elizabethhadsettleditthatmr.darcywouldbringhissistertovisithertheverydayafterherreachingpemberley;andwasconsequentlyresolvednottobeoutofsightoftheinnthewholeofthatmorning.butherconclusionwasfalse;forontheverymorningaftertheirownarrivalatlambton,thesevisitorscame.theyhadbeenwalkingabouttheplacewithsomeoftheirnewfriends,andwerejustreturnedtotheinntodressthemselvesfordiningwiththesamefamily,whenthesoundofacarriagedrewthemtoawindow,andtheysawagentlemanandladyinacurricle,drivingupthestreet.elizabeth,immediatelyrecognisingthelivery,guessedwhatitmeant,andimpartednosmalldegreeofsurprisetoherrelationsbyacquaintingthemwiththehonourwhichsheexpected.heruncleandauntwereallamazement;andtheembarrassmentofhermannerasshespoke,joinedtothecircumstanceitself,andmanyofthecircumstancesoftheprecedingday,openedtothemanewideaonthebusiness.nothinghadeversuggesteditbefore,buttheynowfeltthattherewasnootherwayofaccountingforsuchattentionsfromsuchaquarterthanbysupposingapartialityfortheirniece.whilethesenewly-bornnotionswerepassingintheirheads,theperturbationofelizabeth'sfeelingswaseverymomentincreasing.shewasquiteamazedatherowndiscomposure;butamongstothercausesofdisquiet,shedreadedlestthepartialityofthebrothershouldhavesaidtoomuchinherfavour;andmorethancommonlyanxioustoplease,shenaturallysuspectedthateverypowerofpleasingwouldfailher.

sheretreatedfromthewindow,fearfulofbeingseen;andasshewalkedupanddowntheroom,endeavouringtocomposeherself,sawsuchlooksofenquiringsurpriseinheruncleandauntasmadeeverythingworse.

missdarcyandherbrotherappeared,andthisformidableintroductiontookplace.withastonishmentdidelizabethseethathernewacquaintancewasatleastasmuchembarrassedasherself.sinceherbeingatlambton,shehadheardthatmissdarcywasexceedinglyproud;buttheobservationofaveryfewminutesconvincedherthatshewasonlyexceedinglyshy.shefounditdifficulttoobtainevenawordfromherbeyondamonosyllable.

missdarcywastall,andonalargerscalethanelizabeth;and,thoughlittlemorethansixteen,herfigurewasformed,andherappearancewomanlyandgraceful.shewaslesshandsomethanherbrother,buttherewassenseandgoodhumourinherface,andhermannerswereperfectlyunassumingandgentle.elizabeth,whohadexpectedtofindinherasacuteandunembarrassedanobserverasevermr.darcyhadbeen,wasmuchrelievedbydiscerningsuchdifferentfeelings.

theyhadnotbeenlongtogetherbeforedarcytoldherthatbingleywasalsocomingtowaitonher;andshehadbarelytimetoexpresshersatisfaction,andprepareforsuchavisitor,whenbingley'squickstepwasheardonthestairs,andinamomentheenteredtheroom.allelizabeth'sangeragainsthimhadbeenlongdoneaway;but,hadshestillfeltany,itcouldhardlyhavestooditsgroundagainsttheunaffectedcordialitywithwhichheexpressedhimselfonseeingheragain.heenquiredinafriendly,thoughgeneralway,afterherfamily,andlookedandspokewiththesamegood-humouredeasethathehadeverdone.

tomr.andmrs.gardinerhewasscarcelyalessinterestingpersonagethantoherself.theyhadlongwishedtoseehim.thewholepartybeforethem,indeed,excitedalivelyattention.thesuspicionswhichhadjustarisen,ofmr.darcyandtheirniece,directedtheirobservationtowardseachwithanearnest,thoughguarded,enquiry;andtheysoondrewfromthoseenquiriesthefullconvictionthatoneofthematleastknewwhatitwastolove.ofthelady'ssensationstheyremainedalittleindoubt;butthatthegentlemanwasoverflowingwithadmirationwasevidentenough.

elizabeth,onherside,hadmuchtodo.shewantedtoascertainthefeelingsofeachofhervisitors,shewantedtocomposeherown,andtomakeherselfagreeabletoall;andinthelatterobject,whereshefearedmosttofail,shewasmostsureofsuccess,forthosetowhomsheendeavouredtogivepleasurewereprepossessedinherfavour.bingleywasready,georgianawaseager,anddarcydeterminedtobepleased.

inseeingbingley,herthoughtsnaturallyflewtohersister;andoh!howardentlydidshelongtoknowwhetheranyofhisweredirectedinalikemanner.sometimesshecouldfancythathetalkedlessthanonformeroccasions,andonceortwicepleasedherselfwiththenotionthatashelookedather,hewastryingtotracearesemblance.butthoughthismightbeimaginary,shecouldnotbedeceivedastohisbehaviourtomissdarcy,whohadbeensetupasarivalofjane.nolookappearedoneithersidethatspokeparticularregard.nothingoccurredbetweenthemthatcouldjustifythehopesofhissister.onthispointshewassoonsatisfied;andtwoorthreelittlecircumstancesoccurrederetheypartedwhich,inheranxiousinterpretation,denotedarecollectionofjanenotuntincturedbytenderness,andawishofsayingmorethatmightleadtothementionofher,hadhedared.heobservedtoher,atamomentwhentheothersweretalkingtogether,andinatonewhichhadsomethingofrealregret,thatit"wasaverylongtimesincehehadhadthepleasureofseeingher"and,beforeshecouldreply,headded,"itisaboveeightmonths.wehavenotmetsincethe26thofnovember,whenwewerealldancingtogetheratnetherfield."

elizabethwaspleasedtofindhismemorysoexact;andheafterwardstookoccasiontoaskher,whenunattendedtobyanyoftherest,whetherallhersisterswereatlongbourn.therewasnotmuchinthequestion,norintheprecedingremark,buttherewasalookandmannerwhichgavethemmeaning.

itwasnotoftenthatshecouldturnhereyesonmr.darcyhimself;but,whenevershedidcatchaglimpse,shesawanexpressionofgeneralcomplaisance,andinallthathesaidsheheardanaccentsofarremovedfromhauteurordisdainofhiscompanions,asconvincedherthattheimprovementofmannerswhichshehadyesterdaywitnessed,howevertemporaryitsexistencemightprove,hadatleastoutlivedoneday.whenshesawhimthusseekingtheacquaintanceandcourtingthegoodopinionofpeople,withwhomanyintercourseafewmonthsagowouldhavebeenadisgrace;whenshesawhimthuscivil,notonlytoherself,buttotheveryrelationswhomhehadopenlydisdained,andrecollectedtheirlastlivelysceneinhunsfordparsonage,thedifference,thechangewassogreat,andstrucksoforciblyonhermind,thatshecouldhardlyrestrainherastonishmentfrombeingvisible.never,eveninthecompanyofhisdearfriendsatnetherfield,orhisdignifiedrelationsatrosings,hadsheseenhimsodesiroustoplease,sofreefromself-consequenceorunbendingreserve,asnow,whennoimportancecouldresultfromthesuccessofhisendeavours,andwheneventheacquaintanceofthosetowhomhisattentionswereaddressedwoulddrawdowntheridiculeandcensureoftheladiesbothofnetherfieldandrosings.

theirvisitorsstaidwiththemabovehalfanhour,andwhentheyarosetodepart,mr.darcycalledonhissistertojoinhiminexpressingtheirwishofseeingmr.andmrs.gardinerandmissbennettodinneratpemberleybeforetheyleftthecountry.missdarcy,thoughwithadiffidencewhichmarkedherlittleinthehabitofgivinginvitations,readilyobeyed.mrs.gardinerlookedatherniece,desirousofknowinghowshe,whomtheinvitationmostconcerned,feltdisposedastoitsacceptance,butelizabethhadturnedawayherhead.presuming,however,thatthisstudiedavoidancespokeratheramomentaryembarrassment,thananydislikeoftheproposal,andseeinginherhusband,whowasfondofsociety,aperfectwillingnesstoacceptit,sheventuredtoengageforherattendance,andthedayafterthenextwasfixedon.

bingleyexpressedgreatpleasureinthecertaintyofseeingelizabethagain,havingstillagreatdealtosaytoher,andmanyenquiriestomakeafteralltheirhertfordshirefriends.elizabeth,construingallthisintoawishofhearingherspeakofhersister,waspleased;andonthisaccount,aswellassomeothers,foundherself,whentheirvisitorsleftthem,capableofconsideringthelasthalfhourwithsomesatisfaction,thoughwhileitwaspassingtheenjoymentofithadbeenlittle.eagertobealone,andfearfulofenquiriesorhintsfromheruncleandaunt,shestaidwiththemonlylongenoughtoheartheirfavourableopinionofbingley,andthenhurriedawaytodress.

butshehadnoreasontofearmr.andmrs.gardiner'scuriosity;itwasnottheirwishtoforcehercommunication.itwasevidentthatshewasmuchbetteracquaintedwithmr.darcythantheyhadbeforeanyideaof;itwasevidentthathewasverymuchinlovewithher.theysawmuchtointerest,butnothingtojustifyenquiry.

ofmr.darcyitwasnowamatterofanxietytothinkwell;and,asfarastheiracquaintancereached,therewasnofaulttofind.theycouldnotbeuntouchedbyhispoliteness,and,hadtheydrawnhischaracterfromtheirownfeelingsandhisservant'sreport,withoutanyreferencetoanyotheraccount,thecircleinhertfordshiretowhichhewasknownwouldnothaverecogniseditformr.darcy.therewasnowaninterest,however,inbelievingthehousekeeper;andtheysoonbecamesensiblethattheauthorityofaservantwhohadknownhimsincehewasfouryearsold,andwhoseownmannersindicatedrespectability,wasnottobehastilyrejected.neitherhadanythingoccurredintheintelligenceoftheirlambtonfriendsthatcouldmateriallylessenitsweight.theyhadnothingtoaccusehimofbutpride;prideheprobablyhad,andifnot,itwouldcertainlybeimputedbytheinhabitantsofasmallmarket-townwherethefamilydidnotvisit.itwasacknowledged,however,thathewasaliberalman,anddidmuchgoodamongthepoor.

withrespecttowickham,thetravellerssoonfoundthathewasnotheldthereinmuchestimation;forthoughthechiefofhisconcernswiththesonofhispatronwereimperfectlyunderstood,itwasyetawellknownfactthatonhisquittingderbyshirehehadleftmanydebtsbehindhim,whichmr.darcyafterwardsdischarged.

asforelizabeth,herthoughtswereatpemberleythiseveningmorethanthelast;andtheevening,thoughasitpasseditseemedlong,wasnotlongenoughtodetermineherfeelingstowardsoneinthatmansion;andshelayawaketwowholehoursendeavouringtomakethemout.shecertainlydidnothatehim.no;hatredhadvanishedlongago,andshehadalmostaslongbeenashamedofeverfeelingadislikeagainsthimthatcouldbesocalled.therespectcreatedbytheconvictionofhisvaluablequalities,thoughatfirstunwillinglyadmitted,hadforsometimeceasedtoberepugnanttoherfeelings;anditwasnowheightenedintosomewhatofafriendliernaturebythetestimonysohighlyinhisfavour,andbringingforwardhisdispositioninsoamiablealight,whichyesterdayhadproduced.butaboveall,aboverespectandesteem,therewasamotivewithinherofgoodwillwhichcouldnotbeoverlooked.itwasgratitude.—gratitude,notmerelyforhavingoncelovedher,butforlovingherstillwellenoughtoforgiveallthepetulanceandacrimonyofhermannerinrejectinghim,andalltheunjustaccusationsaccompanyingherrejection.hewho,shehadbeenpersuaded,wouldavoidherashisgreatestenemy,seemed,onthisaccidentalmeeting,mosteagertopreservetheacquaintance,andwithoutanyindelicatedisplayofregard,oranypeculiarityofmanner,wheretheirtwoselvesonlywereconcerned,wassolicitingthegoodopinionofherfriends,andbentonmakingherknowntohissister.suchachangeinamanofsomuchprideexcitednotonlyastonishmentbutgratitude—fortolove,ardentlove,itmustbeattributed;andassuch,itsimpressiononherwasofasorttobeencouraged,asbynomeansunpleasing,thoughitcouldnotbeexactlydefined.sherespected,sheesteemed,shewasgratefultohim;shefeltarealinterestinhiswelfare;andsheonlywantedtoknowhowfarshewishedthatwelfaretodependuponherself,andhowfaritwouldbeforthehappinessofboththatsheshouldemploythepower,whichherfancytoldhershestillpossessed,ofbringingontherenewalofhisaddresses.

ithadbeensettledintheevening,betweentheauntandniece,thatsuchastrikingcivilityasmissdarcy's,incomingtothemontheverydayofherarrivalatpemberley—forshehadreacheditonlytoalatebreakfast—oughttobeimitated,thoughitcouldnotbeequalled,bysomeexertionofpolitenessontheirside;and,consequently,thatitwouldbehighlyexpedienttowaitonheratpemberleythefollowingmorning.theywere,therefore,togo.—elizabethwaspleased,though,whensheaskedherselfthereason,shehadverylittletosayinreply.

mr.gardinerleftthemsoonafterbreakfast.thefishingschemehadbeenrenewedthedaybefore,andapositiveengagementmadeofhismeetingsomeofthegentlemenatpemberleybynoon.