inafewminutesshewasjoinedbybingley,whoseconferencewithherfatherhadbeenshortandtothepurpose.

"whereisyoursister?"saidhehastily,asheopenedthedoor.

"withmymotherupstairs.shewillbedowninamoment,idaresay."

hethenshutthedoor,and,cominguptoher,claimedthegoodwishesandaffectionofasister.elizabethhonestlyandheartilyexpressedherdelightintheprospectoftheirrelationship.theyshookhandswithgreatcordiality;andthen,tillhersistercamedown,shehadtolistentoallhehadtosayofhisownhappiness,andofjane'sperfections;andinspiteofhisbeingalover,elizabethreallybelievedallhisexpectationsoffelicitytoberationallyfounded,becausetheyhadforbasistheexcellentunderstanding,andsuper-excellentdispositionofjane,andageneralsimilarityoffeelingandtastebetweenherandhimself.

itwasaneveningofnocommondelighttothemall;thesatisfactionofmissbennet'smindgaveaglowofsuchsweetanimationtoherface,asmadeherlookhandsomerthanever.kittysimperedandsmiled,andhopedherturnwascomingsoon.mrs.bennetcouldnotgiveherconsentorspeakherapprobationintermswarmenoughtosatisfyherfeelings,thoughshetalkedtobingleyofnothingelseforhalfanhour;andwhenmr.bennetjoinedthematsupper,hisvoiceandmannerplainlyshewedhowreallyhappyhewas.

notaword,however,passedhislipsinallusiontoit,tilltheirvisitortookhisleaveforthenight;butassoonashewasgone,heturnedtohisdaughter,andsaid,

"jane,icongratulateyou.youwillbeaveryhappywoman."

janewenttohiminstantly,kissedhim,andthankedhimforhisgoodness.

"youareagoodgirl;"hereplied,"andihavegreatpleasureinthinkingyouwillbesohappilysettled.ihavenotadoubtofyourdoingverywelltogether.yourtempersarebynomeansunlike.youareeachofyousocomplying,thatnothingwilleverberesolvedon;soeasy,thateveryservantwillcheatyou;andsogenerous,thatyouwillalwaysexceedyourincome."

"ihopenotso.imprudenceorthoughtlessnessinmoneymatterswouldbeunpardonableinme."

"exceedtheirincome!mydearmr.bennet,"criedhiswife,"whatareyoutalkingof?why,hehasfourorfivethousandayear,andverylikelymore."thenaddressingherdaughter,"oh!mydear,dearjane,iamsohappy!iamsureishan'tgetawinkofsleepallnight.iknewhowitwouldbe.ialwayssaiditmustbeso,atlast.iwassureyoucouldnotbesobeautifulfornothing!iremember,assoonaseverisawhim,whenhefirstcameintohertfordshirelastyear,ithoughthowlikelyitwasthatyoushouldcometogether.oh!heisthehandsomestyoungmanthateverwasseen!"

wickham,lydia,wereallforgotten.janewasbeyondcompetitionherfavouritechild.atthatmoment,shecaredfornoother.heryoungersisterssoonbegantomakeinterestwithherforobjectsofhappinesswhichshemightinfuturebeabletodispense.

marypetitionedfortheuseofthelibraryatnetherfield;andkittybeggedveryhardforafewballsthereeverywinter.

bingley,fromthistime,wasofcourseadailyvisitoratlongbourn;comingfrequentlybeforebreakfast,andalwaysremainingtillaftersupper;unlesswhensomebarbarousneighbour,whocouldnotbeenoughdetested,hadgivenhimaninvitationtodinnerwhichhethoughthimselfobligedtoaccept.

elizabethhadnowbutlittletimeforconversationwithhersister;forwhilehewaspresent,janehadnoattentiontobestowonanyoneelse;butshefoundherselfconsiderablyusefultobothoftheminthosehoursofseparationthatmustsometimesoccur.intheabsenceofjane,healwaysattachedhimselftoelizabeth,forthepleasureoftalkingofher;andwhenbingleywasgone,janeconstantlysoughtthesamemeansofrelief.

"hehasmademesohappy,"saidshe,oneevening,"bytellingmethathewastotallyignorantofmybeingintownlastspring!ihadnotbelieveditpossible."

"isuspectedasmuch,"repliedelizabeth."buthowdidheaccountforit?"

"itmusthavebeenhissister'sdoing.theywerecertainlynofriendstohisacquaintancewithme,whichicannotwonderat,sincehemighthavechosensomuchmoreadvantageouslyinmanyrespects.butwhentheysee,asitrusttheywill,thattheirbrotherishappywithme,theywilllearntobecontented,andweshallbeongoodtermsagain;thoughwecanneverbewhatweonceweretoeachother."

"thatisthemostunforgivingspeech,"saidelizabeth,"thatieverheardyouutter.goodgirl!itwouldvexme,indeed,toseeyouagainthedupeofmissbingley'spretendedregard."

"wouldyoubelieveit,lizzy,thatwhenhewenttotownlastnovember,hereallylovedme,andnothingbutapersuasionofmybeingindifferentwouldhavepreventedhiscomingdownagain!"

"hemadealittlemistaketobesure;butitistothecreditofhismodesty."

thisnaturallyintroducedapanegyricfromjaneonhisdiffidence,andthelittlevalueheputonhisowngoodqualities.elizabethwaspleasedtofindthathehadnotbetrayedtheinterferenceofhisfriend;for,thoughjanehadthemostgenerousandforgivingheartintheworld,sheknewitwasacircumstancewhichmustprejudiceheragainsthim.

"iamcertainlythemostfortunatecreaturethateverexisted!"criedjane."oh!lizzy,whyamithussingledfrommyfamily,andblessedabovethemall!ificouldbutseeyouashappy!iftherewerebutsuchanothermanforyou!"

"ifyouweretogivemefortysuchmen,inevercouldbesohappyasyou.tillihaveyourdisposition,yourgoodness,inevercanhaveyourhappiness.no,no,letmeshiftformyself;and,perhaps,ifihaveverygoodluck,imaymeetwithanothermr.collinsintime."

thesituationofaffairsinthelongbournfamilycouldnotbelongasecret.mrs.bennetwasprivilegedtowhisperittomrs.philips,andsheventured,withoutanypermission,todothesamebyallherneighboursinmeryton.

thebennetswerespeedilypronouncedtobetheluckiestfamilyintheworld,thoughonlyafewweeksbefore,whenlydiahadfirstrunaway,theyhadbeengenerallyprovedtobemarkedoutformisfortune.