thediscomposureofspiritswhichthisextraordinaryvisitthrewelizabethinto,couldnotbeeasilyovercome;norcouldshe,formanyhours,learntothinkofitlessthanincessantly.ladycatherine,itappeared,hadactuallytakenthetroubleofthisjourneyfromrosings,forthesolepurposeofbreakingoffhersupposedengagementwithmr.darcy.itwasarationalscheme,tobesure!butfromwhatthereportoftheirengagementcouldoriginate,elizabethwasatalosstoimagine;tillsherecollectedthathisbeingtheintimatefriendofbingley,andherbeingthesisterofjane,wasenough,atatimewhentheexpectationofoneweddingmadeeverybodyeagerforanother,tosupplytheidea.shehadnotherselfforgottentofeelthatthemarriageofhersistermustbringthemmorefrequentlytogether.andherneighboursatlucaslodge,therefore(forthroughtheircommunicationwiththecollinses,thereport,sheconcluded,hadreachedladycatherine),hadonlysetthatdownasalmostcertainandimmediate,whichshehadlookedforwardtoaspossibleatsomefuturetime.

inrevolvingladycatherine'sexpressions,however,shecouldnothelpfeelingsomeuneasinessastothepossibleconsequenceofherpersistinginthisinterference.fromwhatshehadsaidofherresolutiontopreventtheirmarriage,itoccurredtoelizabeththatshemustmeditateanapplicationtohernephew;andhowhemighttakeasimilarrepresentationoftheevilsattachedtoaconnectionwithher,shedarednotpronounce.sheknewnottheexactdegreeofhisaffectionforhisaunt,orhisdependenceonherjudgment,butitwasnaturaltosupposethathethoughtmuchhigherofherladyshipthanshecoulddo;anditwascertainthat,inenumeratingthemiseriesofamarriagewithonewhoseimmediateconnectionsweresounequaltohisown,hisauntwouldaddresshimonhisweakestside.withhisnotionsofdignity,hewouldprobablyfeelthatthearguments,whichtoelizabethhadappearedweakandridiculous,containedmuchgoodsenseandsolidreasoning.

ifhehadbeenwaveringbeforeastowhatheshoulddo,whichhadoftenseemedlikely,theadviceandintreatyofsoneararelationmightsettleeverydoubt,anddeterminehimatoncetobeashappyasdignityunblemishedcouldmakehim.inthatcasehewouldreturnnomore.ladycatherinemightseehiminherwaythroughtown;andhisengagementtobingleyofcomingagaintonetherfieldmustgiveway.

"if,therefore,anexcusefornotkeepinghispromiseshouldcometohisfriendwithinafewdays,"sheadded,"ishallknowhowtounderstandit.ishallthengiveovereveryexpectation,everywishofhisconstancy.ifheissatisfiedwithonlyregrettingme,whenhemighthaveobtainedmyaffectionsandhand,ishallsoonceasetoregrethimatall."

thesurpriseoftherestofthefamily,onhearingwhotheirvisitorhadbeen,wasverygreat;buttheyobliginglysatisfiedit,withthesamekindofsuppositionwhichhadappeasedmrs.bennet'scuriosity;andelizabethwassparedfrommuchteazingonthesubject.

thenextmorning,asshewasgoingdownstairs,shewasmetbyherfather,whocameoutofhislibrarywithaletterinhishand.

"lizzy,"saidhe,"iwasgoingtolookforyou;comeintomyroom."

shefollowedhimthither;andhercuriositytoknowwhathehadtotellherwasheightenedbythesuppositionofitsbeinginsomemannerconnectedwiththeletterheheld.itsuddenlystruckherthatitmightbefromladycatherine;andsheanticipatedwithdismayalltheconsequentexplanations.

shefollowedherfathertothefireplace,andtheybothsatdown.hethensaid,"ihavereceivedaletterthismorningthathasastonishedmeexceedingly.asitprincipallyconcernsyourself,yououghttoknowitscontents.ididnotknowbefore,thatihadtwodaughtersonthebrinkofmatrimony.letmecongratulateyouonaveryimportantconquest."

thecolournowrushedintoelizabeth'scheeksintheinstantaneousconvictionofitsbeingaletterfromthenephew,insteadoftheaunt;andshewasundeterminedwhethermosttobepleasedthatheexplainedhimselfatall,oroffendedthathisletterwasnotratheraddressedtoherself;whenherfathercontinued,

"youlookconscious.youngladieshavegreatpenetrationinsuchmattersasthese;butithinkimaydefyevenyoursagacity,todiscoverthenameofyouradmirer.thisletterisfrommr.collins."

"frommr.collins!andwhatcanhehavetosay?"

"somethingverymuchtothepurposeofcourse.hebeginswithcongratulationsontheapproachingnuptialsofmyeldestdaughter,ofwhich,itseems,hehasbeentoldbysomeofthegood-natured,gossipinglucases.ishallnotsportwithyourimpatience,byreadingwhathesaysonthatpoint.whatrelatestoyourself,isasfollows.""havingthusofferedyouthesincerecongratulationsofmrs.collinsandmyselfonthishappyevent,letmenowaddashorthintonthesubjectofanother;ofwhichwehavebeenadvertisedbythesameauthority.yourdaughterelizabeth,itispresumed,willnotlongbearthenameofbennet,afterhereldersisterhasresignedit,andthechosenpartnerofherfatemaybereasonablylookeduptoasoneofthemostillustriouspersonagesinthisland."

"canyoupossiblyguess,lizzy,whoismeantbythis?""thisyounggentlemanisblessed,inapeculiarway,witheverythingtheheartofmortalcanmostdesire,—splendidproperty,noblekindred,andextensivepatronage.yetinspiteofallthesetemptations,letmewarnmycousinelizabeth,andyourself,ofwhatevilsyoumayincurbyaprecipitateclosurewiththisgentleman'sproposals,which,ofcourse,youwillbeinclinedtotakeimmediateadvantageof."

"haveyouanyidea,lizzy,whothisgentlemanis?butnowitcomesout."

"mymotiveforcautioningyouisasfollows.wehavereasontoimaginethathisaunt,ladycatherinedebourgh,doesnotlookonthematchwithafriendlyeye."

"mr.darcy,yousee,istheman!now,lizzy,ithinkihavesurprisedyou.couldhe,orthelucases,havepitchedonanymanwithinthecircleofouracquaintance,whosenamewouldhavegiventheliemoreeffectuallytowhattheyrelated?mr.darcy,whoneverlooksatanywomanbuttoseeablemish,andwhoprobablyneverlookedatyouinhislife!itisadmirable!"

elizabethtriedtojoininherfather'spleasantry,butcouldonlyforceonemostreluctantsmile.neverhadhiswitbeendirectedinamannersolittleagreeabletoher.

"areyounotperted?"

"oh!yes.prayreadon."

"aftermentioningthelikelihoodofthismarriagetoherladyshiplastnight,sheimmediately,withherusualcondescension,expressedwhatshefeltontheoccasion;whenitbecomeapparent,thatonthescoreofsomefamilyobjectionsonthepartofmycousin,shewouldnevergiveherconsenttowhatshetermedsodisgracefulamatch.ithoughtitmydutytogivethespeediestintelligenceofthistomycousin,thatsheandhernobleadmirermaybeawareofwhattheyareabout,andnotrunhastilyintoamarriagewhichhasnotbeenproperlysanctioned.""mr.collinsmoreoveradds,""iamtrulyrejoicedthatmycousinlydia'ssadbusinesshasbeensowellhushedup,andamonlyconcernedthattheirlivingtogetherbeforethemarriagetookplaceshouldbesogenerallyknown.imustnot,however,neglectthedutiesofmystation,orrefrainfromdeclaringmyamazementathearingthatyoureceivedtheyoungcoupleintoyourhouseassoonastheyweremarried.itwasanencouragementofvice;andhadibeentherectoroflongbourn,ishouldverystrenuouslyhaveopposedit.yououghtcertainlytoforgivethemasachristian,butnevertoadmittheminyoursight,orallowtheirnamestobementionedinyourhearing.""thatishisnotionofchristianforgiveness!therestofhisletterisonlyabouthisdearcharlotte'ssituation,andhisexpectationofayoungolive-branch.but,lizzy,youlookasifyoudidnotenjoyit.youarenotgoingtobemissish,ihope,andpretendtobeaffrontedatanidlereport.forwhatdowelive,buttomakesportforourneighbours,andlaughattheminourturn?"

"oh!"criedelizabeth,"iamexcessivelyperted.butitissostrange!"

"yes—thatiswhatmakesitamusing.hadtheyfixedonanyothermanitwouldhavebeennothing;buthisperfectindifference,andyourpointeddislike,makeitsodelightfullyabsurd!muchasiabominatewriting,iwouldnotgiveupmr.collins'scorrespondenceforanyconsideration.nay,whenireadaletterofhis,icannothelpgivinghimthepreferenceevenoverwickham,muchasivaluetheimpudenceandhypocrisyofmyson-in-law.andpray,lizzy,whatsaidladycatherineaboutthisreport?didshecalltorefuseherconsent?"

tothisquestionhisdaughterrepliedonlywithalaugh;andasithadbeenaskedwithouttheleastsuspicion,shewasnotdistressedbyhisrepeatingit.elizabethhadneverbeenmoreatalosstomakeherfeelingsappearwhattheywerenot.itwasnecessarytolaugh,whenshewouldratherhavecried.herfatherhadmostcruellymortifiedher,bywhathesaidofmr.darcy'sindifference,andshecoulddonothingbutwonderatsuchawantofpenetration,orfearthatperhaps,insteadofhisseeingtoolittle,shemighthavefanciedtoomuch.