutooktodisguiseyourself,yourfeelingswerealwaysnobleandjust;andinyourheart,youthoroughlydespisedthepersonswhosoassiduouslycourtedyou.there—ihavesavedyouthetroubleofaccountingforit;andreally,allthingsconsidered,ibegintothinkitperfectlyreasonable.tobesure,youknewnoactualgoodofme—butnobodythinksofthatwhentheyfallinlove."wastherenogoodinyouraffectionatebehaviourtojanewhileshewasillatnetherfield?"

"dearestjane!whocouldhavedonelessforher?butmakeavirtueofitbyallmeans.mygoodqualitiesareunderyourprotection,andyouaretoexaggeratethemasmuchaspossible;and,inreturn,itbelongstometofindoccasionsforteazingandquarrellingwithyouasoftenasmaybe;andishallbegindirectlybyaskingyouwhatmadeyousounwillingtocometothepointatlast.whatmadeyousoshyofme,whenyoufirstcalled,andafterwardsdinedhere?why,especially,whenyoucalled,didyoulookasifyoudidnotcareaboutme?"

"becauseyouweregraveandsilent,andgavemenoencouragement."

"butiwasembarrassed."

"andsowasi."

"youmighthavetalkedtomemorewhenyoucametodinner."

"amanwhohadfeltless,might."

"howunluckythatyoushouldhaveareasonableanswertogive,andthatishouldbesoreasonableastoadmitit!butiwonderhowlongyouwouldhavegoneon,ifyouhadbeenlefttoyourself.iwonderwhenyouwouldhavespoken,ifihadnotaskedyou!myresolutionofthankingyouforyourkindnesstolydiahadcertainlygreateffect.toomuch,iamafraid;forwhatbecomesofthemoral,ifourcomfortspringsfromabreachofpromise?forioughtnottohavementionedthesubject.thiswillneverdo."

"youneednotdistressyourself.themoralwillbeperfectlyfair.ladycatherine'sunjustifiableendeavourstoseparateuswerethemeansofremovingallmydoubts.iamnotindebtedformypresenthappinesstoyoureagerdesireofexpressingyourgratitude.iwasnotinahumourtowaitforanyopeningofyour's.myaunt'sintelligencehadgivenmehope,andiwasdeterminedatoncetoknoweverything."

"ladycatherinehasbeenofinfiniteuse,whichoughttomakeherhappy,forshelovestobeofuse.buttellme,whatdidyoucomedowntonetherfieldfor?wasitmerelytoridetolongbournandbeembarrassed?orhadyouintendedanymoreseriousconsequence?"

"myrealpurposewastoseeyou,andtojudge,ificould,whetherimighteverhopetomakeyouloveme.myavowedone,orwhatiavowedtomyself,wastoseewhetheryoursisterwerestillpartialtobingley,andifshewere,tomaketheconfessiontohimwhichihavesincemade."

"shallyoueverhavecouragetoannouncetoladycatherinewhatistobefallher?"

"iammorelikelytowantmoretimethancourage,elizabeth.butitoughttodone,andifyouwillgivemeasheetofpaper,itshallbedonedirectly."

"andifihadnotalettertowritemyself,imightsitbyyouandadmiretheevenessofyourwriting,asanotheryoungladyoncedid.butihaveanaunt,too,whomustnotbelongerneglected."

fromanunwillingnesstoconfesshowmuchherintimacywithmr.darcyhadbeenover-rated,elizabethhadneveryetansweredmrs.gardiner'slongletter;butnow,havingthattocommunicatewhichsheknewwouldbemostwelcome,shewasalmostashamedtofindthatheruncleandaunthadalreadylostthreedaysofhappiness,andimmediatelywroteasfollows:

"iwouldhavethankedyoubefore,mydearaunt,asioughttohavedone,foryourlong,kind,satisfactory,detailofparticulars;buttosaythetruth,iwastoocrosstowrite.yousupposedmorethanreallyexisted.butnowsupposeasmuchasyouchuse;givealoosetoyourfancy,indulgeyourimaginationineverypossibleflightwhichthesubjectwillafford,andunlessyoubelievemeactuallymarried,youcannotgreatlyerr.youmustwriteagainverysoon,andpraisehimagreatdealmorethanyoudidinyourlast.ithankyou,againandagain,fornotgoingtothelakes.howcouldibesosillyastowishit!yourideaoftheponiesisdelightful.wewillgoroundtheparkeveryday.iamthehappiestcreatureintheworld.perhapsotherpeoplehavesaidsobefore,butnotonewithsuchjustice.iamhappiereventhanjane;sheonlysmiles,ilaugh.mr.darcysendsyoualltheloveintheworldthathecansparefromme.youarealltocometopemberleyatchristmas.your's,&c."

mr.darcy'slettertoladycatherinewasinadifferentstyle;andstilldifferentfromeitherwaswhatmr.bennetsenttomr.collins,inreplytohislast.

"dearsir,

imusttroubleyouoncemoreforcongratulations.elizabethwillsoonbethewifeofmr.darcy.consoleladycatherineaswellasyoucan.but,ifiwereyou,iwouldstandbythenephew.hehasmoretogive.

your'ssincerely,&c."

missbingley'scongratulationstoherbrother,onhisapproachingmarriage,wereallthatwasaffectionateandinsincere.shewroteeventojaneontheoccasion,toexpressherdelight,andrepeatallherformerprofessionsofregard.janewasnotdeceived,butshewasaffected;andthoughfeelingnorelianceonher,couldnothelpwritingheramuchkinderanswerthansheknewwasdeserved.

thejoywhichmissdarcyexpressedonreceivingsimilarinformation,wasassincereasherbrother'sinsendingit.foursidesofpaperwereinsufficienttocontainallherdelight,andallherearnestdesireofbeinglovedbyhersister.

beforeanyanswercouldarrivefrommr.collins,oranycongratulationstoelizabethfromhiswife,thelongbournfamilyheardthatthecollinseswerecomethemselvestolucaslodge.thereasonofthissuddenremovalwassoonevident.ladycatherinehadbeenrenderedsoexceedinglyangrybythecontentsofhernephew'sletter,thatcharlotte,reallyrejoicinginthematch,wasanxioustogetawaytillthestormwasblownover.atsuchamoment,thearrivalofherfriendwasasincerepleasuretoelizabeth,thoughinthecourseoftheirmeetingsshemustsometimesthinkthepleasuredearlybought,whenshesawmr.darcyexposedtoalltheparadingandobsequiouscivilityofherhusband.heboreit,however,withadmirablecalmness.hecouldevenlistentosirwilliamlucas,whenhecomplimentedhimoncarryingawaythebrightestjewelofthecountry,andexpressedhishopesoftheirallmeetingfrequentlyatst.james's,withverydecentcomposure.ifhedidshrughisshoulders,itwasnottillsirwilliamwasoutofsight.

mrs.philips'svulgaritywasanother,andperhapsagreater,taxonhisforbearance;andthoughmrs.philips,aswellashersister,stoodintoomuchaweofhimtospeakwiththefamiliaritywhichbingley'sgoodhumourencouraged,yet,whenevershedidspeak,shemustbevulgar.norwasherrespectforhim,thoughitmadehermorequiet,atalllikelytomakehermoreelegant.elizabethdidallshecouldtoshieldhimfromthefrequentnoticeofeither,andwaseveranxioustokeephimtoherself,andtothoseofherfamilywithwhomhemightconversewithoutmortification;andthoughtheuncomfortablefeelingsarisingfromallthistookfromtheseasonofcourtshipmuchofitspleasure,itaddedtothehopeofthefuture;andshelookedforwardwithdelighttothetimewhentheyshouldberemovedfromsocietysolittlepleasingtoeither,toallthecomfortandeleganceoftheirfamilypartyatpemberley.