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Tit"e7 Pride and Prejudice

Author7 Jane Austen

0e"ease 'ate7 Jun, 3448 EBook #39:;<=ost recent"y u!dated7 A!ri" ;3, ;>>?<

Edition7 3;

@anguage7 Eng"ish

haracter set encoding7 A2

+++ 2TA0T - T1E P0JET GTECBE0G EBD, P0'E AC' P0EJ'E+++

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen



ha!ter 3

t is a truth uni$ersa""y ackno"edged, that a sing"e &an in

!ossession of a good fortune, &ust be in ant of a ife%

1oe$er "itt"e knon the fee"ings or $ies of such a &an &ay be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so e""fi/ed in the &inds of the surrounding fa&i"ies, that he is consideredthe rightfu" !ro!erty of so&e one or other of their daughters%

=y dear =r% Bennet, said his "ady to hi& one day, ha$e youheard that Cetherfie"d Park is "et at "ast

=r% Bennet re!"ied that he had not%

But it is, returned sheF for =rs% @ong has just been here, andshe to"d &e a"" about it%

=r% Bennet &ade no anser%

'o you not ant to kno ho has taken it cried his ifei&!atient"y%

*ou ant to te"" &e, and ha$e no objection to hearing it%

This as in$itation enough%

hy, &y dear, you &ust kno, =rs% @ong says that Cetherfie"dis taken by a young &an of "arge fortune fro& the north of Eng"andF that he ca&e don on =onday in a chaise and four tosee the !"ace, and as so &uch de"ighted ith it, that he agreedith =r% =orris i&&ediate"yF that he is to take !ossession

before =ichae"&as, and so&e of his ser$ants are to be in thehouse by the end of ne/t eek%

hat is his na&e

Bing"ey%

s he &arried or sing"e

h6 2ing"e, &y dear, to be sure6 A sing"e &an of "argefortuneF four or fi$e thousand a year% hat a fine thing for our gir"s6

1o so 1o can it affect the&

=y dear =r% Bennet, re!"ied his ife, ho can you be so



tireso&e6 *ou &ust kno that a& thinking of his &arryingone of the&%

s that his design in sett"ing here

'esign6 Consense, ho can you ta"k so6 But it is $ery "ike"ythat he &ay fa"" in "o$e ith one of the&, and therefore you&ust $isit hi& as soon as he co&es%

see no occasion for that% *ou and the gir"s &ay go, or you&ay send the& by the&se"$es, hich !erha!s i"" be sti""

better, for as you are as handso&e as any of the&, =r% Bing"ey&ay "ike you the best of the !arty%

=y dear, you f"atter &e% certain"y ha$e had &y share of beauty, but do not !retend to be anything e/traordinary no%

hen a o&an has fi$e gronHu! daughters, she ought to gi$eo$er thinking of her on beauty%

n such cases, a o&an has not often &uch beauty to think of%

But, &y dear, you &ust indeed go and see =r% Bing"ey henhe co&es into the neighbourhood%

t is &ore than engage for, assure you%

But consider your daughters% n"y think hat an estab"ish&entit ou"d be for one of the&% 2ir i""ia& and @ady @ucas aredeter&ined to go, &ere"y on that account, for in genera", youkno, they $isit no neco&ers% ndeed you &ust go, for it i""

be i&!ossib"e for us to $isit hi& if you do not%

*ou are o$erHscru!u"ous, sure"y% dare say =r% Bing"ey i"" be $ery g"ad to see youF and i"" send a fe "ines by you toassure hi& of &y hearty consent to his &arrying hiche$er hechooses of the gir"sF though &ust thro in a good ord for &y "itt"e @iIIy%

desire you i"" do no such thing% @iIIy is not a bit better than the othersF and a& sure she is not ha"f so handso&e asJane, nor ha"f so goodHhu&oured as @ydia% But you are a"aysgi$ing her the !reference%

They ha$e none of the& &uch to reco&&end the&, re!"ied heFthey are a"" si""y and ignorant "ike other gir"sF but @iIIyhas so&ething &ore of uickness than her sisters%

=r% Bennet, ho can you abuse your on chi"dren in such a

ay *ou take de"ight in $e/ing &e% *ou ha$e no co&!assionfor &y !oor ner$es%



*ou &istake &e, &y dear% ha$e a high res!ect for your ner$es% They are &y o"d friends% ha$e heard you &entionthe& ith consideration these "ast tenty years at "east%

Ah, you do not kno hat suffer%

But ho!e you i"" get o$er it, and "i$e to see &any young&en of four thousand a year co&e into the neighbourhood%

t i"" be no use to us, if tenty such shou"d co&e, sinceyou i"" not $isit the&%

'e!end u!on it, &y dear, that hen there are tenty, i""$isit the& a""%

=r% Bennet as so odd a &i/ture of uick !arts, sarcastic hu&our,reser$e, and ca!rice, that the e/!erience of threeHandHtentyyears had been insufficient to &ake his ife understand hischaracter% 1er &ind as "ess difficu"t to de$e"o!% 2he as ao&an of &ean understanding, "itt"e infor&ation, and uncertainte&!er% hen she as discontented, she fancied herse"f ner$ous%The business of her "ife as to get her daughters &arriedF itsso"ace as $isiting and nes%

ha!ter ;

=r% Bennet as a&ong the ear"iest of those ho aited on =r%Bing"ey% 1e had a"ays intended to $isit hi&, though to the "asta"ays assuring his ife that he shou"d not goF and ti"" thee$ening after the $isit as !aid she had no kno"edge of it%t as then disc"osed in the fo""oing &anner% bser$ing hissecond daughter e&!"oyed in tri&&ing a hat, he sudden"yaddressed her ith7

ho!e =r% Bing"ey i"" "ike it, @iIIy%

e are not in a ay to kno hat =r% Bing"ey "ikes, saidher &other resentfu""y, since e are not to $isit%

But you forget, &a&&a, said E"iIabeth, that e sha"" &eethi& at the asse&b"ies, and that =rs% @ong !ro&ised to introducehi&%

do not be"ie$e =rs% @ong i"" do any such thing% 2he has to

nieces of her on% 2he is a se"fish, hy!ocritica" o&an, and ha$e no o!inion of her%



Co &ore ha$e , said =r% BennetF and a& g"ad to find thatyou do not de!end on her ser$ing you%

=rs% Bennet deigned not to &ake any re!"y, but, unab"e to

contain herse"f, began sco"ding one of her daughters%

'onKt kee! coughing so, Ditty, for 1ea$enKs sake6 1a$e a "itt"eco&!assion on &y ner$es% *ou tear the& to !ieces%

Ditty has no discretion in her coughs, said her fatherF sheti&es the& i""%

do not cough for &y on a&use&ent, re!"ied Ditty fretfu""y%hen is your ne/t ba"" to be, @iIIy

ToH&orro fortnight%

Aye, so it is, cried her &other, and =rs% @ong does not co&e back ti"" the day beforeF so it i"" be i&!ossib"e for her tointroduce hi&, for she i"" not kno hi& herse"f%

Then, &y dear, you &ay ha$e the ad$antage of your friend, andintroduce =r% Bing"ey to her%

&!ossib"e, =r% Bennet, i&!ossib"e, hen a& not acuaintedith hi& &yse"fF ho can you be so teasing

honour your circu&s!ection% A fortnightKs acuaintance iscertain"y $ery "itt"e% ne cannot kno hat a &an rea""y is bythe end of a fortnight% But if e do not $enture so&ebody e"sei""F and after a"", =rs% @ong and her daughters &ust stand their chanceF and, therefore, as she i"" think it an act of kindness,if you dec"ine the office, i"" take it on &yse"f%

The gir"s stared at their father% =rs% Bennet said on"y,Consense, nonsense6

hat can be the &eaning of that e&!hatic e/c"a&ation criedhe% 'o you consider the for&s of introduction, and the stressthat is "aid on the&, as nonsense cannot uite agree ithyou there% hat say you, =ary -or you are a young "ady of dee! ref"ection, kno, and read great books and &ake e/tracts%

=ary ished to say so&ething sensib"e, but kne not ho%

hi"e =ary is adjusting her ideas, he continued, "et us returnto =r% Bing"ey%

a& sick of =r% Bing"ey, cried his ife%



a& sorry to hear thatF but hy did not you te"" &e that before f had knon as &uch this &orning certain"y ou"dnot ha$e ca""ed on hi&% t is $ery un"uckyF but as ha$eactua""y !aid the $isit, e cannot esca!e the acuaintance no%

The astonish&ent of the "adies as just hat he ishedF that of =rs% Bennet !erha!s sur!assing the restF though, hen the firsttu&u"t of joy as o$er, she began to dec"are that it as hat shehad e/!ected a"" the hi"e%

1o good it as in you, &y dear =r% Bennet6 But kne shou"d !ersuade you at "ast% as sure you "o$ed your gir"s too e""to neg"ect such an acuaintance% e"", ho !"eased a&6 and itis such a good joke, too, that you shou"d ha$e gone this &orningand ne$er said a ord about it ti"" no%

Co, Ditty, you &ay cough as &uch as you choose, said =r%BennetF and, as he s!oke, he "eft the roo&, fatigued ith thera!tures of his ife%

hat an e/ce""ent father you ha$e, gir"s6 said she, hen thedoor as shut% do not kno ho you i"" e$er &ake hi&a&ends for his kindnessF or &e, either, for that &atter% At our ti&e of "ife it is not so !"easant, can te"" you, to be &akingne acuaintances e$ery dayF but for your sakes, e ou"d doanything% @ydia, &y "o$e, though you are the youngest, daresay =r% Bing"ey i"" dance ith you at the ne/t ba""%

h6 said @ydia stout"y, a& not afraidF for though a& theyoungest, K& the ta""est%

The rest of the e$ening as s!ent in conjecturing ho soon heou"d return =r% BennetKs $isit, and deter&ining hen theyshou"d ask hi& to dinner%

ha!ter 9

Cot a"" that =rs% Bennet, hoe$er, ith the assistance of her fi$e daughters, cou"d ask on the subject, as sufficient to drafro& her husband any satisfactory descri!tion of =r% Bing"ey%They attacked hi& in $arious aysHHith barefaced uestions,ingenious su!!ositions, and distant sur&isesF but he e"uded theski"" of the& a"", and they ere at "ast ob"iged to acce!t thesecondHhand inte""igence of their neighbour, @ady @ucas% 1er

re!ort as high"y fa$ourab"e% 2ir i""ia& had been de"ightedith hi&% 1e as uite young, onderfu""y handso&e, e/tre&e"y



agreeab"e, and, to cron the ho"e, he &eant to be at the ne/tasse&b"y ith a "arge !arty% Cothing cou"d be &ore de"ightfu"6To be fond of dancing as a certain ste! toards fa""ing in "o$eFand $ery "i$e"y ho!es of =r% Bing"eyKs heart ere entertained%

f can but see one of &y daughters ha!!i"y sett"ed at Cetherfie"d, said =rs% Bennet to her husband, and a"" theothers eua""y e"" &arried, sha"" ha$e nothing to ish for%

n a fe days =r% Bing"ey returned =r% BennetKs $isit, and satabout ten &inutes ith hi& in his "ibrary% 1e had entertainedho!es of being ad&itted to a sight of the young "adies, of hose beauty he had heard &uchF but he sa on"y the father%The "adies ere so&ehat &ore fortunate, for they had thead$antage of ascertaining fro& an u!!er indo that he orea b"ue coat, and rode a b"ack horse%

An in$itation to dinner as soon afterards dis!atchedF anda"ready had =rs% Bennet !"anned the courses that ere to docredit to her housekee!ing, hen an anser arri$ed hichdeferred it a""% =r% Bing"ey as ob"iged to be in ton thefo""oing day, and, conseuent"y, unab"e to acce!t the honour of their in$itation, etc% =rs% Bennet as uite disconcerted%2he cou"d not i&agine hat business he cou"d ha$e in ton sosoon after his arri$a" in 1ertfordshireF and she began to fear that he &ight be a"ays f"ying about fro& one !"ace to another,and ne$er sett"ed at Cetherfie"d as he ought to be% @ady @ucasuieted her fears a "itt"e by starting the idea of his being goneto @ondon on"y to get a "arge !arty for the ba""F and a re!ortsoon fo""oed that =r% Bing"ey as to bring te"$e "adies andse$en gent"e&en ith hi& to the asse&b"y% The gir"s grie$edo$er such a nu&ber of "adies, but ere co&forted the day

before the ba"" by hearing, that instead of te"$e he broughton"y si/ ith hi& fro& @ondonHHhis fi$e sisters and a cousin%And hen the !arty entered the asse&b"y roo& it consisted of on"y fi$e a"togetherHH=r% Bing"ey, his to sisters, the husbandof the e"dest, and another young &an%

=r% Bing"ey as goodH"ooking and gent"e&an"ikeF he had a !"easantcountenance, and easy, unaffected &anners% 1is sisters ere fineo&en, ith an air of decided fashion% 1is brotherHinH"a, =r%1urst, &ere"y "ooked the gent"e&anF but his friend =r% 'arcy soondre the attention of the roo& by his fine, ta"" !erson, handso&efeatures, nob"e &ien, and the re!ort hich as in genera"circu"ation ithin fi$e &inutes after his entrance, of his ha$ingten thousand a year% The gent"e&en !ronounced hi& to be a finefigure of a &an, the "adies dec"ared he as &uch handso&er than=r% Bing"ey, and he as "ooked at ith great ad&iration for about

ha"f the e$ening, ti"" his &anners ga$e a disgust hich turnedthe tide of his !o!u"arityF for he as disco$ered to be !roudF



to be abo$e his co&!any, and abo$e being !"easedF and not a"" his"arge estate in 'erbyshire cou"d then sa$e hi& fro& ha$ing a &ostforbidding, disagreeab"e countenance, and being unorthy to beco&!ared ith his friend%

=r% Bing"ey had soon &ade hi&se"f acuainted ith a"" the !rinci!a" !eo!"e in the roo&F he as "i$e"y and unreser$ed,danced e$ery dance, as angry that the ba"" c"osed so ear"y,and ta"ked of gi$ing one hi&se"f at Cetherfie"d% 2uch a&iab"eua"ities &ust s!eak for the&se"$es% hat a contrast beteenhi& and his friend6 =r% 'arcy danced on"y once ith =rs% 1urstand once ith =iss Bing"ey, dec"ined being introduced to anyother "ady, and s!ent the rest of the e$ening in a"king aboutthe roo&, s!eaking occasiona""y to one of his on !arty% 1ischaracter as decided% 1e as the !roudest, &ost disagreeab"e&an in the or"d, and e$erybody ho!ed that he ou"d ne$er co&e

there again% A&ongst the &ost $io"ent against hi& as =rs%Bennet, hose dis"ike of his genera" beha$iour as shar!enedinto !articu"ar resent&ent by his ha$ing s"ighted one of her daughters%

E"iIabeth Bennet had been ob"iged, by the scarcity of gent"e&en,to sit don for to dancesF and during !art of that ti&e,=r% 'arcy had been standing near enough for her to hear acon$ersation beteen hi& and =r% Bing"ey, ho ca&e fro& thedance for a fe &inutes, to !ress his friend to join it%

o&e, 'arcy, said he, &ust ha$e you dance% hate to seeyou standing about by yourse"f in this stu!id &anner% *ou had&uch better dance%

certain"y sha"" not% *ou kno ho detest it, un"ess a& !articu"ar"y acuainted ith &y !artner% At such an asse&b"y asthis it ou"d be insu!!ortab"e% *our sisters are engaged, andthere is not another o&an in the roo& ho& it ou"d not be a

!unish&ent to &e to stand u! ith%

ou"d not be so fastidious as you are, cried =r% Bing"ey,for a kingdo&6 !on &y honour, ne$er &et ith so &any !"easant gir"s in &y "ife as ha$e this e$eningF and there arese$era" of the& you see unco&&on"y !retty%

*ou are dancing ith the on"y handso&e gir" in the roo&,said =r% 'arcy, "ooking at the e"dest =iss Bennet%

h6 2he is the &ost beautifu" creature e$er behe"d6 Butthere is one of her sisters sitting don just behind you, ho is$ery !retty, and dare say $ery agreeab"e% 'o "et &e ask &y

!artner to introduce you%



hich do you &ean and turning round he "ooked for a&o&ent at E"iIabeth, ti"" catching her eye, he ithdre his onand co"d"y said7 2he is to"erab"e, but not handso&e enough tote&!t &eF a& in no hu&our at !resent to gi$e conseuenceto young "adies ho are s"ighted by other &en% *ou had better

return to your !artner and enjoy her s&i"es, for you are astingyour ti&e ith &e%

=r% Bing"ey fo""oed his ad$ice% =r% 'arcy a"ked offF andE"iIabeth re&ained ith no $ery cordia" fee"ings toard hi&%2he to"d the story, hoe$er, ith great s!irit a&ong her friendsFfor she had a "i$e"y, !"ayfu" dis!osition, hich de"ighted inanything ridicu"ous%

The e$ening a"together !assed off !"easant"y to the ho"efa&i"y% =rs% Bennet had seen her e"dest daughter &uch

ad&ired by the Cetherfie"d !arty% =r% Bing"ey had danced ithher tice, and she had been distinguished by his sisters% Janeas as &uch gratified by this as her &other cou"d be, though ina uieter ay% E"iIabeth fe"t JaneKs !"easure% =ary had heardherse"f &entioned to =iss Bing"ey as the &ost acco&!"ishedgir" in the neighbourhoodF and atherine and @ydia had beenfortunate enough ne$er to be ithout !artners, hich as a""that they had yet "earnt to care for at a ba""% They returned,therefore, in good s!irits to @ongbourn, the $i""age here they"i$ed, and of hich they ere the !rinci!a" inhabitants% Theyfound =r% Bennet sti"" u!% ith a book he as regard"ess of ti&eF and on the !resent occasion he had a good dea" of curiosity as to the e$ents of an e$ening hich had raised suchs!"endid e/!ectations% 1e had rather ho!ed that his ifeKs$ies on the stranger ou"d be disa!!ointedF but he soonfound out that he had a different story to hear%

h6 &y dear =r% Bennet, as she entered the roo&, e ha$ehad a &ost de"ightfu" e$ening, a &ost e/ce""ent ba""% ish youhad been there% Jane as so ad&ired, nothing cou"d be "ike it%E$erybody said ho e"" she "ookedF and =r% Bing"ey thought

her uite beautifu", and danced ith her tice6 n"y think of that, &y dearF he actua""y danced ith her tice6 and she asthe on"y creature in the roo& that he asked a second ti&e%-irst of a"", he asked =iss @ucas% as so $e/ed to see hi&stand u! ith her6 But, hoe$er, he did not ad&ire her at a""Findeed, nobody can, you knoF and he see&ed uite struck ithJane as she as going don the dance% 2o he inuired ho sheas, and got introduced, and asked her for the to ne/t% Thenthe to third he danced ith =iss Ding, and the to fourth ith=aria @ucas, and the to fifth ith Jane again, and the tosi/th ith @iIIy, and the Bou"angerHH

f he had had any co&!assion for &e, cried her husband



i&!atient"y, he ou"d not ha$e danced ha"f so &uch6 -or GodKssake, say no &ore of his !artners% that he had s!rainedhis ank"e in the first !"ace6

h6 &y dear, a& uite de"ighted ith hi&% 1e is so

e/cessi$e"y handso&e6 And his sisters are char&ing o&en% ne$er in &y "ife sa anything &ore e"egant than their dresses% dare say the "ace u!on =rs% 1urstKs gonHH

1ere she as interru!ted again% =r% Bennet !rotested againstany descri!tion of finery% 2he as therefore ob"iged to seek another branch of the subject, and re"ated, ith &uch bitternessof s!irit and so&e e/aggeration, the shocking rudeness of =r%'arcy%

But can assure you, she added, that @iIIy does not "ose

&uch by not suiting his fancyF for he is a &ost disagreeab"e,horrid &an, not at a"" orth !"easing% 2o high and so conceitedthat there as no enduring hi&6 1e a"ked here, and he a"kedthere, fancying hi&se"f so $ery great6 Cot handso&e enough todance ith6 ish you had been there, &y dear, to ha$e gi$enhi& one of your setHdons% uite detest the &an%

ha!ter :

hen Jane and E"iIabeth ere a"one, the for&er, ho had beencautious in her !raise of =r% Bing"ey before, e/!ressed to her sister just ho $ery &uch she ad&ired hi&%

1e is just hat a young &an ought to be, said she, sensib"e,goodHhu&oured, "i$e"yF and ne$er sa such ha!!y &anners6HHso&uch ease, ith such !erfect good breeding6

1e is a"so handso&e, re!"ied E"iIabeth, hich a young &an

ought "ikeise to be, if he !ossib"y can% 1is character is therebyco&!"ete%

as $ery &uch f"attered by his asking &e to dance a secondti&e% did not e/!ect such a co&!"i&ent%

'id not you did for you% But that is one great difference beteen us% o&!"i&ents a"ays take you by sur!rise, and &e ne$er% hat cou"d be &ore natura" than his asking youagain 1e cou"d not he"! seeing that you ere about fi$e ti&esas !retty as e$ery other o&an in the roo&% Co thanks to his

ga""antry for that% e"", he certain"y is $ery agreeab"e, and gi$e you "ea$e to "ike hi&% *ou ha$e "iked &any a stu!ider



!erson%

'ear @iIIy6

h6 you are a great dea" too a!t, you kno, to "ike !eo!"e in

genera"% *ou ne$er see a fau"t in anybody% A"" the or"d aregood and agreeab"e in your eyes% ne$er heard you s!eak i"" of a hu&an being in your "ife%

ou"d not ish to be hasty in censuring anyoneF but a"ayss!eak hat think%

kno you doF and it is that hich &akes the onder% ith your good sense, to be so honest"y b"ind to the fo""ies and nonsenseof others6 Affectation of candour is co&&on enoughHHone &eetsith it e$eryhere% But to be candid ithout ostentation or

designHHto take the good of e$erybodyKs character and &ake itsti"" better, and say nothing of the badHHbe"ongs to you a"one%And so you "ike this &anKs sisters, too, do you Their &annersare not eua" to his%

ertain"y notHHat first% But they are $ery !"easing o&en henyou con$erse ith the&% =iss Bing"ey is to "i$e ith her

brother, and kee! his houseF and a& &uch &istaken if e sha""not find a $ery char&ing neighbour in her%

E"iIabeth "istened in si"ence, but as not con$incedF their beha$iour at the asse&b"y had not been ca"cu"ated to !"ease ingenera"F and ith &ore uickness of obser$ation and "ess !"iancyof te&!er than her sister, and ith a judge&ent too unassai"ed byany attention to herse"f, she as $ery "itt"e dis!osed to a!!ro$ethe&% They ere in fact $ery fine "adiesF not deficient in goodhu&our hen they ere !"eased, nor in the !oer of &akingthe&se"$es agreeab"e hen they chose it, but !roud andconceited% They ere rather handso&e, had been educated inone of the first !ri$ate se&inaries in ton, had a fortune of tenty thousand !ounds, ere in the habit of s!ending &ore

than they ought, and of associating ith !eo!"e of rank, andere therefore in e$ery res!ect entit"ed to think e"" of the&se"$es, and &ean"y of others% They ere of a res!ectab"efa&i"y in the north of Eng"andF a circu&stance &ore dee!"yi&!ressed on their &e&ories than that their brotherKs fortuneand their on had been acuired by trade%

=r% Bing"ey inherited !ro!erty to the a&ount of near"y ahundred thousand !ounds fro& his father, ho had intended to

!urchase an estate, but did not "i$e to do it% =r% Bing"eyintended it "ikeise, and so&eti&es &ade choice of his countyF

but as he as no !ro$ided ith a good house and the "iberty of a &anor, it as doubtfu" to &any of those ho best kne the



easiness of his te&!er, hether he &ight not s!end there&ainder of his days at Cetherfie"d, and "ea$e the ne/tgeneration to !urchase%

1is sisters ere an/ious for his ha$ing an estate of his onF but,

though he as no on"y estab"ished as a tenant, =iss Bing"eyas by no &eans uni""ing to !reside at his tab"eHHnor as =rs%1urst, ho had &arried a &an of &ore fashion than fortune, "essdis!osed to consider his house as her ho&e hen it suited her%=r% Bing"ey had not been of age to years, hen he as te&!ted

by an accidenta" reco&&endation to "ook at Cetherfie"d 1ouse%1e did "ook at it, and into it for ha"fHanHhourHHas !"eased iththe situation and the !rinci!a" roo&s, satisfied ith hat theoner said in its !raise, and took it i&&ediate"y%

Beteen hi& and 'arcy there as a $ery steady friendshi!, in

s!ite of great o!!osition of character% Bing"ey as endeared to'arcy by the easiness, o!enness, and ducti"ity of his te&!er,though no dis!osition cou"d offer a greater contrast to his on,and though ith his on he ne$er a!!eared dissatisfied% n thestrength of 'arcyKs regard, Bing"ey had the fir&est re"iance, andof his judge&ent the highest o!inion% n understanding, 'arcyas the su!erior% Bing"ey as by no &eans deficient, but 'arcyas c"e$er% 1e as at the sa&e ti&e haughty, reser$ed, andfastidious, and his &anners, though e""Hbred, ere not in$iting%n that res!ect his friend had great"y the ad$antage% Bing"ey assure of being "iked here$er he a!!eared, 'arcy as continua""ygi$ing offense%

The &anner in hich they s!oke of the =eryton asse&b"y assufficient"y characteristic% Bing"ey had ne$er &et ith &ore

!"easant !eo!"e or !rettier gir"s in his "ifeF e$erybody had been&ost kind and attenti$e to hi&F there had been no for&a"ity, nostiffnessF he had soon fe"t acuainted ith a"" the roo&F and, asto =iss Bennet, he cou"d not concei$e an ange" &ore beautifu"%'arcy, on the contrary, had seen a co""ection of !eo!"e in ho&there as "itt"e beauty and no fashion, for none of ho& he had

fe"t the s&a""est interest, and fro& none recei$ed either attentionor !"easure% =iss Bennet he ackno"edged to be !retty, but shes&i"ed too &uch%

=rs% 1urst and her sister a""oed it to be soHHbut sti"" theyad&ired her and "iked her, and !ronounced her to be a seetgir", and one ho& they ou"d not object to kno &ore of%=iss Bennet as therefore estab"ished as a seet gir", and their

brother fe"t authoriIed by such co&&endation to think of her ashe chose%



ha!ter L

ithin a short a"k of @ongbourn "i$ed a fa&i"y ith ho&the Bennets ere !articu"ar"y inti&ate% 2ir i""ia& @ucas

had been for&er"y in trade in =eryton, here he had &ade ato"erab"e fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by anaddress to the king during his &ayora"ty% The distinction had

!erha!s been fe"t too strong"y% t had gi$en hi& a disgustto his business, and to his residence in a s&a"" &arket tonFand, in uitting the& both, he had re&o$ed ith his fa&i"yto a house about a &i"e fro& =eryton, deno&inated fro& that

!eriod @ucas @odge, here he cou"d think ith !"easure of hison i&!ortance, and, unshack"ed by business, occu!y hi&se"f so"e"y in being ci$i" to a"" the or"d% -or, though e"ated by hisrank, it did not render hi& su!erci"iousF on the contrary, he as

a"" attention to e$erybody% By nature inoffensi$e, friend"y, andob"iging, his !resentation at 2t% Ja&esKs had &ade hi& courteous%

@ady @ucas as a $ery good kind of o&an, not too c"e$er to be a $a"uab"e neighbour to =rs% Bennet% They had se$era"chi"dren% The e"dest of the&, a sensib"e, inte""igent youngo&an, about tentyHse$en, as E"iIabethKs inti&ate friend%

That the =iss @ucases and the =iss Bennets shou"d &eet tota"k o$er a ba"" as abso"ute"y necessaryF and the &orning after the asse&b"y brought the for&er to @ongbourn to hear and toco&&unicate%

*ou began the e$ening e"", har"otte, said =rs% Bennet ithci$i" se"fHco&&and to =iss @ucas% *ou ere =r% Bing"eyKsfirst choice%

*esF but he see&ed to "ike his second better%

h6 you &ean Jane, su!!ose, because he danced ith her tice% To be sure that did see& as if he ad&ired herHHindeed

rather be"ie$e he didHH heard so&ething about itHHbut hard"y kno hatHHso&ething about =r% 0obinson%

Perha!s you &ean hat o$erheard beteen hi& and =r% 0obinsonFdid not &ention it to you =r% 0obinsonKs asking hi& ho he"iked our =eryton asse&b"ies, and hether he did not think thereere a great &any !retty o&en in the roo&, and hich he thoughtthe !rettiest and his ansering i&&ediate"y to the "astuestion7 Kh6 the e"dest =iss Bennet, beyond a doubtF therecannot be to o!inions on that !oint%K

!on &y ord6 e"", that is $ery decided indeedHHthat doessee& as ifHHbut, hoe$er, it &ay a"" co&e to nothing, you kno%



=y o$erhearings ere &ore to the !ur!ose than yours, E"iIa,said har"otte% =r% 'arcy is not so e"" orth "istening toas his friend, is heHH!oor E"iIa6HHto be on"y just to"erab"e%

beg you ou"d not !ut it into @iIIyKs head to be $e/ed byhis i""Htreat&ent, for he is such a disagreeab"e &an, that itou"d be uite a &isfortune to be "iked by hi&% =rs% @ongto"d &e "ast night that he sat c"ose to her for ha"fHanHhour ithout once o!ening his "i!s%

Are you uite sure, &aKa&HHis not there a "itt"e &istakesaid Jane% certain"y sa =r% 'arcy s!eaking to her%

AyeHHbecause she asked hi& at "ast ho he "iked Cetherfie"d,and he cou"d not he"! ansering herF but she said he see&ed

uite angry at being s!oke to%

=iss Bing"ey to"d &e, said Jane, that he ne$er s!eaks &uch,un"ess a&ong his inti&ate acuaintances% ith the& he isre&arkab"y agreeab"e%

do not be"ie$e a ord of it, &y dear% f he had been so $eryagreeab"e, he ou"d ha$e ta"ked to =rs% @ong% But can guessho it asF e$erybody says that he is eat u! ith !ride, and dare say he had heard so&eho that =rs% @ong does not kee!a carriage, and had co&e to the ba"" in a hack chaise%

do not &ind his not ta"king to =rs% @ong, said =iss @ucas,but ish he had danced ith E"iIa%

Another ti&e, @iIIy, said her &other, ou"d not danceith hi&, if ere you%

be"ie$e, &aKa&, &ay safe"y !ro&ise you ne$er to danceith hi&%

1is !ride, said =iss @ucas, does not offend &e so &uch as !ride often does, because there is an e/cuse for it% ne cannotonder that so $ery fine a young &an, ith fa&i"y, fortune,e$erything in his fa$our, shou"d think high"y of hi&se"f% f &ay so e/!ress it, he has a right to be !roud%

That is $ery true, re!"ied E"iIabeth, and cou"d easi"yforgi$e his !ride, if he had not &ortified &ine%

Pride, obser$ed =ary, ho !iued herse"f u!on the so"idityof her ref"ections, is a $ery co&&on fai"ing, be"ie$e% By

a"" that ha$e e$er read, a& con$inced that it is $ery co&&onindeedF that hu&an nature is !articu"ar"y !rone to it, and



that there are $ery fe of us ho do not cherish a fee"ing of se"fHco&!"acency on the score of so&e ua"ity or other, rea"or i&aginary% .anity and !ride are different things, thoughthe ords are often used synony&ous"y% A !erson &ay be !roudithout being $ain% Pride re"ates &ore to our o!inion of

ourse"$es, $anity to hat e ou"d ha$e others think of us%

f ere as rich as =r% 'arcy, cried a young @ucas, hoca&e ith his sisters, shou"d not care ho !roud as% ou"d kee! a !ack of fo/hounds, and drink a bott"e of ine aday%

Then you ou"d drink a great dea" &ore than you ought, said=rs% BennetF and if ere to see you at it, shou"d take aayyour bott"e direct"y%

The boy !rotested that she shou"d notF she continued to dec"arethat she ou"d, and the argu&ent ended on"y ith the $isit%

ha!ter ?

The "adies of @ongbourn soon aited on those of Cetherfie"d%The $isit as soon returned in due for&% =iss BennetKs

!"easing &anners gre on the goodi"" of =rs% 1urst and =issBing"eyF and though the &other as found to be into"erab"e,and the younger sisters not orth s!eaking to, a ish of

being better acuainted ith the& as e/!ressed toardsthe to e"dest% By Jane, this attention as recei$ed ith thegreatest !"easure, but E"iIabeth sti"" sa su!erci"iousness intheir treat&ent of e$erybody, hard"y e/ce!ting e$en her sister,and cou"d not "ike the&F though their kindness to Jane, such as itas, had a $a"ue as arising in a"" !robabi"ity fro& the inf"uenceof their brotherKs ad&iration% t as genera""y e$identhene$er they &et, that he did ad&ire her and to her it as

eua""y e$ident that Jane as yie"ding to the !reference hichshe had begun to entertain for hi& fro& the first, and as in aay to be $ery &uch in "o$eF but she considered ith !"easurethat it as not "ike"y to be disco$ered by the or"d in genera",since Jane united, ith great strength of fee"ing, a co&!osureof te&!er and a unifor& cheerfu"ness of &anner hich ou"dguard her fro& the sus!icions of the i&!ertinent% 2he&entioned this to her friend =iss @ucas%

t &ay !erha!s be !"easant, re!"ied har"otte, to be ab"e toi&!ose on the !ub"ic in such a caseF but it is so&eti&es a

disad$antage to be so $ery guarded% f a o&an concea"s her affection ith the sa&e ski"" fro& the object of it, she &ay "ose



the o!!ortunity of fi/ing hi&F and it i"" then be but !oor conso"ation to be"ie$e the or"d eua""y in the dark% There isso &uch of gratitude or $anity in a"&ost e$ery attach&ent, thatit is not safe to "ea$e any to itse"f% e can a"" begin free"yHHas"ight !reference is natura" enoughF but there are $ery fe of us

ho ha$e heart enough to be rea""y in "o$e ithout encourage&ent%n nine cases out of ten a o&en had better sho &ore affectionthan she fee"s% Bing"ey "ikes your sister undoubted"yF but he&ay ne$er do &ore than "ike her, if she does not he"! hi& on%

But she does he"! hi& on, as &uch as her nature i"" a""o%f can !ercei$e her regard for hi&, he &ust be a si&!"eton,indeed, not to disco$er it too%

0e&e&ber, E"iIa, that he does not kno JaneKs dis!osition asyou do%

But if a o&an is !artia" to a &an, and does not endea$our toconcea" it, he &ust find it out%

Perha!s he &ust, if he sees enough of her% But, thoughBing"ey and Jane &eet to"erab"y often, it is ne$er for &anyhours togetherF and, as they a"ays see each other in "arge&i/ed !arties, it is i&!ossib"e that e$ery &o&ent shou"d bee&!"oyed in con$ersing together% Jane shou"d therefore &akethe &ost of e$ery ha"fHhour in hich she can co&&and hisattention% hen she is secure of hi&, there i"" be &ore "eisurefor fa""ing in "o$e as &uch as she chooses%

*our !"an is a good one, re!"ied E"iIabeth, here nothing isin uestion but the desire of being e"" &arried, and if eredeter&ined to get a rich husband, or any husband, dare say shou"d ado!t it% But these are not JaneKs fee"ingsF she is notacting by design% As yet, she cannot e$en be certain of thedegree of her on regard nor of its reasonab"eness% 2he hasknon hi& on"y a fortnight% 2he danced four dances ith hi&at =erytonF she sa hi& one &orning at his on house, and

has since dined ith hi& in co&!any four ti&es% This is notuite enough to &ake her understand his character%

Cot as you re!resent it% 1ad she &ere"y dined ith hi&, she&ight on"y ha$e disco$ered hether he had a good a!!etiteF butyou &ust re&e&ber that four e$enings ha$e a"so been s!enttogetherHHand four e$enings &ay do a great dea"%

*esF these four e$enings ha$e enab"ed the& to ascertain thatthey both "ike .ingtHun better than o&&erceF but ith res!ectto any other "eading characteristic, do not i&agine that &uch

has been unfo"ded%



e"", said har"otte, ish Jane success ith a"" &y heartFand if she ere &arried to hi& toH&orro, shou"d think shehad as good a chance of ha!!iness as if she ere to be studyinghis character for a te"$e&onth% 1a!!iness in &arriage isentire"y a &atter of chance% f the dis!ositions of the !arties

are e$er so e"" knon to each other or e$er so si&i"ar beforehand,it does not ad$ance their fe"icity in the "east% They a"ayscontinue to gro sufficient"y un"ike afterards to ha$e their share of $e/ationF and it is better to kno as "itt"e as !ossib"eof the defects of the !erson ith ho& you are to !ass your "ife%

*ou &ake &e "augh, har"otteF but it is not sound% *ou knoit is not sound, and that you ou"d ne$er act in this ayyourse"f%

ccu!ied in obser$ing =r% Bing"eyKs attentions to her sister,

E"iIabeth as far fro& sus!ecting that she as herse"f beco&ingan object of so&e interest in the eyes of his friend% =r% 'arcyhad at first scarce"y a""oed her to be !rettyF he had "ooked ather ithout ad&iration at the ba""F and hen they ne/t &et, he"ooked at her on"y to criticise% But no sooner had he &ade itc"ear to hi&se"f and his friends that she hard"y had a good featurein her face, than he began to find it as rendered unco&&on"yinte""igent by the beautifu" e/!ression of her dark eyes% To thisdisco$ery succeeded so&e others eua""y &ortifying% Though hehad detected ith a critica" eye &ore than one fai"ure of !erfectsy&&etry in her for&, he as forced to ackno"edge her figureto be "ight and !"easingF and in s!ite of his asserting that her &anners ere not those of the fashionab"e or"d, he as caught

by their easy !"ayfu"ness% f this she as !erfect"y unaareFto her he as on"y the &an ho &ade hi&se"f agreeab"e nohere,and ho had not thought her handso&e enough to dance ith%

1e began to ish to kno &ore of her, and as a ste! toardscon$ersing ith her hi&se"f, attended to her con$ersation ithothers% 1is doing so dre her notice% t as at 2ir i""ia&@ucasKs, here a "arge !arty ere asse&b"ed%

hat does =r% 'arcy &ean, said she to har"otte, by"istening to &y con$ersation ith o"one" -orster

That is a uestion hich =r% 'arcy on"y can anser%

But if he does it any &ore sha"" certain"y "et hi& kno that see hat he is about% 1e has a $ery satirica" eye, and if do not

begin by being i&!ertinent &yse"f, sha"" soon gro afraid of hi&%

n his a!!roaching the& soon afterards, though ithoutsee&ing to ha$e any intention of s!eaking, =iss @ucas defied



her friend to &ention such a subject to hi&F hich i&&ediate"y !ro$oking E"iIabeth to do it, she turned to hi& and said7

'id you not think, =r% 'arcy, that e/!ressed &yse"f unco&&on"y e"" just no, hen as teasing o"one" -orster

to gi$e us a ba"" at =eryton

ith great energyF but it is a"ays a subject hich &akes a "adyenergetic%

*ou are se$ere on us%

t i"" be her turn soon to be teased, said =iss @ucas% a& going to o!en the instru&ent, E"iIa, and you kno hatfo""os%

*ou are a $ery strange creature by ay of a friend6HHa"aysanting &e to !"ay and sing before anybody and e$erybody6f &y $anity had taken a &usica" turn, you ou"d ha$e beenin$a"uab"eF but as it is, ou"d rea""y rather not sit don

before those ho &ust be in the habit of hearing the $ery best !erfor&ers% n =iss @ucasKs !erse$ering, hoe$er, she added,.ery e"", if it &ust be so, it &ust% And gra$e"y g"ancing at=r% 'arcy, There is a fine o"d saying, hich e$erybody here is of course fa&i"iar ith7 KDee! your breath to coo" your !orridgeKFand sha"" kee! &ine to se"" &y song%

1er !erfor&ance as !"easing, though by no &eans ca!ita"%After a song or to, and before she cou"d re!"y to the entreatiesof se$era" that she ou"d sing again, she as eager"y succeededat the instru&ent by her sister =ary, ho ha$ing, in conseuenceof being the on"y !"ain one in the fa&i"y, orked hard for kno"edge and acco&!"ish&ents, as a"ays i&!atient for dis!"ay%

=ary had neither genius nor tasteF and though $anity had gi$enher a!!"ication, it had gi$en her "ikeise a !edantic air and

conceited &anner, hich ou"d ha$e injured a higher degree of e/ce""ence than she had reached% E"iIabeth, easy and unaffected,had been "istened to ith &uch &ore !"easure, though not

!"aying ha"f so e""F and =ary, at the end of a "ong concerto,as g"ad to !urchase !raise and gratitude by 2cotch and rishairs, at the reuest of her younger sisters, ho, ith so&e of the@ucases, and to or three officers, joined eager"y in dancing atone end of the roo&%

=r% 'arcy stood near the& in si"ent indignation at such a &odeof !assing the e$ening, to the e/c"usion of a"" con$ersation, and

as too &uch engrossed by his thoughts to !ercei$e that 2ir i""ia& @ucas as his neighbour, ti"" 2ir i""ia& thus began7



hat a char&ing a&use&ent for young !eo!"e this is, =r% 'arcy6There is nothing "ike dancing after a""% consider it as oneof the first refine&ents of !o"ished society%

ertain"y, sirF and it has the ad$antage a"so of being in $oguea&ongst the "ess !o"ished societies of the or"d% E$ery sa$agecan dance%

2ir i""ia& on"y s&i"ed% *our friend !erfor&s de"ightfu""y, hecontinued after a !ause, on seeing Bing"ey join the grou!F and doubt not that you are an ade!t in the science yourse"f, =r%'arcy%

*ou sa &e dance at =eryton, be"ie$e, sir%

*es, indeed, and recei$ed no inconsiderab"e !"easure fro& thesight% 'o you often dance at 2t% Ja&esKs

Ce$er, sir%

'o you not think it ou"d be a !ro!er co&!"i&ent to the !"ace

t is a co&!"i&ent hich ne$er !ay to any !"ace if cana$oid it%

*ou ha$e a house in ton, conc"ude

=r% 'arcy boed%

had once had so&e thought of fi/ing in ton &yse"fHHfor a&fond of su!erior societyF but did not fee" uite certain that theair of @ondon ou"d agree ith @ady @ucas%

1e !aused in ho!es of an anserF but his co&!anion as notdis!osed to &ake anyF and E"iIabeth at that instant &o$ing

toards the&, he as struck ith the action of doing a $eryga""ant thing, and ca""ed out to her7

=y dear =iss E"iIa, hy are you not dancing =r% 'arcy, you&ust a""o &e to !resent this young "ady to you as a $erydesirab"e !artner% *ou cannot refuse to dance, a& sure henso &uch beauty is before you% And, taking her hand, he ou"dha$e gi$en it to =r% 'arcy ho, though e/tre&e"y sur!rised,as not uni""ing to recei$e it, hen she instant"y dre back,and said ith so&e disco&!osure to 2ir i""ia&7

ndeed, sir, ha$e not the "east intention of dancing% entreatyou not to su!!ose that &o$ed this ay in order to beg for a



!artner%

=r% 'arcy, ith gra$e !ro!riety, reuested to be a""oed thehonour of her hand, but in $ain% E"iIabeth as deter&inedF nor did 2ir i""ia& at a"" shake her !ur!ose by his atte&!t at

!ersuasion%

*ou e/ce" so &uch in the dance, =iss E"iIa, that it is crue" todeny &e the ha!!iness of seeing youF and though this gent"e&andis"ikes the a&use&ent in genera", he can ha$e no objection, a& sure, to ob"ige us for one ha"fHhour%

=r% 'arcy is a"" !o"iteness, said E"iIabeth, s&i"ing%

1e is, indeedF but, considering the induce&ent, &y dear =issE"iIa, e cannot onder at his co&!"aisanceHHfor ho ou"d

object to such a !artner

E"iIabeth "ooked arch"y, and turned aay% 1er resistance hadnot injured her ith the gent"e&an, and he as thinking of her ith so&e co&!"acency, hen thus accosted by =iss Bing"ey7

can guess the subject of your re$erie%

shou"d i&agine not%

*ou are considering ho insu!!ortab"e it ou"d be to !ass &anye$enings in this &annerHHin such societyF and indeed a& uiteof your o!inion% as ne$er &ore annoyed6 The insi!idity, andyet the noiseHHthe nothingness, and yet the se"fHi&!ortance of a""those !eo!"e6 hat ou"d gi$e to hear your strictures on the&6

*ou conjecture is tota""y rong, assure you% =y &ind as&ore agreeab"y engaged% ha$e been &editating on the $erygreat !"easure hich a !air of fine eyes in the face of a !rettyo&an can besto%

=iss Bing"ey i&&ediate"y fi/ed her eyes on his face, and desiredhe ou"d te"" her hat "ady had the credit of ins!iring suchref"ections% =r% 'arcy re!"ied ith great intre!idity7

=iss E"iIabeth Bennet%

=iss E"iIabeth Bennet6 re!eated =iss Bing"ey% a& a""astonish&ent% 1o "ong has she been such a fa$ouriteHHand

!ray, hen a& to ish you joy

That is e/act"y the uestion hich e/!ected you to ask% A

"adyKs i&agination is $ery ra!idF it ju&!s fro& ad&iration to"o$e, fro& "o$e to &atri&ony, in a &o&ent% kne you ou"d



be ishing &e joy%

Cay, if you are serious about it, sha"" consider the &atter isabso"ute"y sett"ed% *ou i"" be ha$ing a char&ing &otherHinH"a,indeedF and, of course, she i"" a"ays be at Pe&ber"ey ith you%

1e "istened to her ith !erfect indifference hi"e she chose toentertain herse"f in this &annerF and as his co&!osure con$incedher that a"" as safe, her it f"oed "ong%

ha!ter 5

=r% BennetKs !ro!erty consisted a"&ost entire"y in an estate of

to thousand a year, hich, unfortunate"y for his daughters, asentai"ed, in defau"t of heirs &a"e, on a distant re"ationF and their &otherKs fortune, though a&!"e for her situation in "ife, cou"d

but i"" su!!"y the deficiency of his% 1er father had been anattorney in =eryton, and had "eft her four thousand !ounds%

2he had a sister &arried to a =r% Phi""i!s, ho had been a c"erk to their father and succeeded hi& in the business, and a brother sett"ed in @ondon in a res!ectab"e "ine of trade%

The $i""age of @ongbourn as on"y one &i"e fro& =erytonF a&ost con$enient distance for the young "adies, ho ere usua""yte&!ted thither three or four ti&es a eek, to !ay their duty totheir aunt and to a &i""inerKs sho! just o$er the ay% The toyoungest of the fa&i"y, atherine and @ydia, ere !articu"ar"yfreuent in these attentionsF their &inds ere &ore $acant thantheir sistersK, and hen nothing better offered, a a"k to=eryton as necessary to a&use their &orning hours andfurnish con$ersation for the e$eningF and hoe$er bare of nesthe country in genera" &ight be, they a"ays contri$ed to "earnso&e fro& their aunt% At !resent, indeed, they ere e""

su!!"ied both ith nes and ha!!iness by the recent arri$a" of a &i"itia regi&ent in the neighbourhoodF it as to re&ain theho"e inter, and =eryton as the headuarters%

Their $isits to =rs% Phi""i!s ere no !roducti$e of the &ostinteresting inte""igence% E$ery day added so&ething to their kno"edge of the officersK na&es and connections% Their "odgings ere not "ong a secret, and at "ength they began tokno the officers the&se"$es% =r% Phi""i!s $isited the& a"", andthis o!ened to his nieces a store of fe"icity unknon before%They cou"d ta"k of nothing but officersF and =r% Bing"eyKs "arge

fortune, the &ention of hich ga$e ani&ation to their &other,as orth"ess in their eyes hen o!!osed to the regi&enta"s of



an ensign%

After "istening one &orning to their effusions on this subject, =r%Bennet coo""y obser$ed7

-ro& a"" that can co""ect by your &anner of ta"king, you &ust be to of the si""iest gir"s in the country% ha$e sus!ected itso&e ti&e, but a& no con$inced%

atherine as disconcerted, and &ade no anserF but @ydia,ith !erfect indifference, continued to e/!ress her ad&iration of a!tain arter, and her ho!e of seeing hi& in the course of theday, as he as going the ne/t &orning to @ondon%

a& astonished, &y dear, said =rs% Bennet, that you shou"d be so ready to think your on chi"dren si""y% f ished to think

s"ighting"y of anybodyKs chi"dren, it shou"d not be of &y on,hoe$er%

f &y chi"dren are si""y, &ust ho!e to be a"ays sensib"e of it%

*esHHbut as it ha!!ens, they are a"" of the& $ery c"e$er%

This is the on"y !oint, f"atter &yse"f, on hich e do notagree% had ho!ed that our senti&ents coincided in e$ery

!articu"ar, but &ust so far differ fro& you as to think our toyoungest daughters unco&&on"y foo"ish%

=y dear =r% Bennet, you &ust not e/!ect such gir"s to ha$ethe sense of their father and &other% hen they get to our age, dare say they i"" not think about officers any &ore than e do% re&e&ber the ti&e hen "iked a red coat &yse"f $ery e""HHand,indeed, so do sti"" at &y heartF and if a s&art young co"one",ith fi$e or si/ thousand a year, shou"d ant one of &y gir"s sha"" not say nay to hi&F and thought o"one" -orster "ooked$ery beco&ing the other night at 2ir i""ia&Ks in his regi&enta"s%

=a&&a, cried @ydia, &y aunt says that o"one" -orster anda!tain arter do not go so often to =iss atsonKs as they didhen they first ca&eF she sees the& no $ery often standing in"arkeKs "ibrary%

=rs% Bennet as !re$ented re!"ying by the entrance of thefoot&an ith a note for =iss BennetF it ca&e fro& Cetherfie"d,and the ser$ant aited for an anser% =rs% BennetKs eyess!ark"ed ith !"easure, and she as eager"y ca""ing out, hi"eher daughter read,

e"", Jane, ho is it fro& hat is it about hat does hesay e"", Jane, &ake haste and te"" usF &ake haste, &y "o$e%



t is fro& =iss Bing"ey, said Jane, and then read it a"oud%

=* 'EA0 -0EC',HH

f you are not so co&!assionate as to dine toHday ith @ouisaand &e, e sha"" be in danger of hating each other for the restof our "i$es, for a ho"e dayKs teteHaHtete beteen to o&encan ne$er end ithout a uarre"% o&e as soon as you can onrecei!t of this% =y brother and the gent"e&en are to dine iththe officers%HH*ours e$er,

A0@CE BCG@E*

ith the officers6 cried @ydia% onder &y aunt did not te""us of that%

'ining out, said =rs% Bennet, that is $ery un"ucky%

an ha$e the carriage said Jane%

Co, &y dear, you had better go on horseback, because it see&s"ike"y to rainF and then you &ust stay a"" night%

That ou"d be a good sche&e, said E"iIabeth, if you eresure that they ou"d not offer to send her ho&e%

h6 but the gent"e&en i"" ha$e =r% Bing"eyKs chaise to go to=eryton, and the 1ursts ha$e no horses to theirs%

had &uch rather go in the coach%

But, &y dear, your father cannot s!are the horses, a& sure%They are anted in the far&, =r% Bennet, are they not

They are anted in the far& &uch oftener than can get the&%

But if you ha$e got the& toHday, said E"iIabeth, &y &otherKs !ur!ose i"" be ansered%

2he did at "ast e/tort fro& her father an ackno"edg&ent thatthe horses ere engaged% Jane as therefore ob"iged to go onhorseback, and her &other attended her to the door ith &anycheerfu" !rognostics of a bad day% 1er ho!es ere anseredFJane had not been gone "ong before it rained hard% 1er sistersere uneasy for her, but her &other as de"ighted% The raincontinued the ho"e e$ening ithout inter&issionF Jane certain"ycou"d not co&e back%

This as a "ucky idea of &ine, indeed6 said =rs% Bennet &ore



f e &ake haste, said @ydia, as they a"ked a"ong, !erha!se &ay see so&ething of a!tain arter before he goes%

n =eryton they !artedF the to youngest re!aired to the "odgings of

one of the officersK i$es, and E"iIabeth continued her a"k a"one,crossing fie"d after fie"d at a uick !ace, ju&!ing o$er sti"esand s!ringing o$er !udd"es ith i&!atient acti$ity, and findingherse"f at "ast ithin $ie of the house, ith eary ank"es, dirtystockings, and a face g"oing ith the ar&th of e/ercise%

2he as shon into the breakfastH!ar"our, here a"" but Janeere asse&b"ed, and here her a!!earance created a great dea"of sur!rise% That she shou"d ha$e a"ked three &i"es so ear"yin the day, in such dirty eather, and by herse"f, as a"&ostincredib"e to =rs% 1urst and =iss Bing"eyF and E"iIabeth as

con$inced that they he"d her in conte&!t for it% 2he asrecei$ed, hoe$er, $ery !o"ite"y by the&F and in their brotherKs&anners there as so&ething better than !o"itenessF there asgood hu&our and kindness% =r% 'arcy said $ery "itt"e, and =r%1urst nothing at a""% The for&er as di$ided beteen ad&irationof the bri""iancy hich e/ercise had gi$en to her co&!"e/ion,and doubt as to the occasionKs justifying her co&ing so far a"one% The "atter as thinking on"y of his breakfast%

1er inuiries after her sister ere not $ery fa$ourab"y ansered%=iss Bennet had s"e!t i"", and though u!, as $ery fe$erish, andnot e"" enough to "ea$e her roo&% E"iIabeth as g"ad to betaken to her i&&ediate"yF and Jane, ho had on"y been ithhe"d

by the fear of gi$ing a"ar& or incon$enience fro& e/!ressing inher note ho &uch she "onged for such a $isit, as de"ighted ather entrance% 2he as not eua", hoe$er, to &uch con$ersation,and hen =iss Bing"ey "eft the& together, cou"d atte&!t "itt"e

besides e/!ressions of gratitude for the e/traordinary kindnessshe as treated ith% E"iIabeth si"ent"y attended her%

hen breakfast as o$er they ere joined by the sistersF and

E"iIabeth began to "ike the& herse"f, hen she sa ho &uchaffection and so"icitude they shoed for Jane% The a!othecaryca&e, and ha$ing e/a&ined his !atient, said, as &ight besu!!osed, that she had caught a $io"ent co"d, and that they &ustendea$our to get the better of itF ad$ised her to return to bed,and !ro&ised her so&e draughts% The ad$ice as fo""oedreadi"y, for the fe$erish sy&!to&s increased, and her head achedacute"y% E"iIabeth did not uit her roo& for a &o&entF nor erethe other "adies often absentF the gent"e&en being out, they had,in fact, nothing to do e"sehere%

hen the c"ock struck three, E"iIabeth fe"t that she &ust go, and$ery uni""ing"y said so% =iss Bing"ey offered her the carriage,



and she on"y anted a "itt"e !ressing to acce!t it, hen Janetestified such concern in !arting ith her, that =iss Bing"ey asob"iged to con$ert the offer of the chaise to an in$itation tore&ain at Cetherfie"d for the !resent% E"iIabeth &ost thankfu""yconsented, and a ser$ant as dis!atched to @ongbourn to

acuaint the fa&i"y ith her stay and bring back a su!!"y of c"othes%

ha!ter 8

At fi$e oKc"ock the to "adies retired to dress, and at ha"fH!astsi/ E"iIabeth as su&&oned to dinner% To the ci$i" inuirieshich then !oured in, and a&ongst hich she had the !"easure

of distinguishing the &uch su!erior so"icitude of =r% Bing"eyKs,she cou"d not &ake a $ery fa$ourab"e anser% Jane as by no&eans better% The sisters, on hearing this, re!eated three or four ti&es ho &uch they ere grie$ed, ho shocking it as to ha$ea bad co"d, and ho e/cessi$e"y they dis"iked being i""the&se"$esF and then thought no &ore of the &atter7 and their indifference toards Jane hen not i&&ediate"y before the&restored E"iIabeth to the enjoy&ent of a"" her for&er dis"ike%

Their brother, indeed, as the on"y one of the !arty ho& shecou"d regard ith any co&!"acency% 1is an/iety for Jane ase$ident, and his attentions to herse"f &ost !"easing, andthey !re$ented her fee"ing herse"f so &uch an intruder as she

be"ie$ed she as considered by the others% 2he had $ery "itt"enotice fro& any but hi&% =iss Bing"ey as engrossed by =r%'arcy, her sister scarce"y "ess soF and as for =r% 1urst, byho& E"iIabeth sat, he as an indo"ent &an, ho "i$ed on"y toeat, drink, and !"ay at cardsF ho, hen he found her to !refer a !"ain dish to a ragout, had nothing to say to her%

hen dinner as o$er, she returned direct"y to Jane, and =iss

Bing"ey began abusing her as soon as she as out of the roo&%1er &anners ere !ronounced to be $ery bad indeed, a &i/tureof !ride and i&!ertinenceF she had no con$ersation, no sty"e, no

beauty% =rs% 1urst thought the sa&e, and added7

2he has nothing, in short, to reco&&end her, but being ane/ce""ent a"ker% sha"" ne$er forget her a!!earance this&orning% 2he rea""y "ooked a"&ost i"d%

2he did, indeed, @ouisa% cou"d hard"y kee! &y countenance%.ery nonsensica" to co&e at a""6 hy &ust she be sca&!ering

about the country, because her sister had a co"d 1er hair, sountidy, so b"osy6



*es, and her !etticoatF ho!e you sa her !etticoat, si/ inchesdee! in &ud, a& abso"ute"y certainF and the gon hich had

been "et don to hide it not doing its office%

*our !icture &ay be $ery e/act, @ouisa, said Bing"eyF butthis as a"" "ost u!on &e% thought =iss E"iIabeth Bennet"ooked re&arkab"y e"" hen she ca&e into the roo& this&orning% 1er dirty !etticoat uite esca!ed &y notice%

*ou obser$ed it, =r% 'arcy, a& sure, said =iss Bing"eyFand a& inc"ined to think that you ou"d not ish to see

your sister &ake such an e/hibition%

ertain"y not%

To a"k three &i"es, or four &i"es, or fi$e &i"es, or hate$er itis, abo$e her ank"es in dirt, and a"one, uite a"one6 hat cou"dshe &ean by it t see&s to &e to sho an abo&inab"e sort of conceited inde!endence, a &ost countryHton indifference todecoru&%

t shos an affection for her sister that is $ery !"easing, saidBing"ey%

a& afraid, =r% 'arcy, obser$ed =iss Bing"ey in a ha"f his!er, that this ad$enture has rather affected your ad&iration of her fine eyes%

Cot at a"", he re!"iedF they ere brightened by the e/ercise%A short !ause fo""oed this s!eech, and =rs% 1urst began again7

ha$e a e/cessi$e regard for =iss Jane Bennet, she is rea""ya $ery seet gir", and ish ith a"" &y heart she ere e""sett"ed% But ith such a father and &other, and such "oconnections, a& afraid there is no chance of it%

think ha$e heard you say that their unc"e is an attorney on=eryton%

*esF and they ha$e another, ho "i$es so&ehere near hea!side%

That is ca!ita", added her sister, and they both "aughed hearti"y%

f they had unc"es enough to fi"" a"" hea!side, criedBing"ey, it ou"d not &ake the& one jot "ess agreeab"e%

But it &ust $ery &ateria""y "essen their chance of &arrying &en

of any consideration in the or"d, re!"ied 'arcy%



To this s!eech Bing"ey &ade no anserF but his sisters ga$e ittheir hearty assent, and indu"ged their &irth for so&e ti&e at thee/!ense of their dear friendKs $u"gar re"ations%

ith a renea" of tenderness, hoe$er, they returned to her

roo& on "ea$ing the diningH!ar"our, and sat ith her ti""su&&oned to coffee% 2he as sti"" $ery !oor"y, and E"iIabethou"d not uit her at a"", ti"" "ate in the e$ening, hen she hadthe co&fort of seeing her s"ee!, and hen it see&ed to her rather right than !"easant that she shou"d go donstairs herse"f% nentering the draingHroo& she found the ho"e !arty at "oo, andas i&&ediate"y in$ited to join the&F but sus!ecting the& to be

!"aying high she dec"ined it, and &aking her sister the e/cuse,said she ou"d a&use herse"f for the short ti&e she cou"d stay

be"o, ith a book% =r% 1urst "ooked at her ith astonish&ent%

'o you !refer reading to cards said heF that is rather singu"ar%

=iss E"iIa Bennet, said =iss Bing"ey, des!ises cards% 2he isa great reader, and has no !"easure in anything e"se%

deser$e neither such !raise nor such censure, cried E"iIabethF a& not a great reader, and ha$e !"easure in &any things%

n nursing your sister a& sure you ha$e !"easure, said Bing"eyFand ho!e it i"" be soon increased by seeing her uite e""%

E"iIabeth thanked hi& fro& her heart, and then a"ked toardsthe tab"e here a fe books ere "ying% 1e i&&ediate"y offeredto fetch her othersHHa"" that his "ibrary afforded%

And ish &y co""ection ere "arger for your benefit and &yon creditF but a& an id"e fe""o, and though ha$e not &any, ha$e &ore than e$er "ooked into%

E"iIabeth assured hi& that she cou"d suit herse"f !erfect"y ith

those in the roo&%

a& astonished, said =iss Bing"ey, that &y father shou"dha$e "eft so s&a"" a co""ection of books% hat a de"ightfu" "ibraryyou ha$e at Pe&ber"ey, =r% 'arcy6

t ought to be good, he re!"ied, it has been the ork of &anygenerations%

And then you ha$e added so &uch to it yourse"f, you area"ays buying books%

cannot co&!rehend the neg"ect of a fa&i"y "ibrary in such days



as these%

Ceg"ect6 a& sure you neg"ect nothing that can add to the beauties of that nob"e !"ace% har"es, hen you bui"d your house, ish it &ay be ha"f as de"ightfu" as Pe&ber"ey%

ish it &ay%

But ou"d rea""y ad$ise you to &ake your !urchase in thatneighbourhood, and take Pe&ber"ey for a kind of &ode"% Thereis not a finer county in Eng"and than 'erbyshire%

ith a"" &y heartF i"" buy Pe&ber"ey itse"f if 'arcy i""se"" it%

a& ta"king of !ossibi"ities, har"es%

!on &y ord, aro"ine, shou"d think it &ore !ossib"e to getPe&ber"ey by !urchase than by i&itation%

E"iIabeth as so &uch caught ith hat !assed, as to "ea$e her $ery "itt"e attention for her bookF and soon "aying it ho""yaside, she dre near the cardHtab"e, and stationed herse"f

beteen =r% Bing"ey and his e"dest sister, to obser$e the ga&e%

s =iss 'arcy &uch gron since the s!ring said =issBing"eyF i"" she be as ta"" as a&

think she i""% 2he is no about =iss E"iIabeth BennetKsheight, or rather ta""er%

1o "ong to see her again6 ne$er &et ith anybody hode"ighted &e so &uch% 2uch a countenance, such &anners6 Andso e/tre&e"y acco&!"ished for her age6 1er !erfor&ance on the

!ianoforte is e/uisite%

t is a&aIing to &e, said Bing"ey, ho young "adies can ha$e

!atience to be so $ery acco&!"ished as they a"" are%

A"" young "adies acco&!"ished6 =y dear har"es, hat do you &ean

*es, a"" of the&, think% They a"" !aint tab"es, co$er screens,and net !urses% scarce"y kno anyone ho cannot do a"" this,and a& sure ne$er heard a young "ady s!oken of for the firstti&e, ithout being infor&ed that she as $ery acco&!"ished%

*our "ist of the co&&on e/tent of acco&!"ish&ents, said 'arcy,has too &uch truth% The ord is a!!"ied to &any a o&an ho

deser$es it no otherise than by netting a !urse or co$eringa screen% But a& $ery far fro& agreeing ith you in your



esti&ation of "adies in genera"% cannot boast of knoing&ore than ha"fHaHdoIen, in the ho"e range of &y acuaintance,that are rea""y acco&!"ished%

Cor , a& sure, said =iss Bing"ey%

Then, obser$ed E"iIabeth, you &ust co&!rehend a great dea"in your idea of an acco&!"ished o&an%

*es, do co&!rehend a great dea" in it%

h6 certain"y, cried his faithfu" assistant, no one can be rea""yestee&ed acco&!"ished ho does not great"y sur!ass hat isusua""y &et ith% A o&an &ust ha$e a thorough kno"edge of &usic, singing, draing, dancing, and the &odern "anguages, todeser$e the ordF and besides a"" this, she &ust !ossess a certain

so&ething in her air and &anner of a"king, the tone of her $oice, her address and e/!ressions, or the ord i"" be butha"fHdeser$ed%

A"" this she &ust !ossess, added 'arcy, and to a"" this she&ust yet add so&ething &ore substantia", in the i&!ro$e&ent of her &ind by e/tensi$e reading%

a& no "onger sur!rised at your knoing on"y si/ acco&!"ishedo&en% rather onder no at your knoing any%

Are you so se$ere u!on your on se/ as to doubt the !ossibi"ityof a"" this

ne$er sa such a o&an% ne$er sa such ca!acity, andtaste, and a!!"ication, and e"egance, as you describe united%

=rs% 1urst and =iss Bing"ey both cried out against the injusticeof her i&!"ied doubt, and ere both !rotesting that they kne&any o&en ho ansered this descri!tion, hen =r% 1urstca""ed the& to order, ith bitter co&!"aints of their inattention

to hat as going forard% As a"" con$ersation as thereby atan end, E"iIabeth soon afterards "eft the roo&%

E"iIabeth Bennet, said =iss Bing"ey, hen the door asc"osed on her, is one of those young "adies ho seek toreco&&end the&se"$es to the other se/ by under$a"uing their onF and ith &any &en, dare say, it succeeds% But, in &yo!inion, it is a !a"try de$ice, a $ery &ean art%

ndoubted"y, re!"ied 'arcy, to ho& this re&ark as chief"yaddressed, there is a &eanness in a"" the arts hich "adies

so&eti&es condescend to e&!"oy for ca!ti$ation% hate$er bears affinity to cunning is des!icab"e%



=iss Bing"ey as not so entire"y satisfied ith this re!"y as tocontinue the subject%

E"iIabeth joined the& again on"y to say that her sister as orse,

and that she cou"d not "ea$e her% Bing"ey urged =r% Jones beingsent for i&&ediate"yF hi"e his sisters, con$inced that no countryad$ice cou"d be of any ser$ice, reco&&ended an e/!ress to ton for one of the &ost e&inent !hysicians% This she ou"d not hear ofF

but she as not so uni""ing to co&!"y ith their brotherKs !ro!osa"F and it as sett"ed that =r% Jones shou"d be sent for ear"y in the &orning, if =iss Bennet ere not decided"y better%Bing"ey as uite unco&fortab"eF his sisters dec"ared that theyere &iserab"e% They so"aced their retchedness, hoe$er, byduets after su!!er, hi"e he cou"d find no better re"ief to hisfee"ings than by gi$ing his housekee!er directions that e$ery

attention &ight be !aid to the sick "ady and her sister%

ha!ter 4

E"iIabeth !assed the chief of the night in her sisterKs roo&, andin the &orning had the !"easure of being ab"e to send a to"erab"eanser to the inuiries hich she $ery ear"y recei$ed fro& =r%Bing"ey by a house&aid, and so&e ti&e afterards fro& the toe"egant "adies ho aited on his sisters% n s!ite of thisa&end&ent, hoe$er, she reuested to ha$e a note sent to @ongbourn,desiring her &other to $isit Jane, and for& her on judge&ent of her situation% The note as i&&ediate"y dis!atched, and itscontents as uick"y co&!"ied ith% =rs% Bennet, acco&!anied byher to youngest gir"s, reached Cetherfie"d soon after the fa&i"y

breakfast%

1ad she found Jane in any a!!arent danger, =rs% Bennet ou"dha$e been $ery &iserab"eF but being satisfied on seeing her that

her i""ness as not a"ar&ing, she had no ish of her reco$eringi&&ediate"y, as her restoration to hea"th ou"d !robab"y re&o$eher fro& Cetherfie"d% 2he ou"d not "isten, therefore, to her daughterKs !ro!osa" of being carried ho&eF neither did thea!othecary, ho arri$ed about the sa&e ti&e, think it at a""ad$isab"e% After sitting a "itt"e hi"e ith Jane, on =issBing"eyKs a!!earance and in$itation, the &other and threedaughter a"" attended her into the breakfast !ar"our% Bing"ey &etthe& ith ho!es that =rs% Bennet had not found =iss Bennetorse than she e/!ected%

ndeed ha$e, sir, as her anser% 2he is a great dea" tooi"" to be &o$ed% =r% Jones says e &ust not think of &o$ing her%



e &ust tres!ass a "itt"e "onger on your kindness%

0e&o$ed6 cried Bing"ey% t &ust not be thought of% =ysister, a& sure, i"" not hear of her re&o$a"%

*ou &ay de!end u!on it, =ada&, said =iss Bing"ey, ith co"dci$i"ity, that =iss Bennet i"" recei$e e$ery !ossib"e attentionhi"e she re&ains ith us%

=rs% Bennet as !rofuse in her ackno"edg&ents%

a& sure, she added, if it as not for such good friends donot kno hat ou"d beco&e of her, for she is $ery i"" indeed,and suffers a $ast dea", though ith the greatest !atience in theor"d, hich is a"ays the ay ith her, for she has, ithoute/ce!tion, the seetest te&!er ha$e e$er &et ith% often te""

&y other gir"s they are nothing to her% *ou ha$e a seet roo&here, =r% Bing"ey, and a char&ing !ros!ect o$er the gra$e" a"k% do not kno a !"ace in the country that is eua" to Cetherfie"d%*ou i"" not think of uitting it in a hurry, ho!e, though youha$e but a short "ease%

hate$er do is done in a hurry, re!"ied heF and therefore if shou"d reso"$e to uit Cetherfie"d, shou"d !robab"y be off infi$e &inutes% At !resent, hoe$er, consider &yse"f as uitefi/ed here%

That is e/act"y hat shou"d ha$e su!!osed of you, saidE"iIabeth%

*ou begin to co&!rehend &e, do you cried he, turningtoards her%

h6 yesHH understand you !erfect"y%

ish &ight take this for a co&!"i&entF but to be so easi"yseen through a& afraid is !itifu"%

That is as it ha!!ens% t does not fo""o that a dee!, intricatecharacter is &ore or "ess esti&ab"e than such a one as yours%

@iIIy, cried her &other, re&e&ber here you are, and do notrun on in the i"d &anner that you are suffered to do at ho&e%

did not kno before, continued Bing"ey i&&ediate"y, thatyou ere a studier of character% t &ust be an a&using study%

*es, but intricate characters are the &ost a&using% They

ha$e at "east that ad$antage%



The country, said 'arcy, can in genera" su!!"y but a fesubjects for such a study% n a country neighbourhood you &o$ein a $ery confined and un$arying society%

But !eo!"e the&se"$es a"ter so &uch, that there is so&ething

ne to be obser$ed in the& for e$er%

*es, indeed, cried =rs% Bennet, offended by his &anner of &entioning a country neighbourhood% assure you there isuite as &uch of that going on in the country as in ton%

E$erybody as sur!rised, and 'arcy, after "ooking at her for a&o&ent, turned si"ent"y aay% =rs% Bennet, ho fancied shehad gained a co&!"ete $ictory o$er hi&, continued her triu&!h%

cannot see that @ondon has any great ad$antage o$er the

country, for &y !art, e/ce!t the sho!s and !ub"ic !"aces% Thecountry is a $ast dea" !"easanter, is it not, =r% Bing"ey

hen a& in the country, he re!"ied, ne$er ish to "ea$e itFand hen a& in ton it is !retty &uch the sa&e% They ha$eeach their ad$antages, and can be eua""y ha!!y in either%

AyeHHthat is because you ha$e the right dis!osition% But thatgent"e&an, "ooking at 'arcy, see&ed to think the country asnothing at a""%

ndeed, =a&&a, you are &istaken, said E"iIabeth, b"ushing for her &other% *ou uite &istook =r% 'arcy% 1e on"y &eant thatthere as not such a $ariety of !eo!"e to be &et ith in thecountry as in the ton, hich you &ust ackno"edge to betrue%

ertain"y, &y dear, nobody said there ereF but as to not&eeting ith &any !eo!"e in this neighbourhood, be"ie$ethere are fe neighbourhoods "arger% kno e dine ithfourHandHtenty fa&i"ies%

Cothing but concern for E"iIabeth cou"d enab"e Bing"ey to kee!his countenance% 1is sister as "ess de"icate, and directed her eyes toards =r% 'arcy ith a $ery e/!ressi$e s&i"e% E"iIabeth,for the sake of saying so&ething that &ight turn her &otherKsthoughts, no asked her if har"otte @ucas had been at@ongbourn since her co&ing aay%

*es, she ca""ed yesterday ith her father% hat an agreeab"e&an 2ir i""ia& is, =r% Bing"ey, is not he 2o &uch the &an of fashion6 2o gentee" and easy6 1e had a"ays so&ething to say

to e$erybody% That is &y idea of good breedingF and those !ersons ho fancy the&se"$es $ery i&!ortant, and ne$er o!en



their &ouths, uite &istake the &atter%

'id har"otte dine ith you

Co, she ou"d go ho&e% fancy she as anted about the

&inceH!ies% -or &y !art, =r% Bing"ey, a"ays kee! ser$antsthat can do their on orkF &y daughters are brought u! $erydifferent"y% But e$erybody is to judge for the&se"$es, and the@ucases are a $ery good sort of gir"s, assure you% t is a !itythey are not handso&e6 Cot that think har"otte so $ery

!"ainHHbut then she is our !articu"ar friend%

2he see&s a $ery !"easant young o&an%

h6 dear, yesF but you &ust on she is $ery !"ain% @ady @ucasherse"f has often said so, and en$ied &e JaneKs beauty% do not

"ike to boast of &y on chi"d, but to be sure, JaneHHone doesnot often see anybody better "ooking% t is hat e$erybody says% do not trust &y on !artia"ity% hen she as on"y fifteen,there as a &an at &y brother GardinerKs in ton so &uch in"o$e ith her that &y sisterHinH"a as sure he ou"d &ake her an offer before e ca&e aay% But, hoe$er, he did not%Perha!s he thought her too young% 1oe$er, he rote so&e$erses on her, and $ery !retty they ere%

And so ended his affection, said E"iIabeth i&!atient"y% Therehas been &any a one, fancy, o$erco&e in the sa&e ay% onder ho first disco$ered the efficacy of !oetry in dri$ingaay "o$e6

ha$e been used to consider !oetry as the food of "o$e, said'arcy%

f a fine, stout, hea"thy "o$e it &ay% E$erything nourisheshat is strong a"ready% But if it be on"y a s"ight, thin sort of inc"ination, a& con$inced that one good sonnet i"" star$e itentire"y aay%

'arcy on"y s&i"edF and the genera" !ause hich ensued &adeE"iIabeth tre&b"e "est her &other shou"d be e/!osing herse"f again% 2he "onged to s!eak, but cou"d think of nothing to sayFand after a short si"ence =rs% Bennet began re!eating her thanksto =r% Bing"ey for his kindness to Jane, ith an a!o"ogy for troub"ing hi& a"so ith @iIIy% =r% Bing"ey as unaffected"yci$i" in his anser, and forced his younger sister to be ci$i"a"so, and say hat the occasion reuired% 2he !erfor&ed her

!art indeed ithout &uch graciousness, but =rs% Bennet assatisfied, and soon afterards ordered her carriage% !on this

signa", the youngest of her daughters !ut herse"f forard% Theto gir"s had been his!ering to each other during the ho"e



E"iIabeth took u! so&e need"eork, and as sufficient"ya&used in attending to hat !assed beteen 'arcy and hisco&!anion% The !er!etua" co&&endations of the "ady, either onhis handriting, or on the e$enness of his "ines, or on the "engthof his "etter, ith the !erfect unconcern ith hich her !raises

ere recei$ed, for&ed a curious dia"ogue, and as e/act"y inunion ith her o!inion of each%

1o de"ighted =iss 'arcy i"" be to recei$e such a "etter6

1e &ade no anser%

*ou rite unco&&on"y fast%

*ou are &istaken% rite rather s"o"y%

1o &any "etters you &ust ha$e occasion to rite in thecourse of a year6 @etters of business, too6 1o odious shou"dthink the&6

t is fortunate, then, that they fa"" to &y "ot instead of yours%

Pray te"" your sister that "ong to see her%

ha$e a"ready to"d her so once, by your desire%

a& afraid you do not "ike your !en% @et &e &end it for you% &end !ens re&arkab"y e""%

Thank youHHbut a"ays &end &y on%

1o can you contri$e to rite so e$en

1e as si"ent%

Te"" your sister a& de"ighted to hear of her i&!ro$e&ent onthe har!F and !ray "et her kno that a& uite in ra!tures ith

her beautifu" "itt"e design for a tab"e, and think it infinite"ysu!erior to =iss Grant"eyKs%

i"" you gi$e &e "ea$e to defer your ra!tures ti"" rite againAt !resent ha$e not roo& to do the& justice%

h6 it is of no conseuence% sha"" see her in January% But doyou a"ays rite such char&ing "ong "etters to her, =r% 'arcy

They are genera""y "ongF but hether a"ays char&ing it is notfor &e to deter&ine%

t is a ru"e ith &e, that a !erson ho can rite a "ong "etter



ith ease, cannot rite i""%

That i"" not do for a co&!"i&ent to 'arcy, aro"ine, criedher brother, because he does not rite ith ease% 1e studiestoo &uch for ords of four sy""ab"es% 'o not you, 'arcy

=y sty"e of riting is $ery different fro& yours%

h6 cried =iss Bing"ey, har"es rites in the &ost care"essay i&aginab"e% 1e "ea$es out ha"f his ords, and b"ots therest%

=y ideas f"o so ra!id"y that ha$e not ti&e to e/!ressthe&HHby hich &eans &y "etters so&eti&es con$ey no ideasat a"" to &y corres!ondents%

*our hu&i"ity, =r% Bing"ey, said E"iIabeth, &ust disar&re!roof%

Cothing is &ore deceitfu", said 'arcy, than the a!!earance of hu&i"ity% t is often on"y care"essness of o!inion, and so&eti&esan indirect boast%

And hich of the to do you ca"" &y "itt"e recent !iece of &odesty

The indirect boastF for you are rea""y !roud of your defects inriting, because you consider the& as !roceeding fro& ara!idity of thought and care"essness of e/ecution, hich, if notesti&ab"e, you think at "east high"y interesting% The !oer of doing anything ith uickness is a"ays !riIed &uch by the

!ossessor, and often ithout any attention to the i&!erfection of the !erfor&ance% hen you to"d =rs% Bennet this &orning thatif you e$er reso"$ed u!on uitting Cetherfie"d you shou"d begone in fi$e &inutes, you &eant it to be a sort of !anegyric, of co&!"i&ent to yourse"fHHand yet hat is there so $ery "audab"ein a !reci!itance hich &ust "ea$e $ery necessary business

undone, and can be of no rea" ad$antage to yourse"f or anyonee"se

Cay, cried Bing"ey, this is too &uch, to re&e&ber at night a""the foo"ish things that ere said in the &orning% And yet, u!on&y honour, be"ie$e hat said of &yse"f to be true, and

be"ie$e it at this &o&ent% At "east, therefore, did not assu&ethe character of need"ess !reci!itance &ere"y to sho off beforethe "adies%

dare say you be"ie$ed itF but a& by no &eans con$inced that

you ou"d be gone ith such ce"erity% *our conduct ou"d beuite as de!endent on chance as that of any &an knoF and if,



as you ere &ounting your horse, a friend ere to say, KBing"ey,you had better stay ti"" ne/t eek,K you ou"d !robab"y do it,you ou"d !robab"y not goHHand at another ord, &ight stay a&onth%

*ou ha$e on"y !ro$ed by this, cried E"iIabeth, that =r%Bing"ey did not do justice to his on dis!osition% *ou ha$eshon hi& off no &uch &ore than he did hi&se"f%

a& e/ceeding"y gratified, said Bing"ey, by your con$ertinghat &y friend says into a co&!"i&ent on the seetness of &yte&!er% But a& afraid you are gi$ing it a turn hich thatgent"e&an did by no &eans intendF for he ou"d certain"y think

better of &e, if under such a circu&stance ere to gi$e a f"atdenia", and ride off as fast as cou"d%

ou"d =r% 'arcy then consider the rashness of your origina"intentions as atoned for by your obstinacy in adhering to it

!on &y ord, cannot e/act"y e/!"ain the &atterF 'arcy &usts!eak for hi&se"f%

*ou e/!ect &e to account for o!inions hich you choose toca"" &ine, but hich ha$e ne$er ackno"edged% A""oing thecase, hoe$er, to stand according to your re!resentation, you&ust re&e&ber, =iss Bennet, that the friend ho is su!!osed todesire his return to the house, and the de"ay of his !"an, has&ere"y desired it, asked it ithout offering one argu&ent infa$our of its !ro!riety%

To yie"d readi"yHHeasi"yHHto the !ersuasion of a friend isno &erit ith you%

To yie"d ithout con$iction is no co&!"i&ent to the understandingof either%

*ou a!!ear to &e, =r% 'arcy, to a""o nothing for the

inf"uence of friendshi! and affection% A regard for the reuester ou"d often &ake one readi"y yie"d to a reuest, ithout aitingfor argu&ents to reason one into it% a& not !articu"ar"ys!eaking of such a case as you ha$e su!!osed about =r%Bing"ey% e &ay as e"" ait, !erha!s, ti"" the circu&stanceoccurs before e discuss the discretion of his beha$iour thereu!on% But in genera" and ordinary cases beteen friend andfriend, here one of the& is desired by the other to change areso"ution of no $ery great &o&ent, shou"d you think i"" of that

!erson for co&!"ying ith the desire, ithout aiting to beargued into it

i"" it not be ad$isab"e, before e !roceed on this subject, to



arrange ith rather &ore !recision the degree of i&!ortancehich is to a!!ertain to this reuest, as e"" as the degree of inti&acy subsisting beteen the !arties

By a"" &eans, cried Bing"eyF "et us hear a"" the !articu"ars,

not forgetting their co&!arati$e height and siIeF for that i""ha$e &ore eight in the argu&ent, =iss Bennet, than you &ay beaare of% assure you, that if 'arcy ere not such a great ta""fe""o, in co&!arison ith &yse"f, shou"d not !ay hi& ha"f so&uch deference% dec"are do not kno a &ore afu" objectthan 'arcy, on !articu"ar occasions, and in !articu"ar !"acesF athis on house es!ecia""y, and of a 2unday e$ening, hen he hasnothing to do%

=r% 'arcy s&i"edF but E"iIabeth thought she cou"d !ercei$e thathe as rather offended, and therefore checked her "augh% =iss

Bing"ey ar&"y resented the indignity he had recei$ed, in ane/!ostu"ation ith her brother for ta"king such nonsense%

see your design, Bing"ey, said his friend% *ou dis"ike anargu&ent, and ant to si"ence this%

Perha!s do% Argu&ents are too &uch "ike dis!utes% f you and=iss Bennet i"" defer yours ti"" a& out of the roo&, sha""

be $ery thankfu"F and then you &ay say hate$er you "ike of &e%

hat you ask, said E"iIabeth, is no sacrifice on &y sideF and=r% 'arcy had &uch better finish his "etter%

=r% 'arcy took her ad$ice, and did finish his "etter%

hen that business as o$er, he a!!"ied to =iss Bing"ey andE"iIabeth for an indu"gence of so&e &usic% =iss Bing"ey &o$edith so&e a"acrity to the !ianoforteF and, after a !o"ite reuestthat E"iIabeth ou"d "ead the ay hich the other as !o"ite"yand &ore earnest"y negati$ed, she seated herse"f%

=rs% 1urst sang ith her sister, and hi"e they ere thuse&!"oyed, E"iIabeth cou"d not he"! obser$ing, as she turnedo$er so&e &usicHbooks that "ay on the instru&ent, ho freuent"y=r% 'arcyKs eyes ere fi/ed on her% 2he hard"y kne ho tosu!!ose that she cou"d be an object of ad&iration to so great a&anF and yet that he shou"d "ook at her because he dis"iked her,as sti"" &ore strange% 2he cou"d on"y i&agine, hoe$er, at "astthat she dre his notice because there as so&ething &ore rongand re!rehensib"e, according to his ideas of right, than in anyother !erson !resent% The su!!osition did not !ain her% 2he"iked hi& too "itt"e to care for his a!!robation%

After !"aying so&e ta"ian songs, =iss Bing"ey $aried the char&



by a "i$e"y 2cotch airF and soon afterards =r% 'arcy, draingnear E"iIabeth, said to her7

'o not you fee" a great inc"ination, =iss Bennet, to seiIe suchan o!!ortunity of dancing a ree"

2he s&i"ed, but &ade no anser% 1e re!eated the uestion, ithso&e sur!rise at her si"ence%

h6 said she, heard you before, but cou"d not i&&ediate"ydeter&ine hat to say in re!"y% *ou anted &e, kno, to sayK*es,K that you &ight ha$e the !"easure of des!ising &y tasteF

but a"ays de"ight in o$erthroing those kind of sche&es,and cheating a !erson of their !re&editated conte&!t% ha$e,therefore, &ade u! &y &ind to te"" you, that do not ant todance a ree" at a""HHand no des!ise &e if you dare%

ndeed do not dare%

E"iIabeth, ha$ing rather e/!ected to affront hi&, as a&aIed athis ga""antryF but there as a &i/ture of seetness and archnessin her &anner hich &ade it difficu"t for her to affront anybodyFand 'arcy had ne$er been so beitched by any o&an as heas by her% 1e rea""y be"ie$ed, that ere it not for theinferiority of her connections, he shou"d be in so&e danger%

=iss Bing"ey sa, or sus!ected enough to be jea"ousF and her great an/iety for the reco$ery of her dear friend Jane recei$edso&e assistance fro& her desire of getting rid of E"iIabeth%

2he often tried to !ro$oke 'arcy into dis"iking her guest, byta"king of their su!!osed &arriage, and !"anning his ha!!iness insuch an a""iance%

ho!e, said she, as they ere a"king together in theshrubbery the ne/t day, you i"" gi$e your &otherHinH"a a fehints, hen this desirab"e e$ent takes !"ace, as to the ad$antage

of ho"ding her tongueF and if you can co&!ass it, do cure theyounger gir"s of running after officers% And, if &ay &ention sode"icate a subject, endea$our to check that "itt"e so&ething,

bordering on conceit and i&!ertinence, hich your "ady !ossesses%

1a$e you anything e"se to !ro!ose for &y do&estic fe"icity

h6 yes% 'o "et the !ortraits of your unc"e and aunt Phi""i!s be !"aced in the ga""ery at Pe&ber"ey% Put the& ne/t to your greatHunc"e the judge% They are in the sa&e !rofession, you

kno, on"y in different "ines% As for your E"iIabethKs !icture, you&ust not ha$e it taken, for hat !ainter cou"d do justice to those



beautifu" eyes

t ou"d not be easy, indeed, to catch their e/!ression, but their co"our and sha!e, and the eye"ashes, so re&arkab"y fine, &ight

be co!ied%

At that &o&ent they ere &et fro& another a"k by =rs% 1urstand E"iIabeth herse"f%

did not kno that you intended to a"k, said =iss Bing"ey,in so&e confusion, "est they had been o$erheard%

*ou used us abo&inab"y i"", ansered =rs% 1urst, runningaay ithout te""ing us that you ere co&ing out%

Then taking the disengaged ar& of =r% 'arcy, she "eft E"iIabeth

to a"k by herse"f% The !ath just ad&itted three% =r% 'arcy fe"ttheir rudeness, and i&&ediate"y said7

This a"k is not ide enough for our !arty% e had better gointo the a$enue%

But E"iIabeth, ho had not the "east inc"ination to re&ain iththe&, "aughing"y ansered7

Co, noF stay here you are% *ou are char&ing"y grou!ed, anda!!ear to unco&&on ad$antage% The !icturesue ou"d bes!oi"t by ad&itting a fourth% GoodHbye%

2he then ran gai"y off, rejoicing as she ra&b"ed about, in theho!e of being at ho&e again in a day or to% Jane as a"readyso &uch reco$ered as to intend "ea$ing her roo& for a cou!"e of hours that e$ening%

ha!ter 33

hen the "adies re&o$ed after dinner, E"iIabeth ran u! to her sister, and seeing her e"" guarded fro& co"d, attended her intothe draingHroo&, here she as e"co&ed by her to friendsith &any !rofessions of !"easureF and E"iIabeth had ne$er seenthe& so agreeab"e as they ere during the hour hich !assed

before the gent"e&en a!!eared% Their !oers of con$ersationere considerab"e% They cou"d describe an entertain&ent ithaccuracy, re"ate an anecdote ith hu&our, and "augh at their acuaintance ith s!irit%

But hen the gent"e&en entered, Jane as no "onger the first



objectF =iss Bing"eyKs eyes ere instant"y turned toard 'arcy,and she had so&ething to say to hi& before he had ad$anced&any ste!s% 1e addressed hi&se"f to =iss Bennet, ith a !o"itecongratu"ationF =r% 1urst a"so &ade her a s"ight bo, and saidhe as $ery g"adF but diffuseness and ar&th re&ained for

Bing"eyKs sa"utation% 1e as fu"" of joy and attention% The firstha"fHhour as s!ent in !i"ing u! the fire, "est she shou"d suffer fro& the change of roo&F and she re&o$ed at his desire to theother side of the fire!"ace, that she &ight be further fro& thedoor% 1e then sat don by her, and ta"ked scarce"y to anyonee"se% E"iIabeth, at ork in the o!!osite corner, sa it a"" ithgreat de"ight%

hen tea as o$er, =r% 1urst re&inded his sisterHinH"a of thecardHtab"eHHbut in $ain% 2he had obtained !ri$ate inte""igencethat =r% 'arcy did not ish for cardsF and =r% 1urst soon found

e$en his o!en !etition rejected% 2he assured hi& that no oneintended to !"ay, and the si"ence of the ho"e !arty on thesubject see&ed to justify her% =r% 1urst had therefore nothingto do, but to stretch hi&se"f on one of the sofas and go tos"ee!% 'arcy took u! a bookF =iss Bing"ey did the sa&eF and=rs% 1urst, !rinci!a""y occu!ied in !"aying ith her brace"etsand rings, joined no and then in her brotherKs con$ersationith =iss Bennet%

=iss Bing"eyKs attention as uite as &uch engaged in atching=r% 'arcyKs !rogress through his book, as in reading her onFand she as !er!etua""y either &aking so&e inuiry, or "ookingat his !age% 2he cou"d not in hi&, hoe$er, to any con$ersationFhe &ere"y ansered her uestion, and read on% At "ength, uitee/hausted by the atte&!t to be a&used ith her on book, hichshe had on"y chosen because it as the second $o"u&e of his,she ga$e a great yan and said, 1o !"easant it is to s!end ane$ening in this ay6 dec"are after a"" there is no enjoy&ent"ike reading6 1o &uch sooner one tires of anything than of a

book6 hen ha$e a house of &y on, sha"" be &iserab"e if ha$e not an e/ce""ent "ibrary%

Co one &ade any re!"y% 2he then yaned again, thre aside her book, and cast her eyes round the roo& in uest for so&ea&use&entF hen hearing her brother &entioning a ba"" to =issBennet, she turned sudden"y toards hi& and said7

By the bye, har"es, are you rea""y serious in &editating a danceat Cetherfie"d ou"d ad$ise you, before you deter&ine on it,to consu"t the ishes of the !resent !artyF a& &uch &istaken if there are not so&e a&ong us to ho& a ba"" ou"d be rather a

!unish&ent than a !"easure%

f you &ean 'arcy, cried her brother, he &ay go to bed, if he



chooses, before it beginsHHbut as for the ba"", it is uite a sett"edthingF and as soon as Cicho""s has &ade hite sou! enough, sha"" send round &y cards%

shou"d "ike ba""s infinite"y better, she re!"ied, if they

ere carried on in a different &annerF but there is so&ethinginsufferab"y tedious in the usua" !rocess of such a &eeting% tou"d sure"y be &uch &ore rationa" if con$ersation instead of dancing ere &ade the order of the day%

=uch &ore rationa", &y dear aro"ine, dare say, but it ou"dnot be near so &uch "ike a ba""%

=iss Bing"ey &ade no anser, and soon afterards she got u!and a"ked about the roo&% 1er figure as e"egant, and shea"ked e""F but 'arcy, at ho& it as a"" ai&ed, as sti""

inf"e/ib"y studious% n the des!eration of her fee"ings, shereso"$ed on one effort &ore, and, turning to E"iIabeth, said7

=iss E"iIa Bennet, "et &e !ersuade you to fo""o &y e/a&!"e,and take a turn about the roo&% assure you it is $eryrefreshing after sitting so "ong in one attitude%

E"iIabeth as sur!rised, but agreed to it i&&ediate"y% =issBing"ey succeeded no "ess in the rea" object of her ci$i"ityF=r% 'arcy "ooked u!% 1e as as &uch aake to the no$e"ty of attention in that uarter as E"iIabeth herse"f cou"d be, andunconscious"y c"osed his book% 1e as direct"y in$ited to jointheir !arty, but he dec"ined it, obser$ing that he cou"d i&agine

but to &oti$es for their choosing to a"k u! and don theroo& together, ith either of hich &oti$es his joining the&ou"d interfere% hat cou"d he &ean 2he as dying to knohat cou"d be his &eaningHHand asked E"iIabeth hether shecou"d at a"" understand hi&

Cot at a"", as her anserF but de!end u!on it, he &eans to be se$ere on us, and our surest ay of disa!!ointing hi& i"" be

to ask nothing about it%

=iss Bing"ey, hoe$er, as inca!ab"e of disa!!ointing =r%'arcy in anything, and !erse$ered therefore in reuiring ane/!"anation of his to &oti$es%

ha$e not the s&a""est objection to e/!"aining the&, said he,as soon as she a""oed hi& to s!eak% *ou either choose this&ethod of !assing the e$ening because you are in each otherKsconfidence, and ha$e secret affairs to discuss, or because you areconscious that your figures a!!ear to the greatest ad$antage in

a"kingF if the first, ou"d be co&!"ete"y in your ay, and if the second, can ad&ire you &uch better as sit by the fire%



h6 shocking6 cried =iss Bing"ey% ne$er heard anything soabo&inab"e% 1o sha"" e !unish hi& for such a s!eech

Cothing so easy, if you ha$e but the inc"ination, said E"iIabeth%

e can a"" !"ague and !unish one another% Tease hi&HH"aughat hi&% nti&ate as you are, you &ust kno ho it is to bedone%

But u!on &y honour, do not% do assure you that &yinti&acy has not yet taught &e that% Tease ca"&ness of &anner and !resence of &ind6 Co, noHHfee" he &ay defy usthere% And as to "aughter, e i"" not e/!ose ourse"$es, if you

!"ease, by atte&!ting to "augh ithout a subject% =r% 'arcy &ayhug hi&se"f%

=r% 'arcy is not to be "aughed at6 cried E"iIabeth% That isan unco&&on ad$antage, and unco&&on ho!e it i"" continue, for it ou"d be a great "oss to &e to ha$e &any such acuaintances% dear"y "o$e a "augh%

=iss Bing"ey, said he, has gi$en &e &ore credit than can be%The isest and the best of &enHHnay, the isest and best of their actionsHH&ay be rendered ridicu"ous by a !erson hose firstobject in "ife is a joke%

ertain"y, re!"ied E"iIabethHHthere are such !eo!"e, but ho!e a& not one of the&% ho!e ne$er ridicu"e hat isise and good% -o""ies and nonsense, hi&s andinconsistencies, do di$ert &e, on, and "augh at the&hene$er can% But these, su!!ose, are !recise"y hat youare ithout%

Perha!s that is not !ossib"e for anyone% But it has been thestudy of &y "ife to a$oid those eaknesses hich often e/!ose astrong understanding to ridicu"e%

2uch as $anity and !ride%

*es, $anity is a eakness indeed% But !rideHHhere there is area" su!eriority of &ind, !ride i"" be a"ays under goodregu"ation%

E"iIabeth turned aay to hide a s&i"e%

*our e/a&ination of =r% 'arcy is o$er, !resu&e, said =issBing"eyF and !ray hat is the resu"t

a& !erfect"y con$inced by it that =r% 'arcy has no defect%1e ons it hi&se"f ithout disguise%



e/!ect it ou"d be askedF and fearfu", on the contrary, as beingconsidered as intruding the&se"$es need"ess"y "ong, she urgedJane to borro =r% Bing"eyKs carriage i&&ediate"y, and at"ength it as sett"ed that their origina" design of "ea$ing

Cetherfie"d that &orning shou"d be &entioned, and the reuest

&ade%

The co&&unication e/cited &any !rofessions of concernF andenough as said of ishing the& to stay at "east ti"" thefo""oing day to ork on JaneF and ti"" the &orro their goingas deferred% =iss Bing"ey as then sorry that she had

!ro!osed the de"ay, for her jea"ousy and dis"ike of one sister &uch e/ceeded her affection for the other%

The &aster of the house heard ith rea" sorro that they ereto go so soon, and re!eated"y tried to !ersuade =iss Bennet that

it ou"d not be safe for herHHthat she as not enough reco$eredF but Jane as fir& here she fe"t herse"f to be right%

To =r% 'arcy it as e"co&e inte""igenceHHE"iIabeth had beenat Cetherfie"d "ong enough% 2he attracted hi& &ore than he"ikedHHand =iss Bing"ey as unci$i" to her, and &ore teasingthan usua" to hi&se"f% 1e ise"y reso"$ed to be !articu"ar"ycarefu" that no sign of ad&iration shou"d no esca!e hi&,nothing that cou"d e"e$ate her ith the ho!e of inf"uencing hisfe"icityF sensib"e that if such an idea had been suggested,his beha$iour during the "ast day &ust ha$e &ateria" eight inconfir&ing or crushing it% 2teady to his !ur!ose, he scarce"ys!oke ten ords to her through the ho"e of 2aturday, andthough they ere at one ti&e "eft by the&se"$es for ha"fHanHhour,he adhered &ost conscientious"y to his book, and ou"d note$en "ook at her%

n 2unday, after &orning ser$ice, the se!aration, so agreeab"eto a"&ost a"", took !"ace% =iss Bing"eyKs ci$i"ity to E"iIabethincreased at "ast $ery ra!id"y, as e"" as her affection for JaneFand hen they !arted, after assuring the "atter of the !"easure

it ou"d a"ays gi$e her to see her either at @ongbourn or Cetherfie"d, and e&bracing her &ost tender"y, she e$en shook hands ith the for&er% E"iIabeth took "ea$e of the ho"e !artyin the "i$e"iest of s!irits%

They ere not e"co&ed ho&e $ery cordia""y by their &other%=rs% Bennet ondered at their co&ing, and thought the& $eryrong to gi$e so &uch troub"e, and as sure Jane ou"d ha$ecaught co"d again% But their father, though $ery "aconic in hise/!ressions of !"easure, as rea""y g"ad to see the&F he had fe"ttheir i&!ortance in the fa&i"y circ"e% The e$ening con$ersation,

hen they ere a"" asse&b"ed, had "ost &uch of its ani&ation,and a"&ost a"" its sense by the absence of Jane and E"iIabeth%



They found =ary, as usua", dee! in the study of thoroughHbassand hu&an natureF and had so&e e/tracts to ad&ire, and so&ene obser$ations of threadbare &ora"ity to "isten to% atherineand @ydia had infor&ation for the& of a different sort% =uch

had been done and &uch had been said in the regi&ent since the !receding ednesdayF se$era" of the officers had dined "ate"yith their unc"e, a !ri$ate had been f"ogged, and it had actua""y

been hinted that o"one" -orster as going to be &arried%

ha!ter 39

ho!e, &y dear, said =r% Bennet to his ife, as they ere

at breakfast the ne/t &orning, that you ha$e ordered a gooddinner toHday, because ha$e reason to e/!ect an addition toour fa&i"y !arty%

ho do you &ean, &y dear kno of nobody that is co&ing, a& sure, un"ess har"otte @ucas shou"d ha!!en to ca"" inHHand ho!e &y dinners are good enough for her% do not be"ie$eshe often sees such at ho&e%

The !erson of ho& s!eak is a gent"e&an, and a stranger%

=rs% BennetKs eyes s!ark"ed% A gent"e&an and a stranger6 t is=r% Bing"ey, a& sure6 e"", a& sure sha"" be e/tre&e"y g"adto see =r% Bing"ey% ButHHgood @ord6 ho un"ucky6 There is nota bit of fish to be got toHday% @ydia, &y "o$e, ring the be""HH&ust s!eak to 1i"" this &o&ent%

t is not =r% Bing"ey, said her husbandF it is a !erson ho& ne$er sa in the ho"e course of &y "ife%

This roused a genera" astonish&entF and he had the !"easure of

being eager"y uestioned by his ife and his fi$e daughters atonce%

After a&using hi&se"f so&e ti&e ith their curiosity, he thuse/!"ained7

About a &onth ago recei$ed this "etterF and about a fortnightago ansered it, for thought it a case of so&e de"icacy, andreuiring ear"y attention% t is fro& &y cousin, =r% o""ins, ho,hen a& dead, &ay turn you a"" out of this house as soon as he

!"eases%

h6 &y dear, cried his ife, cannot bear to hear that



&entioned% Pray do not ta"k of that odious &an% do think it isthe hardest thing in the or"d, that your estate shou"d be entai"edaay fro& your on chi"drenF and a& sure, if had been you, shou"d ha$e tried "ong ago to do so&ething or other about it%

Jane and E"iIabeth tried to e/!"ain to her the nature of an entai"%They had often atte&!ted to do it before, but it as a subjecton hich =rs% Bennet as beyond the reach of reason, and shecontinued to rai" bitter"y against the crue"ty of sett"ing anestate aay fro& a fa&i"y of fi$e daughters, in fa$our of a &anho& nobody cared anything about%

t certain"y is a &ost iniuitous affair, said =r% Bennet,and nothing can c"ear =r% o""ins fro& the gui"t of inheriting@ongbourn% But if you i"" "isten to his "etter, you &ay !erha!s

be a "itt"e softened by his &anner of e/!ressing hi&se"f%

Co, that a& sure sha"" notF and think it is $ery i&!ertinentof hi& to rite to you at a"", and $ery hy!ocritica"% hate suchfa"se friends% hy cou"d he not kee! on uarre"ing ith you, ashis father did before hi&

hy, indeedF he does see& to ha$e had so&e fi"ia" scru!"es onthat head, as you i"" hear%

1unsford, near esterha&, Dent,3Lth ctober%

'ear 2ir,HH

The disagree&ent subsisting beteen yourse"f and &y "atehonoured father a"ays ga$e &e &uch uneasiness, and since ha$e had the &isfortune to "ose hi&, ha$e freuent"y ishedto hea" the breachF but for so&e ti&e as ke!t back by &y ondoubts, fearing "est it &ight see& disres!ectfu" to his &e&oryfor &e to be on good ter&s ith anyone ith ho& it had a"ays

!"eased hi& to be at $ariance%HHKThere, =rs% Bennet%KHH=y

&ind, hoe$er, is no &ade u! on the subject, for ha$ingrecei$ed ordination at Easter, ha$e been so fortunate as to be distinguished by the !atronage of the 0ight 1onourab"e @adyatherine de Bourgh, ido of 2ir @eis de Bourgh, hose

bounty and beneficence has !referred &e to the $a"uab"e rectoryof this !arish, here it sha"" be &y earnest endea$our to de&ean&yse"f ith gratefu" res!ect toards her "adyshi!, and be e$er ready to !erfor& those rites and cere&onies hich are instituted

by the hurch of Eng"and% As a c"ergy&an, &oreo$er, fee" it&y duty to !ro&ote and estab"ish the b"essing of !eace in a""fa&i"ies ithin the reach of &y inf"uenceF and on these

grounds f"atter &yse"f that &y !resent o$ertures are high"yco&&endab"e, and that the circu&stance of &y being ne/t in the



ne, yet think it is e"" e/!ressed%

To atherine and @ydia, neither the "etter nor its riter erein any degree interesting% t as ne/t to i&!ossib"e that their cousin shou"d co&e in a scar"et coat, and it as no so&e

eeks since they had recei$ed !"easure fro& the society of a&an in any other co"our% As for their &other, =r% o""insKs"etter had done aay &uch of her i""Hi"", and she as !re!aringto see hi& ith a degree of co&!osure hich astonished her husband and daughters%

=r% o""ins as !unctua" to his ti&e, and as recei$ed ithgreat !o"iteness by the ho"e fa&i"y% =r% Bennet indeed said"itt"eF but the "adies ere ready enough to ta"k, and =r% o""inssee&ed neither in need of encourage&ent, nor inc"ined to besi"ent hi&se"f% 1e as a ta"", hea$yH"ooking young &an of

fi$eHandHtenty% 1is air as gra$e and state"y, and his&anners ere $ery for&a"% 1e had not been "ong seated beforehe co&!"i&ented =rs% Bennet on ha$ing so fine a fa&i"y of daughtersF said he had heard &uch of their beauty, but that inthis instance fa&e had fa""en short of the truthF and added,that he did not doubt her seeing the& a"" in due ti&e dis!osedof in &arriage% This ga""antry as not &uch to the taste of so&e of his hearersF but =rs% Bennet, ho uarre"ed ith noco&!"i&ents, ansered &ost readi"y%

*ou are $ery kind, a& sureF and ish ith a"" &y heart it&ay !ro$e so, for e"se they i"" be destitute enough% Things aresett"ed so odd"y%

*ou a""ude, !erha!s, to the entai" of this estate%

Ah6 sir, do indeed% t is a grie$ous affair to &y !oor gir"s,you &ust confess% Cot that &ean to find fau"t ith you, for such things kno are a"" chance in this or"d% There is noknoing ho estates i"" go hen once they co&e to be entai"ed%

a& $ery sensib"e, &ada&, of the hardshi! to &y fair cousins,and cou"d say &uch on the subject, but that a& cautious of a!!earing forard and !reci!itate% But can assure the young"adies that co&e !re!ared to ad&ire the&% At !resent i""not say &oreF but, !erha!s, hen e are better acuaintedHH

1e as interru!ted by a su&&ons to dinnerF and the gir"s s&i"edon each other% They ere not the on"y objects of =r% o""insKsad&iration% The ha"", the diningHroo&, and a"" its furniture,ere e/a&ined and !raisedF and his co&&endation of e$erythingou"d ha$e touched =rs% BennetKs heart, but for the &ortifying

su!!osition of his $ieing it a"" as his on future !ro!erty%The dinner too in its turn as high"y ad&iredF and he begged to



think you said she as a ido, sir 1as she any fa&i"y

2he has on"y one daughter, the heiress of 0osings, and of $erye/tensi$e !ro!erty%

Ah6 said =rs% Bennet, shaking her head, then she is better off than &any gir"s% And hat sort of young "ady is she s shehandso&e

2he is a &ost char&ing young "ady indeed% @ady atherineherse"f says that, in !oint of true beauty, =iss de Bourgh is far su!erior to the handso&est of her se/, because there is that inher features hich &arks the young "ady of distinguished birth%2he is unfortunate"y of a sick"y constitution, hich has !re$entedher fro& &aking that !rogress in &any acco&!"ish&ents hichshe cou"d not ha$e otherise fai"ed of, as a& infor&ed by the

"ady ho su!erintended her education, and ho sti"" resides iththe&% But she is !erfect"y a&iab"e, and often condescends todri$e by &y hu&b"e abode in her "itt"e !haeton and !onies%

1as she been !resented do not re&e&ber her na&e a&ongthe "adies at court%

1er indifferent state of hea"th unha!!i"y !re$ents her beingin tonF and by that &eans, as to"d @ady atherine one day,has de!ri$ed the British court of its brightest orna&ents%1er "adyshi! see&ed !"eased ith the ideaF and you &ay i&aginethat a& ha!!y on e$ery occasion to offer those "itt"ede"icate co&!"i&ents hich are a"ays acce!tab"e to "adies% ha$e &ore than once obser$ed to @ady atherine, that her char&ing daughter see&ed born to be a duchess, and that the&ost e"e$ated rank, instead of gi$ing her conseuence, ou"d

be adorned by her% These are the kind of "itt"e things hich !"ease her "adyshi!, and it is a sort of attention hich concei$e &yse"f !ecu"iar"y bound to !ay%

*ou judge $ery !ro!er"y, said =r% Bennet, and it is ha!!y for

you that you !ossess the ta"ent of f"attering ith de"icacy% =ay ask hether these !"easing attentions !roceed fro& the i&!u"seof the &o&ent, or are the resu"t of !re$ious study

They arise chief"y fro& hat is !assing at the ti&e, and though so&eti&es a&use &yse"f ith suggesting and arranging such"itt"e e"egant co&!"i&ents as &ay be ada!ted to ordinary occasions, a"ays ish to gi$e the& as unstudied an air as !ossib"e%

=r% BennetKs e/!ectations ere fu""y ansered% 1is cousin asas absurd as he had ho!ed, and he "istened to hi& ith the

keenest enjoy&ent, &aintaining at the sa&e ti&e the &ostreso"ute co&!osure of countenance, and, e/ce!t in an occasiona"



g"ance at E"iIabeth, reuiring no !artner in his !"easure%

By teaHti&e, hoe$er, the dose had been enough, and =r%Bennet as g"ad to take his guest into the draingHroo& again,and, hen tea as o$er, g"ad to in$ite hi& to read a"oud to the

"adies% =r% o""ins readi"y assented, and a book as !roducedF but, on beho"ding it (for e$erything announced it to be fro& acircu"ating "ibrary), he started back, and begging !ardon,

!rotested that he ne$er read no$e"s% Ditty stared at hi&, and@ydia e/c"ai&ed% ther books ere !roduced, and after so&ede"iberation he chose -ordyceKs 2er&ons% @ydia ga!ed as heo!ened the $o"u&e, and before he had, ith $ery &onotonousso"e&nity, read three !ages, she interru!ted hi& ith7

'o you kno, &a&&a, that &y unc"e Phi""i!s ta"ks of turningaay 0ichardF and if he does, o"one" -orster i"" hire hi&% =y

aunt to"d &e so herse"f on 2aturday% sha"" a"k to =erytontoH&orro to hear &ore about it, and to ask hen =r% 'ennyco&es back fro& ton%

@ydia as bid by her to e"dest sisters to ho"d her tongueF but=r% o""ins, &uch offended, "aid aside his book, and said7

ha$e often obser$ed ho "itt"e young "adies are interested by books of a serious sta&!, though ritten so"e"y for their benefit%t a&aIes &e, confessF for, certain"y, there can be nothing soad$antageous to the& as instruction% But i"" no "onger i&!ortune &y young cousin%

Then turning to =r% Bennet, he offered hi&se"f as his antagonistat backga&&on% =r% Bennet acce!ted the cha""enge, obser$ingthat he acted $ery ise"y in "ea$ing the gir"s to their on trif"inga&use&ents% =rs% Bennet and her daughters a!o"ogised &ostci$i""y for @ydiaKs interru!tion, and !ro&ised that it shou"d notoccur again, if he ou"d resu&e his bookF but =r% o""ins, after assuring the& that he bore his young cousin no i""Hi"", andshou"d ne$er resent her beha$iour as any affront, seated hi&se"f

at another tab"e ith =r% Bennet, and !re!ared for backga&&on%

ha!ter 3L

=r% o""ins as not a sensib"e &an, and the deficiency of naturehad been but "itt"e assisted by education or societyF the greatest

!art of his "ife ha$ing been s!ent under the guidance of ani""iterate and &iser"y fatherF and though he be"onged to one of

the uni$ersities, he had &ere"y ke!t the necessary ter&s, ithoutfor&ing at it any usefu" acuaintance% The subjection in hich



his father had brought hi& u! had gi$en hi& origina""y greathu&i"ity of &annerF but it as no a good dea" counteracted bythe se"fHconceit of a eak head, "i$ing in retire&ent, and theconseuentia" fee"ings of ear"y and une/!ected !ros!erity% Afortunate chance had reco&&ended hi& to @ady atherine de

Bourgh hen the "i$ing of 1unsford as $acantF and the res!ecthich he fe"t for her high rank, and his $eneration for her as his

!atroness, &ing"ing ith a $ery good o!inion of hi&se"f, of hisauthority as a c"ergy&an, and his right as a rector, &ade hi&a"together a &i/ture of !ride and obseuiousness,se"fHi&!ortance and hu&i"ity%

1a$ing no a good house and a $ery sufficient inco&e, heintended to &arryF and in seeking a reconci"iation ith the@ongbourn fa&i"y he had a ife in $ie, as he &eant to chooseone of the daughters, if he found the& as handso&e and a&iab"e

as they ere re!resented by co&&on re!ort% This as his !"anof a&endsHHof atone&entHHfor inheriting their fatherKs estateFand he thought it an e/ce""ent one, fu"" of e"igibi"ity andsuitab"eness, and e/cessi$e"y generous and disinterested on hison !art%

1is !"an did not $ary on seeing the&% =iss BennetKs "o$e"y faceconfir&ed his $ies, and estab"ished a"" his strictest notions of hat as due to seniorityF and for the first e$ening she as hissett"ed choice% The ne/t &orning, hoe$er, &ade an a"terationFfor in a uarter of an hourKs teteHaHtete ith =rs% Bennet before

breakfast, a con$ersation beginning ith his !arsonageHhouse,and "eading natura""y to the a$oa" of his ho!es, that a &istress&ight be found for it at @ongbourn, !roduced fro& her, a&id$ery co&!"aisant s&i"es and genera" encourage&ent, a cautionagainst the $ery Jane he had fi/ed on% As to her younger daughters, she cou"d not take u!on her to sayHHshe cou"d not

!ositi$e"y anserHHbut she did not kno of any !re!ossessionFher e"dest daughter, she &ust just &entionHHshe fe"t itincu&bent on her to hint, as "ike"y to be $ery soon engaged%

=r% o""ins had on"y to change fro& Jane to E"iIabethHHand itas soon doneHHdone hi"e =rs% Bennet as stirring the fire%E"iIabeth, eua""y ne/t to Jane in birth and beauty, succeededher of course%

=rs% Bennet treasured u! the hint, and trusted that she &ightsoon ha$e to daughters &arriedF and the &an ho& she cou"dnot bear to s!eak of the day before as no high in her goodgraces%

@ydiaKs intention of a"king to =eryton as not forgottenF

e$ery sister e/ce!t =ary agreed to go ith herF and =r% o""insas to attend the&, at the reuest of =r% Bennet, ho as &ost



an/ious to get rid of hi&, and ha$e his "ibrary to hi&se"fF for thither =r% o""ins had fo""oed hi& after breakfastF and there heou"d continue, no&ina""y engaged ith one of the "argest fo"iosin the co""ection, but rea""y ta"king to =r% Bennet, ith "itt"ecessation, of his house and garden at 1unsford% 2uch doings

disco&!osed =r% Bennet e/ceeding"y% n his "ibrary he had beena"ays sure of "eisure and tranui""ityF and though !re!ared, ashe to"d E"iIabeth, to &eet ith fo""y and conceit in e$ery other roo& of the house, he as used to be free fro& the& thereF hisci$i"ity, therefore, as &ost !ro&!t in in$iting =r% o""ins to

join his daughters in their a"kF and =r% o""ins, being in fact&uch better fitted for a a"ker than a reader, as e/tre&e"y

!"eased to c"ose his "arge book, and go%

n !o&!ous nothings on his side, and ci$i" assents on that of his cousins, their ti&e !assed ti"" they entered =eryton% The

attention of the younger ones as then no "onger to be gained byhi&% Their eyes ere i&&ediate"y andering u! in the street inuest of the officers, and nothing "ess than a $ery s&art bonnetindeed, or a rea""y ne &us"in in a sho! indo, cou"d reca""the&%

But the attention of e$ery "ady as soon caught by a young &an,ho& they had ne$er seen before, of &ost gent"e&an"ikea!!earance, a"king ith another officer on the other side of theay% The officer as the $ery =r% 'enny concerning hosereturn fro& @ondon @ydia ca&e to inuire, and he boed asthey !assed% A"" ere struck ith the strangerKs air, a""ondered ho he cou"d beF and Ditty and @ydia, deter&ined if

!ossib"e to find out, "ed the ay across the street, under !retenseof anting so&ething in an o!!osite sho!, and fortunate"y had

just gained the !a$e&ent hen the to gent"e&en, turning back,had reached the sa&e s!ot% =r% 'enny addressed the& direct"y,and entreated !er&ission to introduce his friend, =r% ickha&,ho had returned ith hi& the day before fro& ton, and heas ha!!y to say had acce!ted a co&&ission in their cor!s%This as e/act"y as it shou"d beF for the young &an anted on"y

regi&enta"s to &ake hi& co&!"ete"y char&ing% 1is a!!earanceas great"y in his fa$ourF he had a"" the best !art of beauty, afine countenance, a good figure, and $ery !"easing address% Theintroduction as fo""oed u! on his side by a ha!!y readiness of con$ersationHHa readiness at the sa&e ti&e !erfect"y correct andunassu&ingF and the ho"e !arty ere sti"" standing and ta"kingtogether $ery agreeab"y, hen the sound of horses dre their notice, and 'arcy and Bing"ey ere seen riding don the street%n distinguishing the "adies of the grou!, the to gent"e&enca&e direct"y toards the&, and began the usua" ci$i"ities%Bing"ey as the !rinci!a" s!okes&an, and =iss Bennet the

!rinci!a" object% 1e as then, he said, on his ay to @ongbournon !ur!ose to inuire after her% =r% 'arcy corroborated it ith



a bo, and as beginning to deter&ine not to fi/ his eyes onE"iIabeth, hen they ere sudden"y arrested by the sight of thestranger, and E"iIabeth ha!!ening to see the countenance of

both as they "ooked at each other, as a"" astonish&ent at theeffect of the &eeting% Both changed co"our, one "ooked hite,

the other red% =r% ickha&, after a fe &o&ents, touched hishatHHa sa"utation hich =r% 'arcy just deigned to return% hatcou"d be the &eaning of it t as i&!ossib"e to i&agineF it asi&!ossib"e not to "ong to kno%

n another &inute, =r% Bing"ey, but ithout see&ing to ha$enoticed hat !assed, took "ea$e and rode on ith his friend%

=r% 'enny and =r% ickha& a"ked ith the young "adies tothe door of =r% Phi""i!Ks house, and then &ade their bos, ins!ite of =iss @ydiaKs !ressing entreaties that they shou"d co&e

in, and e$en in s!ite of =rs% Phi""i!sKs throing u! the !ar"our indo and "oud"y seconding the in$itation%

=rs% Phi""i!s as a"ays g"ad to see her niecesF and the toe"dest, fro& their recent absence, ere !articu"ar"y e"co&e, andshe as eager"y e/!ressing her sur!rise at their sudden returnho&e, hich, as their on carriage had not fetched the&, sheshou"d ha$e knon nothing about, if she had not ha!!ened tosee =r% JonesKs sho!Hboy in the street, ho had to"d her thatthey ere not to send any &ore draughts to Cetherfie"d becausethe =iss Bennets ere co&e aay, hen her ci$i"ity asc"ai&ed toards =r% o""ins by JaneKs introduction of hi&% 2herecei$ed hi& ith her $ery best !o"iteness, hich he returnedith as &uch &ore, a!o"ogising for his intrusion, ithout any

!re$ious acuaintance ith her, hich he cou"d not he"!f"attering hi&se"f, hoe$er, &ight be justified by his re"ationshi!to the young "adies ho introduced hi& to her notice% =rs%Phi""i!s as uite aed by such an e/cess of good breedingF buther conte&!"ation of one stranger as soon !ut to an end bye/c"a&ations and inuiries about the otherF of ho&, hoe$er,she cou"d on"y te"" her nieces hat they a"ready kne, that =r%

'enny had brought hi& fro& @ondon, and that he as to ha$e a"ieutenantKs co&&ission in the HHHHshire% 2he had been atchinghi& the "ast hour, she said, as he a"ked u! and don the street,and had =r% ickha& a!!eared, Ditty and @ydia ou"d certain"yha$e continued the occu!ation, but un"ucki"y no one !assedindos no e/ce!t a fe of the officers, ho, in co&!arisonith the stranger, ere beco&e stu!id, disagreeab"e fe""os%2o&e of the& ere to dine ith the Phi""i!ses the ne/t day, andtheir aunt !ro&ised to &ake her husband ca"" on =r% ickha&,and gi$e hi& an in$itation a"so, if the fa&i"y fro& @ongbournou"d co&e in the e$ening% This as agreed to, and =rs%

Phi""i!s !rotested that they ou"d ha$e a nice co&fortab"e noisyga&e of "ottery tickets, and a "itt"e bit of hot su!!er afterards%



The !ros!ect of such de"ights as $ery cheering, and they !artedin &utua" good s!irits% =r% o""ins re!eated his a!o"ogies inuitting the roo&, and as assured ith unearying ci$i"ity thatthey ere !erfect"y need"ess%

As they a"ked ho&e, E"iIabeth re"ated to Jane hat she hadseen !ass beteen the to gent"e&enF but though Jane ou"dha$e defended either or both, had they a!!eared to be in therong, she cou"d no &ore e/!"ain such beha$iour than her sister%

=r% o""ins on his return high"y gratified =rs% Bennet byad&iring =rs% Phi""i!sKs &anners and !o"iteness% 1e !rotestedthat, e/ce!t @ady atherine and her daughter, he had ne$er seena &ore e"egant o&anF for she had not on"y recei$ed hi& iththe ut&ost ci$i"ity, but e$en !ointed"y inc"uded hi& in her in$itation for the ne/t e$ening, a"though utter"y unknon to her

before% 2o&ething, he su!!osed, &ight be attributed to hisconnection ith the&, but yet he had ne$er &et ith so &uchattention in the ho"e course of his "ife%

ha!ter 3?

As no objection as &ade to the young !eo!"eKs engage&entith their aunt, and a"" =r% o""insKs scru!"es of "ea$ing =r%and =rs% Bennet for a sing"e e$ening during his $isit ere &oststeadi"y resisted, the coach con$eyed hi& and his fi$e cousinsat a suitab"e hour to =erytonF and the gir"s had the !"easure of hearing, as they entered the draingHroo&, that =r% ickha&had acce!ted their unc"eKs in$itation, and as then in the house%

hen this infor&ation as gi$en, and they had a"" taken their seats, =r% o""ins as at "eisure to "ook around hi& and ad&ire,and he as so &uch struck ith the siIe and furniture of thea!art&ent, that he dec"ared he &ight a"&ost ha$e su!!osed

hi&se"f in the s&a"" su&&er breakfast !ar"our at 0osingsF aco&!arison that did not at first con$ey &uch gratificationF buthen =rs% Phi""i!s understood fro& hi& hat 0osings as, andho as its !ro!rietorHHhen she had "istened to the descri!tionof on"y one of @ady atherineKs draingHroo&s, and found thatthe chi&neyH!iece a"one had cost eight hundred !ounds, she fe"ta"" the force of the co&!"i&ent, and ou"d hard"y ha$e resenteda co&!arison ith the housekee!erKs roo&%

n describing to her a"" the grandeur of @ady atherine and her &ansion, ith occasiona" digressions in !raise of his on hu&b"e

abode, and the i&!ro$e&ents it as recei$ing, he as ha!!i"ye&!"oyed unti" the gent"e&en joined the&F and he found in



=rs% Phi""i!s a $ery attenti$e "istener, hose o!inion of his conseuence increased ith hat she heard, and ho asreso"$ing to retai" it a"" a&ong her neighbours as soon as shecou"d% To the gir"s, ho cou"d not "isten to their cousin,and ho had nothing to do but to ish for an instru&ent, and

e/a&ine their on indifferent i&itations of china on the&ante"!iece, the inter$a" of aiting a!!eared $ery "ong% t aso$er at "ast, hoe$er% The gent"e&en did a!!roach, and hen=r% ickha& a"ked into the roo&, E"iIabeth fe"t that she hadneither been seeing hi& before, nor thinking of hi& since, iththe s&a""est degree of unreasonab"e ad&iration% The officers of the HHHHshire ere in genera" a $ery creditab"e, gent"e&an"ikeset, and the best of the& ere of the !resent !artyF but =r%ickha& as as far beyond the& a"" in !erson, countenance, air,and a"k, as they ere su!erior to the broadHfaced, stuffyunc"e Phi""i!s, breathing !ort ine, ho fo""oed the& into

the roo&%

=r% ickha& as the ha!!y &an toards ho& a"&ost e$eryfe&a"e eye as turned, and E"iIabeth as the ha!!y o&an byho& he fina""y seated hi&se"fF and the agreeab"e &anner inhich he i&&ediate"y fe"" into con$ersation, though it as on"yon its being a et night, &ade her fee" that the co&&onest,du""est, &ost threadbare to!ic &ight be rendered interesting bythe ski"" of the s!eaker%

ith such ri$a"s for the notice of the fair as =r% ickha& andthe officers, =r% o""ins see&ed to sink into insignificanceF tothe young "adies he certain"y as nothingF but he had sti"" atinter$a"s a kind "istener in =rs% Phi""i!s, and as by her atchfu"ness, &ost abundant"y su!!"ied ith coffee and &uffin%hen the cardHtab"es ere !"aced, he had the o!!ortunity of ob"iging her in turn, by sitting don to hist%

kno "itt"e of the ga&e at !resent, said he, but sha"" beg"ad to i&!ro$e &yse"f, for in &y situation in "ifeHH =rs% Phi""i!sas $ery g"ad for his co&!"iance, but cou"d not ait for his

reason%

=r% ickha& did not !"ay at hist, and ith ready de"ight as herecei$ed at the other tab"e beteen E"iIabeth and @ydia% At firstthere see&ed danger of @ydiaKs engrossing hi& entire"y, for sheas a &ost deter&ined ta"kerF but being "ikeise e/tre&e"y fondof "ottery tickets, she soon gre too &uch interested in thega&e, too eager in &aking bets and e/c"ai&ing after !riIes toha$e attention for anyone in !articu"ar% A""oing for theco&&on de&ands of the ga&e, =r% ickha& as therefore at "eisureto ta"k to E"iIabeth, and she as $ery i""ing to hear hi&,

though hat she chief"y ished to hear she cou"d not ho!e to beto"dHHthe history of his acuaintance ith =r% 'arcy% 2he dared



not e$en &ention that gent"e&an% 1er curiosity, hoe$er, asune/!ected"y re"ie$ed% =r% ickha& began the subject hi&se"f%1e inuired ho far Cetherfie"d as fro& =erytonF and, after recei$ing her anser, asked in a hesitating &anner ho "ong=r% 'arcy had been staying there%

About a &onth, said E"iIabethF and then, uni""ing to "et thesubject dro!, added, 1e is a &an of $ery "arge !ro!erty in'erbyshire, understand%

*es, re!"ied =r% ickha&F his estate there is a nob"e one%A c"ear ten thousand !er annu&% *ou cou"d not ha$e &et ith a

!erson &ore ca!ab"e of gi$ing you certain infor&ation on thathead than &yse"f, for ha$e been connected ith his fa&i"y ina !articu"ar &anner fro& &y infancy%

E"iIabeth cou"d not but "ook sur!rised%

*ou &ay e"" be sur!rised, =iss Bennet, at such an assertion,after seeing, as you !robab"y &ight, the $ery co"d &anner of our &eeting yesterday% Are you &uch acuainted ith =r% 'arcy

As &uch as e$er ish to be, cried E"iIabeth $ery ar&"y% ha$e s!ent four days in the sa&e house ith hi&, and think hi& $ery disagreeab"e%

ha$e no right to gi$e &y o!inion, said ickha&, as to his being agreeab"e or otherise% a& not ua"ified to for& one% ha$e knon hi& too "ong and too e"" to be a fair judge% t isi&!ossib"e for &e to be i&!artia"% But be"ie$e your o!inionof hi& ou"d in genera" astonishHHand !erha!s you ou"d note/!ress it uite so strong"y anyhere e"se% 1ere you are in your on fa&i"y%

!on &y ord, say no &ore here than &ight say in anyhouse in the neighbourhood, e/ce!t Cetherfie"d% 1e is not at a"""iked in 1ertfordshire% E$erybody is disgusted ith his !ride%

*ou i"" not find hi& &ore fa$ourab"y s!oken of by anyone%

cannot !retend to be sorry, said ickha&, after a shortinterru!tion, that he or that any &an shou"d not be esti&ated

beyond their desertsF but ith hi& be"ie$e it does not oftenha!!en% The or"d is b"inded by his fortune and conseuence,or frightened by his high and i&!osing &anners, and sees hi&on"y as he chooses to be seen%

shou"d take hi&, e$en on &y s"ight acuaintance, to be ani""Hte&!ered &an% ickha& on"y shook his head%

onder, said he, at the ne/t o!!ortunity of s!eaking,



hether he is "ike"y to be in this country &uch "onger%

do not at a"" knoF but heard nothing of his going aayhen as at Cetherfie"d% ho!e your !"ans in fa$our of theHHHHshire i"" not be affected by his being in the neighbourhood%

h6 noHHit is not for &e to be dri$en aay by =r% 'arcy% f he ishes to a$oid seeing &e, he &ust go% e are not onfriend"y ter&s, and it a"ays gi$es &e !ain to &eet hi&, but ha$e no reason for a$oiding hi& but hat &ight !roc"ai&

before a"" the or"d, a sense of $ery great i""Husage, and &ost !ainfu" regrets at his being hat he is% 1is father, =iss Bennet,the "ate =r% 'arcy, as one of the best &en that e$er breathed,and the truest friend e$er hadF and can ne$er be in co&!anyith this =r% 'arcy ithout being grie$ed to the sou" by athousand tender reco""ections% 1is beha$iour to &yse"f has been

scanda"ousF but $eri"y be"ie$e cou"d forgi$e hi& anything ande$erything, rather than his disa!!ointing the ho!es anddisgracing the &e&ory of his father%

E"iIabeth found the interest of the subject increase, and "istenedith a"" her heartF but the de"icacy of it !re$ented further inuiry%

=r% ickha& began to s!eak on &ore genera" to!ics, =eryton,the neighbourhood, the society, a!!earing high"y !"eased ith a""that he had yet seen, and s!eaking of the "atter ith gent"e but$ery inte""igib"e ga""antry%

t as the !ros!ect of constant society, and good society, headded, hich as &y chief induce&ent to enter the HHHHshire% kne it to be a &ost res!ectab"e, agreeab"e cor!s, and &yfriend 'enny te&!ted &e further by his account of their

!resent uarters, and the $ery great attentions and e/ce""entacuaintances =eryton had !rocured the&% 2ociety, on, isnecessary to &e% ha$e been a disa!!ointed &an, and &y s!iritsi"" not bear so"itude% &ust ha$e e&!"oy&ent and society%A &i"itary "ife is not hat as intended for, but circu&stances

ha$e no &ade it e"igib"e% The church ought to ha$e been&y !rofessionHH as brought u! for the church, and shou"d atthis ti&e ha$e been in !ossession of a &ost $a"uab"e "i$ing, hadit !"eased the gent"e&an e ere s!eaking of just no%

ndeed6

*esHHthe "ate =r% 'arcy beueathed &e the ne/t !resentationof the best "i$ing in his gift% 1e as &y godfather, ande/cessi$e"y attached to &e% cannot do justice to his kindness%1e &eant to !ro$ide for &e a&!"y, and thought he had done itF

but hen the "i$ing fe"", it as gi$en e"sehere%



Good hea$ens6 cried E"iIabethF but ho cou"d that be1o cou"d his i"" be disregarded hy did you not seek "ega"redress

There as just such an infor&a"ity in the ter&s of the beuest

as to gi$e &e no ho!e fro& "a% A &an of honour cou"d not ha$edoubted the intention, but =r% 'arcy chose to doubt itHHor totreat it as a &ere"y conditiona" reco&&endation, and to assert that had forfeited a"" c"ai& to it by e/tra$agance, i&!rudenceHHinshort anything or nothing% ertain it is, that the "i$ing beca&e$acant to years ago, e/act"y as as of an age to ho"d it, andthat it as gi$en to another &anF and no "ess certain is it, that cannot accuse &yse"f of ha$ing rea""y done anything to deser$eto "ose it% ha$e a ar&, unguarded te&!er, and &ay ha$es!oken &y o!inion of hi&, and to hi&, too free"y% can reca""nothing orse% But the fact is, that e are $ery different sort

of &en, and that he hates &e%

This is uite shocking6 1e deser$es to be !ub"ic"y disgraced%

2o&e ti&e or other he i"" beHHbut it sha"" not be by &e%Ti"" can forget his father, can ne$er defy or e/!ose hi&%

E"iIabeth honoured hi& for such fee"ings, and thought hi&handso&er than e$er as he e/!ressed the&%

But hat, said she, after a !ause, can ha$e been his &oti$ehat can ha$e induced hi& to beha$e so crue""y

A thorough, deter&ined dis"ike of &eHHa dis"ike hich cannot but attribute in so&e &easure to jea"ousy% 1ad the "ate =r%'arcy "iked &e "ess, his son &ight ha$e borne ith &e betterF

but his fatherKs unco&&on attach&ent to &e irritated hi&, be"ie$e, $ery ear"y in "ife% 1e had not a te&!er to bear the sort of co&!etition in hich e stoodHHthe sort of !reference hichas often gi$en &e%

had not thought =r% 'arcy so bad as thisHHthough ha$ene$er "iked hi&% had not thought so $ery i"" of hi&% hadsu!!osed hi& to be des!ising his fe""oHcreatures in genera", butdid not sus!ect hi& of descending to such &a"icious re$enge,such injustice, such inhu&anity as this%

After a fe &inutesK ref"ection, hoe$er, she continued, do re&e&ber his boasting one day, at Cetherfie"d, of thei&!"acabi"ity of his resent&ents, of his ha$ing an unforgi$ingte&!er% 1is dis!osition &ust be dreadfu"%

i"" not trust &yse"f on the subject, re!"ied ickha&F can hard"y be just to hi&%



E"iIabeth as again dee! in thought, and after a ti&e e/c"ai&ed,To treat in such a &anner the godson, the friend, the fa$ouriteof his father6 2he cou"d ha$e added, A young &an, too,"ike you, hose $ery countenance &ay $ouch for your being

a&iab"eHHbut she contented herse"f ith, and one, too, hohad !robab"y been his co&!anion fro& chi"dhood, connectedtogether, as think you said, in the c"osest &anner6

e ere born in the sa&e !arish, ithin the sa&e !arkF thegreatest !art of our youth as !assed togetherF in&ates of thesa&e house, sharing the sa&e a&use&ents, objects of the sa&e

!arenta" care% =y father began "ife in the !rofession hichyour unc"e, =r% Phi""i!s, a!!ears to do so &uch credit toHHbuthe ga$e u! e$erything to be of use to the "ate =r% 'arcy andde$oted a"" his ti&e to the care of the Pe&ber"ey !ro!erty%

1e as &ost high"y estee&ed by =r% 'arcy, a &ost inti&ate,confidentia" friend% =r% 'arcy often ackno"edged hi&se"f to be under the greatest ob"igations to &y fatherKs acti$esu!erintendence, and hen, i&&ediate"y before &y fatherKsdeath, =r% 'arcy ga$e hi& a $o"untary !ro&ise of !ro$iding for &e, a& con$inced that he fe"t it to be as &uch a debt of gratitude to hi&, as of his affection to &yse"f%

1o strange6 cried E"iIabeth% 1o abo&inab"e6 onder that the $ery !ride of this =r% 'arcy has not &ade hi& just toyou6 f fro& no better &oti$e, that he shou"d not ha$e been too

!roud to be dishonestHHfor dishonesty &ust ca"" it%

t is onderfu", re!"ied ickha&, for a"&ost a"" his actions&ay be traced to !rideF and !ride had often been his best friend%t has connected hi& nearer ith $irtue than ith any other fee"ing% But e are none of us consistent, and in his beha$iour to &e there ere stronger i&!u"ses e$en than !ride%

an such abo&inab"e !ride as his ha$e e$er done hi& good

*es% t has often "ed hi& to be "ibera" and generous, to gi$e his&oney free"y, to dis!"ay hos!ita"ity, to assist his tenants, andre"ie$e the !oor% -a&i"y !ride, and fi"ia" !rideHHfor he is $ery

!roud of hat his father asHHha$e done this% Cot to a!!ear todisgrace his fa&i"y, to degenerate fro& the !o!u"ar ua"ities, or "ose the inf"uence of the Pe&ber"ey 1ouse, is a !oerfu" &oti$e%1e has a"so brother"y !ride, hich, ith so&e brother"yaffection, &akes hi& a $ery kind and carefu" guardian of hissister, and you i"" hear hi& genera""y cried u! as the &ostattenti$e and best of brothers%

hat sort of gir" is =iss 'arcy



1e shook his head% ish cou"d ca"" her a&iab"e% t gi$es&e !ain to s!eak i"" of a 'arcy% But she is too &uch "ike her

brotherHH$ery, $ery !roud% As a chi"d, she as affectionateand !"easing, and e/tre&e"y fond of &eF and ha$e de$oted hoursand hours to her a&use&ent% But she is nothing to &e no%

2he is a handso&e gir", about fifteen or si/teen, and, understand, high"y acco&!"ished% 2ince her fatherKs death,her ho&e has been @ondon, here a "ady "i$es ith her, andsu!erintends her education%

After &any !auses and &any tria"s of other subjects, E"iIabethcou"d not he"! re$erting once &ore to the first, and saying7

a& astonished at his inti&acy ith =r% Bing"ey6 1o can =r%Bing"ey, ho see&s good hu&our itse"f, and is, rea""y be"ie$e,tru"y a&iab"e, be in friendshi! ith such a &an 1o can they

suit each other 'o you kno =r% Bing"ey

Cot at a""%

1e is a seetHte&!ered, a&iab"e, char&ing &an% 1e cannotkno hat =r% 'arcy is%

Probab"y notF but =r% 'arcy can !"ease here he chooses% 1edoes not ant abi"ities% 1e can be a con$ersib"e co&!anion if hethinks it orth his hi"e% A&ong those ho are at a"" his eua"sin conseuence, he is a $ery different &an fro& hat he is to the"ess !ros!erous% 1is !ride ne$er deserts hi&F but ith the richhe is "ibera"H&inded, just, sincere, rationa", honourab"e, and

!erha!s agreeab"eHHa""oing so&ething for fortune and figure%

The hist !arty soon afterards breaking u!, the !"ayersgathered round the other tab"e and =r% o""ins took his station

beteen his cousin E"iIabeth and =rs% Phi""i!s% The usua"inuiries as to his success as &ade by the "atter% t had not

been $ery greatF he had "ost e$ery !ointF but hen =rs% Phi""i!s began to e/!ress her concern thereu!on, he assured her ith

&uch earnest gra$ity that it as not of the "east i&!ortance, thathe considered the &oney as a &ere trif"e, and begged that sheou"d not &ake herse"f uneasy%

kno $ery e"", &ada&, said he, that hen !ersons sit donto a cardHtab"e, they &ust take their chances of these things, andha!!i"y a& not in such circu&stances as to &ake fi$e shi""ingsany object% There are undoubted"y &any ho cou"d not say thesa&e, but thanks to @ady atherine de Bourgh, a& re&o$edfar beyond the necessity of regarding "itt"e &atters%

=r% ickha&Ks attention as caughtF and after obser$ing =r%o""ins for a fe &o&ents, he asked E"iIabeth in a "o $oice



hether her re"ation as $ery inti&ate"y acuainted ith thefa&i"y of de Bourgh%

@ady atherine de Bourgh, she re!"ied, has $ery "ate"y gi$enhi& a "i$ing% hard"y kno ho =r% o""ins as first

introduced to her notice, but he certain"y has not knon her "ong%

*ou kno of course that @ady atherine de Bourgh and @adyAnne 'arcy ere sistersF conseuent"y that she is aunt to the

!resent =r% 'arcy%

Co, indeed, did not% kne nothing at a"" of @ady atherineKsconnections% ne$er heard of her e/istence ti"" the day beforeyesterday%

1er daughter, =iss de Bourgh, i"" ha$e a $ery "arge fortune,and it is be"ie$ed that she and her cousin i"" unite the toestates%

This infor&ation &ade E"iIabeth s&i"e, as she thought of !oor =iss Bing"ey% .ain indeed &ust be a"" her attentions, $ain anduse"ess her affection for his sister and her !raise of hi&se"f,if he ere a"ready se"fHdestined for another%

=r% o""ins, said she, s!eaks high"y both of @ady atherineand her daughterF but fro& so&e !articu"ars that he has re"atedof her "adyshi!, sus!ect his gratitude &is"eads hi&, and that ins!ite of her being his !atroness, she is an arrogant, conceitedo&an%

be"ie$e her to be both in a great degree, re!"ied ickha&F ha$e not seen her for &any years, but $ery e"" re&e&ber that ne$er "iked her, and that her &anners ere dictatoria" andinso"ent% 2he has the re!utation of being re&arkab"y sensib"eand c"e$erF but rather be"ie$e she deri$es !art of her abi"itiesfro& her rank and fortune, !art fro& her authoritati$e &anner,

and the rest fro& the !ride for her ne!he, ho chooses thate$eryone connected ith hi& shou"d ha$e an understanding of the first c"ass%

E"iIabeth a""oed that he had gi$en a $ery rationa" account of it,and they continued ta"king together, ith &utua" satisfactionti"" su!!er !ut an end to cards, and ga$e the rest of the "adiestheir share of =r% ickha&Ks attentions% There cou"d be nocon$ersation in the noise of =rs% Phi""i!sKs su!!er !arty, buthis &anners reco&&ended hi& to e$erybody% hate$er he said,as said e""F and hate$er he did, done gracefu""y% E"iIabeth

ent aay ith her head fu"" of hi&% 2he cou"d think of nothing but of =r% ickha&, and of hat he had to"d her, a"" the ay



ho&eF but there as not ti&e for her e$en to &ention his na&eas they ent, for neither @ydia nor =r% o""ins ere once si"ent%@ydia ta"ked incessant"y of "ottery tickets, of the fish she had"ost and the fish she had onF and =r% o""ins in describing theci$i"ity of =r% and =rs% Phi""i!s, !rotesting that he did not in

the "east regard his "osses at hist, enu&erating a"" the dishesat su!!er, and re!eated"y fearing that he croded his cousins,had &ore to say than he cou"d e"" &anage before the carriagesto!!ed at @ongbourn 1ouse%

ha!ter 35

E"iIabeth re"ated to Jane the ne/t day hat had !assed beteen

=r% ickha& and herse"f% Jane "istened ith astonish&ent andconcernF she kne not ho to be"ie$e that =r% 'arcy cou"d beso unorthy of =r% Bing"eyKs regardF and yet, it as not in her nature to uestion the $eracity of a young &an of such a&iab"ea!!earance as ickha&% The !ossibi"ity of his ha$ing enduredsuch unkindness, as enough to interest a"" her tender fee"ingsFand nothing re&ained therefore to be done, but to think e"" of the& both, to defend the conduct of each, and thro into theaccount of accident or &istake hate$er cou"d not be otherisee/!"ained%

They ha$e both, said she, been decei$ed, dare say, in so&eay or other, of hich e can for& no idea% nterested !eo!"eha$e !erha!s &isre!resented each to the other% t is, in short,i&!ossib"e for us to conjecture the causes or circu&stanceshich &ay ha$e a"ienated the&, ithout actua" b"a&e on either side%

.ery true, indeedF and no, &y dear Jane, hat ha$e you gotto say on beha"f of the interested !eo!"e ho ha$e !robab"y beenconcerned in the business 'o c"ear the& too, or e sha"" be

ob"iged to think i"" of so&ebody%

@augh as &uch as you choose, but you i"" not "augh &e out of &y o!inion% =y dearest @iIIy, do but consider in hat adisgracefu" "ight it !"aces =r% 'arcy, to be treating his fatherKsfa$ourite in such a &anner, one ho& his father had !ro&ised to

!ro$ide for% t is i&!ossib"e% Co &an of co&&on hu&anity, no&an ho had any $a"ue for his character, cou"d be ca!ab"e of it%an his &ost inti&ate friends be so e/cessi$e"y decei$ed in hi&h6 no%

can &uch &ore easi"y be"ie$e =r% Bing"eyKs being i&!osed on,than that =r% ickha& shou"d in$ent such a history of hi&se"f



as he ga$e &e "ast nightF na&es, facts, e$erything &entionedithout cere&ony% f it be not so, "et =r% 'arcy contradict it%Besides, there as truth in his "ooks%

t is difficu"t indeedHHit is distressing% ne does not kno hat

to think%

beg your !ardonF one knos e/act"y hat to think%

But Jane cou"d think ith certainty on on"y one !ointHHthat =r%Bing"ey, if he had been i&!osed on, ou"d ha$e &uch to suffer hen the affair beca&e !ub"ic%

The to young "adies ere su&&oned fro& the shrubbery,here this con$ersation !assed, by the arri$a" of the $ery

!ersons of ho& they had been s!eakingF =r% Bing"ey and his

sisters ca&e to gi$e their !ersona" in$itation for the"ongHe/!ected ba"" at Cetherfie"d, hich as fi/ed for thefo""oing Tuesday% The to "adies ere de"ighted to see their dear friend again, ca""ed it an age since they had &et, andre!eated"y asked hat she had been doing ith herse"f sincetheir se!aration% To the rest of the fa&i"y they !aid "itt"eattentionF a$oiding =rs% Bennet as &uch as !ossib"e, saying not&uch to E"iIabeth, and nothing at a"" to the others% They eresoon gone again, rising fro& their seats ith an acti$ity hichtook their brother by sur!rise, and hurrying off as if eager toesca!e fro& =rs% BennetKs ci$i"ities%

The !ros!ect of the Cetherfie"d ba"" as e/tre&e"y agreeab"e toe$ery fe&a"e of the fa&i"y% =rs% Bennet chose to consider it asgi$en in co&!"i&ent to her e"dest daughter, and as !articu"ar"yf"attered by recei$ing the in$itation fro& =r% Bing"ey hi&se"f,instead of a cere&onious card% Jane !ictured to herse"f a ha!!ye$ening in the society of her to friends, and the attentions of her brotherF and E"iIabeth thought ith !"easure of dancing agreat dea" ith =r% ickha&, and of seeing a confir&ation of e$erything in =r% 'arcyKs "ook and beha$ior% The ha!!iness

antici!ated by atherine and @ydia de!ended "ess on any sing"ee$ent, or any !articu"ar !erson, for though they each, "ikeE"iIabeth, &eant to dance ha"f the e$ening ith =r% ickha&,he as by no &eans the on"y !artner ho cou"d satisfy the&, anda ba"" as, at any rate, a ba""% And e$en =ary cou"d assure her fa&i"y that she had no disinc"ination for it%

hi"e can ha$e &y &ornings to &yse"f, said she, it isenoughHH think it is no sacrifice to join occasiona""y in e$eningengage&ents% 2ociety has c"ai&s on us a""F and !rofess &yse"f one of those ho consider inter$a"s of recreation and a&use&ent

as desirab"e for e$erybody%



E"iIabethKs s!irits ere so high on this occasion, that though shedid not often s!eak unnecessari"y to =r% o""ins, she cou"d nothe"! asking hi& hether he intended to acce!t =r% Bing"eyKsin$itation, and if he did, hether he ou"d think it !ro!er to joinin the e$eningKs a&use&entF and she as rather sur!rised to find

that he entertained no scru!"e hate$er on that head, and as$ery far fro& dreading a rebuke either fro& the Archbisho!, or @ady atherine de Bourgh, by $enturing to dance%

a& by no &eans of the o!inion, assure you, said he, thata ba"" of this kind, gi$en by a young &an of character, tores!ectab"e !eo!"e, can ha$e any e$i" tendencyF and a& sofar fro& objecting to dancing &yse"f, that sha"" ho!e to behonoured ith the hands of a"" &y fair cousins in the course of the e$eningF and take this o!!ortunity of so"iciting yours, =issE"iIabeth, for the to first dances es!ecia""y, a !reference hich

trust &y cousin Jane i"" attribute to the right cause, and notto any disres!ect for her%

E"iIabeth fe"t herse"f co&!"ete"y taken in% 2he had fu""y !ro!osed being engaged by =r% ickha& for those $ery dancesFand to ha$e =r% o""ins instead6 her "i$e"iness had ne$er beenorse ti&ed% There as no he"! for it, hoe$er% =r% ickha&Ksha!!iness and her on ere !erforce de"ayed a "itt"e "onger,and =r% o""insKs !ro!osa" acce!ted ith as good a grace as shecou"d% 2he as not the better !"eased ith his ga""antry fro&the idea it suggested of so&ething &ore% t no first struck her, that she as se"ected fro& a&ong her sisters as orthy of

being &istress of 1unsford Parsonage, and of assisting to for&a uadri""e tab"e at 0osings, in the absence of &ore e"igib"e$isitors% The idea soon reached to con$iction, as she obser$edhis increasing ci$i"ities toard herse"f, and heard hisfreuent atte&!t at a co&!"i&ent on her it and $i$acityF andthough &ore astonished than gratified herse"f by this effectof her char&s, it as not "ong before her &other ga$e her tounderstand that the !robabi"ity of their &arriage as e/tre&e"yagreeab"e to her% E"iIabeth, hoe$er, did not choose to take

the hint, being e"" aare that a serious dis!ute &ust be theconseuence of any re!"y% =r% o""ins &ight ne$er &ake theoffer, and ti"" he did, it as use"ess to uarre" about hi&%

f there had not been a Cetherfie"d ba"" to !re!are for and ta"k of, the younger =iss Bennets ou"d ha$e been in a $ery !itiab"estate at this ti&e, for fro& the day of the in$itation, to the dayof the ba"", there as such a succession of rain as !re$ented their a"king to =eryton once% Co aunt, no officers, no nes cou"d

be sought afterHHthe $ery shoeHroses for Cetherfie"d ere got by !ro/y% E$en E"iIabeth &ight ha$e found so&e tria" of her

!atience in eather hich tota""y sus!ended the i&!ro$e&ent of her acuaintance ith =r% ickha&F and nothing "ess than a



dance on Tuesday, cou"d ha$e &ade such a -riday, 2aturday,2unday, and =onday endurab"e to Ditty and @ydia%

ha!ter 38

Ti"" E"iIabeth entered the draingHroo& at Cetherfie"d, and"ooked in $ain for =r% ickha& a&ong the c"uster of red coatsthere asse&b"ed, a doubt of his being !resent had ne$er occurredto her% The certainty of &eeting hi& had not been checked byany of those reco""ections that &ight not unreasonab"y ha$ea"ar&ed her% 2he had dressed ith &ore than usua" care, and

!re!ared in the highest s!irits for the conuest of a"" thatre&ained unsubdued of his heart, trusting that it as not &ore

than &ight be on in the course of the e$ening% But in aninstant arose the dreadfu" sus!icion of his being !ur!ose"yo&itted for =r% 'arcyKs !"easure in the Bing"eysK in$itationto the officersF and though this as not e/act"y the case, theabso"ute fact of his absence as !ronounced by his friend 'enny,to ho& @ydia eager"y a!!"ied, and ho to"d the& that ickha&had been ob"iged to go to ton on business the day before, andas not yet returnedF adding, ith a significant s&i"e, do noti&agine his business ou"d ha$e ca""ed hi& aay just no, if hehad not anted to a$oid a certain gent"e&an here%

This !art of his inte""igence, though unheard by @ydia, ascaught by E"iIabeth, and, as it assured her that 'arcy as not"ess anserab"e for ickha&Ks absence than if her first sur&isehad been just, e$ery fee"ing of dis!"easure against the for&er as so shar!ened by i&&ediate disa!!oint&ent, that she cou"dhard"y re!"y ith to"erab"e ci$i"ity to the !o"ite inuirieshich he direct"y afterards a!!roached to &ake% Attendance,forbearance, !atience ith 'arcy, as injury to ickha&% 2heas reso"$ed against any sort of con$ersation ith hi&, andturned aay ith a degree of i""Hhu&our hich she cou"d not

ho""y sur&ount e$en in s!eaking to =r% Bing"ey, hose b"ind !artia"ity !ro$oked her%

But E"iIabeth as not for&ed for i""Hhu&ourF and though e$ery !ros!ect of her on as destroyed for the e$ening, it cou"d notde"" "ong on her s!iritsF and ha$ing to"d a"" her griefs tohar"otte @ucas, ho& she had not seen for a eek, she assoon ab"e to &ake a $o"untary transition to the oddities of her cousin, and to !oint hi& out to her !articu"ar notice% The firstto dances, hoe$er, brought a return of distressF they eredances of &ortification% =r% o""ins, akard and so"e&n,

a!o"ogising instead of attending, and often &o$ing rongithout being aare of it, ga$e her a"" the sha&e and &isery



hich a disagreeab"e !artner for a cou!"e of dances can gi$e%The &o&ent of her re"ease fro& hi& as ecstasy%

2he danced ne/t ith an officer, and had the refresh&ent of ta"king of ickha&, and of hearing that he as uni$ersa""y "iked%

hen those dances ere o$er, she returned to har"otte @ucas,and as in con$ersation ith her, hen she found herse"f sudden"y addressed by =r% 'arcy ho took her so &uch by sur!risein his a!!"ication for her hand, that, ithout knoing hat shedid, she acce!ted hi&% 1e a"ked aay again i&&ediate"y, andshe as "eft to fret o$er her on ant of !resence of &indFhar"otte tried to conso"e her7

dare say you i"" find hi& $ery agreeab"e%

1ea$en forbid6 That ou"d be the greatest &isfortune of a""6

To find a &an agreeab"e ho& one is deter&ined to hate6 'o notish &e such an e$i"%

hen the dancing reco&&enced, hoe$er, and 'arcy a!!roached toc"ai& her hand, har"otte cou"d not he"! cautioning her in ahis!er, not to be a si&!"eton, and a""o her fancy for ickha&to &ake her a!!ear un!"easant in the eyes of a &an ten ti&es hisconseuence% E"iIabeth &ade no anser, and took her !"ace inthe set, a&aIed at the dignity to hich she as arri$ed in beinga""oed to stand o!!osite to =r% 'arcy, and reading in her neighboursK "ooks, their eua" a&aIe&ent in beho"ding it% Theystood for so&e ti&e ithout s!eaking a ordF and she began toi&agine that their si"ence as to "ast through the to dances,and at first as reso"$ed not to break itF ti"" sudden"yfancying that it ou"d be the greater !unish&ent to her !artner to ob"ige hi& to ta"k, she &ade so&e s"ight obser$ation on thedance% 1e re!"ied, and as again si"ent% After a !ause of so&e &inutes, she addressed hi& a second ti&e ith7HHt is

your turn to say so&ething no, =r% 'arcy% ta"ked aboutthe dance, and you ought to &ake so&e sort of re&ark on thesiIe of the roo&, or the nu&ber of cou!"es%

1e s&i"ed, and assured her that hate$er she ished hi& to sayshou"d be said%

.ery e""% That re!"y i"" do for the !resent% Perha!s by and by &ay obser$e that !ri$ate ba""s are &uch !"easanter than !ub"ic ones% But no e &ay be si"ent%

'o you ta"k by ru"e, then, hi"e you are dancing

2o&eti&es% ne &ust s!eak a "itt"e, you kno% t ou"d "ook

odd to be entire"y si"ent for ha"f an hour togetherF and yet for the ad$antage of so&e, con$ersation ought to be so arranged, as



that they &ay ha$e the troub"e of saying as "itt"e as !ossib"e%

Are you consu"ting your on fee"ings in the !resent case, or doyou i&agine that you are gratifying &ine

Both, re!"ied E"iIabeth arch"yF for ha$e a"ays seen a greatsi&i"arity in the turn of our &inds% e are each of an unsocia",taciturn dis!osition, uni""ing to s!eak, un"ess e e/!ect to sayso&ething that i"" a&aIe the ho"e roo&, and be handed donto !osterity ith a"" the ec"at of a !ro$erb%

This is no $ery striking rese&b"ance of your on character, a& sure, said he% 1o near it &ay be to &ine, cannot

!retend to say% *ou think it a faithfu" !ortrait undoubted"y%

&ust not decide on &y on !erfor&ance%

1e &ade no anser, and they ere again si"ent ti"" they had gonedon the dance, hen he asked her if she and her sisters did not$ery often a"k to =eryton% 2he ansered in the affir&ati$e,and, unab"e to resist the te&!tation, added, hen you &et usthere the other day, e had just been for&ing a ne acuaintance%

The effect as i&&ediate% A dee!er shade of hauteur o$ers!readhis features, but he said not a ord, and E"iIabeth, though

b"a&ing herse"f for her on eakness, cou"d not go on% At"ength 'arcy s!oke, and in a constrained &anner said, =r%ickha& is b"essed ith such ha!!y &anners as &ay ensure his

&aking friendsHHhether he &ay be eua""y ca!ab"e of retaining the&, is "ess certain%

1e has been so un"ucky as to "ose your friendshi!, re!"iedE"iIabeth ith e&!hasis, and in a &anner hich he is "ike"y tosuffer fro& a"" his "ife%

'arcy &ade no anser, and see&ed desirous of changing thesubject% At that &o&ent, 2ir i""ia& @ucas a!!eared c"ose to

the&, &eaning to !ass through the set to the other side of theroo&F but on !ercei$ing =r% 'arcy, he sto!!ed ith a bo of su!erior courtesy to co&!"i&ent hi& on his dancing and his

!artner%

ha$e been &ost high"y gratified indeed, &y dear sir% 2uch$ery su!erior dancing is not often seen% t is e$ident that you

be"ong to the first circ"es% A""o &e to say, hoe$er, that your fair !artner does not disgrace you, and that &ust ho!e to ha$ethis !"easure often re!eated, es!ecia""y hen a certain desirab"ee$ent, &y dear E"iIa (g"ancing at her sister and Bing"ey) sha""

take !"ace% hat congratu"ations i"" then f"o in6 a!!ea" to=r% 'arcy7HHbut "et &e not interru!t you, sir% *ou i"" not



thank &e for detaining you fro& the beitching con$erse of thatyoung "ady, hose bright eyes are a"so u!braiding &e%

The "atter !art of this address as scarce"y heard by 'arcyF but 2ir i""ia&Ks a""usion to his friend see&ed to strike hi&

forcib"y, and his eyes ere directed ith a $ery seriouse/!ression toards Bing"ey and Jane, ho ere dancing together%0eco$ering hi&se"f, hoe$er, short"y, he turned to his !artner,and said, 2ir i""ia&Ks interru!tion has &ade &e forget hate ere ta"king of%

do not think e ere s!eaking at a""% 2ir i""ia& cou"d notha$e interru!ted to !eo!"e in the roo& ho had "ess to say for the&se"$es% e ha$e tried to or three subjects a"ready ithoutsuccess, and hat e are to ta"k of ne/t cannot i&agine%

hat think you of books said he, s&i"ing%

BooksHHoh6 no% a& sure e ne$er read the sa&e, or not iththe sa&e fee"ings%

a& sorry you think soF but if that be the case, there can at"east be no ant of subject% e &ay co&!are our differento!inions%

CoHH cannot ta"k of books in a ba""Hroo&F &y head is a"aysfu"" of so&ething e"se%

The !resent a"ays occu!ies you in such scenesHHdoes itsaid he, ith a "ook of doubt%

*es, a"ays, she re!"ied, ithout knoing hat she said,for her thoughts had andered far fro& the subject, as soonafterards a!!eared by her sudden"y e/c"ai&ing, re&e&ber hearing you once say, =r% 'arcy, that you hard"y e$er forga$e,that your resent&ent once created as una!!easab"e% *ou are$ery cautious, su!!ose, as to its being created%

a&, said he, ith a fir& $oice%

And ne$er a""o yourse"f to be b"inded by !rejudice

ho!e not%

t is !articu"ar"y incu&bent on those ho ne$er change their o!inion, to be secure of judging !ro!er"y at first%

=ay ask to hat these uestions tend

=ere"y to the i""ustration of your character, said she,



endea$ouring to shake off her gra$ity% a& trying to &akeit out%

And hat is your success

2he shook her head% do not get on at a""% hear suchdifferent accounts of you as !uII"e &e e/ceeding"y%

can readi"y be"ie$e, ansered he gra$e"y, that re!orts &ay$ary great"y ith res!ect to &eF and cou"d ish, =iss Bennet,that you ere not to sketch &y character at the !resent &o&ent,as there is reason to fear that the !erfor&ance ou"d ref"ect nocredit on either%

But if do not take your "ikeness no, &ay ne$er ha$eanother o!!ortunity%

ou"d by no &eans sus!end any !"easure of yours, he co"d"yre!"ied% 2he said no &ore, and they ent don the other danceand !arted in si"enceF and on each side dissatisfied, though notto an eua" degree, for in 'arcyKs breast there as a to"erab"e

!oerfu" fee"ing toards her, hich soon !rocured her !ardon,and directed a"" his anger against another%

They had not "ong se!arated, hen =iss Bing"ey ca&e toardsher, and ith an e/!ression of ci$i" disdain accosted her7

2o, =iss E"iIa, hear you are uite de"ighted ith Georgeickha&6 *our sister has been ta"king to &e about hi&, andasking &e a thousand uestionsF and find that the young &anuite forgot to te"" you, a&ong his other co&&unication, thathe as the son of o"d ickha&, the "ate =r% 'arcyKs steard%@et &e reco&&end you, hoe$er, as a friend, not to gi$e i&!"icitconfidence to a"" his assertionsF for as to =r% 'arcyKs usinghi& i"", it is !erfect"y fa"seF for, on the contrary, he hasa"ays been re&arkab"y kind to hi&, though George ickha& hastreated =r% 'arcy in a &ost infa&ous &anner% do not kno the

!articu"ars, but kno $ery e"" that =r% 'arcy is not in the"east to b"a&e, that he cannot bear to hear George ickha&&entioned, and that though &y brother thought that he cou"d note"" a$oid inc"uding hi& in his in$itation to the officers, heas e/cessi$e"y g"ad to find that he had taken hi&se"f out of theay% 1is co&ing into the country at a"" is a &ost inso"ent thing,indeed, and onder ho he cou"d !resu&e to do it% !ity you,=iss E"iIa, for this disco$ery of your fa$ouriteKs gui"tF butrea""y, considering his descent, one cou"d not e/!ect &uch better%

1is gui"t and his descent a!!ear by your account to be the

sa&e, said E"iIabeth angri"yF for ha$e heard you accuse hi&of nothing orse than of being the son of =r% 'arcyKs steard,



and of that, can assure you, he infor&ed &e hi&se"f%

beg your !ardon, re!"ied =iss Bing"ey, turning aay ith asneer% E/cuse &y interferenceHHit as kind"y &eant%

nso"ent gir"6 said E"iIabeth to herse"f% *ou are &uch&istaken if you e/!ect to inf"uence &e by such a !a"try attack as this% see nothing in it but your on i"fu" ignorance andthe &a"ice of =r% 'arcy% 2he then sought her e"dest sister, hohas undertaken to &ake inuiries on the sa&e subject of Bing"ey%Jane &et her ith a s&i"e of such seet co&!"acency, a g"o of such ha!!y e/!ression, as sufficient"y &arked ho e"" she assatisfied ith the occurrences of the e$ening% E"iIabeth instant"yread her fee"ings, and at that &o&ent so"icitude for ickha&,resent&ent against his ene&ies, and e$erything e"se, ga$e ay

before the ho!e of JaneKs being in the fairest ay for ha!!iness%

ant to kno, said she, ith a countenance no "ess s&i"ingthan her sisterKs, hat you ha$e "earnt about =r% ickha&%But !erha!s you ha$e been too !"easant"y engaged to think of any third !ersonF in hich case you &ay be sure of &y !ardon%

Co, re!"ied Jane, ha$e not forgotten hi&F but ha$e nothingsatisfactory to te"" you% =r% Bing"ey does not kno the ho"e of his history, and is uite ignorant of the circu&stances hich ha$e

!rinci!a""y offended =r% 'arcyF but he i"" $ouch for the goodconduct, the !robity, and honour of his friend, and is !erfect"ycon$inced that =r% ickha& has deser$ed &uch "ess attentionfro& =r% 'arcy than he has recei$edF and a& sorry to say byhis account as e"" as his sisterKs, =r% ickha& is by no &eans ares!ectab"e young &an% a& afraid he has been $ery i&!rudent,and has deser$ed to "ose =r% 'arcyKs regard%

=r% Bing"ey does not kno =r% ickha& hi&se"f

CoF he ne$er sa hi& ti"" the other &orning at =eryton%

This account then is hat he has recei$ed fro& =r% 'arcy% a& satisfied% But hat does he say of the "i$ing

1e does not e/act"y reco""ect the circu&stances, though he hasheard the& fro& =r% 'arcy &ore than once, but he be"ie$es thatit as "eft to hi& conditiona""y on"y%

ha$e not a doubt of =r% Bing"eyKs sincerity, said E"iIabethar&"yF but you &ust e/cuse &y not being con$inced byassurances on"y% =r% Bing"eyKs defense of his friend as a $eryab"e one, dare sayF but since he is unacuainted ith se$era"

!arts of the story, and has "earnt the rest fro& that friendhi&se"f, sha"" $enture to sti"" think of both gent"e&en as



did before%

2he then changed the discourse to one &ore gratifying to each,and on hich there cou"d be no difference of senti&ent%E"iIabeth "istened ith de"ight to the ha!!y, though &odest

ho!es hich Jane entertained of =r% Bing"eyKs regard, and saida"" in her !oer to heighten her confidence in it% n their being

joined by =r% Bing"ey hi&se"f, E"iIabeth ithdre to =iss@ucasF to hose inuiry after the !"easantness of her "ast !artner she had scarce"y re!"ied, before =r% o""ins ca&e u! to the&,and to"d her ith great e/u"tation that he had just been sofortunate as to &ake a &ost i&!ortant disco$ery%

ha$e found out, said he, by a singu"ar accident, that thereis no in the roo& a near re"ation of &y !atroness% ha!!enedto o$erhear the gent"e&an hi&se"f &entioning to the young "ady ho

does the honours of the house the na&es of his cousin =iss deBourgh, and of her &other @ady atherine% 1o onderfu""y thesesort of things occur6 ho ou"d ha$e thought of &y &eeting ith,

!erha!s, a ne!he of @ady atherine de Bourgh in this asse&b"y6 a& &ost thankfu" that the disco$ery is &ade in ti&e for &e to

!ay &y res!ects to hi&, hich a& no going to do, and trusthe i"" e/cuse &y not ha$ing done it before% =y tota" ignoranceof the connection &ust !"ead &y a!o"ogy%

*ou are not going to introduce yourse"f to =r% 'arcy6

ndeed a&% sha"" entreat his !ardon for not ha$ing done itear"ier% be"ie$e hi& to be @ady atherineKs ne!he% t i""

be in &y !oer to assure hi& that her "adyshi! as uite e""yesterday seKnnight%

E"iIabeth tried hard to dissuade hi& fro& such a sche&e,assuring hi& that =r% 'arcy ou"d consider his addressing hi&ithout introduction as an i&!ertinent freedo&, rather than aco&!"i&ent to his auntF that it as not in the "east necessarythere shou"d be any notice on either sideF and that if it ere,

it &ust be"ong to =r% 'arcy, the su!erior in conseuence, to begin the acuaintance% =r% o""ins "istened to her ith thedeter&ined air of fo""oing his on inc"ination, and, hen sheceased s!eaking, re!"ied thus7

=y dear =iss E"iIabeth, ha$e the highest o!inion in the or"din your e/ce""ent judge&ent in a"" &atters ithin the sco!e of your understandingF but !er&it &e to say, that there &ust be aide difference beteen the estab"ished for&s of cere&ony a&ongstthe "aity, and those hich regu"ate the c"ergyF for, gi$e &e"ea$e to obser$e that consider the c"erica" office as eua" in

!oint of dignity ith the highest rank in the kingdo&HH!ro$idedthat a !ro!er hu&i"ity of beha$iour is at the sa&e ti&e



&aintained% *ou &ust therefore a""o &e to fo""o the dictatesof &y conscience on this occasion, hich "eads &e to !erfor& hat "ook on as a !oint of duty% Pardon &e for neg"ecting to !rofit

by your ad$ice, hich on e$ery other subject sha"" be &y constantguide, though in the case before us consider &yse"f &ore fitted

by education and habitua" study to decide on hat is right thana young "ady "ike yourse"f% And ith a "o bo he "eft her toattack =r% 'arcy, hose rece!tion of his ad$ances she eager"yatched, and hose astonish&ent at being so addressed as $erye$ident% 1er cousin !refaced his s!eech ith a so"e&n bo andthough she cou"d not hear a ord of it, she fe"t as if hearingit a"", and sa in the &otion of his "i!s the ords a!o"ogy,1unsford, and @ady atherine de Bourgh% t $e/ed her tosee hi& e/!ose hi&se"f to such a &an% =r% 'arcy as eyeing hi&ith unrestrained onder, and hen at "ast =r% o""ins a""oedhi& ti&e to s!eak, re!"ied ith an air of distant ci$i"ity% =r%

o""ins, hoe$er, as not discouraged fro& s!eaking again, and=r% 'arcyKs conte&!t see&ed abundant"y increasing ith the "engthof his second s!eech, and at the end of it he on"y &ade hi& as"ight bo, and &o$ed another ay% =r% o""ins then returnedto E"iIabeth%

ha$e no reason, assure you, said he, to be dissatisfiedith &y rece!tion% =r% 'arcy see&ed &uch !"eased ith theattention% 1e ansered &e ith the ut&ost ci$i"ity, and e$en

!aid &e the co&!"i&ent of saying that he as so e"" con$incedof @ady atherineKs discern&ent as to be certain she cou"d ne$er

besto a fa$our unorthi"y% t as rea""y a $ery handso&ethought% !on the ho"e, a& &uch !"eased ith hi&%

As E"iIabeth had no "onger any interest of her on to !ursue,she turned her attention a"&ost entire"y on her sister and =r%Bing"eyF and the train of agreeab"e ref"ections hich her obser$ations ga$e birth to, &ade her !erha!s a"&ost as ha!!y asJane% 2he sa her in idea sett"ed in that $ery house, in a"" thefe"icity hich a &arriage of true affection cou"d bestoF and shefe"t ca!ab"e, under such circu&stances, of endea$ouring e$en to

"ike Bing"eyKs to sisters% 1er &otherKs thoughts she !"ain"ysa ere bent the sa&e ay, and she deter&ined not to $enturenear her, "est she &ight hear too &uch% hen they sat don tosu!!er, therefore, she considered it a &ost un"ucky !er$ersenesshich !"aced the& ithin one of each otherF and dee!"y as she$e/ed to find that her &other as ta"king to that one !erson(@ady @ucas) free"y, o!en"y, and of nothing e"se but her e/!ectation that Jane ou"d soon be &arried to =r% Bing"ey% tas an ani&ating subject, and =rs% Bennet see&ed inca!ab"e of fatigue hi"e enu&erating the ad$antages of the &atch% 1is

being such a char&ing young &an, and so rich, and "i$ing but

three &i"es fro& the&, ere the first !oints of se"fHgratu"ationFand then it as such a co&fort to think ho fond the to sisters



ere of Jane, and to be certain that they &ust desire theconnection as &uch as she cou"d do% t as, &oreo$er, such a

!ro&ising thing for her younger daughters, as JaneKs &arrying sogreat"y &ust thro the& in the ay of other rich &enF and "ast"y,it as so !"easant at her ti&e of "ife to be ab"e to consign her

sing"e daughters to the care of their sister, that she &ight not be ob"iged to go into co&!any &ore than she "iked% t asnecessary to &ake this circu&stance a &atter of !"easure,

because on such occasions it is the etiuetteF but no one as "ess"ike"y than =rs% Bennet to find co&fort in staying ho&e at any

!eriod of her "ife% 2he conc"uded ith &any good ishes that@ady @ucas &ight soon be eua""y fortunate, though e$ident"yand triu&!hant"y be"ie$ing there as no chance of it%

n $ain did E"iIabeth endea$our to check the ra!idity of her &otherKs ords, or !ersuade her to describe her fe"icity in a

"ess audib"e his!erF for, to her ine/!ressib"e $e/ation, shecou"d !ercei$e that the chief of it as o$erheard by =r% 'arcy,ho sat o!!osite to the&% 1er &other on"y sco"ded her for

being nonsensica"%

hat is =r% 'arcy to &e, !ray, that shou"d be afraid of hi& a& sure e oe hi& no such !articu"ar ci$i"ity as to be ob"igedto say nothing he &ay not "ike to hear%

-or hea$enKs sake, &ada&, s!eak "oer% hat ad$antage canit be for you to offend =r% 'arcy *ou i"" ne$er reco&&endyourse"f to his friend by so doing6

Cothing that she cou"d say, hoe$er, had any inf"uence% 1er &other ou"d ta"k of her $ies in the sa&e inte""igib"e tone%E"iIabeth b"ushed and b"ushed again ith sha&e and $e/ation%2he cou"d not he"! freuent"y g"ancing her eye at =r% 'arcy,though e$ery g"ance con$inced her of hat she dreadedF for though he as not a"ays "ooking at her &other, she ascon$inced that his attention as in$ariab"y fi/ed by her%The e/!ression of his face changed gradua""y fro& indignant

conte&!t to a co&!osed and steady gra$ity%

At "ength, hoe$er, =rs% Bennet had no &ore to sayF and @ady@ucas, ho had been "ong yaning at the re!etition of de"ightshich she sa no "ike"ihood of sharing, as "eft to the co&fortsof co"d ha& and chicken% E"iIabeth no began to re$i$e% Butnot "ong as the inter$a" of tranui""ityF for, hen su!!er aso$er, singing as ta"ked of, and she had the &ortification of seeing =ary, after $ery "itt"e entreaty, !re!aring to ob"ige theco&!any% By &any significant "ooks and si"ent entreaties, didshe endea$our to !re$ent such a !roof of co&!"aisance, but in

$ainF =ary ou"d not understand the&F such an o!!ortunity of e/hibiting as de"ightfu" to her, and she began her song%



E"iIabethKs eyes ere fi/ed on her ith &ost !ainfu" sensations,and she atched her !rogress through the se$era" stanIas ithan i&!atience hich as $ery i"" rearded at their c"oseF for =ary, on recei$ing, a&ongst the thanks of the tab"e, the hint of a ho!e that she &ight be !re$ai"ed on to fa$our the& again, after

the !ause of ha"f a &inute began another% =aryKs !oers ere by no &eans fitted for such a dis!"ayF her $oice as eak, andher &anner affected% E"iIabeth as in agonies% 2he "ooked atJane, to see ho she bore itF but Jane as $ery co&!osed"yta"king to Bing"ey% 2he "ooked at his to sisters, and sathe& &aking signs of derision at each other, and at 'arcy, hocontinued, hoe$er, i&!erturbab"y gra$e% 2he "ooked at her father to entreat his interference, "est =ary shou"d be singing a""night% 1e took the hint, and hen =ary had finished her secondsong, said a"oud, That i"" do e/tre&e"y e"", chi"d% *ou ha$ede"ighted us "ong enough% @et the other young "adies ha$e ti&e

to e/hibit%

=ary, though !retending not to hear, as so&ehat disconcertedFand E"iIabeth, sorry for her, and sorry for her fatherKs s!eech,as afraid her an/iety had done no good% thers of the !artyere no a!!"ied to%

f , said =r% o""ins, ere so fortunate as to be ab"e to sing, shou"d ha$e great !"easure, a& sure, in ob"iging the co&!anyith an airF for consider &usic as a $ery innocent di$ersion,and !erfect"y co&!atib"e ith the !rofession of a c"ergy&an% donot &ean, hoe$er, to assert that e can be justified in de$otingtoo &uch of our ti&e to &usic, for there are certain"y other thingsto be attended to% The rector of a !arish has &uch to do% n thefirst !"ace, he &ust &ake such an agree&ent for tithes as &ay be

beneficia" to hi&se"f and not offensi$e to his !atron% 1e &ustrite his on ser&onsF and the ti&e that re&ains i"" not be too&uch for his !arish duties, and the care and i&!ro$e&ent of hisde""ing, hich he cannot be e/cused fro& &aking as co&fortab"eas !ossib"e% And do not think it of "ight i&!ortance that heshou"d ha$e attenti$e and conci"iatory &anner toards e$erybody,

es!ecia""y toards those to ho& he oes his !refer&ent% cannot acuit hi& of that dutyF nor cou"d think e"" of the&an ho shou"d o&it an occasion of testifying his res!ecttoards anybody connected ith the fa&i"y% And ith a bo to=r% 'arcy, he conc"uded his s!eech, hich had been s!oken so"oud as to be heard by ha"f the roo&% =any staredHH&any s&i"edF

but no one "ooked &ore a&used than =r% Bennet hi&se"f, hi"ehis ife serious"y co&&ended =r% o""ins for ha$ing s!oken sosensib"y, and obser$ed in a ha"fHhis!er to @ady @ucas, that heas a re&arkab"y c"e$er, good kind of young &an%

To E"iIabeth it a!!eared that, had her fa&i"y &ade an agree&entto e/!ose the&se"$es as &uch as they cou"d during the



e$ening, it ou"d ha$e been i&!ossib"e for the& to !"ay their !arts ith &ore s!irit or finer successF and ha!!y did she think it for Bing"ey and her sister that so&e of the e/hibition hadesca!ed his notice, and that his fee"ings ere not of a sort to

be &uch distressed by the fo""y hich he &ust ha$e itnessed%

That his to sisters and =r% 'arcy, hoe$er, shou"d ha$e suchan o!!ortunity of ridicu"ing her re"ations, as bad enough, andshe cou"d not deter&ine hether the si"ent conte&!t of thegent"e&an, or the inso"ent s&i"es of the "adies, ere &oreinto"erab"e%

The rest of the e$ening brought her "itt"e a&use&ent% 2he asteased by =r% o""ins, ho continued &ost !erse$ering"y by her side, and though he cou"d not !re$ai" on her to dance ith hi&again, !ut it out of her !oer to dance ith others% n $aindid she entreat hi& to stand u! ith so&ebody e"se, and offer to

introduce hi& to any young "ady in the roo&% 1e assured her,that as to dancing, he as !erfect"y indifferent to itF that hischief object as by de"icate attentions to reco&&end hi&se"f toher and that he shou"d therefore &ake a !oint of re&aining c"oseto her the ho"e e$ening% There as no arguing u!on such a

!roject% 2he oed her greatest re"ief to her friend =iss @ucas,ho often joined the&, and goodHnatured"y engaged =r% o""insKscon$ersation to herse"f%

2he as at "east free fro& the offense of =r% 'arcyKs further noticeF though often standing ithin a $ery short distance of her,uite disengaged, he ne$er ca&e near enough to s!eak% 2he fe"tit to be the !robab"e conseuence of her a""usions to =r% ickha&,and rejoiced in it%

The @ongbourn !arty ere the "ast of a"" the co&!any to de!art,and, by a &anoeu$re of =rs% Bennet, had to ait for their carriage a uarter of an hour after e$erybody e"se as gone,hich ga$e the& ti&e to see ho hearti"y they ere ishedaay by so&e of the fa&i"y% =rs% 1urst and her sister scarce"yo!ened their &ouths, e/ce!t to co&!"ain of fatigue, and ere

e$ident"y i&!atient to ha$e the house to the&se"$es% Theyre!u"sed e$ery atte&!t of =rs% Bennet at con$ersation, and byso doing thre a "anguor o$er the ho"e !arty, hich as $ery"itt"e re"ie$ed by the "ong s!eeches of =r% o""ins, ho asco&!"i&enting =r% Bing"ey and his sisters on the e"egance of their entertain&ent, and the hos!ita"ity and !o"iteness hich had&arked their beha$iour to their guests% 'arcy said nothing at a""%=r% Bennet, in eua" si"ence, as enjoying the scene% =r%Bing"ey and Jane ere standing together, a "itt"e detached fro&the rest, and ta"ked on"y to each other% E"iIabeth !reser$ed assteady a si"ence as either =rs% 1urst or =iss Bing"eyF and e$en

@ydia as too &uch fatigued to utter &ore than the occasiona"e/c"a&ation of @ord, ho tired a&6 acco&!anied by a



$io"ent yan%

hen at "ength they arose to take "ea$e, =rs% Bennet as &ost !ressing"y ci$i" in her ho!e of seeing the ho"e fa&i"y soonat @ongbourn, and addressed herse"f es!ecia""y to =r% Bing"ey,

to assure hi& ho ha!!y he ou"d &ake the& by eating a fa&i"ydinner ith the& at any ti&e, ithout the cere&ony of a for&a"in$itation% Bing"ey as a"" gratefu" !"easure, and he readi"yengaged for taking the ear"iest o!!ortunity of aiting on her,after his return fro& @ondon, hither he as ob"iged to go thene/t day for a short ti&e%

=rs% Bennet as !erfect"y satisfied, and uitted the house under the de"ightfu" !ersuasion that, a""oing for the necessary

!re!arations of sett"e&ents, ne carriages, and edding c"othes,she shou"d undoubted"y see her daughter sett"ed at Cetherfie"d in

the course of three or four &onths% f ha$ing another daughter &arried to =r% o""ins, she thought ith eua" certainty, andith considerab"e, though not eua", !"easure% E"iIabeth as the"east dear to her of a"" her chi"drenF and though the &an and the&atch ere uite good enough for her, the orth of each asec"i!sed by =r% Bing"ey and Cetherfie"d%

ha!ter 34

The ne/t day o!ened a ne scene at @ongbourn% =r% o""ins&ade his dec"aration in for&% 1a$ing reso"$ed to do it ithout"oss of ti&e, as his "ea$e of absence e/tended on"y to thefo""oing 2aturday, and ha$ing no fee"ings of diffidence to &akeit distressing to hi&se"f e$en at the &o&ent, he set about itin a $ery order"y &anner, ith a"" the obser$ances, hichhe su!!osed a regu"ar !art of the business% n finding =rs%Bennet, E"iIabeth, and one of the younger gir"s together, soonafter breakfast, he addressed the &other in these ords7

=ay ho!e, &ada&, for your interest ith your fair daughter E"iIabeth, hen so"icit for the honour of a !ri$ate audienceith her in the course of this &orning

Before E"iIabeth had ti&e for anything but a b"ush of sur!rise,=rs% Bennet ansered instant"y, h dear6HHyesHHcertain"y% a& sure @iIIy i"" be $ery ha!!yHH a& sure she can ha$e noobjection% o&e, Ditty, ant you u!stairs% And, gatheringher ork together, she as hastening aay, hen E"iIabethca""ed out7

'ear &ada&, do not go% beg you i"" not go% =r% o""ins



&ust e/cuse &e% 1e can ha$e nothing to say to &e that anybodyneed not hear% a& going aay &yse"f%

Co, no, nonsense, @iIIy% desire you to stay here you are%And u!on E"iIabethKs see&ing rea""y, ith $e/ed and e&barrassed

"ooks, about to esca!e, she added7 @iIIy, insist u!on your staying and hearing =r% o""ins%

E"iIabeth ou"d not o!!ose such an injunctionHHand a &o&entKsconsideration &aking her a"so sensib"e that it ou"d be isest toget it o$er as soon and as uiet"y as !ossib"e, she sat don againand tried to concea", by incessant e&!"oy&ent the fee"ings hichere di$ided beteen distress and di$ersion% =rs% Bennet and Dittya"ked off, and as soon as they ere gone, =r% o""ins began%

Be"ie$e &e, &y dear =iss E"iIabeth, that your &odesty, so far

fro& doing you any disser$ice, rather adds to your other !erfections% *ou ou"d ha$e been "ess a&iab"e in &y eyes hadthere not been this "itt"e uni""ingnessF but a""o &e to assureyou, that ha$e your res!ected &otherKs !er&ission for thisaddress% *ou can hard"y doubt the !ur!ort of &y discourse,hoe$er your natura" de"icacy &ay "ead you to disse&b"eF &yattentions ha$e been too &arked to be &istaken% A"&ost as soonas entered the house, sing"ed you out as the co&!anion of &y future "ife% But before a& run aay ith by &y fee"ings onthis subject, !erha!s it ou"d be ad$isab"e for &e to state &yreasons for &arryingHHand, &oreo$er, for co&ing into 1ertfordshireith the design of se"ecting a ife, as certain"y did%

The idea of =r% o""ins, ith a"" his so"e&n co&!osure, beingrun aay ith by his fee"ings, &ade E"iIabeth so near "aughing,that she cou"d not use the short !ause he a""oed in any atte&!tto sto! hi& further, and he continued7

=y reasons for &arrying are, first, that think it a rightthing for e$ery c"ergy&an in easy circu&stances ("ike &yse"f) toset the e/a&!"e of &atri&ony in his !arishF second"y, that a&

con$inced that it i"" add $ery great"y to &y ha!!inessF andthird"yHHhich !erha!s ought to ha$e &entioned ear"ier, thatit is the !articu"ar ad$ice and reco&&endation of the $ery nob"e"ady ho& ha$e the honour of ca""ing !atroness% Tice hasshe condescended to gi$e &e her o!inion (unasked too6) on thissubjectF and it as but the $ery 2aturday night before "eft1unsfordHHbeteen our !oo"s at uadri""e, hi"e =rs% Jenkinsonas arranging =iss de BourghKs footstoo", that she said, K=r%o""ins, you &ust &arry% A c"ergy&an "ike you &ust &arry%hoose !ro!er"y, choose a gent"eo&an for &y sakeF and for your on, "et her be an acti$e, usefu" sort of !erson, not brought

u! high, but ab"e to &ake a s&a"" inco&e go a good ay% This is&y ad$ice% -ind such a o&an as soon as you can, bring her to



1unsford, and i"" $isit her%K A""o &e, by the ay, toobser$e, &y fair cousin, that do not reckon the notice andkindness of @ady atherine de Bourgh as a&ong the "east of thead$antages in &y !oer to offer% *ou i"" find her &anners

beyond anything can describeF and your it and $i$acity,

think, &ust be acce!tab"e to her, es!ecia""y hen te&!ered iththe si"ence and res!ect hich her rank i"" ine$itab"y e/cite%Thus &uch for &y genera" intention in fa$our of &atri&onyFit re&ains to be to"d hy &y $ies ere directed toards@ongbourn instead of &y on neighbourhood, here canassure you there are &any a&iab"e young o&en% But the factis, that being, as a&, to inherit this estate after the death of your honoured father (ho, hoe$er, &ay "i$e &any years"onger), cou"d not satisfy &yse"f ithout reso"$ing to choose aife fro& a&ong his daughters, that the "oss to the& &ight be as"itt"e as !ossib"e, hen the &e"ancho"y e$ent takes !"aceHHhich,

hoe$er, as ha$e a"ready said, &ay not be for se$era" years%This has been &y &oti$e, &y fair cousin, and f"atter &yse"f iti"" not sink &e in your estee&% And no nothing re&ainsfor &e but to assure you in the &ost ani&ated "anguage of the$io"ence of &y affection% To fortune a& !erfect"y indifferent,and sha"" &ake no de&and of that nature on your father, since a& e"" aare that it cou"d not be co&!"ied ithF and that onethousand !ounds in the four !er cents, hich i"" not be yoursti"" after your &otherKs decease, is a"" that you &ay e$er beentit"ed to% n that head, therefore, sha"" be unifor&"y si"entFand you &ay assure yourse"f that no ungenerous re!roach sha""e$er !ass &y "i!s hen e are &arried%

t as abso"ute"y necessary to interru!t hi& no%

*ou are too hasty, sir, she cried% *ou forget that ha$e&ade no anser% @et &e do it ithout further "oss of ti&e%Acce!t &y thanks for the co&!"i&ent you are !aying &e% a&$ery sensib"e of the honour of your !ro!osa"s, but it isi&!ossib"e for &e to do otherise than to dec"ine the&%

a& not no to "earn, re!"ied =r% o""ins, ith a for&a" a$eof the hand, that it is usua" ith young "adies to reject theaddresses of the &an ho& they secret"y &ean to acce!t, henhe first a!!"ies for their fa$ourF and that so&eti&es the refusa"is re!eated a second, or e$en a third ti&e% a& therefore by no&eans discouraged by hat you ha$e just said, and sha"" ho!e to"ead you to the a"tar ere "ong%

!on &y ord, sir, cried E"iIabeth, your ho!e is a rather e/traordinary one after &y dec"aration% do assure you that a& not one of those young "adies (if such young "adies there are)

ho are so daring as to risk their ha!!iness on the chance of being asked a second ti&e% a& !erfect"y serious in &y refusa"%



*ou cou"d not &ake &e ha!!y, and a& con$inced that a&the "ast o&an in the or"d ho cou"d &ake you so% Cay, ereyour friend @ady atherine to kno &e, a& !ersuaded sheou"d find &e in e$ery res!ect i"" ua"ified for the situation%

ere it certain that @ady atherine ou"d think so, said =r%o""ins $ery gra$e"yHHbut cannot i&agine that her "adyshi!ou"d at a"" disa!!ro$e of you% And you &ay be certain hen ha$e the honour of seeing her again, sha"" s!eak in the $eryhighest ter&s of your &odesty, econo&y, and other a&iab"eua"ification%

ndeed, =r% o""ins, a"" !raise of &e i"" be unnecessary%*ou &ust gi$e &e "ea$e to judge for &yse"f, and !ay &e theco&!"i&ent of be"ie$ing hat say% ish you $ery ha!!y and$ery rich, and by refusing your hand, do a"" in &y !oer to

!re$ent your being otherise% n &aking &e the offer, you &ustha$e satisfied the de"icacy of your fee"ings ith regard to &yfa&i"y, and &ay take !ossession of @ongbourn estate hene$er it fa""s, ithout any se"fHre!roach% This &atter &ay beconsidered, therefore, as fina""y sett"ed% And rising as shethus s!oke, she ou"d ha$e uitted the roo&, had =r% o""insnot thus addressed her7

hen do &yse"f the honour of s!eaking to you ne/t on thesubject, sha"" ho!e to recei$e a &ore fa$ourab"e anser thanyou ha$e no gi$en &eF though a& far fro& accusing you of crue"ty at !resent, because kno it to be the estab"ishedcusto& of your se/ to reject a &an on the first a!!"ication, and

!erha!s you ha$e e$en no said as &uch to encourage &y suitas ou"d be consistent ith the true de"icacy of the fe&a"echaracter%

0ea""y, =r% o""ins, cried E"iIabeth ith so&e ar&th, you !uII"e &e e/ceeding"y% f hat ha$e hitherto said can a!!ear to you in the for& of encourage&ent, kno not ho to e/!ress&y refusa" in such a ay as to con$ince you of its being one%

*ou &ust gi$e &e "ea$e to f"atter &yse"f, &y dear cousin, thatyour refusa" of &y addresses is &ere"y ords of course% =yreasons for be"ie$ing it are brief"y these7 t does not a!!ear to &e that &y hand is unorthy your acce!tance, or that theestab"ish&ent can offer ou"d be any other than high"ydesirab"e% =y situation in "ife, &y connections ith the fa&i"yof de Bourgh, and &y re"ationshi! to your on, are circu&stanceshigh"y in &y fa$ourF and you shou"d take it into further consideration, that in s!ite of your &anifo"d attractions, it is

by no &eans certain that another offer of &arriage &ay e$er be

&ade you% *our !ortion is unha!!i"y so s&a"" that it i"" ina"" "ike"ihood undo the effects of your "o$e"iness and a&iab"e



But, de!end u!on it, =r% o""ins, she added, that @iIIy sha"" be brought to reason% i"" s!eak to her about it direct"y%2he is a $ery headstrong, foo"ish gir", and does not kno her on interest but i"" &ake her kno it%

Pardon &e for interru!ting you, &ada&, cried =r% o""insFbut if she is rea""y headstrong and foo"ish, kno not hether she ou"d a"together be a $ery desirab"e ife to a &an in &ysituation, ho natura""y "ooks for ha!!iness in the &arriagestate% f therefore she actua""y !ersists in rejecting &y suit,

!erha!s it ere better not to force her into acce!ting &e, because if "iab"e to such defects of te&!er, she cou"d notcontribute &uch to &y fe"icity%

2ir, you uite &isunderstand &e, said =rs% Bennet, a"ar&ed%

@iIIy is on"y headstrong in such &atters as these% n e$erythinge"se she is as goodHnatured a gir" as e$er "i$ed% i"" godirect"y to =r% Bennet, and e sha"" $ery soon sett"e it ith her, a& sure%

2he ou"d not gi$e hi& ti&e to re!"y, but hurrying instant"y toher husband, ca""ed out as she entered the "ibrary, h6 =r%Bennet, you are anted i&&ediate"yF e are a"" in an u!roar%*ou &ust co&e and &ake @iIIy &arry =r% o""ins, for she $osshe i"" not ha$e hi&, and if you do not &ake haste he i""change his &ind and not ha$e her%

=r% Bennet raised his eyes fro& his book as she entered, andfi/ed the& on her face ith a ca"& unconcern hich as not inthe "east a"tered by her co&&unication%

ha$e not the !"easure of understanding you, said he, henshe had finished her s!eech% f hat are you ta"king

f =r% o""ins and @iIIy% @iIIy dec"ares she i"" not ha$e=r% o""ins, and =r% o""ins begins to say that he i"" not

ha$e @iIIy%

And hat a& to do on the occasion t see&s an ho!e"ess business%

2!eak to @iIIy about it yourse"f% Te"" her that you insist u!onher &arrying hi&%

@et her be ca""ed don% 2he sha"" hear &y o!inion%

=rs% Bennet rang the be"", and =iss E"iIabeth as su&&oned to

the "ibrary%



o&e here, chi"d, cried her father as she a!!eared% ha$esent for you on an affair of i&!ortance% understand that =r%o""ins has &ade you an offer of &arriage% s it true E"iIabethre!"ied that it as% .ery e""HHand this offer of &arriage youha$e refused

ha$e, sir%

.ery e""% e no co&e to the !oint% *our &other insistsu!on your acce!ting it% s it not so, =rs% Bennet

*es, or i"" ne$er see her again%

An unha!!y a"ternati$e is before you, E"iIabeth% -ro& this dayyou &ust be a stranger to one of your !arents% *our &other i""ne$er see you again if you do not &arry =r% o""ins, and i""

ne$er see you again if you do%

E"iIabeth cou"d not but s&i"e at such a conc"usion of such a beginning, but =rs% Bennet, ho had !ersuaded herse"f that her husband regarded the affair as she ished, as e/cessi$e"ydisa!!ointed%

hat do you &ean, =r% Bennet, in ta"king this ay *ou !ro&ised &e to insist u!on her &arrying hi&%

=y dear, re!"ied her husband, ha$e to s&a"" fa$ours toreuest% -irst, that you i"" a""o &e the free use of &yunderstanding on the !resent occasionF and second"y, of &yroo&% sha"" be g"ad to ha$e the "ibrary to &yse"f as soon as&ay be%

Cot yet, hoe$er, in s!ite of her disa!!oint&ent in her husband,did =rs% Bennet gi$e u! the !oint% 2he ta"ked to E"iIabeth againand againF coa/ed and threatened her by turns% 2he endea$ouredto secure Jane in her interestF but Jane, ith a"" !ossib"e&i"dness, dec"ined interferingF and E"iIabeth, so&eti&es ith

rea" earnestness, and so&eti&es ith !"ayfu" gaiety, re!"ied toher attacks% Though her &anner $aried, hoe$er, her deter&inationne$er did%

=r% o""ins, &eanhi"e, as &editating in so"itude on hat had !assed% 1e thought too e"" of hi&se"f to co&!rehend on hat&oti$es his cousin cou"d refuse hi&F and though his !ride ashurt, he suffered in no other ay% 1is regard for her as uitei&aginaryF and the !ossibi"ity of her deser$ing her &otherKsre!roach !re$ented his fee"ing any regret%

hi"e the fa&i"y ere in this confusion, har"otte @ucas ca&e tos!end the day ith the&% 2he as &et in the $estibu"e by @ydia,



ho, f"ying to her, cried in a ha"f his!er, a& g"ad you areco&e, for there is such fun here6 hat do you think hasha!!ened this &orning =r% o""ins has &ade an offer to @iIIy,and she i"" not ha$e hi&%

har"otte hard"y had ti&e to anser, before they ere joined byDitty, ho ca&e to te"" the sa&e nesF and no sooner had theyentered the breakfastHroo&, here =rs% Bennet as a"one, thanshe "ikeise began on the subject, ca""ing on =iss @ucas for her co&!assion, and entreating her to !ersuade her friend @iIIy toco&!"y ith the ishes of a"" her fa&i"y% Pray do, &y dear =iss @ucas, she added in a &e"ancho"y tone, for nobody is on&y side, nobody takes !art ith &e% a& crue""y used, nobodyfee"s for &y !oor ner$es%

har"otteKs re!"y as s!ared by the entrance of Jane and

E"iIabeth%

Aye, there she co&es, continued =rs% Bennet, "ooking asunconcerned as &ay be, and caring no &ore for us than if eere at *ork, !ro$ided she can ha$e her on ay% But te""you, =iss @iIIyHHif you take it into your head to go on refusinge$ery offer of &arriage in this ay, you i"" ne$er get a husbandat a""HHand a& sure do not kno ho is to &aintain youhen your father is dead% sha"" not be ab"e to kee! youHHandso arn you% ha$e done ith you fro& this $ery day% to"dyou in the "ibrary, you kno, that shou"d ne$er s!eak to youagain, and you i"" find &e as good as &y ord% ha$e no

!"easure in ta"king to undutifu" chi"dren% Cot that ha$e &uch !"easure, indeed, in ta"king to anybody% Peo!"e ho suffer as do fro& ner$ous co&!"aints can ha$e no great inc"ination for ta"king% Cobody can te"" hat suffer6 But it is a"ays so%Those ho do not co&!"ain are ne$er !itied%

1er daughters "istened in si"ence to this effusion, sensib"ethat any atte&!t to reason ith her or soothe her ou"d on"yincrease the irritation% 2he ta"ked on, therefore, ithout

interru!tion fro& any of the&, ti"" they ere joined by =r%o""ins, ho entered the roo& ith an air &ore state"y thanusua", and on !ercei$ing ho&, she said to the gir"s, Co, doinsist u!on it, that you, a"" of you, ho"d your tongues, and"et &e and =r% o""ins ha$e a "itt"e con$ersation together%

E"iIabeth !assed uiet"y out of the roo&, Jane and Dittyfo""oed, but @ydia stood her ground, deter&ined to hear a"" shecou"dF and har"otte, detained first by the ci$i"ity of =r% o""ins,hose inuiries after herse"f and a"" her fa&i"y ere $ery &inute,and then by a "itt"e curiosity, satisfied herse"f ith a"king to

the indo and !retending not to hear% n a do"efu" $oice =rs%Bennet began the !rojected con$ersation7 h6 =r% o""ins6



=y dear &ada&, re!"ied he, "et us be for e$er si"ent on this !oint% -ar be it fro& &e, he !resent"y continued, in a $oice that&arked his dis!"easure, to resent the beha$iour of your daughter%0esignation to ine$itab"e e$i"s is the e$i" duty of us a""F the

!ecu"iar duty of a young &an ho has been so fortunate as ha$e been in ear"y !refer&entF and trust a& resigned%Perha!s not the "ess so fro& fee"ing a doubt of &y !ositi$eha!!iness had &y fair cousin honoured &e ith her handF for ha$e often obser$ed that resignation is ne$er so !erfect as henthe b"essing denied begins to "ose so&ehat of its $a"ue in our esti&ation% *ou i"" not, ho!e, consider &e as shoing anydisres!ect to your fa&i"y, &y dear &ada&, by thus ithdraing&y !retensions to your daughterKs fa$our, ithout ha$ing !aidyourse"f and =r% Bennet the co&!"i&ent of reuesting you tointer!ose your authority in &y beha"f% =y conduct &ay, fear,

be objectionab"e in ha$ing acce!ted &y dis&ission fro& your daughterKs "i!s instead of your on% But e are a"" "iab"e toerror% ha$e certain"y &eant e"" through the ho"e affair% =yobject has been to secure an a&iab"e co&!anion for &yse"f, ithdue consideration for the ad$antage of a"" your fa&i"y, and if &y &anner has been at a"" re!rehensib"e, here beg "ea$e toa!o"ogise%

ha!ter ;3

The discussion of =r% o""insKs offer as no near"y at an end,and E"iIabeth had on"y to suffer fro& the unco&fortab"e fee"ingsnecessari"y attending it, and occasiona""y fro& so&e !ee$isha""usions of her &other% As for the gent"e&an hi&se"f, his fee"ings ere chief"y e/!ressed, not by e&barrass&ent or dejection, or by trying to a$oid her, but by stiffness of &anner and resentfu" si"ence% 1e scarce"y e$er s!oke to her, and theassiduous attentions hich he had been so sensib"e of hi&se"f

ere transferred for the rest of the day to =iss @ucas, hoseci$i"ity in "istening to hi& as a seasonab"e re"ief to the& a"",and es!ecia""y to her friend%

The &orro !roduced no abate&ent of =rs% BennetKs i""Hhu&our or i"" hea"th% =r% o""ins as a"so in the sa&e state of angry

!ride% E"iIabeth had ho!ed that his resent&ent &ight shorten his$isit, but his !"an did not a!!ear in the "east affected by it%1e as a"ays to ha$e gone on 2aturday, and to 2aturday he &eantto stay%

After breakfast, the gir"s a"ked to =eryton to inuire if =r%ickha& ere returned, and to "a&ent o$er his absence fro&



the Cetherfie"d ba""% 1e joined the& on their entering the ton,and attended the& to their auntKs here his regret and $e/ation,and the concern of e$erybody, as e"" ta"ked o$er% ToE"iIabeth, hoe$er, he $o"untari"y ackno"edged that thenecessity of his absence had been se"fHi&!osed%

found, said he, as the ti&e dre near that had better not&eet =r% 'arcyF that to be in the sa&e roo&, the sa&e !artyith hi& for so &any hours together, &ight be &ore than cou"d

bear, and that scenes &ight arise un!"easant to &ore than&yse"f%

2he high"y a!!ro$ed his forbearance, and they had "eisure for afu"" discussion of it, and for a"" the co&&endation hich theyci$i""y bestoed on each other, as ickha& and another officer a"ked back ith the& to @ongbourn, and during the a"k he

!articu"ar"y attended to her% 1is acco&!anying the& as adoub"e ad$antageF she fe"t a"" the co&!"i&ent it offered toherse"f, and it as &ost acce!tab"e as an occasion of introducinghi& to her father and &other%

2oon after their return, a "etter as de"i$ered to =iss BennetFit ca&e fro& Cetherfie"d% The en$e"o!e contained a sheet of e"egant, "itt"e, hotH!ressed !a!er, e"" co$ered ith a "adyKs fair,f"oing handF and E"iIabeth sa her sisterKs countenance changeas she read it, and sa her de""ing intent"y on so&e !articu"ar

!assages% Jane reco""ected herse"f soon, and !utting the "etter aay, tried to join ith her usua" cheerfu"ness in the genera"con$ersationF but E"iIabeth fe"t an an/iety on the subject hichdre off her attention e$en fro& ickha&F and no sooner hadhe and his co&!anion taken "ea$e, than a g"ance fro& Janein$ited her to fo""o her u!stairs% hen they had gained their on roo&, Jane, taking out the "etter, said7

This is fro& aro"ine Bing"eyF hat it contains has sur!rised &ea good dea"% The ho"e !arty ha$e "eft Cetherfie"d by this ti&e,and are on their ay to tonHHand ithout any intention of co&ing

back again% *ou sha"" hear hat she says%

2he then read the first sentence a"oud, hich co&!rised theinfor&ation of their ha$ing just reso"$ed to fo""o their brother to ton direct"y, and of their &eaning to dine in Gros$enor 2treet, here =r% 1urst had a house% The ne/t as in theseords7 do not !retend to regret anything sha"" "ea$e in1ertfordshire, e/ce!t your society, &y dearest friendF but ei"" ho!e, at so&e future !eriod, to enjoy &any returns of thatde"ightfu" intercourse e ha$e knon, and in the &eanhi"e &ay"essen the !ain of se!aration by a $ery freuent and &ost

unreser$ed corres!ondence% de!end on you for that% Tothese highf"on e/!ressions E"iIabeth "istened ith a"" the



insensibi"ity of distrustF and though the suddenness of their re&o$a" sur!rised her, she sa nothing in it rea""y to "a&entFit as not to be su!!osed that their absence fro& Cetherfie"dou"d !re$ent =r% Bing"eyKs being thereF and as to the "oss of their society, she as !ersuaded that Jane &ust cease to regard

it, in the enjoy&ent of his%

t is un"ucky, said she, after a short !ause, that you shou"dnot be ab"e to see your friends before they "ea$e the country%But &ay e not ho!e that the !eriod of future ha!!iness tohich =iss Bing"ey "ooks forard &ay arri$e ear"ier than she isaare, and that the de"ightfu" intercourse you ha$e knon asfriends i"" be reneed ith yet greater satisfaction as sisters=r% Bing"ey i"" not be detained in @ondon by the&%

aro"ine decided"y says that none of the !arty i"" return into

1ertfordshire this inter% i"" read it to you7

hen &y brother "eft us yesterday, he i&agined that the business hich took hi& to @ondon &ight be conc"uded in threeor four daysF but as e are certain it cannot be so, and at thesa&e ti&e con$inced that hen har"es gets to ton he i"" bein no hurry to "ea$e it again, e ha$e deter&ined on fo""oinghi& thither, that he &ay not be ob"iged to s!end his $acant hoursin a co&fort"ess hote"% =any of &y acuaintances are a"readythere for the interF ish that cou"d hear that you, &y dearestfriend, had any intention of &aking one of the crodHHbut of that des!air% sincere"y ho!e your hrist&as in 1ertfordshire&ay abound in the gaieties hich that season genera""y brings,and that your beau/ i"" be so nu&erous as to !re$ent your fee"ing the "oss of the three of ho& e sha"" de!ri$e you%

t is e$ident by this, added Jane, that he co&es back no &orethis inter%

t is on"y e$ident that =iss Bing"ey does not &ean that he shou"d%

hy i"" you think so t &ust be his on doing% 1e is hison &aster% But you do not kno a""% i"" read you the

!assage hich !articu"ar"y hurts &e% i"" ha$e no reser$esfro& you%

=r% 'arcy is i&!atient to see his sisterF and, to confess thetruth, e are scarce"y "ess eager to &eet her again% rea""y donot think Georgiana 'arcy has her eua" for beauty, e"egance,and acco&!"ish&entsF and the affection she ins!ires in @ouisaand &yse"f is heightened into so&ething sti"" &ore interesting,

fro& the ho!e e dare entertain of her being hereafter our sister% do not kno hether e$er before &entioned to you



decei$ing anyoneF and a"" that can ho!e in this case is thatshe is decei$ing herse"f%

That is right% *ou cou"d not ha$e started a &ore ha!!y idea,since you i"" not take co&fort in &ine% Be"ie$e her to be

decei$ed, by a"" &eans% *ou ha$e no done your duty by her,and &ust fret no "onger%

But, &y dear sister, can be ha!!y, e$en su!!osing the best, inacce!ting a &an hose sisters and friends are a"" ishing hi& to&arry e"sehere

*ou &ust decide for yourse"f, said E"iIabethF and if, u!on&ature de"iberation, you find that the &isery of disob"iging histo sisters is &ore than eui$a"ent to the ha!!iness of being hisife, ad$ise you by a"" &eans to refuse hi&%

1o can you ta"k so said Jane, faint"y s&i"ing% *ou &ustkno that though shou"d be e/ceeding"y grie$ed at their disa!!robation, cou"d not hesitate%

did not think you ou"dF and that being the case, cannotconsider your situation ith &uch co&!assion%

But if he returns no &ore this inter, &y choice i"" ne$er bereuired% A thousand things &ay arise in si/ &onths6

The idea of his returning no &ore E"iIabeth treated ith theut&ost conte&!t% t a!!eared to her &ere"y the suggestion of aro"ineKs interested ishes, and she cou"d not for a &o&entsu!!ose that those ishes, hoe$er o!en"y or artfu""y s!oken,cou"d inf"uence a young &an so tota""y inde!endent of e$eryone%

2he re!resented to her sister as forcib"y as !ossib"e hat shefe"t on the subject, and had soon the !"easure of seeing itsha!!y effect% JaneKs te&!er as not des!onding, and she asgradua""y "ed to ho!e, though the diffidence of affection

so&eti&es o$erca&e the ho!e, that Bing"ey ou"d return to Cetherfie"d and anser e$ery ish of her heart%

They agreed that =rs% Bennet shou"d on"y hear of the de!artureof the fa&i"y, ithout being a"ar&ed on the score of thegent"e&anKs conductF but e$en this !artia" co&&unication ga$eher a great dea" of concern, and she beai"ed it as e/ceeding"yun"ucky that the "adies shou"d ha!!en to go aay just as theyere a"" getting so inti&ate together% After "a&enting it,hoe$er, at so&e "ength, she had the conso"ation that =r%Bing"ey ou"d be soon don again and soon dining at @ongbourn,

and the conc"usion of a"" as the co&fortab"e dec"aration,that though he had been in$ited on"y to a fa&i"y dinner, she



ou"d take care to ha$e to fu"" courses%

ha!ter ;;

The Bennets ere engaged to dine ith the @ucases and againduring the chief of the day as =iss @ucas so kind as to "istento =r% o""ins% E"iIabeth took an o!!ortunity of thanking her%t kee!s hi& in good hu&our, said she, and a& &ore ob"igedto you than can e/!ress% har"otte assured her friend of her satisfaction in being usefu", and that it a&!"y re!aid her for the "itt"e sacrifice of her ti&e% This as $ery a&iab"e,

but har"otteKs kindness e/tended farther than E"iIabeth hadany conce!tion ofF its object as nothing e"se than to secure

her fro& any return of =r% o""insKs addresses, by engagingthe& toards herse"f% 2uch as =iss @ucasKs sche&eF anda!!earances ere so fa$ourab"e, that hen they !arted at night,she ou"d ha$e fe"t a"&ost secure of success if he had not beento "ea$e 1ertfordshire so $ery soon% But here she did injusticeto the fire and inde!endence of his character, for it "edhi& to esca!e out of @ongbourn 1ouse the ne/t &orning ithad&irab"e s"yness, and hasten to @ucas @odge to thro hi&se"f at her feet% 1e as an/ious to a$oid the notice of his cousins,fro& a con$iction that if they sa hi& de!art, they cou"d notfai" to conjecture his design, and he as not i""ing to ha$ethe atte&!t knon ti"" its success &ight be knon "ikeiseF for though fee"ing a"&ost secure, and ith reason, for har"otte had

been to"erab"y encouraging, he as co&!arati$e"y diffident sincethe ad$enture of ednesday% 1is rece!tion, hoe$er, as of the &ost f"attering kind% =iss @ucas !ercei$ed hi& fro& anu!!er indo as he a"ked toards the house, and instant"y setout to &eet hi& accidenta""y in the "ane% But "itt"e had shedared to ho!e that so &uch "o$e and e"ouence aaited her there%

n as short a ti&e as =r% o""insKs "ong s!eeches ou"d a""o,

e$erything as sett"ed beteen the& to the satisfaction of bothFand as they entered the house he earnest"y entreated her to na&ethe day that as to &ake hi& the ha!!iest of &enF and thoughsuch a so"icitation &ust be ai$ed for the !resent, the "ady fe"tno inc"ination to trif"e ith his ha!!iness% The stu!idity ithhich he as fa$oured by nature &ust guard his courtshi! fro&any char& that cou"d &ake a o&an ish for its continuanceFand =iss @ucas, ho acce!ted hi& so"e"y fro& the !ure anddisinterested desire of an estab"ish&ent, cared not ho soonthat estab"ish&ent ere gained%

2ir i""ia& and @ady @ucas ere s!eedi"y a!!"ied to for their consentF and it as bestoed ith a &ost joyfu" a"acrity% =r%



o""insKs !resent circu&stances &ade it a &ost e"igib"e &atch for their daughter, to ho& they cou"d gi$e "itt"e fortuneF and his

!ros!ects of future ea"th ere e/ceeding"y fair% @ady @ucas began direct"y to ca"cu"ate, ith &ore interest than the&atter had e$er e/cited before, ho &any years "onger =r%

Bennet as "ike"y to "i$eF and 2ir i""ia& ga$e it as his decidedo!inion, that hene$er =r% o""ins shou"d be in !ossession of the@ongbourn estate, it ou"d be high"y e/!edient that both he andhis ife shou"d &ake their a!!earance at 2t% Ja&esKs% The ho"efa&i"y, in short, ere !ro!er"y o$erjoyed on the occasion%The younger gir"s for&ed ho!es of co&ing out a year or tosooner than they &ight otherise ha$e doneF and the boys erere"ie$ed fro& their a!!rehension of har"otteKs dying an o"d&aid% har"otte herse"f as to"erab"y co&!osed% 2he hadgained her !oint, and had ti&e to consider of it% 1er ref"ectionsere in genera" satisfactory% =r% o""ins, to be sure, as

neither sensib"e nor agreeab"eF his society as irkso&e, and hisattach&ent to her &ust be i&aginary% But sti"" he ou"d be her husband% ithout thinking high"y either of &en or &atri&ony,&arriage had a"ays been her objectF it as the on"y !ro$isionfor e""Heducated young o&en of s&a"" fortune, and hoe$er uncertain of gi$ing ha!!iness, &ust be their !"easantest

!reser$ati$e fro& ant% This !reser$ati$e she had noobtainedF and at the age of tentyHse$en, ithout ha$ing e$er

been handso&e, she fe"t a"" the good "uck of it% The "eastagreeab"e circu&stance in the business as the sur!rise it &ustoccasion to E"iIabeth Bennet, hose friendshi! she $a"ued

beyond that of any other !erson% E"iIabeth ou"d onder, and !robab"y ou"d b"a&e herF and though her reso"ution as not to be shaken, her fee"ings &ust be hurt by such a disa!!robation%2he reso"$ed to gi$e her the infor&ation herse"f, and thereforecharged =r% o""ins, hen he returned to @ongbourn to dinner,to dro! no hint of hat had !assed before any of the fa&i"y% A

!ro&ise of secrecy as of course $ery dutifu""y gi$en, but itcou"d not be ke!t ithout difficu"tyF for the curiosity e/cited

by his "ong absence burst forth in such $ery direct uestions onhis return as reuired so&e ingenuity to e$ade, and he as at the

sa&e ti&e e/ercising great se"fHdenia", for he as "onging to !ub"ish his !ros!erous "o$e%

As he as to begin his journey too ear"y on the &orro to seeany of the fa&i"y, the cere&ony of "ea$eHtaking as !erfor&edhen the "adies &o$ed for the nightF and =rs% Bennet, ithgreat !o"iteness and cordia"ity, said ho ha!!y they shou"d beto see hi& at @ongbourn again, hene$er his engage&ents &ighta""o hi& to $isit the&%

=y dear &ada&, he re!"ied, this in$itation is !articu"ar"y

gratifying, because it is hat ha$e been ho!ing to recei$eF andyou &ay be $ery certain that sha"" a$ai" &yse"f of it as soon



as !ossib"e%

They ere a"" astonishedF and =r% Bennet, ho cou"d by no&eans ish for so s!eedy a return, i&&ediate"y said7

But is there not danger of @ady atherineKs disa!!robationhere, &y good sir *ou had better neg"ect your re"ations thanrun the risk of offending your !atroness%

=y dear sir, re!"ied =r% o""ins, a& !articu"ar"y ob"igedto you for this friend"y caution, and you &ay de!end u!on &y nottaking so &ateria" a ste! ithout her "adyshi!Ks concurrence%

*ou cannot be too &uch u!on your guard% 0isk anythingrather than her dis!"easureF and if you find it "ike"y to be raised

by your co&ing to us again, hich shou"d think e/ceeding"y

!robab"e, stay uiet"y at ho&e, and be satisfied that e sha""take no offence%

Be"ie$e &e, &y dear sir, &y gratitude is ar&"y e/cited bysuch affectionate attentionF and de!end u!on it, you i"" s!eedi"yrecei$e fro& &e a "etter of thanks for this, and for e$ery other &ark of your regard during &y stay in 1ertfordshire% As for &yfair cousins, though &y absence &ay not be "ong enough torender it necessary, sha"" no take the "iberty of ishing the&hea"th and ha!!iness, not e/ce!ting &y cousin E"iIabeth%

ith !ro!er ci$i"ities the "adies then ithdreF a"" of the&eua""y sur!rised that he &editated a uick return% =rs% Bennetished to understand by it that he thought of !aying hisaddresses to one of her younger gir"s, and =ary &ight ha$e been

!re$ai"ed on to acce!t hi&% 2he rated his abi"ities &uch higher than any of the othersF there as a so"idity in his ref"ectionshich often struck her, and though by no &eans so c"e$er asherse"f, she thought that if encouraged to read and i&!ro$ehi&se"f by such an e/a&!"e as hers, he &ight beco&e a $eryagreeab"e co&!anion% But on the fo""oing &orning, e$ery

ho!e of this kind as done aay% =iss @ucas ca""ed soon after breakfast, and in a !ri$ate conference ith E"iIabeth re"ated thee$ent of the day before%

The !ossibi"ity of =r% o""insKs fancying hi&se"f in "o$e ith her friend had once occurred to E"iIabeth ithin the "ast day or toF

but that har"otte cou"d encourage hi& see&ed a"&ost as far fro& !ossibi"ity as she cou"d encourage hi& herse"f, and her astonish&ent as conseuent"y so great as to o$erco&e at firstthe bounds of decoru&, and she cou"d not he"! crying out7

Engaged to =r% o""ins6 =y dear har"otteHHi&!ossib"e6



The steady countenance hich =iss @ucas had co&&anded inte""ing her story, ga$e ay to a &o&entary confusion here onrecei$ing so direct a re!roachF though, as it as no &ore thanshe e/!ected, she soon regained her co&!osure, and ca"&"yre!"ied7

hy shou"d you be sur!rised, &y dear E"iIa 'o you think itincredib"e that =r% o""ins shou"d be ab"e to !rocure anyo&anKs good o!inion, because he as not so ha!!y as tosucceed ith you

But E"iIabeth had no reco""ected herse"f, and &aking a strongeffort for it, as ab"e to assure ith to"erab"e fir&ness that the

!ros!ect of their re"ationshi! as high"y gratefu" to her, andthat she ished her a"" i&aginab"e ha!!iness%

see hat you are fee"ing, re!"ied har"otte% *ou &ust besur!rised, $ery &uch sur!risedHHso "ate"y as =r% o""ins asishing to &arry you% But hen you ha$e had ti&e to think ito$er, ho!e you i"" be satisfied ith hat ha$e done% a&not ro&antic, you knoF ne$er as% ask on"y a co&fortab"eho&eF and considering =r% o""insKs character, connection, andsituation in "ife, a& con$inced that &y chance of ha!!inessith hi& is as fair as &ost !eo!"e can boast on entering the&arriage state%

E"iIabeth uiet"y ansered ndoubted"yF and after anakard !ause, they returned to the rest of the fa&i"y%har"otte did not stay &uch "onger, and E"iIabeth as then "eftto ref"ect on hat she had heard% t as a "ong ti&e before she

beca&e at a"" reconci"ed to the idea of so unsuitab"e a &atch%The strangeness of =r% o""insKs &aking to offers of &arriageithin three days as nothing in co&!arison of his being noacce!ted% 2he had a"ays fe"t that har"otteKs o!inion of &atri&ony as not e/act"y "ike her on, but she had notsu!!osed it to be !ossib"e that, hen ca""ed into action, sheou"d ha$e sacrificed e$ery better fee"ing to or"d"y ad$antage%

har"otte the ife of =r% o""ins as a &ost hu&i"iating !icture6And to the !ang of a friend disgracing herse"f and sunk in her estee&, as added the distressing con$iction that it asi&!ossib"e for that friend to be to"erab"y ha!!y in the "otshe had chosen%

ha!ter ;9

E"iIabeth as sitting ith her &other and sisters, ref"ecting onhat she had heard, and doubting hether she as authorised to



&ention it, hen 2ir i""ia& @ucas hi&se"f a!!eared, sent by hisdaughter, to announce her engage&ent to the fa&i"y% ith &anyco&!"i&ents to the&, and &uch se"fHgratu"ation on the !ros!ectof a connection beteen the houses, he unfo"ded the &atterHHtoan audience not &ere"y ondering, but incredu"ousF for =rs%

Bennet, ith &ore !erse$erance than !o"iteness, !rotested he&ust be entire"y &istakenF and @ydia, a"ays unguarded andoften unci$i", boisterous"y e/c"ai&ed7

Good @ord6 2ir i""ia&, ho can you te"" such a story 'o notyou kno that =r% o""ins ants to &arry @iIIy

Cothing "ess than the co&!"aisance of a courtier cou"d ha$e borne ithout anger such treat&entF but 2ir i""ia&Ks good breeding carried hi& through it a""F and though he begged "ea$eto be !ositi$e as to the truth of his infor&ation, he "istened

to a"" their i&!ertinence ith the &ost forbearing courtesy%

E"iIabeth, fee"ing it incu&bent on her to re"ie$e hi& fro& soun!"easant a situation, no !ut herse"f forard to confir& hisaccount, by &entioning her !rior kno"edge of it fro& har"otteherse"fF and endea$oured to !ut a sto! to the e/c"a&ations of her &other and sisters by the earnestness of her congratu"ations to2ir i""ia&, in hich she as readi"y joined by Jane, and by&aking a $ariety of re&arks on the ha!!iness that &ight bee/!ected fro& the &atch, the e/ce""ent character of =r% o""ins,and the con$enient distance of 1unsford fro& @ondon%

=rs% Bennet as in fact too &uch o$er!oered to say a greatdea" hi"e 2ir i""ia& re&ainedF but no sooner had he "eft the&than her fee"ings found a ra!id $ent% n the first !"ace, she

!ersisted in disbe"ie$ing the ho"e of the &atterF second"y, sheas $ery sure that =r% o""ins had been taken inF third"y, shetrusted that they ou"d ne$er be ha!!y togetherF and fourth"y,that the &atch &ight be broken off% To inferences, hoe$er,ere !"ain"y deduced fro& the ho"e7 one, that E"iIabeth asthe rea" cause of the &ischiefF and the other that she herse"f had

been barbarous"y &isused by the& a""F and on these to !ointsshe !rinci!a""y de"t during the rest of the day% Cothing cou"dconso"e and nothing cou"d a!!ease her% Cor did that day ear out her resent&ent% A eek e"a!sed before she cou"d seeE"iIabeth ithout sco"ding her, a &onth !assed aay before shecou"d s!eak to 2ir i""ia& or @ady @ucas ithout being rude,and &any &onths ere gone before she cou"d at a"" forgi$e their daughter%

=r% BennetKs e&otions ere &uch &ore tranui" on the occasion,and such as he did e/!erience he !ronounced to be of a &ost

agreeab"e sortF for it gratified hi&, he said, to disco$er thathar"otte @ucas, ho& he had been used to think to"erab"y



sensib"e, as as foo"ish as his ife, and &ore foo"ish than hisdaughter6

Jane confessed herse"f a "itt"e sur!rised at the &atchF but shesaid "ess of her astonish&ent than of her earnest desire for their

ha!!inessF nor cou"d E"iIabeth !ersuade her to consider it asi&!robab"e% Ditty and @ydia ere far fro& en$ying =iss @ucas,for =r% o""ins as on"y a c"ergy&anF and it affected the& in noother ay than as a !iece of nes to s!read at =eryton%

@ady @ucas cou"d not be insensib"e of triu&!h on being ab"e toretort on =rs% Bennet the co&fort of ha$ing a daughter e""&arriedF and she ca""ed at @ongbourn rather oftener than usua"to say ho ha!!y she as, though =rs% BennetKs sour "ooks andi""Hnatured re&arks &ight ha$e been enough to dri$e ha!!inessaay%

Beteen E"iIabeth and har"otte there as a restraint hichke!t the& &utua""y si"ent on the subjectF and E"iIabeth fe"t

!ersuaded that no rea" confidence cou"d e$er subsist beteenthe& again% 1er disa!!oint&ent in har"otte &ade her turn ithfonder regard to her sister, of hose rectitude and de"icacyshe as sure her o!inion cou"d ne$er be shaken, and for hoseha!!iness she gre dai"y &ore an/ious, as Bing"ey had no beengone a eek and nothing &ore as heard of his return%

Jane had sent aro"ine an ear"y anser to her "etter, and ascounting the days ti"" she &ight reasonab"y ho!e to hear again%The !ro&ised "etter of thanks fro& =r% o""ins arri$ed onTuesday, addressed to their father, and ritten ith a"" theso"e&nity of gratitude hich a te"$e&onthKs abode in thefa&i"y &ight ha$e !ro&!ted% After discharging his conscienceon that head, he !roceeded to infor& the&, ith &any ra!turouse/!ressions, of his ha!!iness in ha$ing obtained the affection of their a&iab"e neighbour, =iss @ucas, and then e/!"ained that itas &ere"y ith the $ie of enjoying her society that he had

been so ready to c"ose ith their kind ish of seeing hi& again

at @ongbourn, hither he ho!ed to be ab"e to return on =ondayfortnightF for @ady atherine, he added, so hearti"y a!!ro$edhis &arriage, that she ished it to take !"ace as soon as !ossib"e,hich he trusted ou"d be an unanserab"e argu&ent ith hisa&iab"e har"otte to na&e an ear"y day for &aking hi& theha!!iest of &en%

=r% o""insKs return into 1ertfordshire as no "onger a &atter of !"easure to =rs% Bennet% n the contrary, she as as &uchdis!osed to co&!"ain of it as her husband% t as $ery strangethat he shou"d co&e to @ongbourn instead of to @ucas @odgeF it

as a"so $ery incon$enient and e/ceeding"y troub"eso&e% 2hehated ha$ing $isitors in the house hi"e her hea"th as so



indifferent, and "o$ers ere of a"" !eo!"e the &ost disagreeab"e%2uch ere the gent"e &ur&urs of =rs% Bennet, and they ga$e ayon"y to the greater distress of =r% Bing"eyKs continued absence%

Ceither Jane nor E"iIabeth ere co&fortab"e on this subject%

'ay after day !assed aay ithout bringing any other tidings of hi& than the re!ort hich short"y !re$ai"ed in =eryton of hisco&ing no &ore to Cetherfie"d the ho"e interF a re!ort hichhigh"y incensed =rs% Bennet, and hich she ne$er fai"ed tocontradict as a &ost scanda"ous fa"sehood%

E$en E"iIabeth began to fearHHnot that Bing"ey as indifferentHHbutthat his sisters ou"d be successfu" in kee!ing hi& aay%ni""ing as she as to ad&it an idea so destructi$e of JaneKsha!!iness, and so dishonorab"e to the stabi"ity of her "o$er, shecou"d not !re$ent its freuent"y occurring% The united efforts of

his to unfee"ing sisters and of his o$er!oering friend, assisted by the attractions of =iss 'arcy and the a&use&ents of @ondon&ight be too &uch, she feared, for the strength of his attach&ent%

As for Jane, her an/iety under this sus!ense as, of course,&ore !ainfu" than E"iIabethKs, but hate$er she fe"t she asdesirous of concea"ing, and beteen herse"f and E"iIabeth,therefore, the subject as ne$er a""uded to% But as no suchde"icacy restrained her &other, an hour se"do& !assed in hichshe did not ta"k of Bing"ey, e/!ress her i&!atience for his arri$a",or e$en reuire Jane to confess that if he did not co&e back sheou"d think herse"f $ery i"" used% t needed a"" JaneKs steady&i"dness to bear these attacks ith to"erab"e tranui""ity%

=r% o""ins returned &ost !unctua""y on =onday fortnight, buthis rece!tion at @ongbourn as not uite so gracious as it had

been on his first introduction% 1e as too ha!!y, hoe$er, toneed &uch attentionF and "ucki"y for the others, the businessof "o$eH&aking re"ie$ed the& fro& a great dea" of his co&!any%The chief of e$ery day as s!ent by hi& at @ucas @odge, and heso&eti&es returned to @ongbourn on"y in ti&e to &ake an

a!o"ogy for his absence before the fa&i"y ent to bed%

=rs% Bennet as rea""y in a &ost !itiab"e state% The $ery&ention of anything concerning the &atch thre her into anagony of i""Hhu&our, and here$er she ent she as sure of hearing it ta"ked of% The sight of =iss @ucas as odious toher% As her successor in that house, she regarded her ith

jea"ous abhorrence% hene$er har"otte ca&e to see the&,she conc"uded her to be antici!ating the hour of !ossessionFand hene$er she s!oke in a "o $oice to =r% o""ins, ascon$inced that they ere ta"king of the @ongbourn estate, and

reso"$ing to turn herse"f and her daughters out of the house,as soon as =r% Bennet ere dead% 2he co&!"ained bitter"y of



a"" this to her husband%

ndeed, =r% Bennet, said she, it is $ery hard to think thathar"otte @ucas shou"d e$er be &istress of this house, that shou"d be forced to &ake ay for her, and "i$e to see her take

her !"ace in it6

=y dear, do not gi$e ay to such g"oo&y thoughts% @et usho!e for better things% @et us f"atter ourse"$es that &ay bethe sur$i$or%

This as not $ery conso"ing to =rs% Bennet, and therefore, insteadof &aking any anser, she ent on as before%

cannot bear to think that they shou"d ha$e a"" this estate%f it as not for the entai", shou"d not &ind it%

hat shou"d not you &ind

shou"d not &ind anything at a""%

@et us be thankfu" that you are !reser$ed fro& a state of suchinsensibi"ity%

ne$er can be thankfu", =r% Bennet, for anything about theentai"% 1o anyone cou"d ha$e the conscience to entai" aay anestate fro& oneKs on daughters, cannot understandF and a""for the sake of =r% o""ins too6 hy shou"d he ha$e it &orethan anybody e"se

"ea$e it to yourse"f to deter&ine, said =r% Bennet%

ha!ter ;:

=iss Bing"eyKs "etter arri$ed, and !ut an end to doubt% The $eryfirst sentence con$eyed the assurance of their being a"" sett"edin @ondon for the inter, and conc"uded ith her brotherKs regretat not ha$ing had ti&e to !ay his res!ects to his friends in1ertfordshire before he "eft the country%

1o!e as o$er, entire"y o$erF and hen Jane cou"d attend to therest of the "etter, she found "itt"e, e/ce!t the !rofessed affectionof the riter, that cou"d gi$e her any co&fort% =iss 'arcyKs

!raise occu!ied the chief of it% 1er &any attractions ere againde"t on, and aro"ine boasted joyfu""y of their increasing

inti&acy, and $entured to !redict the acco&!"ish&ent of theishes hich had been unfo"ded in her for&er "etter% 2he rote



a"so ith great !"easure of her brotherKs being an in&ate of =r%'arcyKs house, and &entioned ith ra!tures so&e !"ans of the"atter ith regard to ne furniture%

E"iIabeth, to ho& Jane $ery soon co&&unicated the chief of

a"" this, heard it in si"ent indignation% 1er heart as di$ided beteen concern for her sister, and resent&ent against a"" others%To aro"ineKs assertion of her brotherKs being !artia" to =iss'arcy she !aid no credit% That he as rea""y fond of Jane, shedoubted no &ore than she had e$er doneF and &uch as she hada"ays been dis!osed to "ike hi&, she cou"d not think ithoutanger, hard"y ithout conte&!t, on that easiness of te&!er, thatant of !ro!er reso"ution, hich no &ade hi& the s"a$e of hisdesigning friends, and "ed hi& to sacrifice of his on ha!!inessto the ca!rice of their inc"ination% 1ad his on ha!!iness,hoe$er, been the on"y sacrifice, he &ight ha$e been a""oed to

s!ort ith it in hate$er &anner he thought best, but her sisterKsas in$o"$ed in it, as she thought he &ust be sensib"e hi&se"f%t as a subject, in short, on hich ref"ection ou"d be "ongindu"ged, and &ust be una$ai"ing% 2he cou"d think of nothinge"seF and yet hether Bing"eyKs regard had rea""y died aay, or ere su!!ressed by his friendsK interferenceF hether he had

been aare of JaneKs attach&ent, or hether it had esca!ed hisobser$ationF hate$er ere the case, though her o!inion of hi&&ust be &ateria""y affected by the difference, her sisterKssituation re&ained the sa&e, her !eace eua""y ounded%

A day or to !assed before Jane had courage to s!eak of her fee"ings to E"iIabethF but at "ast, on =rs% BennetKs "ea$ing the&together, after a "onger irritation than usua" about Cetherfie"dand its &aster, she cou"d not he"! saying7

h, that &y dear &other had &ore co&&and o$er herse"f6 2hecan ha$e no idea of the !ain she gi$es &e by her continua"ref"ections on hi&% But i"" not re!ine% t cannot "ast "ong%1e i"" be forgot, and e sha"" a"" be as e ere before%

E"iIabeth "ooked at her sister ith incredu"ous so"icitude, butsaid nothing%

*ou doubt &e, cried Jane, s"ight"y co"ouringF indeed, youha$e no reason% 1e &ay "i$e in &y &e&ory as the &ost a&iab"e&an of &y acuaintance, but that is a""% ha$e nothing either to ho!e or fear, and nothing to re!roach hi& ith% Thank God6 ha$e not that !ain% A "itt"e ti&e, thereforeHH sha"" certain"ytry to get the better%

ith a stronger $oice she soon added, ha$e this co&fort

i&&ediate"y, that it has not been &ore than an error of fancy on&y side, and that it has done no har& to anyone but &yse"f%



=y dear Jane6 e/c"ai&ed E"iIabeth, you are too good% *our seetness and disinterestedness are rea""y ange"icF do not knohat to say to you% fee" as if had ne$er done you justice, or "o$ed you as you deser$e%

=iss Bennet eager"y disc"ai&ed a"" e/traordinary &erit, andthre back the !raise on her sisterKs ar& affection%

Cay, said E"iIabeth, this is not fair% *ou ish to think a""the or"d res!ectab"e, and are hurt if s!eak i"" of anybody% on"y ant to think you !erfect, and you set yourse"f against it%'o not be afraid of &y running into any e/cess, of &y encroachingon your !ri$i"ege of uni$ersa" goodHi""% *ou need not% Thereare fe !eo!"e ho& rea""y "o$e, and sti"" feer of ho& think e""% The &ore see of the or"d, the &ore a& dissatisfied

ith itF and e$ery day confir&s &y be"ief of the inconsistency of a"" hu&an characters, and of the "itt"e de!endence that can be

!"aced on the a!!earance of &erit or sense% ha$e &et ith toinstances "ate"y, one i"" not &entionF the other is har"otteKs&arriage% t is unaccountab"e6 n e$ery $ie it is unaccountab"e6

=y dear @iIIy, do not gi$e ay to such fee"ings as these% Theyi"" ruin your ha!!iness% *ou do not &ake a""oance enoughfor difference of situation and te&!er% onsider =r% o""insKsres!ectabi"ity, and har"otteKs steady, !rudent character%0e&e&ber that she is one of a "arge fa&i"yF that as to fortune,it is a &ost e"igib"e &atchF and be ready to be"ie$e, for e$erybodyKs sake, that she &ay fee" so&ething "ike regard andestee& for our cousin%

To ob"ige you, ou"d try to be"ie$e a"&ost anything, but noone e"se cou"d be benefited by such a be"ief as thisF for ere

!ersuaded that har"otte had any regard for hi&, shou"d on"ythink orse of her understanding than no do of her heart%=y dear Jane, =r% o""ins is a conceited, !o&!ous, narroH&inded,si""y &anF you kno he is, as e"" as doF and you &ust fee",

as e"" as do, that the o&an ho &arried hi& cannot ha$e a !ro!er ay of thinking% *ou sha"" not defend her, though it ishar"otte @ucas% *ou sha"" not, for the sake of one indi$idua",change the &eaning of !rinci!"e and integrity, nor endea$our to

!ersuade yourse"f or &e, that se"fishness is !rudence, andinsensibi"ity of danger security for ha!!iness%

&ust think your "anguage too strong in s!eaking of both,re!"ied JaneF and ho!e you i"" be con$inced of it by seeingthe& ha!!y together% But enough of this% *ou a""uded toso&ething e"se% *ou &entioned to instances% cannot

&isunderstand you, but entreat you, dear @iIIy, not to !ain&e by thinking that !erson to b"a&e, and saying your o!inion



of hi& is sunk% e &ust not be so ready to fancy ourse"$esintentiona""y injured% e &ust not e/!ect a "i$e"y young &an to

be a"ays so guarded and circu&s!ect% t is $ery often nothing but our on $anity that decei$es us% o&en fancy ad&iration&eans &ore than it does%

And &en take care that they shou"d%

f it is designed"y done, they cannot be justifiedF but ha$e noidea of there being so &uch design in the or"d as so&e !ersonsi&agine%

a& far fro& attributing any !art of =r% Bing"eyKs conduct todesign, said E"iIabethF but ithout sche&ing to do rong, or to &ake others unha!!y, there &ay be error, and there &ay be&isery% Thought"essness, ant of attention to other !eo!"eKs

fee"ings, and ant of reso"ution, i"" do the business%

And do you i&!ute it to either of those

*esF to the "ast% But if go on, sha"" dis!"ease you by sayinghat think of !ersons you estee&% 2to! &e hi"st you can%

*ou !ersist, then, in su!!osing his sisters inf"uence hi&

*es, in conjunction ith his friend%

cannot be"ie$e it% hy shou"d they try to inf"uence hi&They can on"y ish his ha!!inessF and if he is attached to &e,no other o&an can secure it%

*our first !osition is fa"se% They &ay ish &any things besideshis ha!!inessF they &ay ish his increase of ea"th andconseuenceF they &ay ish hi& to &arry a gir" ho has a"" thei&!ortance of &oney, great connections, and !ride%

Beyond a doubt, they do ish hi& to choose =iss 'arcy,

re!"ied JaneF but this &ay be fro& better fee"ings than you aresu!!osing% They ha$e knon her &uch "onger than they ha$eknon &eF no onder if they "o$e her better% But, hate$er &ay be their on ishes, it is $ery un"ike"y they shou"d ha$eo!!osed their brotherKs% hat sister ou"d think herse"f at"iberty to do it, un"ess there ere so&ething $ery objectionab"ef they be"ie$ed hi& attached to &e, they ou"d not try to !artusF if he ere so, they cou"d not succeed% By su!!osing suchan affection, you &ake e$erybody acting unnatura""y and rong,and &e &ost unha!!y% 'o not distress &e by the idea% a& notasha&ed of ha$ing been &istakenHHor, at "east, it is "ight, it

is nothing in co&!arison of hat shou"d fee" in thinking i""of hi& or his sisters% @et &e take it in the best "ight, in



the "ight in hich it &ay be understood%

E"iIabeth cou"d not o!!ose such a ishF and fro& this ti&e=r% Bing"eyKs na&e as scarce"y e$er &entioned beteen the&%

=rs% Bennet sti"" continued to onder and re!ine at his returningno &ore, and though a day se"do& !assed in hich E"iIabeth didnot account for it c"ear"y, there as "itt"e chance of her e$er considering it ith "ess !er!"e/ity% 1er daughter endea$ouredto con$ince her of hat she did not be"ie$e herse"f, that hisattentions to Jane had been &ere"y the effect of a co&&on andtransient "iking, hich ceased hen he sa her no &oreF butthough the !robabi"ity of the state&ent as ad&itted at the ti&e,she had the sa&e story to re!eat e$ery day% =rs% BennetKs bestco&fort as that =r% Bing"ey &ust be don again in thesu&&er%

=r% Bennet treated the &atter different"y% 2o, @iIIy, said heone day, your sister is crossed in "o$e, find% congratu"ateher% Ce/t to being &arried, a gir" "ikes to be crossed a "itt"e in"o$e no and then% t is so&ething to think of, and it gi$es her asort of distinction a&ong her co&!anions% hen is your turn toco&e *ou i"" hard"y bear to be "ong outdone by Jane% Co isyour ti&e% 1ere are officers enough in =eryton to disa!!oint a""the young "adies in the country% @et ickha& be your &an% 1eis a !"easant fe""o, and ou"d ji"t you creditab"y%

Thank you, sir, but a "ess agreeab"e &an ou"d satisfy &e% e&ust not a"" e/!ect JaneKs good fortune%

True, said =r% Bennet, but it is a co&fort to think thathate$er of that kind &ay befa"" you, you ha$e an affectionate&other ho i"" &ake the &ost of it%

=r% ickha&Ks society as of &ateria" ser$ice in dis!e""ing theg"oo& hich the "ate !er$erse occurrences had thron on &anyof the @ongbourn fa&i"y% They sa hi& often, and to his other

reco&&endations as no added that of genera" unreser$e%The ho"e of hat E"iIabeth had a"ready heard, his c"ai&s on=r% 'arcy, and a"" that he had suffered fro& hi&, as noo!en"y ackno"edged and !ub"ic"y can$assedF and e$erybodyas !"eased to kno ho &uch they had a"ays dis"iked =r%'arcy before they had knon anything of the &atter%

=iss Bennet as the on"y creature ho cou"d su!!ose there &ight be any e/tenuating circu&stances in the case, unknon to thesociety of 1ertfordshireF her &i"d and steady candour a"ays

!"eaded for a""oances, and urged the !ossibi"ity of &istakesHHbut

by e$erybody e"se =r% 'arcy as conde&ned as the orst of &en%



ha!ter ;L

After a eek s!ent in !rofessions of "o$e and sche&es of fe"icity,=r% o""ins as ca""ed fro& his a&iab"e har"otte by the arri$a"of 2aturday% The !ain of se!aration, hoe$er, &ight bea""e$iated on his side, by !re!arations for the rece!tion of his

brideF as he had reason to ho!e, that short"y after his return into1ertfordshire, the day ou"d be fi/ed that as to &ake hi& theha!!iest of &en% 1e took "ea$e of his re"ations at @ongbournith as &uch so"e&nity as beforeF ished his fair cousins hea"thand ha!!iness again, and !ro&ised their father another "etter of thanks%

n the fo""oing =onday, =rs% Bennet had the !"easure of recei$ing her brother and his ife, ho ca&e as usua" to s!endthe hrist&as at @ongbourn% =r% Gardiner as a sensib"e,gent"e&an"ike &an, great"y su!erior to his sister, as e"" bynature as education% The Cetherfie"d "adies ou"d ha$e haddifficu"ty in be"ie$ing that a &an ho "i$ed by trade, and ithin$ie of his on arehouses, cou"d ha$e been so e""Hbred andagreeab"e% =rs% Gardiner, ho as se$era" years younger than=rs% Bennet and =rs% Phi""i!s, as an a&iab"e, inte""igent,e"egant o&an, and a great fa$ourite ith a"" her @ongbournnieces% Beteen the to e"dest and herse"f es!ecia""y, theresubsisted a !articu"ar regard% They had freuent"y been stayingith her in ton%

The first !art of =rs% GardinerKs business on her arri$a" as todistribute her !resents and describe the neest fashions% henthis as done she had a "ess acti$e !art to !"ay% t beca&e her turn to "isten% =rs% Bennet had &any grie$ances to re"ate, and&uch to co&!"ain of% They had a"" been $ery i""Hused since she"ast sa her sister% To of her gir"s had been u!on the !oint of &arriage, and after a"" there as nothing in it%

do not b"a&e Jane, she continued, for Jane ou"d ha$e got=r% Bing"ey if she cou"d% But @iIIy6 h, sister6 t is $ery hardto think that she &ight ha$e been =r% o""insKs ife by this ti&e,had it not been for her on !er$erseness% 1e &ade her an offer in this $ery roo&, and she refused hi&% The conseuence of it is,that @ady @ucas i"" ha$e a daughter &arried before ha$e, andthat the @ongbourn estate is just as &uch entai"ed as e$er% The@ucases are $ery artfu" !eo!"e indeed, sister% They are a"" for hat they can get% a& sorry to say it of the&, but so it is%t &akes &e $ery ner$ous and !oor"y, to be tharted so in &y on

fa&i"y, and to ha$e neighbours ho think of the&se"$es beforeanybody e"se% 1oe$er, your co&ing just at this ti&e is the



greatest of co&forts, and a& $ery g"ad to hear hat you te"" us,of "ong s"ee$es%

=rs% Gardiner, to ho& the chief of this nes had been gi$en before, in the course of Jane and E"iIabethKs corres!ondence

ith her, &ade her sister a s"ight anser, and, in co&!assion toher nieces, turned the con$ersation%

hen a"one ith E"iIabeth afterards, she s!oke &ore on thesubject% t see&s "ike"y to ha$e been a desirab"e &atch for Jane, said she% a& sorry it ent off% But these thingsha!!en so often6 A young &an, such as you describe =r% Bing"ey,so easi"y fa""s in "o$e ith a !retty gir" for a fe eeks, andhen accident se!arates the&, so easi"y forgets her, that thesesort of inconsistencies are $ery freuent%

An e/ce""ent conso"ation in its ay, said E"iIabeth, but it i""not do for us% e do not suffer by accident% t does not oftenha!!en that the interference of friends i"" !ersuade a young&an of inde!endent fortune to think no &ore of a gir" ho& heas $io"ent"y in "o$e ith on"y a fe days before%

But that e/!ression of K$io"ent"y in "o$eK is so hackneyed,so doubtfu", so indefinite, that it gi$es &e $ery "itt"e idea%t is as often a!!"ied to fee"ings hich arise fro& a ha"fHhourKsacuaintance, as to a rea", strong attach&ent% Pray, ho

$io"ent as =r% Bing"eyKs "o$e

ne$er sa a &ore !ro&ising inc"inationF he as groing uiteinattenti$e to other !eo!"e, and ho""y engrossed by her% E$eryti&e they &et, it as &ore decided and re&arkab"e% At his on

ba"" he offended to or three young "adies, by not asking the& todanceF and s!oke to hi& tice &yse"f, ithout recei$ing an anser%ou"d there be finer sy&!to&s s not genera" inci$i"ity the $eryessence of "o$e

h, yes6HHof that kind of "o$e hich su!!ose hi& to ha$e fe"t%

Poor Jane6 a& sorry for her, because, ith her dis!osition, she&ay not get o$er it i&&ediate"y% t had better ha$e ha!!ened to you, @iIIyF you ou"d ha$e "aughed yourse"f out of it sooner%But do you think she ou"d be !re$ai"ed u!on to go back ithus hange of scene &ight be of ser$iceHHand !erha!s a "itt"ere"ief fro& ho&e &ay be as usefu" as anything%

E"iIabeth as e/ceeding"y !"eased ith this !ro!osa", and fe"t !ersuaded of her sisterKs ready acuiescence%

ho!e, added =rs% Gardiner, that no consideration ith

regard to this young &an i"" inf"uence her% e "i$e in sodifferent a !art of ton, a"" our connections are so different, and,



as you e"" kno, e go out so "itt"e, that it is $ery i&!robab"ethat they shou"d &eet at a"", un"ess he rea""y co&es to see her%

And that is uite i&!ossib"eF for he is no in the custody of his friend, and =r% 'arcy ou"d no &ore suffer hi& to ca"" on

Jane in such a !art of @ondon6 =y dear aunt, ho cou"d youthink of it =r% 'arcy &ay !erha!s ha$e heard of such a

!"ace as Gracechurch 2treet, but he ou"d hard"y think a&onthKs ab"ution enough to c"eanse hi& fro& its i&!urities, erehe once to enter itF and de!end u!on it, =r% Bing"ey ne$er stirsithout hi&%

2o &uch the better% ho!e they i"" not &eet at a""% But doesnot Jane corres!ond ith his sister 2he i"" not be ab"e tohe"! ca""ing%

2he i"" dro! the acuaintance entire"y%

But in s!ite of the certainty in hich E"iIabeth affected to !"acethis !oint, as e"" as the sti"" &ore interesting one of Bing"eyKs

being ithhe"d fro& seeing Jane, she fe"t a so"icitude on thesubject hich con$inced her, on e/a&ination, that she did notconsider it entire"y ho!e"ess% t as !ossib"e, and so&eti&es shethought it !robab"e, that his affection &ight be reani&ated, andthe inf"uence of his friends successfu""y co&bated by the &orenatura" inf"uence of JaneKs attractions%

=iss Bennet acce!ted her auntKs in$itation ith !"easureF andthe Bing"eys ere no otherise in her thoughts at the sa&e ti&e,than as she ho!ed by aro"ineKs not "i$ing in the sa&e houseith her brother, she &ight occasiona""y s!end a &orning ithher, ithout any danger of seeing hi&%

The Gardiners stayed a eek at @ongbournF and hat ith thePhi""i!ses, the @ucases, and the officers, there as not a dayithout its engage&ent% =rs% Bennet had so carefu""y !ro$idedfor the entertain&ent of her brother and sister, that they did

not once sit don to a fa&i"y dinner% hen the engage&ent asfor ho&e, so&e of the officers a"ays &ade !art of itHHof hich officers =r% ickha& as sure to be oneF and on theseoccasion, =rs% Gardiner, rendered sus!icious by E"iIabethKsar& co&&endation, narro"y obser$ed the& both% ithoutsu!!osing the&, fro& hat she sa, to be $ery serious"y in "o$e,their !reference of each other as !"ain enough to &ake her a"itt"e uneasyF and she reso"$ed to s!eak to E"iIabeth on thesubject before she "eft 1ertfordshire, and re!resent to her thei&!rudence of encouraging such an attach&ent%

To =rs% Gardiner, ickha& had one &eans of affording !"easure,unconnected ith his genera" !oers% About ten or a doIen years



ago, before her &arriage, she had s!ent a considerab"e ti&e inthat $ery !art of 'erbyshire to hich he be"onged% They had,therefore, &any acuaintances in co&&onF and though ickha& had

been "itt"e there since the death of 'arcyKs father, it as yetin his !oer to gi$e her fresher inte""igence of her for&er

friends than she had been in the ay of !rocuring%

=rs% Gardiner had seen Pe&ber"ey, and knon the "ate =r% 'arcy by character !erfect"y e""% 1ere conseuent"y as anine/haustib"e subject of discourse% n co&!aring her reco""ectionof Pe&ber"ey ith the &inute descri!tion hich ickha& cou"dgi$e, and in bestoing her tribute of !raise on the character of its "ate !ossessor, she as de"ighting both hi& and herse"f% n

being &ade acuainted ith the !resent =r% 'arcyKs treat&entof hi&, she tried to re&e&ber so&e of that gent"e&anKs re!uteddis!osition hen uite a "ad hich &ight agree ith it, and as

confident at "ast that she reco""ected ha$ing heard =r%-itIi""ia& 'arcy for&er"y s!oken of as a $ery !roud, i""Hnatured

boy%

ha!ter ;?

=rs% GardinerKs caution to E"iIabeth as !unctua""y and kind"ygi$en on the first fa$ourab"e o!!ortunity of s!eaking to her a"oneF after honest"y te""ing her hat she thought, she thus enton7

*ou are too sensib"e a gir", @iIIy, to fa"" in "o$e &ere"y becauseyou are arned against itF and, therefore, a& not afraid of s!eaking o!en"y% 2erious"y, ou"d ha$e you be on your guard%'o not in$o"$e yourse"f or endea$our to in$o"$e hi& in anaffection hich the ant of fortune ou"d &ake so $eryi&!rudent% ha$e nothing to say against hi&F he is a &ostinteresting young &anF and if he had the fortune he ought to

ha$e, shou"d think you cou"d not do better% But as it is, you&ust not "et your fancy run aay ith you% *ou ha$e sense, ande a"" e/!ect you to use it% *our father ou"d de!end on

your reso"ution and good conduct, a& sure% *ou &ust notdisa!!oint your father%

=y dear aunt, this is being serious indeed%

*es, and ho!e to engage you to be serious "ikeise%

e"", then, you need not be under any a"ar&% i"" take care

of &yse"f, and of =r% ickha& too% 1e sha"" not be in "o$e ith&e, if can !re$ent it%



E"iIabeth, you are not serious no%

beg your !ardon, i"" try again% At !resent a& not in"o$e ith =r% ickha&F no, certain"y a& not% But he is, beyond

a"" co&!arison, the &ost agreeab"e &an e$er saHHand if he beco&es rea""y attached to &eHH be"ie$e it i"" be better thathe shou"d not% see the i&!rudence of it% h6 that abo&inab"e=r% 'arcy6 =y fatherKs o!inion of &e does &e the greatesthonour, and shou"d be &iserab"e to forfeit it% =y father,hoe$er, is !artia" to =r% ickha&% n short, &y dear aunt, shou"d be $ery sorry to be the &eans of &aking any of youunha!!yF but since e see e$ery day that here there isaffection, young !eo!"e are se"do& ithhe"d by i&&ediate antof fortune fro& entering into engage&ents ith each other, hocan !ro&ise to be iser than so &any of &y fe""oHcreatures

if a& te&!ted, or ho a& e$en to kno that it ou"d beisdo& to resist A"" that can !ro&ise you, therefore, is notto be in a hurry% i"" not be in a hurry to be"ie$e &yse"f hisfirst object% hen a& in co&!any ith hi&, i"" not beishing% n short, i"" do &y best%

Perha!s it i"" be as e"" if you discourage his co&ing here so$ery often% At "east, you shou"d not re&ind your &other of in$iting hi&%

As did the other day, said E"iIabeth ith a conscious s&i"e7$ery true, it i"" be ise in &e to refrain fro& that% But donot i&agine that he is a"ays here so often% t is on your account that he has been so freuent"y in$ited this eek% *oukno &y &otherKs ideas as to the necessity of constant co&!anyfor her friends% But rea""y, and u!on &y honour, i"" try to dohat think to be the isestF and no ho!e you are satisfied%

1er aunt assured her that she as, and E"iIabeth ha$ing thankedher for the kindness of her hints, they !artedF a onderfu"instance of ad$ice being gi$en on such a !oint, ithout being

resented%

=r% o""ins returned into 1ertfordshire soon after it had beenuitted by the Gardiners and JaneF but as he took u! his abodeith the @ucases, his arri$a" as no great incon$enience to =rs%Bennet% 1is &arriage as no fast a!!roaching, and she as at"ength so far resigned as to think it ine$itab"e, and e$enre!eated"y to say, in an i""Hnatured tone, that she ished they&ight be ha!!y% Thursday as to be the edding day, and onednesday =iss @ucas !aid her faree"" $isitF and hen sherose to take "ea$e, E"iIabeth, asha&ed of her &otherKs

ungracious and re"uctant good ishes, and sincere"y affectedherse"f, acco&!anied her out of the roo&% As they ent



i&!atience genera""y is% Jane had been a eek in ton ithouteither seeing or hearing fro& aro"ine% 2he accounted for it,hoe$er, by su!!osing that her "ast "etter to her friend fro&@ongbourn had by so&e accident been "ost%

=y aunt, she continued, is going toH&orro into that !art of the ton, and sha"" take the o!!ortunity of ca""ing in Gros$enor 2treet%

2he rote again hen the $isit as !aid, and she had seen =issBing"ey% did not think aro"ine in s!irits, ere her ords,but she as $ery g"ad to see &e, and re!roached &e for gi$ingher no notice of &y co&ing to @ondon% as right, therefore,&y "ast "etter had ne$er reached her% inuired after their

brother, of course% 1e as e"", but so &uch engaged ith =r%'arcy that they scarce"y e$er sa hi&% found that =iss 'arcy

as e/!ected to dinner% ish cou"d see her% =y $isit asnot "ong, as aro"ine and =rs% 1urst ere going out% dare say sha"" see the& soon here%

E"iIabeth shook her head o$er this "etter% t con$inced her thataccident on"y cou"d disco$er to =r% Bing"ey her sisterKs being inton%

-our eeks !assed aay, and Jane sa nothing of hi&% 2heendea$oured to !ersuade herse"f that she did not regret itF butshe cou"d no "onger be b"ind to =iss Bing"eyKs inattention% After aiting at ho&e e$ery &orning for a fortnight, and in$entinge$ery e$ening a fresh e/cuse for her, the $isitor did at "asta!!earF but the shortness of her stay, and yet &ore, the a"terationof her &anner ou"d a""o Jane to decei$e herse"f no "onger%The "etter hich she rote on this occasion to her sister i""

!ro$e hat she fe"t%

=y dearest @iIIy i"", a& sure, be inca!ab"e of triu&!hing inher better judge&ent, at &y e/!ense, hen confess &yse"f toha$e been entire"y decei$ed in =iss Bing"eyKs regard for &e%

But, &y dear sister, though the e$ent has !ro$ed you right, donot think &e obstinate if sti"" assert that, considering hather beha$iour as, &y confidence as as natura" as your sus!icion% do not at a"" co&!rehend her reason for ishing to be inti&ateith &eF but if the sa&e circu&stances ere to ha!!en again, a& sure shou"d be decei$ed again% aro"ine did not return &y$isit ti"" yesterdayF and not a note, not a "ine, did recei$ein the &eanti&e% hen she did co&e, it as $ery e$ident that shehad no !"easure in itF she &ade a s"ight, for&a" a!o"ogy, for notca""ing before, said not a ord of ishing to see &e again, andas in e$ery res!ect so a"tered a creature, that hen she ent

aay as !erfect"y reso"$ed to continue the acuaintance no"onger% !ity, though cannot he"! b"a&ing her% 2he as $ery



rong in sing"ing &e out as she didF can safe"y say that e$eryad$ance to inti&acy began on her side% But !ity her, becauseshe &ust fee" that she has been acting rong, and because a&$ery sure that an/iety for her brother is the cause of it% neednot e/!"ain &yse"f fartherF and though e kno this an/iety to

be uite need"ess, yet if she fee"s it, it i"" easi"y accountfor her beha$iour to &eF and so deser$ed"y dear as he is to hissister, hate$er an/iety she &ust fee" on his beha"f is natura"and a&iab"e% cannot but onder, hoe$er, at her ha$ing anysuch fears no, because, if he had at a"" cared about &e, e&ust ha$e &et, "ong ago% 1e knos of &y being in ton, a&certain, fro& so&ething she said herse"fF and yet it ou"d see&,

by her &anner of ta"king, as if she anted to !ersuade herse"f that he is rea""y !artia" to =iss 'arcy% cannot understand it%f ere not afraid of judging harsh"y, shou"d be a"&ostte&!ted to say that there is a strong a!!earance of du!"icity in

a"" this% But i"" endea$our to banish e$ery !ainfu" thought,and think on"y of hat i"" &ake &e ha!!yHHyour affection, andthe in$ariab"e kindness of &y dear unc"e and aunt% @et &e hear fro& you $ery soon% =iss Bing"ey said so&ething of his ne$er returning to Cetherfie"d again, of gi$ing u! the house, but notith any certainty% e had better not &ention it% a& e/tre&e"yg"ad that you ha$e such !"easant accounts fro& our friends at1unsford% Pray go to see the&, ith 2ir i""ia& and =aria% a&sure you i"" be $ery co&fortab"e there%HH*ours, etc%

This "etter ga$e E"iIabeth so&e !ainF but her s!irits returned asshe considered that Jane ou"d no "onger be du!ed, by the sister at "east% A"" e/!ectation fro& the brother as no abso"ute"yo$er% 2he ou"d not e$en ish for a renea" of his attentions%1is character sunk on e$ery re$ie of itF and as a !unish&ent for hi&, as e"" as a !ossib"e ad$antage to Jane, she serious"y ho!edhe &ight rea""y soon &arry =r% 'arcyKs sister, as by ickha&Ksaccount, she ou"d &ake hi& abundant"y regret hat he hadthron aay%

=rs% Gardiner about this ti&e re&inded E"iIabeth of her !ro&ise

concerning that gent"e&an, and reuired infor&ationF andE"iIabeth had such to send as &ight rather gi$e content&ent toher aunt than to herse"f% 1is a!!arent !artia"ity had subsided,his attentions ere o$er, he as the ad&irer of so&e one e"se%E"iIabeth as atchfu" enough to see it a"", but she cou"d see itand rite of it ithout &ateria" !ain% 1er heart had been buts"ight"y touched, and her $anity as satisfied ith be"ie$ing that

she ou"d ha$e been his on"y choice, had fortune !er&itted it%The sudden acuisition of ten thousand !ounds as the &ostre&arkab"e char& of the young "ady to ho& he as no renderinghi&se"f agreeab"eF but E"iIabeth, "ess c"earHsighted !erha!s in

this case than in har"otteKs, did not uarre" ith hi& for hisish of inde!endence% Cothing, on the contrary, cou"d be &ore



natura"F and hi"e ab"e to su!!ose that it cost hi& a fe strugg"esto re"inuish her, she as ready to a""o it a ise and desirab"e&easure for both, and cou"d $ery sincere"y ish hi& ha!!y%

A"" this as ackno"edged to =rs% GardinerF and after re"ating

the circu&stances, she thus ent on7 a& no con$inced, &ydear aunt, that ha$e ne$er been &uch in "o$eF for had rea""ye/!erienced that !ure and e"e$ating !assion, shou"d at !resentdetest his $ery na&e, and ish hi& a"" &anner of e$i"% But &yfee"ings are not on"y cordia" toards hi&F they are e$eni&!artia" toards =iss Ding% cannot find out that hate her ata"", or that a& in the "east uni""ing to think her a $ery goodsort of gir"% There can be no "o$e in a"" this% =y atchfu"nesshas been effectua"F and though certain"y shou"d be a &oreinteresting object to a"" &y acuaintances ere distracted"yin "o$e ith hi&, cannot say that regret &y co&!arati$e

insignificance% &!ortance &ay so&eti&es be !urchased toodear"y% Ditty and @ydia take his defection &uch &ore to heartthan do% They are young in the ays of the or"d, and notyet o!en to the &ortifying con$iction that handso&e young &en&ust ha$e so&ething to "i$e on as e"" as the !"ain%

ha!ter ;5

ith no greater e$ents than these in the @ongbourn fa&i"y, andotherise di$ersified by "itt"e beyond the a"ks to =eryton,so&eti&es dirty and so&eti&es co"d, did January and -ebruary

!ass aay% =arch as to take E"iIabeth to 1unsford% 2he hadnot at first thought $ery serious"y of going thitherF but har"otte,she soon found, as de!ending on the !"an and she gradua""y"earned to consider it herse"f ith greater !"easure as e"" asgreater certainty% Absence had increased her desire of seeinghar"otte again, and eakened her disgust of =r% o""ins% Thereas no$e"ty in the sche&e, and as, ith such a &other and such

unco&!anionab"e sisters, ho&e cou"d not be fau"t"ess, a "itt"echange as not une"co&e for its on sake% The journeyou"d &oreo$er gi$e her a !ee! at JaneF and, in short, as theti&e dre near, she ou"d ha$e been $ery sorry for any de"ay%E$erything, hoe$er, ent on s&ooth"y, and as fina""y sett"edaccording to har"otteKs first sketch% 2he as to acco&!any 2ir i""ia& and his second daughter% The i&!ro$e&ent of s!endinga night in @ondon as added in ti&e, and the !"an beca&e

!erfect as !"an cou"d be%

The on"y !ain as in "ea$ing her father, ho ou"d certain"y

&iss her, and ho, hen it ca&e to the !oint, so "itt"e "iked her going, that he to"d her to rite to hi&, and a"&ost !ro&ised to



anser her "etter%

The faree"" beteen herse"f and =r% ickha& as !erfect"yfriend"yF on his side e$en &ore% 1is !resent !ursuit cou"d not&ake hi& forget that E"iIabeth had been the first to e/cite and to

deser$e his attention, the first to "isten and to !ity, the firstto be ad&iredF and in his &anner of bidding her adieu, ishingher e$ery enjoy&ent, re&inding her of hat she as to e/!ect in@ady atherine de Bourgh, and trusting their o!inion of herHHtheir o!inion of e$erybodyHHou"d a"ays coincide, there as a so"icitude,an interest hich she fe"t &ust e$er attach her to hi& ith a &ostsincere regardF and she !arted fro& hi& con$inced that, hether &arried or sing"e, he &ust a"ays be her &ode" of the a&iab"e and

!"easing%

1er fe""oHtra$e""ers the ne/t day ere not of a kind to &ake her

think hi& "ess agreeab"e% 2ir i""ia& @ucas, and his daughter =aria, a goodHhu&oured gir", but as e&!tyHheaded as hi&se"f,had nothing to say that cou"d be orth hearing, and ere"istened to ith about as &uch de"ight as the ratt"e of the chaise%E"iIabeth "o$ed absurdities, but she had knon 2ir i""ia&Ks too"ong% 1e cou"d te"" her nothing ne of the onders of his

!resentation and knighthoodF and his ci$i"ities ere orn out,"ike his infor&ation%

t as a journey of on"y tentyHfour &i"es, and they began it soear"y as to be in Gracechurch 2treet by noon% As they dro$eto =r% GardinerKs door, Jane as at a draingHroo& indoatching their arri$a"F hen they entered the !assage she asthere to e"co&e the&, and E"iIabeth, "ooking earnest"y in her face, as !"eased to see it hea"thfu" and "o$e"y as e$er% n thestairs ere a troo! of "itt"e boys and gir"s, hose eagerness for their cousinKs a!!earance ou"d not a""o the& to ait in thedraingHroo&, and hose shyness, as they had not seen her for a te"$e&onth, !re$ented their co&ing "oer% A"" as joy andkindness% The day !assed &ost !"easant"y aayF the &orning in

bust"e and sho!!ing, and the e$ening at one of the theatres%

E"iIabeth then contri$ed to sit by her aunt% Their first object asher sisterF and she as &ore grie$ed than astonished to hear, inre!"y to her &inute inuiries, that though Jane a"ays strugg"edto su!!ort her s!irits, there ere !eriods of dejection% t asreasonab"e, hoe$er, to ho!e that they ou"d not continue "ong%=rs% Gardiner ga$e her the !articu"ars a"so of =iss Bing"eyKs$isit in Gracechurch 2treet, and re!eated con$ersationsoccurring at different ti&es beteen Jane and herse"f, hich

!ro$ed that the for&er had, fro& her heart, gi$en u! theacuaintance%

=rs% Gardiner then ra""ied her niece on ickha&Ks desertion,



and co&!"i&ented her on bearing it so e""%

But &y dear E"iIabeth, she added, hat sort of gir" is =issDing shou"d be sorry to think our friend &ercenary%

Pray, &y dear aunt, hat is the difference in &atri&onia"affairs, beteen the &ercenary and the !rudent &oti$e heredoes discretion end, and a$arice begin @ast hrist&as youere afraid of his &arrying &e, because it ou"d be i&!rudentFand no, because he is trying to get a gir" ith on"y tenthousand !ounds, you ant to find out that he is &ercenary%

f you i"" on"y te"" &e hat sort of gir" =iss Ding is, sha""kno hat to think%

2he is a $ery good kind of gir", be"ie$e% kno no har& of

her%

But he !aid her not the s&a""est attention ti"" her grandfatherKsdeath &ade her &istress of this fortune%

CoHHhat shou"d he f it ere not a""oab"e for hi& to gain &y affections because had no &oney, hat occasion cou"dthere be for &aking "o$e to a gir" ho& he did not care about,and ho as eua""y !oor

But there see&s an inde"icacy in directing his attentionstoards her so soon after this e$ent%

A &an in distressed circu&stances has not ti&e for a"" thosee"egant decoru&s hich other !eo!"e &ay obser$e% f she doesnot object to it, hy shou"d e

1er not objecting does not justify hi&% t on"y shos her being deficient in so&ething herse"fHHsense or fee"ing%

e"", cried E"iIabeth, ha$e it as you choose% 1e sha"" be

&ercenary, and she sha"" be foo"ish%

Co, @iIIy, that is hat do not choose% shou"d be sorry,you kno, to think i"" of a young &an ho has "i$ed so "ong in'erbyshire%

h6 if that is a"", ha$e a $ery !oor o!inion of young &enho "i$e in 'erbyshireF and their inti&ate friends ho "i$ein 1ertfordshire are not &uch better% a& sick of the& a""%Thank 1ea$en6 a& going toH&orro here sha"" find a &anho has not one agreeab"e ua"ity, ho has neither &anner nor

sense to reco&&end hi&% 2tu!id &en are the on"y ones orthknoing, after a""%



Take care, @iIIyF that s!eech sa$ours strong"y of disa!!oint&ent%

Before they ere se!arated by the conc"usion of the !"ay, shehad the une/!ected ha!!iness of an in$itation to acco&!any her

unc"e and aunt in a tour of !"easure hich they !ro!osed takingin the su&&er%

e ha$e not deter&ined ho far it sha"" carry us, said =rs%Gardiner, but, !erha!s, to the @akes%

Co sche&e cou"d ha$e been &ore agreeab"e to E"iIabeth, andher acce!tance of the in$itation as &ost ready and gratefu"%h, &y dear, dear aunt, she ra!turous"y cried, hat de"ight6hat fe"icity6 *ou gi$e &e fresh "ife and $igour% Adieu todisa!!oint&ent and s!"een% hat are young &en to rocks and

&ountains h6 hat hours of trans!ort e sha"" s!end6 Andhen e do return, it sha"" not be "ike other tra$e""ers,ithout being ab"e to gi$e one accurate idea of anything% e

i"" kno here e ha$e goneHHe i"" reco""ect hat e ha$eseen% @akes, &ountains, and ri$ers sha"" not be ju&b"ed together in our i&aginationsF nor hen e atte&!t to describe any

!articu"ar scene, i"" e begin uarre"ing about its re"ati$esituation% @et our first effusions be "ess insu!!ortab"e thanthose of the genera"ity of tra$e""ers%

ha!ter ;8

E$ery object in the ne/t dayKs journey as ne and interestingto E"iIabethF and her s!irits ere in a state of enjoy&entF for she had seen her sister "ooking so e"" as to banish a"" fear for her hea"th, and the !ros!ect of her northern tour as a constantsource of de"ight%

hen they "eft the high road for the "ane to 1unsford, e$ery eyeas in search of the Parsonage, and e$ery turning e/!ected to bring it in $ie% The !a"ings of 0osings Park as their boundaryon one side% E"iIabeth s&i"ed at the reco""ection of a"" that shehad heard of its inhabitants%

At "ength the Parsonage as discernib"e% The garden s"o!ing tothe road, the house standing in it, the green !a"es, and the "aure"hedge, e$erything dec"ared they ere arri$ing% =r% o""ins andhar"otte a!!eared at the door, and the carriage sto!!ed at thes&a"" gate hich "ed by a short gra$e" a"k to the house, a&idst

the nods and s&i"es of the ho"e !arty% n a &o&ent they erea"" out of the chaise, rejoicing at the sight of each other%



=rs% o""ins e"co&ed her friend ith the "i$e"iest !"easure,and E"iIabeth as &ore and &ore satisfied ith co&ing hen shefound herse"f so affectionate"y recei$ed% 2he sa instant"y thather cousinKs &anners ere not a"tered by his &arriageF his for&a"ci$i"ity as just hat it had been, and he detained her so&e

&inutes at the gate to hear and satisfy his inuiries after a"" her fa&i"y% They ere then, ith no other de"ay than his

!ointing out the neatness of the entrance, taken into the houseFand as soon as they ere in the !ar"our, he e"co&ed the& asecond ti&e, ith ostentatious for&a"ity to his hu&b"e abode,and !unctua""y re!eated a"" his ifeKs offers of refresh&ent%

E"iIabeth as !re!ared to see hi& in his g"oryF and she cou"dnot he"! in fancying that in dis!"aying the good !ro!ortion of the roo&, its as!ect and its furniture, he addressed hi&se"f

!articu"ar"y to her, as if ishing to &ake her fee" hat she

had "ost in refusing hi&% But though e$erything see&ed neatand co&fortab"e, she as not ab"e to gratify hi& by any sigh of re!entance, and rather "ooked ith onder at her friend thatshe cou"d ha$e so cheerfu" an air ith such a co&!anion% hen=r% o""ins said anything of hich his ife &ight reasonab"y beasha&ed, hich certain"y as not unse"do&, she in$o"untari"yturned her eye on har"otte% nce or tice she cou"d discerna faint b"ushF but in genera" har"otte ise"y did not hear%After sitting "ong enough to ad&ire e$ery artic"e of furniture inthe roo&, fro& the sideboard to the fender, to gi$e an accountof their journey, and of a"" that had ha!!ened in @ondon, =r%o""ins in$ited the& to take a stro"" in the garden, hich as"arge and e"" "aid out, and to the cu"ti$ation of hich heattended hi&se"f% To ork in this garden as one of his &ostres!ectab"e !"easuresF and E"iIabeth ad&ired the co&&and of countenance ith hich har"otte ta"ked of the hea"thfu"ness of the e/ercise, and oned she encouraged it as &uch as !ossib"e%1ere, "eading the ay through e$ery a"k and cross a"k, andscarce"y a""oing the& an inter$a" to utter the !raises he askedfor, e$ery $ie as !ointed out ith a &inuteness hich "eft

beauty entire"y behind% 1e cou"d nu&ber the fie"ds in e$ery

direction, and cou"d te"" ho &any tress there ere in the &ostdistant c"u&!% But of a"" the $ies hich his garden, or hichthe country or kingdo& cou"d boast, none ere to be co&!aredith the !ros!ect of 0osings, afforded by an o!ening in the treesthat bordered the !ark near"y o!!osite the front of his house% tas a handso&e &odern bui"ding, e"" situated on rising ground%

-ro& his garden, =r% o""ins ou"d ha$e "ed the& round his to&eadosF but the "adies, not ha$ing shoes to encounter there&ains of a hite frost, turned backF and hi"e 2ir i""ia&acco&!anied hi&, har"otte took her sister and friend o$er the

house, e/tre&e"y e"" !"eased, !robab"y, to ha$e the o!!ortunityof shoing it ithout her husbandKs he"!% t as rather s&a"",



but e"" bui"t and con$enientF and e$erything as fitted u! andarranged ith a neatness and consistency of hich E"iIabethga$e har"otte a"" the credit% hen =r% o""ins cou"d beforgotten, there as rea""y an air of great co&fort throughout,and by har"otteKs e$ident enjoy&ent of it, E"iIabeth su!!osed

he &ust be often forgotten%

2he had a"ready "earnt that @ady atherine as sti"" in thecountry% t as s!oken of again hi"e they ere at dinner,hen =r% o""ins joining in, obser$ed7

*es, =iss E"iIabeth, you i"" ha$e the honour of seeing @adyatherine de Bourgh on the ensuing 2unday at church, and need not say you i"" be de"ighted ith her% 2he is a"" affabi"ityand condescension, and doubt not but you i"" be honouredith so&e !ortion of her notice hen ser$ice is o$er% ha$e

scarce"y any hesitation in saying she i"" inc"ude you and &ysister =aria in e$ery in$itation ith hich she honours us duringyour stay here% 1er beha$iour to &y dear har"otte is char&ing%e dine at 0osings tice e$ery eek, and are ne$er a""oed toa"k ho&e% 1er "adyshi!Ks carriage is regu"ar"y ordered for us% shou"d say, one of her "adyshi!Ks carriages, for she hasse$era"%

@ady atherine is a $ery res!ectab"e, sensib"e o&an indeed,added har"otte, and a &ost attenti$e neighbour%

.ery true, &y dear, that is e/act"y hat say% 2he is the sortof o&an ho& one cannot regard ith too &uch deference%

The e$ening as s!ent chief"y in ta"king o$er 1ertfordshirenes, and te""ing again hat had a"ready been rittenF and henit c"osed, E"iIabeth, in the so"itude of her cha&ber, had to&editate u!on har"otteKs degree of content&ent, to understandher address in guiding, and co&!osure in bearing ith, her husband, and to ackno"edge that it as a"" done $ery e""% 2hehad a"so to antici!ate ho her $isit ou"d !ass, the uiet tenor

of their usua" e&!"oy&ents, the $e/atious interru!tions of =r%o""ins, and the gaieties of their intercourse ith 0osings%A "i$e"y i&agination soon sett"ed it a""%

About the &idd"e of the ne/t day, as she as in her roo& gettingready for a a"k, a sudden noise be"o see&ed to s!eak theho"e house in confusionF and, after "istening a &o&ent, sheheard so&ebody running u!stairs in a $io"ent hurry, and ca""ing"oud"y after her% 2he o!ened the door and &et =aria in the"anding !"ace, ho, breath"ess ith agitation, cried outHH

h, &y dear E"iIa6 !ray &ake haste and co&e into the diningHroo&,for there is such a sight to be seen6 i"" not te"" you hat



it is% =ake haste, and co&e don this &o&ent%

E"iIabeth asked uestions in $ainF =aria ou"d te"" her nothing&ore, and don they ran into the diningHroo&, hich frontedthe "ane, in uest of this onderF t as to "adies sto!!ing in

a "o !haeton at the garden gate%

And is this a"" cried E"iIabeth% e/!ected at "east that the !igs ere got into the garden, and here is nothing but @adyatherine and her daughter%

@a6 &y dear, said =aria, uite shocked at the &istake, it isnot @ady atherine% The o"d "ady is =rs% Jenkinson, ho "i$esith the&F the other is =iss de Bourgh% n"y "ook at her% 2heis uite a "itt"e creature% ho ou"d ha$e thought that she cou"d

be so thin and s&a""

2he is abo&inab"y rude to kee! har"otte out of doors in a"" thisind% hy does she not co&e in

h, har"otte says she hard"y e$er does% t is the greatest of fa$ours hen =iss de Bourgh co&es in%

"ike her a!!earance, said E"iIabeth, struck ith other ideas%2he "ooks sick"y and cross% *es, she i"" do for hi& $ery e""%2he i"" &ake hi& a $ery !ro!er ife%

=r% o""ins and har"otte ere both standing at the gate incon$ersation ith the "adiesF and 2ir i""ia&, to E"iIabethKshigh di$ersion, as stationed in the dooray, in earnestconte&!"ation of the greatness before hi&, and constant"y

boing hene$er =iss de Bourgh "ooked that ay%

At "ength there as nothing &ore to be saidF the "adies dro$e on,and the others returned into the house% =r% o""ins no sooner sa the to gir"s than he began to congratu"ate the& on their good fortune, hich har"otte e/!"ained by "etting the& kno

that the ho"e !arty as asked to dine at 0osings the ne/t day%

ha!ter ;4

=r% o""insKs triu&!h, in conseuence of this in$itation, asco&!"ete% The !oer of dis!"aying the grandeur of his !atronessto his ondering $isitors, and of "etting the& see her ci$i"itytoards hi&se"f and his ife, as e/act"y hat he had ished

forF and that an o!!ortunity of doing it shou"d be gi$en so soon,as such an instance of @ady atherineKs condescension, as he



kne not ho to ad&ire enough%

confess, said he, that shou"d not ha$e been at a"" sur!rised by her "adyshi!Ks asking us on 2unday to drink tea and s!end thee$ening at 0osings% rather e/!ected, fro& &y kno"edge of

her affabi"ity, that it ou"d ha!!en% But ho cou"d ha$eforeseen such an attention as this ho cou"d ha$e i&aginedthat e shou"d recei$e an in$itation to dine there (an in$itation,&oreo$er, inc"uding the ho"e !arty) so i&&ediate"y after your arri$a"6

a& the "ess sur!rised at hat has ha!!ened, re!"ied 2ir i""ia&, fro& that kno"edge of hat the &anners of the greatrea""y are, hich &y situation in "ife has a""oed &e to acuire%About the court, such instances of e"egant breeding are notunco&&on%

2carce"y anything as ta"ked of the ho"e day or ne/t &orning but their $isit to 0osings% =r% o""ins as carefu""y instructingthe& in hat they ere to e/!ect, that the sight of such roo&s,so &any ser$ants, and so s!"endid a dinner, &ight not ho""yo$er!oer the&%

hen the "adies ere se!arating for the toi"ette, he said toE"iIabethHH

'o not &ake yourse"f uneasy, &y dear cousin, about your a!!are"% @ady atherine is far fro& reuiring that e"egance of dress in us hich beco&es herse"f and her daughter% ou"dad$ise you &ere"y to !ut on hate$er of your c"othes is su!erior to the restHHthere is no occasion for anything &ore% @adyatherine i"" not think the orse of you for being si&!"ydressed% 2he "ikes to ha$e the distinction of rank !reser$ed%

hi"e they ere dressing, he ca&e to or three ti&es to their different doors, to reco&&end their being uick, as @adyatherine $ery &uch objected to be ke!t aiting for her dinner%

2uch for&idab"e accounts of her "adyshi!, and her &anner of "i$ing, uite frightened =aria @ucas ho had been "itt"e used toco&!any, and she "ooked forard to her introduction at 0osingsith as &uch a!!rehension as her father had done to his

!resentation at 2t% Ja&esKs%

As the eather as fine, they had a !"easant a"k of about ha"f a &i"e across the !ark% E$ery !ark has its beauty and its

!ros!ectsF and E"iIabeth sa &uch to be !"eased ith, thoughshe cou"d not be in such ra!tures as =r% o""ins e/!ected thescene to ins!ire, and as but s"ight"y affected by his enu&eration

of the indos in front of the house, and his re"ation of hat theg"aIing a"together had origina""y cost 2ir @eis de Bourgh%



hen they ascended the ste!s to the ha"", =ariaKs a"ar& ase$ery &o&ent increasing, and e$en 2ir i""ia& did not "ook

!erfect"y ca"&% E"iIabethKs courage did not fai" her% 2he hadheard nothing of @ady atherine that s!oke her afu" fro& any

e/traordinary ta"ents or &iracu"ous $irtue, and the &erestate"iness of &oney or rank she thought she cou"d itnessithout tre!idation%

-ro& the entranceHha"", of hich =r% o""ins !ointed out, ith ara!turous air, the fine !ro!ortion and the finished orna&ents,they fo""oed the ser$ants through an anteHcha&ber, to the roo&here @ady atherine, her daughter, and =rs% Jenkinson eresitting% 1er "adyshi!, ith great condescension, arose to recei$ethe&F and as =rs% o""ins had sett"ed it ith her husband that theoffice of introduction shou"d be hers, it as !erfor&ed in a

!ro!er &anner, ithout any of those a!o"ogies and thanks hichhe ou"d ha$e thought necessary%

n s!ite of ha$ing been at 2t% Ja&esKs 2ir i""ia& as soco&!"ete"y aed by the grandeur surrounding hi&, that he had

but just courage enough to &ake a $ery "o bo, and take hisseat ithout saying a ordF and his daughter, frightened a"&ostout of her senses, sat on the edge of her chair, not knoinghich ay to "ook% E"iIabeth found herse"f uite eua" to thescene, and cou"d obser$e the three "adies before her co&!osed"y%@ady atherine as a ta"", "arge o&an, ith strong"yH&arkedfeatures, hich &ight once ha$e been handso&e% 1er air asnot conci"iating, nor as her &anner of recei$ing the& such asto &ake her $isitors forget their inferior rank% 2he as notrendered for&idab"e by si"enceF but hate$er she said ass!oken in so authoritati$e a tone, as &arked her se"fHi&!ortance,and brought =r% ickha& i&&ediate"y to E"iIabethKs &indF andfro& the obser$ation of the day a"together, she be"ie$ed @adyatherine to be e/act"y hat he re!resented%

hen, after e/a&ining the &other, in hose countenance and

de!ort&ent she soon found so&e rese&b"ance of =r% 'arcy, sheturned her eyes on the daughter, she cou"d a"&ost ha$e joinedin =ariaKs astonish&ent at her being so thin and so s&a""% Thereas neither in figure nor face any "ikeness beteen the "adies%=iss de Bourgh as !a"e and sick"yF her features, though not

!"ain, ere insignificantF and she s!oke $ery "itt"e, e/ce!t ina "o $oice, to =rs% Jenkinson, in hose a!!earance there asnothing re&arkab"e, and ho as entire"y engaged in "istening tohat she said, and !"acing a screen in the !ro!er direction beforeher eyes%

After sitting a fe &inutes, they ere a"" sent to one of theindos to ad&ire the $ie, =r% o""ins attending the& to



!oint out its beauties, and @ady atherine kind"y infor&ingthe& that it as &uch better orth "ooking at in the su&&er%

The dinner as e/ceeding"y handso&e, and there ere a"" theser$ants and a"" the artic"es of !"ate hich =r% o""ins had

!ro&isedF and, as he had "ikeise foreto"d, he took his seat atthe botto& of the tab"e, by her "adyshi!Ks desire, and "ooked asif he fe"t that "ife cou"d furnish nothing greater% 1e car$ed,and ate, and !raised ith de"ighted a"acrityF and e$ery dish asco&&ended, first by hi& and then by 2ir i""ia&, ho as noenough reco$ered to echo hate$er his sonHinH"a said, in a&anner hich E"iIabeth ondered @ady atherine cou"d bear%But @ady atherine see&ed gratified by their e/cessi$e ad&iration,and ga$e &ost gracious s&i"es, es!ecia""y hen any dish on thetab"e !ro$ed a no$e"ty to the&% The !arty did not su!!"y &uchcon$ersation% E"iIabeth as ready to s!eak hene$er there as

an o!ening, but she as seated beteen har"otte and =iss deBourghHHthe for&er of ho& as engaged in "istening to @adyatherine, and the "atter said not a ord to her a"" dinnerHti&e%=rs% Jenkinson as chief"y e&!"oyed in atching ho "itt"e =issde Bourgh ate, !ressing her to try so&e other dish, and fearingshe as indis!osed% =aria thought s!eaking out of the uestion,and the gent"e&en did nothing but eat and ad&ire%

hen the "adies returned to the draingHroo&, there as "itt"eto be done but to hear @ady atherine ta"k, hich she didithout any inter&ission ti"" coffee ca&e in, de"i$ering her o!inion on e$ery subject in so decisi$e a &anner, as !ro$edthat she as not used to ha$e her judge&ent contro$erted% 2heinuired into har"otteKs do&estic concerns fa&i"iar"y and&inute"y, ga$e her a great dea" of ad$ice as to the &anage&entof the& a""F to"d her ho e$erything ought to be regu"ated in sos&a"" a fa&i"y as hers, and instructed her as to the care of her cos and her !ou"try% E"iIabeth found that nothing as beneaththis great "adyKs attention, hich cou"d furnish her ith anoccasion of dictating to others% n the inter$a"s of her discourseith =rs% o""ins, she addressed a $ariety of uestions to =aria

and E"iIabeth, but es!ecia""y to the "atter, of hose connectionsshe kne the "east, and ho she obser$ed to =rs% o""ins as a$ery gentee", !retty kind of gir"% 2he asked her, at differentti&es, ho &any sisters she had, hether they ere o"der or younger than herse"f, hether any of the& ere "ike"y to be&arried, hether they ere handso&e, here they had beeneducated, hat carriage her father ke!t, and hat had been her &otherKs &aiden na&e E"iIabeth fe"t a"" the i&!ertinence of her uestions but ansered the& $ery co&!osed"y% @ady atherinethen obser$ed,

*our fatherKs estate is entai"ed on =r% o""ins, think% -or your sake, turning to har"otte, a& g"ad of itF but otherise



strenuous"y to engage one% a"ays say that nothing is to bedone in education ithout steady and regu"ar instruction, andnobody but a go$erness can gi$e it% t is onderfu" ho &anyfa&i"ies ha$e been the &eans of su!!"ying in that ay% a&a"ays g"ad to get a young !erson e"" !"aced out% -our nieces

of =rs% Jenkinson are &ost de"ightfu""y situated through &y&eansF and it as but the other day that reco&&ended another young !erson, ho as &ere"y accidenta""y &entioned to &e,and the fa&i"y are uite de"ighted ith her% =rs% o""ins, did te"" you of @ady =etca"fKs ca""ing yesterday to thank &e 2hefinds =iss Po!e a treasure% K@ady atherine,K said she, Kyouha$e gi$en &e a treasure%K Are any of your younger sisters out,=iss Bennet

*es, &aKa&, a""%

A""6 hat, a"" fi$e out at once .ery odd6 And you on"ythe second% The younger ones out before the e"der ones are&arried6 *our younger sisters &ust be $ery young

*es, &y youngest is not si/teen% Perha!s she is fu"" young to be &uch in co&!any% But rea""y, &aKa&, think it ou"d be$ery hard u!on younger sisters, that they shou"d not ha$e their share of society and a&use&ent, because the e"der &ay not ha$ethe &eans or inc"ination to &arry ear"y% The "astHborn has asgood a right to the !"easures of youth at the first% And to beke!t back on such a &oti$e6 think it ou"d not be $ery "ike"yto !ro&ote sister"y affection or de"icacy of &ind%

!on &y ord, said her "adyshi!, you gi$e your o!inion $erydecided"y for so young a !erson% Pray, hat is your age

ith three younger sisters gron u!, re!"ied E"iIabeth,s&i"ing, your "adyshi! can hard"y e/!ect &e to on it%

@ady atherine see&ed uite astonished at not recei$ing a directanserF and E"iIabeth sus!ected herse"f to be the first creature

ho had e$er dared to trif"e ith so &uch dignified i&!ertinence%

*ou cannot be &ore than tenty, a& sure, therefore you neednot concea" your age%

a& not oneHandHtenty%

hen the gent"e&en had joined the&, and tea as o$er, thecardHtab"es ere !"aced% @ady atherine, 2ir i""ia&, and =r%and =rs% o""ins sat don to uadri""eF and as =iss de Bourghchose to !"ay at cassino, the to gir"s had the honour of

assisting =rs% Jenkinson to &ake u! her !arty% Their tab"e assu!er"ati$e"y stu!id% 2carce"y a sy""ab"e as uttered that did



not re"ate to the ga&e, e/ce!t hen =rs% Jenkinson e/!ressed her fears of =iss de BourghKs being too hot or too co"d, or ha$ingtoo &uch or too "itt"e "ight% A great dea" &ore !assed at theother tab"e% @ady atherine as genera""y s!eakingHHstatingthe &istakes of the three others, or re"ating so&e anecdote of

herse"f% =r% o""ins as e&!"oyed in agreeing to e$erythingher "adyshi! said, thanking her for e$ery fish he on, anda!o"ogising if he thought he on too &any% 2ir i""ia& did notsay &uch% 1e as storing his &e&ory ith anecdotes and nob"ena&es%

hen @ady atherine and her daughter had !"ayed as "ong asthey chose, the tab"es ere broken u!, the carriage as offeredto =rs% o""ins, gratefu""y acce!ted and i&&ediate"y ordered%The !arty then gathered round the fire to hear @ady atherinedeter&ine hat eather they ere to ha$e on the &orro% -ro&

these instructions they ere su&&oned by the arri$a" of thecoachF and ith &any s!eeches of thankfu"ness on =r% o""insKsside and as &any bos on 2ir i""ia&Ks they de!arted% As soonas they had dri$en fro& the door, E"iIabeth as ca""ed on by her cousin to gi$e her o!inion of a"" that she had seen at 0osings,hich, for har"otteKs sake, she &ade &ore fa$ourab"e than itrea""y as% But her co&&endation, though costing her so&etroub"e, cou"d by no &eans satisfy =r% o""ins, and he as $erysoon ob"iged to take her "adyshi!Ks !raise into his on hands%

ha!ter 9>

2ir i""ia& stayed on"y a eek at 1unsford, but his $isit as"ong enough to con$ince hi& of his daughterKs being &ostco&fortab"y sett"ed, and of her !ossessing such a husband andsuch a neighbour as ere not often &et ith% hi"e 2ir i""ia&as ith the&, =r% o""ins de$oted his &orning to dri$ing hi&out in his gig, and shoing hi& the countryF but hen he ent

aay, the ho"e fa&i"y returned to their usua" e&!"oy&ents, andE"iIabeth as thankfu" to find that they did not see &ore of her cousin by the a"teration, for the chief of the ti&e beteen

breakfast and dinner as no !assed by hi& either at ork inthe garden or in reading and riting, and "ooking out of theindo in his on bookHroo&, hich fronted the road% Theroo& in hich the "adies sat as backards% E"iIabeth had atfirst rather ondered that har"otte shou"d not !refer thediningH!ar"our for co&&on useF it as a better siIed roo&, andhad a &ore !"easant as!ectF but she soon sa that her friendhad an e/ce""ent reason for hat she did, for =r% o""ins ou"d

undoubted"y ha$e been &uch "ess in his on a!art&ent, had theysat in one eua""y "i$e"yF and she ga$e har"otte credit for



n this uiet ay, the first fortnight of her $isit soon !assedaay% Easter as a!!roaching, and the eek !receding it asto bring an addition to the fa&i"y at 0osings, hich in so s&a""a circ"e &ust be i&!ortant% E"iIabeth had heard soon after her arri$a" that =r% 'arcy as e/!ected there in the course of a fe

eeks, and though there ere not &any of her acuaintances ho&she did not !refer, his co&ing ou"d furnish one co&!arati$e"yne to "ook at in their 0osings !arties, and she &ight be a&usedin seeing ho ho!e"ess =iss Bing"eyKs designs on hi& ere, byhis beha$iour to his cousin, for ho& he as e$ident"y destined

by @ady atherine, ho ta"ked of his co&ing ith the greatestsatisfaction, s!oke of hi& in ter&s of the highest ad&iration,and see&ed a"&ost angry to find that he had a"ready beenfreuent"y seen by =iss @ucas and herse"f%

1is arri$a" as soon knon at the ParsonageF for =r% o""ins

as a"king the ho"e &orning ithin $ie of the "odgeso!ening into 1unsford @ane, in order to ha$e the ear"iestassurance of it, and after &aking his bo as the carriage turnedinto the Park, hurried ho&e ith the great inte""igence% n thefo""oing &orning he hastened to 0osings to !ay his res!ects%There ere to ne!hes of @ady atherine to reuire the&, for =r% 'arcy had brought ith hi& a o"one" -itIi""ia&, theyounger son of his unc"e @ord HHHH, and, to the great sur!riseof a"" the !arty, hen =r% o""ins returned, the gent"e&anacco&!anied hi&% har"otte had seen the& fro& her husbandKsroo&, crossing the road, and i&&ediate"y running into the other,to"d the gir"s hat an honour they &ight e/!ect, adding7

&ay thank you, E"iIa, for this !iece of ci$i"ity% =r% 'arcyou"d ne$er ha$e co&e so soon to ait u!on &e%

E"iIabeth had scarce"y ti&e to disc"ai& a"" right to theco&!"i&ent, before their a!!roach as announced by thedoorHbe"", and short"y afterards the three gent"e&en enteredthe roo&% o"one" -itIi""ia&, ho "ed the ay, as aboutthirty, not handso&e, but in !erson and address &ost tru"y the

gent"e&an% =r% 'arcy "ooked just as he had been used to "ook in 1ertfordshireHH!aid his co&!"i&ents, ith his usua" reser$e,to =rs% o""ins, and hate$er &ight be his fee"ings toard her friend, &et her ith e$ery a!!earance of co&!osure% E"iIabeth&ere"y curtseyed to hi& ithout saying a ord%

o"one" -itIi""ia& entered into con$ersation direct"y iththe readiness and ease of a e""Hbred &an, and ta"ked $ery

!"easant"yF but his cousin, after ha$ing addressed a s"ightobser$ation on the house and garden to =rs% o""ins, sat for so&e ti&e ithout s!eaking to anybody% At "ength, hoe$er,

his ci$i"ity as so far aakened as to inuire of E"iIabeth after the hea"th of her fa&i"y% 2he ansered hi& in the usua" ay,



and after a &o&entKs !ause, added7

=y e"dest sister has been in ton these three &onths% 1a$eyou ne$er ha!!ened to see her there

2he as !erfect"y sensib"e that he ne$er hadF but she ishedto see hether he ou"d betray any consciousness of hat had

!assed beteen the Bing"eys and Jane, and she thought he"ooked a "itt"e confused as he ansered that he had ne$er beenso fortunate as to &eet =iss Bennet% The subject as !ursuedno farther, and the gent"e&en soon afterards ent aay%

ha!ter 93

o"one" -itIi""ia&Ks &anners ere $ery &uch ad&ired at theParsonage, and the "adies a"" fe"t that he &ust add considerab"yto the !"easures of their engage&ents at 0osings% t as so&edays, hoe$er, before they recei$ed any in$itation thitherHHfor hi"e there ere $isitors in the house, they cou"d not benecessaryF and it as not ti"" EasterHday, a"&ost a eek after thegent"e&enKs arri$a", that they ere honoured by such anattention, and then they ere &ere"y asked on "ea$ing church toco&e there in the e$ening% -or the "ast eek they had seen $ery"itt"e of @ady atherine or her daughter% o"one" -itIi""ia& hadca""ed at the Parsonage &ore than once during the ti&e, but =r%'arcy they had seen on"y at church%

The in$itation as acce!ted of course, and at a !ro!er hour they joined the !arty in @ady atherineKs draingHroo&% 1er "adyshi!recei$ed the& ci$i""y, but it as !"ain that their co&!any as byno &eans so acce!tab"e as hen she cou"d get nobody e"seF andshe as, in fact, a"&ost engrossed by her ne!hes, s!eaking tothe&, es!ecia""y to 'arcy, &uch &ore than to any other !ersonin the roo&%

o"one" -itIi""ia& see&ed rea""y g"ad to see the&F anythingas a e"co&e re"ief to hi& at 0osingsF and =rs% o""insKs

!retty friend had &oreo$er caught his fancy $ery &uch% 1e noseated hi&se"f by her, and ta"ked so agreeab"y of Dent and1ertfordshire, of tra$e""ing and staying at ho&e, of ne booksand &usic, that E"iIabeth had ne$er been ha"f so e"" entertainedin that roo& beforeF and they con$ersed ith so &uch s!irit andf"o, as to dra the attention of @ady atherine herse"f, as e""as of =r% 'arcy% 1is eyes had been soon and re!eated"y turnedtoards the& ith a "ook of curiosityF and that her "adyshi!,

after a hi"e, shared the fee"ing, as &ore o!en"y ackno"edged,for she did not scru!"e to ca"" out7



hat is that you are saying, -itIi""ia& hat is it you areta"king of hat are you te""ing =iss Bennet @et &e hear hat it is%

e are s!eaking of &usic, &ada&, said he, hen no "onger ab"e to a$oid a re!"y%

f &usic6 Then !ray s!eak a"oud% t is of a"" subjects &yde"ight% &ust ha$e &y share in the con$ersation if you ares!eaking of &usic% There are fe !eo!"e in Eng"and, su!!ose,ho ha$e &ore true enjoy&ent of &usic than &yse"f, or a better natura" taste% f had e$er "earnt, shou"d ha$e been a great

!roficient% And so ou"d Anne, if her hea"th had a""oed her toa!!"y% a& confident that she ou"d ha$e !erfor&ed de"ightfu""y%1o does Georgiana get on, 'arcy

=r% 'arcy s!oke ith affectionate !raise of his sisterKs !roficiency%

a& $ery g"ad to hear such a good account of her, said @adyatherineF and !ray te"" her fro& &e, that she cannot e/!ect toe/ce" if she does not !ractice a good dea"%

assure you, &ada&, he re!"ied, that she does not need suchad$ice% 2he !ractises $ery constant"y%

2o &uch the better% t cannot be done too &uchF and hen ne/t rite to her, sha"" charge her not to neg"ect it on anyaccount% often te"" young "adies that no e/ce""ence in &usicis to be acuired ithout constant !ractice% ha$e to"d =issBennet se$era" ti&es, that she i"" ne$er !"ay rea""y e"" un"essshe !ractises &oreF and though =rs% o""ins has no instru&ent,she is $ery e"co&e, as ha$e often to"d her, to co&e to 0osingse$ery day, and !"ay on the !ianoforte in =rs% JenkinsonKs roo&%2he ou"d be in nobodyKs ay, you kno, in that !art of the house%

=r% 'arcy "ooked a "itt"e asha&ed of his auntKs i""Hbreeding, and&ade no anser%

hen coffee as o$er, o"one" -itIi""ia& re&inded E"iIabethof ha$ing !ro&ised to !"ay to hi&F and she sat don direct"y tothe instru&ent% 1e dre a chair near her% @ady atherine"istened to ha"f a song, and then ta"ked, as before, to her other ne!heF ti"" the "atter a"ked aay fro& her, and &aking ithhis usua" de"iberation toards the !ianoforte stationed hi&se"f so as to co&&and a fu"" $ie of the fair !erfor&erKs countenance%E"iIabeth sa hat he as doing, and at the first con$enient

!ause, turned to hi& ith an arch s&i"e, and said7



*ou &ean to frighten &e, =r% 'arcy, by co&ing in a"" this stateto hear &e i"" not be a"ar&ed though your sister does !"ayso e""% There is a stubbornness about &e that ne$er can bear to

be frightened at the i"" of others% =y courage a"ays rises ate$ery atte&!t to inti&idate &e%

sha"" not say you are &istaken, he re!"ied, because youcou"d not rea""y be"ie$e &e to entertain any design of a"ar&ingyouF and ha$e had the !"easure of your acuaintance "ongenough to kno that you find great enjoy&ent in occasiona""y

!rofessing o!inions hich in fact are not your on%

E"iIabeth "aughed hearti"y at this !icture of herse"f, and said too"one" -itIi""ia&, *our cousin i"" gi$e you a $ery !rettynotion of &e, and teach you not to be"ie$e a ord say% a&

!articu"ar"y un"ucky in &eeting ith a !erson so ab"e to e/!ose

&y rea" character, in a !art of the or"d here had ho!ed to !ass &yse"f off ith so&e degree of credit% ndeed, =r% 'arcy,it is $ery ungenerous in you to &ention a"" that you kne to &ydisad$antage in 1ertfordshireHHand, gi$e &e "ea$e to say, $eryi&!o"itic tooHHfor it is !ro$oking &e to reta"iate, and suchthings &ay co&e out as i"" shock your re"ations to hear%

a& not afraid of you, said he, s&i"ing"y%

Pray "et &e hear hat you ha$e to accuse hi& of, criedo"one" -itIi""ia&% shou"d "ike to kno ho he beha$esa&ong strangers%

*ou sha"" hear thenHHbut !re!are yourse"f for so&ething $erydreadfu"% The first ti&e of &y e$er seeing hi& in 1ertfordshire,you &ust kno, as at a ba""HHand at this ba"", hat do youthink he did 1e danced on"y four dances, though gent"e&enere scarceF and, to &y certain kno"edge, &ore than oneyoung "ady as sitting don in ant of a !artner% =r% 'arcy,you cannot deny the fact%

had not at that ti&e the honour of knoing any "ady in theasse&b"y beyond &y on !arty%

TrueF and nobody can e$er be introduced in a ba""Hroo&% e"",o"one" -itIi""ia&, hat do !"ay ne/t =y fingers ait your orders%

Perha!s, said 'arcy, shou"d ha$e judged better, had sought an introductionF but a& i""Hua"ified to reco&&end&yse"f to strangers%

2ha"" e ask your cousin the reason of this said E"iIabeth,sti"" addressing o"one" -itIi""ia&% 2ha"" e ask hi& hy a



&an of sense and education, and ho has "i$ed in the or"d, isi"" ua"ified to reco&&end hi&se"f to strangers

can anser your uestion, said -itIi""ia&, ithouta!!"ying to hi&% t is because he i"" not gi$e hi&se"f the

troub"e%

certain"y ha$e not the ta"ent hich so&e !eo!"e !ossess, said'arcy, of con$ersing easi"y ith those ha$e ne$er seen before% cannot catch their tone of con$ersation, or a!!ear interestedin their concerns, as often see done%

=y fingers, said E"iIabeth, do not &o$e o$er this instru&entin the &aster"y &anner hich see so &any o&enKs do% Theyha$e not the sa&e force or ra!idity, and do not !roduce thesa&e e/!ression% But then ha$e a"ays su!!osed it to be &y

on fau"tHHbecause i"" not take the troub"e of !ractising%t is not that do not be"ie$e &y fingers as ca!ab"e as anyother o&anKs of su!erior e/ecution%

'arcy s&i"ed and said, *ou are !erfect"y right% *ou ha$ee&!"oyed your ti&e &uch better% Co one ad&itted to the

!ri$i"ege of hearing you can think anything anting% e neither of us !erfor& to strangers%

1ere they ere interru!ted by @ady atherine, ho ca""ed out tokno hat they ere ta"king of% E"iIabeth i&&ediate"y began

!"aying again% @ady atherine a!!roached, and, after "isteningfor a fe &inutes, said to 'arcy7

=iss Bennet ou"d not !"ay at a"" a&iss if she !ractised &ore,and cou"d ha$e the ad$antage of a @ondon &aster% 2he has a$ery good notion of fingering, though her taste is not eua" toAnneKs% Anne ou"d ha$e been a de"ightfu" !erfor&er, had her hea"th a""oed her to "earn%

E"iIabeth "ooked at 'arcy to see ho cordia""y he assented to

his cousinKs !raiseF but neither at that &o&ent nor at any other cou"d she discern any sy&!to& of "o$eF and fro& the ho"e of his beha$iour to =iss de Bourgh she deri$ed this co&fort for =iss Bing"ey, that he &ight ha$e been just as "ike"y to &arry

her, had she been his re"ation%

@ady atherine continued her re&arks on E"iIabethKs !erfor&ance,&i/ing ith the& &any instructions on e/ecution and taste%E"iIabeth recei$ed the& ith a"" the forbearance of ci$i"ity,and, at the reuest of the gent"e&en, re&ained at the instru&entti"" her "adyshi!Ks carriage as ready to take the& a"" ho&e%



ha!ter 9;

E"iIabeth as sitting by herse"f the ne/t &orning, and riting to

Jane hi"e =rs% o""ins and =aria ere gone on business intothe $i""age, hen she as start"ed by a ring at the door, thecertain signa" of a $isitor% As she had heard no carriage, shethought it not un"ike"y to be @ady atherine, and under thata!!rehension as !utting aay her ha"fHfinished "etter that she&ight esca!e a"" i&!ertinent uestions, hen the door o!ened,and, to her $ery great sur!rise, =r% 'arcy, and =r% 'arcy on"y,entered the roo&%

1e see&ed astonished too on finding her a"one, and a!o"ogisedfor his intrusion by "etting her kno that he had understood a""

the "adies ere to be ithin%

They then sat don, and hen her inuiries after 0osings ere&ade, see&ed in danger of sinking into tota" si"ence% t asabso"ute"y necessary, therefore, to think of so&ething, and inthis e&ergence reco""ecting hen she had seen hi& "ast in1ertfordshire, and fee"ing curious to kno hat he ou"d sayon the subject of their hasty de!arture, she obser$ed7

1o $ery sudden"y you a"" uitted Cetherfie"d "ast Co$e&ber,=r% 'arcy6 t &ust ha$e been a &ost agreeab"e sur!rise to =r%Bing"ey to see you a"" after hi& so soonF for, if reco""ect right,he ent but the day before% 1e and his sisters ere e"", ho!e,hen you "eft @ondon

Perfect"y so, thank you%

2he found that she as to recei$e no other anser, and, after ashort !ause added7

think ha$e understood that =r% Bing"ey has not &uch idea of

e$er returning to Cetherfie"d again

ha$e ne$er heard hi& say soF but it is !robab"e that he &ays!end $ery "itt"e of his ti&e there in the future% 1e has &anyfriends, and is at a ti&e of "ife hen friends and engage&ents arecontinua""y increasing%

f he &eans to be but "itt"e at Cetherfie"d, it ou"d be better for the neighbourhood that he shou"d gi$e u! the !"ace entire"y, for then e &ight !ossib"y get a sett"ed fa&i"y there% But, !erha!s,=r% Bing"ey did not take the house so &uch for the con$enience

of the neighbourhood as for his on, and e &ust e/!ect hi& tokee! it or uit it on the sa&e !rinci!"e%



co&fortab"e inco&e, but not such a one as i"" a""o of freuent journeysHHand a& !ersuaded &y friend ou"d not ca"" herse"f near her fa&i"y under "ess than ha"f the !resent distance%

=r% 'arcy dre his chair a "itt"e toards her, and said, *ou

cannot ha$e a right to such $ery strong "oca" attach&ent% *ou cannot ha$e been a"ays at @ongbourn%

E"iIabeth "ooked sur!rised% The gent"e&an e/!erienced so&echange of fee"ingF he dre back his chair, took a nes!a!er fro& the tab"e, and g"ancing o$er it, said, in a co"der $oice7

Are you !"eased ith Dent

A short dia"ogue on the subject of the country ensued, on either side ca"& and conciseHHand soon !ut an end to by the entrance

of har"otte and her sister, just returned fro& her a"k% TheteteHaHtete sur!rised the&% =r% 'arcy re"ated the &istake hichhad occasioned his intruding on =iss Bennet, and after sitting afe &inutes "onger ithout saying &uch to anybody, ent aay%

hat can be the &eaning of this said har"otte, as soon as heas gone% =y dear, E"iIa, he &ust be in "o$e ith you, or heou"d ne$er ha$e ca""ed us in this fa&i"iar ay%

But hen E"iIabeth to"d of his si"enceF it did not see& $ery"ike"y, e$en to har"otteKs ishes, to be the caseF and after $arious conjectures, they cou"d at "ast on"y su!!ose his $isit to

!roceed fro& the difficu"ty of finding anything to do, hich asthe &ore !robab"e fro& the ti&e of year% A"" fie"d s!orts ereo$er% ithin doors there as @ady atherine, books, and a

bi""iardHtab"e, but gent"e&en cannot a"ays be ithin doorsF andin the nearness of the Parsonage, or the !"easantness of the a"k to it, or of the !eo!"e ho "i$ed in it, the to cousins found ate&!tation fro& this !eriod of a"king thither a"&ost e$ery day%They ca""ed at $arious ti&es of the &orning, so&eti&esse!arate"y, so&eti&es together, and no and then acco&!anied

by their aunt% t as !"ain to the& a"" that o"one" -itIi""ia&ca&e because he had !"easure in their society, a !ersuasionhich of course reco&&ended hi& sti"" &oreF and E"iIabeth asre&inded by her on satisfaction in being ith hi&, as e"" as byhis e$ident ad&iration of her, of her for&er fa$ourite Georgeickha&F and though, in co&!aring the&, she sa there as"ess ca!ti$ating softness in o"one" -itIi""ia&Ks &anners, she

be"ie$ed he &ight ha$e the best infor&ed &ind%

But hy =r% 'arcy ca&e so often to the Parsonage, it as &oredifficu"t to understand% t cou"d not be for society, as he

freuent"y sat there ten &inutes together ithout o!ening his"i!sF and hen he did s!eak, it see&ed the effect of necessity



rather than of choiceHHa sacrifice to !ro!riety, not a !"easureto hi&se"f% 1e se"do& a!!eared rea""y ani&ated% =rs% o""inskne not hat to &ake of hi&% o"one" -itIi""ia&Ks occasiona""y"aughing at his stu!idity, !ro$ed that he as genera""y different,hich her on kno"edge of hi& cou"d not ha$e to"d herF and as

she ou"d "iked to ha$e be"ie$ed this change the effect of "o$e,and the object of that "o$e her friend E"iIa, she set herse"f serious"y to ork to find it out% 2he atched hi& hene$er theyere at 0osings, and hene$er he ca&e to 1unsfordF but ithout&uch success% 1e certain"y "ooked at her friend a great dea",

but the e/!ression of that "ook as dis!utab"e% t as anearnest, steadfast gaIe, but she often doubted hether thereere &uch ad&iration in it, and so&eti&es it see&ed nothing butabsence of &ind%

2he had once or tice suggested to E"iIabeth the !ossibi"ity of

his being !artia" to her, but E"iIabeth a"ays "aughed at the ideaFand =rs% o""ins did not think it right to !ress the subject, fro&the danger of raising e/!ectations hich &ight on"y end indisa!!oint&entF for in her o!inion it ad&itted not of a doubt,that a"" her friendKs dis"ike ou"d $anish, if she cou"d su!!osehi& to be in her !oer%

n her kind sche&es for E"iIabeth, she so&eti&es !"anned her &arrying o"one" -itIi""ia&% 1e as beyond co&!arison the&ost !"easant &anF he certain"y ad&ired her, and his situation in"ife as &ost e"igib"eF but, to counterba"ance these ad$antages,=r% 'arcy had considerab"e !atronage in the church, and hiscousin cou"d ha$e none at a""%

ha!ter 99

=ore than once did E"iIabeth, in her ra&b"e ithin the !ark,

une/!ected"y &eet =r% 'arcy% 2he fe"t a"" the !er$erseness of the &ischance that shou"d bring hi& here no one e"se as brought,and, to !re$ent its e$er ha!!ening again, took care to infor& hi&at first that it as a fa$ourite haunt of hers% 1o it cou"d occur a second ti&e, therefore, as $ery odd6 *et it did, and e$en athird% t see&ed "ike i"fu" i""Hnature, or a $o"untary !enance,for on these occasions it as not &ere"y a fe for&a" inuiriesand an akard !ause and then aay, but he actua""y thought itnecessary to turn back and a"k ith her% 1e ne$er said a greatdea", nor did she gi$e herse"f the troub"e of ta"king or of "istening &uchF but it struck her in the course of their third

rencontre that he as asking so&e odd unconnected uestionsHHabouther !"easure in being at 1unsford, her "o$e of so"itary a"ks, and



her o!inion of =r% and =rs% o""insKs ha!!inessF and that ins!eaking of 0osings and her not !erfect"y understanding the house,he see&ed to e/!ect that hene$er she ca&e into Dent again sheou"d be staying there too% 1is ords see&ed to i&!"y it% ou"dhe ha$e o"one" -itIi""ia& in his thoughts 2he su!!osed, if he

&eant anything, he &ust &ean an a""usion to hat &ight arise inthat uarter% t distressed her a "itt"e, and she as uite g"adto find herse"f at the gate in the !a"es o!!osite the Parsonage%

2he as engaged one day as she a"ked, in !erusing JaneKs "ast"etter, and de""ing on so&e !assages hich !ro$ed that Janehad not ritten in s!irits, hen, instead of being again sur!rised

by =r% 'arcy, she sa on "ooking u! that o"one" -itIi""ia&as &eeting her% Putting aay the "etter i&&ediate"y andforcing a s&i"e, she said7

did not kno before that you e$er a"ked this ay%

ha$e been &aking the tour of the !ark, he re!"ied, as genera""y do e$ery year, and intend to c"ose it ith a ca"" at theParsonage% Are you going &uch farther

Co, shou"d ha$e turned in a &o&ent%

And according"y she did turn, and they a"ked toards theParsonage together%

'o you certain"y "ea$e Dent on 2aturday said she%

*esHHif 'arcy does not !ut it off again% But a& at hisdis!osa"% 1e arranges the business just as he !"eases%

And if not ab"e to !"ease hi&se"f in the arrange&ent, he hasat "east !"easure in the great !oer of choice% do not knoanybody ho see&s &ore to enjoy the !oer of doing hat he"ikes than =r% 'arcy%

1e "ikes to ha$e his on ay $ery e"", re!"ied o"one"-itIi""ia&% But so e a"" do% t is on"y that he has better &eans of ha$ing it than &any others, because he is rich, and&any others are !oor% s!eak fee"ing"y% A younger son, youkno, &ust be inured to se"fHdenia" and de!endence%

n &y o!inion, the younger son of an ear" can kno $ery"itt"e of either% Co serious"y, hat ha$e you e$er knon of se"fHdenia" and de!endence hen ha$e you been !re$ented byant of &oney fro& going here$er you chose, or !rocuringanything you had a fancy for

These are ho&e uestionsHHand !erha!s cannot say that



ha$e e/!erienced &any hardshi!s of that nature% But in &attersof greater eight, &ay suffer fro& ant of &oney% *ounger sons cannot &arry here they "ike%

n"ess here they "ike o&en of fortune, hich think they

$ery often do%

ur habits of e/!ense &ake us too de!endent, and there are not&any in &y rank of "ife ho can afford to &arry ithout so&eattention to &oney%

s this, thought E"iIabeth, &eant for &e and she co"ouredat the ideaF but, reco$ering herse"f, said in a "i$e"y tone, And

!ray, hat is the usua" !rice of an ear"Ks younger son n"essthe e"der brother is $ery sick"y, su!!ose you ou"d not ask abo$e fifty thousand !ounds%

1e ansered her in the sa&e sty"e, and the subject dro!!ed% Tointerru!t a si"ence hich &ight &ake hi& fancy her affected ithhat had !assed, she soon afterards said7

i&agine your cousin brought you don ith hi& chief"y for the sake of ha$ing so&eone at his dis!osa"% onder he doesnot &arry, to secure a "asting con$enience of that kind% But,

!erha!s, his sister does as e"" for the !resent, and, as she isunder his so"e care, he &ay do hat he "ikes ith her%

Co, said o"one" -itIi""ia&, that is an ad$antage hich he&ust di$ide ith &e% a& joined ith hi& in the guardianshi!of =iss 'arcy%

Are you indeed And !ray hat sort of guardians do you&ake 'oes your charge gi$e you &uch troub"e *oung "adiesof her age are so&eti&es a "itt"e difficu"t to &anage, and if shehas the true 'arcy s!irit, she &ay "ike to ha$e her on ay%

As she s!oke she obser$ed hi& "ooking at her earnest"yF and

the &anner in hich he i&&ediate"y asked her hy she su!!osed=iss 'arcy "ike"y to gi$e the& any uneasiness, con$inced her that she had so&eho or other got !retty near the truth% 2hedirect"y re!"ied7

*ou need not be frightened% ne$er heard any har& of herF and dare say she is one of the &ost tractab"e creatures in the or"d%2he is a $ery great fa$ourite ith so&e "adies of &y acuaintance,=rs% 1urst and =iss Bing"ey% think ha$e heard you say thatyou kno the&%

kno the& a "itt"e% Their brother is a !"easant gent"e&an"ike&anHHhe is a great friend of 'arcyKs%



h6 yes, said E"iIabeth dri"yF =r% 'arcy is unco&&on"y kindto =r% Bing"ey, and takes a !rodigious dea" of care of hi&%

are of hi&6 *es, rea""y be"ie$e 'arcy does take care of

hi& in those !oints here he &ost ants care% -ro& so&ethingthat he to"d &e in our journey hither, ha$e reason to think Bing"ey $ery &uch indebted to hi&% But ought to beg his

!ardon, for ha$e no right to su!!ose that Bing"ey as the !erson &eant% t as a"" conjecture%

hat is it you &ean

t is a circu&stance hich 'arcy cou"d not ish to be genera""yknon, because if it ere to get round to the "adyKs fa&i"y, itou"d be an un!"easant thing%

*ou &ay de!end u!on &y not &entioning it%

And re&e&ber that ha$e not &uch reason for su!!osing itto be Bing"ey% hat he to"d &e as &ere"y this7 that hecongratu"ated hi&se"f on ha$ing "ate"y sa$ed a friend fro&the incon$eniences of a &ost i&!rudent &arriage, but ithout&entioning na&es or any other !articu"ars, and on"y sus!ectedit to be Bing"ey fro& be"ie$ing hi& the kind of young &an to getinto a scra!e of that sort, and fro& knoing the& to ha$e beentogether the ho"e of "ast su&&er%

'id =r% 'arcy gi$e you reasons for this interference

understood that there ere so&e $ery strong objectionsagainst the "ady%

And hat arts did he use to se!arate the&

1e did not ta"k to &e of his on arts, said -itIi""ia&, s&i"ing%1e on"y to"d &e hat ha$e no to"d you%

E"iIabeth &ade no anser, and a"ked on, her heart se""ingith indignation% After atching her a "itt"e, -itIi""ia& askedher hy she as so thoughtfu"%

a& thinking of hat you ha$e been te""ing &e, said she%*our cousinKs conduct does not suit &y fee"ings% hy as heto be the judge

*ou are rather dis!osed to ca"" his interference officious

do not see hat right =r% 'arcy had to decide on the !ro!riety of his friendKs inc"ination, or hy, u!on his on



judge&ent a"one, he as to deter&ine and direct in hat &anner his friend as to be ha!!y% But, she continued, reco""ectingherse"f, as e kno none of the !articu"ars, it is not fair toconde&n hi&% t is not to be su!!osed that there as &uchaffection in the case%

That is not an unnatura" sur&ise, said -itIi""ia&, but it is a"essening of the honour of &y cousinKs triu&!h $ery sad"y%

This as s!oken jesting"yF but it a!!eared to her so just a !ictureof =r% 'arcy, that she ou"d not trust herse"f ith an anser,and therefore, abru!t"y changing the con$ersation ta"ked onindifferent &atters unti" they reached the Parsonage% There, shutinto her on roo&, as soon as their $isitor "eft the&, she cou"dthink ithout interru!tion of a"" that she had heard% t as notto be su!!osed that any other !eo!"e cou"d be &eant than those

ith ho& she as connected% There cou"d not e/ist in theor"d to &en o$er ho& =r% 'arcy cou"d ha$e such bound"essinf"uence% That he had been concerned in the &easures taken tose!arate Bing"ey and Jane she had ne$er doubtedF but she hada"ays attributed to =iss Bing"ey the !rinci!a" design andarrange&ent of the&% f his on $anity, hoe$er, did not &is"eadhi&, he as the cause, his !ride and ca!rice ere the cause, of a"" that Jane had suffered, and sti"" continued to suffer% 1ehad ruined for a hi"e e$ery ho!e of ha!!iness for the &ostaffectionate, generous heart in the or"dF and no one cou"d sayho "asting an e$i" he &ight ha$e inf"icted%

There ere so&e $ery strong objections against the "ady,ere o"one" -itIi""ia&Ks ordsF and those strong objections

!robab"y ere, her ha$ing one unc"e ho as a country attorney,and another ho as in business in @ondon%

To Jane herse"f, she e/c"ai&ed, there cou"d be no !ossibi"ityof objectionF a"" "o$e"iness and goodness as she is6HHher understanding e/ce""ent, her &ind i&!ro$ed, and her &annersca!ti$ating% Ceither cou"d anything be urged against &y father,

ho, though ith so&e !ecu"iarities, has abi"ities =r% 'arcyhi&se"f need not disdain, and res!ectabi"ity hich he i"" !robab"y ne$er each% hen she thought of her &other, her confidence ga$e ay a "itt"eF but she ou"d not a""o that anyobjections there had &ateria" eight ith =r% 'arcy, hose

!ride, she as con$inced, ou"d recei$e a dee!er ound fro&the ant of i&!ortance in his friendKs connections, than fro&their ant of senseF and she as uite decided, at "ast, that hehad been !art"y go$erned by this orst kind of !ride, and !art"y

by the ish of retaining =r% Bing"ey for his sister%

The agitation and tears hich the subject occasioned, brought ona headacheF and it gre so &uch orse toards the e$ening,



that, added to her uni""ingness to see =r% 'arcy, it deter&inedher not to attend her cousins to 0osings, here they ereengaged to drink tea% =rs% o""ins, seeing that she as rea""yune"", did not !ress her to go and as &uch as !ossib"e

!re$ented her husband fro& !ressing herF but =r% o""ins cou"d

not concea" his a!!rehension of @ady atherineKs being rather dis!"eased by her staying at ho&e%

ha!ter 9:

hen they ere gone, E"iIabeth, as if intending to e/as!erateherse"f as &uch as !ossib"e against =r% 'arcy, chose for her e&!"oy&ent the e/a&ination of a"" the "etters hich Jane had

ritten to her since her being in Dent% They contained no actua"co&!"aint, nor as there any re$i$a" of !ast occurrences, or anyco&&unication of !resent suffering% But in a"", and in a"&oste$ery "ine of each, there as a ant of that cheerfu"ness hichhad been used to characterise her sty"e, and hich, !roceedingfro& the serenity of a &ind at ease ith itse"f and kind"ydis!osed toards e$eryone, had been scarce"y e$er c"ouded%E"iIabeth noticed e$ery sentence con$eying the idea of uneasiness,ith an attention hich it had hard"y recei$ed on the first

!erusa"% =r% 'arcyKs sha&efu" boast of hat &isery he had beenab"e to inf"ict, ga$e her a keener sense of her sisterKssufferings% t as so&e conso"ation to think that his $isitto 0osings as to end on the day after the ne/tHHand, a sti""greater, that in "ess than a fortnight she shou"d herse"f be ithJane again, and enab"ed to contribute to the reco$ery of her s!irits, by a"" that affection cou"d do%

2he cou"d not think of 'arcyKs "ea$ing Dent ithout re&e&beringthat his cousin as to go ith hi&F but o"one" -itIi""ia& had&ade it c"ear that he had no intentions at a"", and agreeab"eas he as, she did not &ean to be unha!!y about hi&%

hi"e sett"ing this !oint, she as sudden"y roused by the soundof the doorHbe"", and her s!irits ere a "itt"e f"uttered by theidea of its being o"one" -itIi""ia& hi&se"f, ho had once

before ca""ed "ate in the e$ening, and &ight no co&e to inuire !articu"ar"y after her% But this idea as soon banished, andher s!irits ere $ery different"y affected, hen, to her utter a&aIe&ent, she sa =r% 'arcy a"k into the roo&% n anhurried &anner he i&&ediate"y began an inuiry after her hea"th,i&!uting his $isit to a ish of hearing that she ere better%2he ansered hi& ith co"d ci$i"ity% 1e sat don for a fe

&o&ents, and then getting u!, a"ked about the roo&% E"iIabethas sur!rised, but said not a ord% After a si"ence of



se$era" &inutes, he ca&e toards her in an agitated &anner,and thus began7

n $ain ha$e strugg"ed% t i"" not do% =y fee"ings i"" not be re!ressed% *ou &ust a""o &e to te"" you ho ardent"y ad&ire

and "o$e you%

E"iIabethKs astonish&ent as beyond e/!ression% 2he stared,co"oured, doubted, and as si"ent% This he considered sufficientencourage&entF and the a$oa" of a"" that he fe"t, and had "ongfe"t for her, i&&ediate"y fo""oed% 1e s!oke e""F but thereere fee"ings besides those of the heart to be detai"edF and heas not &ore e"ouent on the subject of tenderness than of !ride%1is sense of her inferiorityHHof its being a degradationHHof thefa&i"y obstac"es hich had a"ays o!!osed to inc"ination, erede"t on ith a ar&th hich see&ed due to the conseuence he

as ounding, but as $ery un"ike"y to reco&&end his suit%

n s!ite of her dee!"yHrooted dis"ike, she cou"d not be insensib"eto the co&!"i&ent of such a &anKs affection, and though her intentions did not $ary for an instant, she as at first sorry for the !ain he as to recei$eF ti"", roused to resent&ent by hissubseuent "anguage, she "ost a"" co&!assion in anger% 2hetried, hoe$er, to co&!ose herse"f to anser hi& ith !atience,hen he shou"d ha$e done% 1e conc"uded ith re!resenting toher the strength of that attach&ent hich, in s!ite of a"" hisendea$ours, he had found i&!ossib"e to conuerF and ithe/!ressing his ho!e that it ou"d no be rearded by her acce!tance of his hand% As he said this, she cou"d easi"ysee that he had no doubt of a fa$ourab"e anser% 1e s!oke of a!!rehension and an/iety, but his countenance e/!ressed rea"security% 2uch a circu&stance cou"d on"y e/as!erate farther,and, hen he ceased, the co"our rose into her cheeks, and shesaid7

n such cases as this, it is, be"ie$e, the estab"ished &odeto e/!ress a sense of ob"igation for the senti&ents a$oed,

hoe$er uneua""y they &ay be returned% t is natura" thatob"igation shou"d be fe"t, and if cou"d fee" gratitude, ou"dno thank you% But cannotHH ha$e ne$er desired your goodo!inion, and you ha$e certain"y bestoed it &ost uni""ing"y% a& sorry to ha$e occasioned !ain to anyone% t has been &ostunconscious"y done, hoe$er, and ho!e i"" be of shortduration% The fee"ings hich, you te"" &e, ha$e "ong !re$entedthe ackno"edg&ent of your regard, can ha$e "itt"e difficu"ty ino$erco&ing it after this e/!"anation%

=r% 'arcy, ho as "eaning against the &ante"!iece ith his

eyes fi/ed on her face, see&ed to catch her ords ith no "essresent&ent than sur!rise% 1is co&!"e/ion beca&e !a"e ith



anger, and the disturbance of his &ind as $isib"e in e$eryfeature% 1e as strugg"ing for the a!!earance of co&!osure,and ou"d not o!en his "i!s ti"" he be"ie$ed hi&se"f to ha$eattained it% The !ause as to E"iIabethKs fee"ings dreadfu"%At "ength, ith a $oice of forced ca"&ness, he said7

And this is a"" the re!"y hich a& to ha$e the honour of e/!ecting6 &ight, !erha!s, ish to be infor&ed hy, ith so"itt"e endea$our at ci$i"ity, a& thus rejected% But it is of s&a"" i&!ortance%

&ight as e"" inuire, re!"ied she, hy ith so e$ident adesire of offending and insu"ting &e, you chose to te"" &e thatyou "iked &e against your i"", against your reason, and e$enagainst your character as not this so&e e/cuse for inci$i"ity,if as unci$i" But ha$e other !ro$ocations% *ou kno

ha$e% 1ad not &y fee"ings decided against youHHhad they beenindifferent, or had they e$en been fa$ourab"e, do you think thatany consideration ou"d te&!t &e to acce!t the &an ho has

been the &eans of ruining, !erha!s for e$er, the ha!!iness of a&ost be"o$ed sister

As she !ronounced these ords, =r% 'arcy changed co"ourF butthe e&otion as short, and he "istened ithout atte&!tingto interru!t her hi"e she continued7

ha$e e$ery reason in the or"d to think i"" of you% Co &oti$ecan e/cuse the unjust and ungenerous !art you acted there%*ou dare not, you cannot deny, that you ha$e been the !rinci!a",if not the on"y &eans of di$iding the& fro& each otherHHof e/!osing one to the censure of the or"d for ca!rice andinstabi"ity, and the other to its derision for disa!!ointed ho!es,and in$o"$ing the& both in &isery of the acutest kind%

2he !aused, and sa ith no s"ight indignation that he as"istening ith an air hich !ro$ed hi& ho""y un&o$ed by anyfee"ing of re&orse% 1e e$en "ooked at her ith a s&i"e of

affected incredu"ity%

an you deny that you ha$e done it she re!eated%

ith assu&ed tranui""ity he then re!"ied7 ha$e no ish of denying that did e$erything in &y !oer to se!arate &y friendfro& your sister, or that rejoice in &y success% Toards hi& ha$e been kinder than toards &yse"f%

E"iIabeth disdained the a!!earance of noticing this ci$i"ref"ection, but its &eaning did not esca!e, nor as it "ike"y to

conci"iate her%



But it is not &ere"y this affair, she continued, on hich &ydis"ike is founded% @ong before it had taken !"ace &y o!inionof you as decided% *our character as unfo"ded in the recita"hich recei$ed &any &onths ago fro& =r% ickha&% n thissubject, hat can you ha$e to say n hat i&aginary act

of friendshi! can you here defend yourse"f or under hat&isre!resentation can you here i&!ose u!on others

*ou take an eager interest in that gent"e&anKs concerns, said'arcy, in a "ess tranui" tone, and ith a heightened co"our%

ho that knos hat his &isfortunes ha$e been, can he"!fee"ing an interest in hi&

1is &isfortunes6 re!eated 'arcy conte&!tuous"yF yes, his&isfortunes ha$e been great indeed%

And of your inf"iction, cried E"iIabeth ith energy% *ouha$e reduced hi& to his !resent state of !o$ertyHHco&!arati$e

!o$erty% *ou ha$e ithhe"d the ad$antages hich you &ustkno to ha$e been designed for hi&% *ou ha$e de!ri$ed the

best years of his "ife of that inde!endence hich as no "ess hisdue than his desert% *ou ha$e done a"" this6 and yet you cantreat the &ention of his &isfortune ith conte&!t and ridicu"e%

And this, cried 'arcy, as he a"ked ith uick ste!s acrossthe roo&, is your o!inion of &e6 This is the esti&ation inhich you ho"d &e6 thank you for e/!"aining it so fu""y% =yfau"ts, according to this ca"cu"ation, are hea$y indeed6 But

!erha!s, added he, sto!!ing in his a"k, and turning toardsher, these offenses &ight ha$e been o$er"ooked, had not your

!ride been hurt by &y honest confession of the scru!"es that had"ong !re$ented &y for&ing any serious design% These bitter accusations &ight ha$e been su!!ressed, had , ith greater

!o"icy, concea"ed &y strugg"es, and f"attered you into the be"ief of &y being i&!e""ed by unua"ified, una""oyed inc"inationF byreason, by ref"ection, by e$erything% But disguise of e$ery sort

is &y abhorrence% Cor a& asha&ed of the fee"ings re"ated%They ere natura" and just% ou"d you e/!ect &e to rejoice inthe inferiority of your connectionsHHto congratu"ate &yse"f onthe ho!e of re"ations, hose condition in "ife is so decided"y

beneath &y on

E"iIabeth fe"t herse"f groing &ore angry e$ery &o&entF yet shetried to the ut&ost to s!eak ith co&!osure hen she said7

*ou are &istaken, =r% 'arcy, if you su!!ose that the &ode of your dec"aration affected &e in any other ay, than as it s!ared

the concern hich &ight ha$e fe"t in refusing you, had you beha$ed in a &ore gent"e&an"ike &anner%



2he sa hi& start at this, but he said nothing, and she continued7

*ou cou"d not ha$e &ade the offer of your hand in any !ossib"eay that ou"d ha$e te&!ted &e to acce!t it%

Again his astonish&ent as ob$iousF and he "ooked at her ithan e/!ression of &ing"ed incredu"ity and &ortification% 2he enton7

-ro& the $ery beginningHHfro& the first &o&ent, &ay a"&ostsayHHof &y acuaintance ith you, your &anners, i&!ressing &eith the fu""est be"ief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your se"fish disdain of the fee"ings of others, ere such as to for& thegroundork of disa!!robation on hich succeeding e$ents ha$e

bui"t so i&&o$ab"e a dis"ikeF and had not knon you a &onth

before fe"t that you ere the "ast &an in the or"d ho& cou"d e$er be !re$ai"ed on to &arry%

*ou ha$e said uite enough, &ada&% !erfect"y co&!rehendyour fee"ings, and ha$e no on"y to be asha&ed of hat &y onha$e been% -orgi$e &e for ha$ing taken u! so &uch of your ti&e, and acce!t &y best ishes for your hea"th and ha!!iness%

And ith these ords he hasti"y "eft the roo&, and E"iIabethheard hi& the ne/t &o&ent o!en the front door and uit thehouse%

The tu&u"t of her &ind, as no !ainfu""y great% 2he kne notho to su!!ort herse"f, and fro& actua" eakness sat don andcried for ha"fHanHhour% 1er astonish&ent, as she ref"ected onhat had !assed, as increased by e$ery re$ie of it% That sheshou"d recei$e an offer of &arriage fro& =r% 'arcy6 That heshou"d ha$e been in "o$e ith her for so &any &onths6 2o &uchin "o$e as to ish to &arry her in s!ite of a"" the objectionshich had &ade hi& !re$ent his friendKs &arrying her sister,and hich &ust a!!ear at "east ith eua" force in his on

caseHHas a"&ost incredib"e6 t as gratifying to ha$e ins!iredunconscious"y so strong an affection% But his !ride, hisabo&inab"e !rideHHhis sha&e"ess a$oa" of hat he had done ithres!ect to JaneHHhis un!ardonab"e assurance in ackno"edging,though he cou"d not justify it, and the unfee"ing &anner inhich he had &entioned =r% ickha&, his crue"ty toards ho&he had not atte&!ted to deny, soon o$erca&e the !ity hich theconsideration of his attach&ent had for a &o&ent e/cited% 2hecontinued in $ery agitated ref"ections ti"" the sound of @adyatherineKs carriage &ade her fee" ho uneua" she as toencounter har"otteKs obser$ation, and hurried her aay to

her roo&%



cannot be too soon forgottenF and the effort hich the for&ationand the !erusa" of this "etter &ust occasion, shou"d ha$e beens!ared, had not &y character reuired it to be ritten and read%*ou &ust, therefore, !ardon the freedo& ith hich de&andyour attentionF your fee"ings, kno, i"" besto it uni""ing"y,

but de&and it of your justice%

To offenses of a $ery different nature, and by no &eans of eua" &agnitude, you "ast night "aid to &y charge% The first&entioned as, that, regard"ess of the senti&ents of either, haddetached =r% Bing"ey fro& your sister, and the other, that had,in defiance of $arious c"ai&s, in defiance of honour andhu&anity, ruined the i&&ediate !ros!erity and b"asted the

!ros!ects of =r% ickha&% i"fu""y and anton"y to ha$ethron off the co&!anion of &y youth, the ackno"edgedfa$ourite of &y father, a young &an ho had scarce"y any other

de!endence than on our !atronage, and ho had been broughtu! to e/!ect its e/ertion, ou"d be a de!ra$ity, to hich these!aration of to young !ersons, hose affection cou"d be thegroth of on"y a fe eeks, cou"d bear no co&!arison% Butfro& the se$erity of that b"a&e hich as "ast night so "ibera""y

bestoed, res!ecting each circu&stance, sha"" ho!e to be in thefuture secured, hen the fo""oing account of &y actions andtheir &oti$es has been read% f, in the e/!"anation of the&,hich is due to &yse"f, a& under the necessity of re"atingfee"ings hich &ay be offensi$e to yours, can on"y say that a& sorry% The necessity &ust be obeyed, and further a!o"ogyou"d be absurd%

had not been "ong in 1ertfordshire, before sa, in co&&onith others, that Bing"ey !referred your e"der sister to any other young o&an in the country% But it as not ti"" the e$ening of the dance at Cetherfie"d that had any a!!rehension of hisfee"ing a serious attach&ent% had often seen hi& in "o$e before%At that ba"", hi"e had the honour of dancing ith you, asfirst &ade acuainted, by 2ir i""ia& @ucasKs accidenta"infor&ation, that Bing"eyKs attentions to your sister had gi$en

rise to a genera" e/!ectation of their &arriage% 1e s!oke of itas a certain e$ent, of hich the ti&e a"one cou"d be undecided%-ro& that &o&ent obser$ed &y friendKs beha$iour attenti$e"yFand cou"d then !ercei$e that his !artia"ity for =iss Bennetas beyond hat had e$er itnessed in hi&% *our sister a"so atched% 1er "ook and &anners ere o!en, cheerfu", andengaging as e$er, but ithout any sy&!to& of !ecu"iar regard,and re&ained con$inced fro& the e$eningKs scrutiny, thatthough she recei$ed his attentions ith !"easure, she did notin$ite the& by any !artici!ation of senti&ent% f you ha$e not

been &istaken here, &ust ha$e been in error% *our su!erior

kno"edge of your sister &ust &ake the "atter !robab"e% f it beso, if ha$e been &is"ed by such error to inf"ict !ain on her,



your resent&ent has not been unreasonab"e% But sha"" not scru!"eto assert, that the serenity of your sisterKs countenance and air as such as &ight ha$e gi$en the &ost acute obser$er a con$ictionthat, hoe$er a&iab"e her te&!er, her heart as not "ike"y to beeasi"y touched% That as desirous of be"ie$ing her indifferent

is certainHHbut i"" $enture to say that &y in$estigation anddecisions are not usua""y inf"uenced by &y ho!es or fears% didnot be"ie$e her to be indifferent because ished itF be"ie$edit on i&!artia" con$iction, as tru"y as ished it in reason%=y objections to the &arriage ere not &ere"y those hich "astnight ackno"edged to ha$e the ut&ost force of !assion to !utaside, in &y on caseF the ant of connection cou"d not be sogreat an e$i" to &y friend as to &e% But there ere other causesof re!ugnanceF causes hich, though sti"" e/isting, and e/istingto an eua" degree in both instances, had &yse"f endea$ouredto forget, because they ere not i&&ediate"y before &e% These

causes &ust be stated, though brief"y% The situation of your &otherKs fa&i"y, though objectionab"e, as nothing inco&!arison to that tota" ant of !ro!riety so freuent"y, soa"&ost unifor&"y betrayed by herse"f, by your three younger sisters, and occasiona""y e$en by your father% Pardon &e% t

!ains &e to offend you% But a&idst your concern for the defectsof your nearest re"ations, and your dis!"easure at thisre!resentation of the&, "et it gi$e you conso"ation to consider that, to ha$e conducted yourse"$es so as to a$oid any share of the "ike censure, is !raise no "ess genera""y bestoed on you andyour e"der sister, than it is honourab"e to the sense anddis!osition of both% i"" on"y say farther that fro& hat !assedthat e$ening, &y o!inion of a"" !arties as confir&ed, and e$eryinduce&ent heightened hich cou"d ha$e "ed &e before, to

!reser$e &y friend fro& hat estee&ed a &ost unha!!yconnection% 1e "eft Cetherfie"d for @ondon, on the dayfo""oing, as you, a& certain, re&e&ber, ith the design of soon returning%

The !art hich acted is no to be e/!"ained% 1is sistersKuneasiness had been eua""y e/cited ith &y onF our coincidence

of fee"ing as soon disco$ered, and, a"ike sensib"e that no ti&eas to be "ost in detaching their brother, e short"y reso"$edon joining hi& direct"y in @ondon% e according"y entHHandthere readi"y engaged in the office of !ointing out to &yfriend the certain e$i"s of such a choice% described, andenforced the& earnest"y% But, hoe$er this re&onstrance &ightha$e staggered or de"ayed his deter&ination, do not su!!osethat it ou"d u"ti&ate"y ha$e !re$ented the &arriage, had it not

been seconded by the assurance that hesitated not in gi$ing, of your sisterKs indifference% 1e had before be"ie$ed her to returnhis affection ith sincere, if not ith eua" regard% But Bing"ey

has great natura" &odesty, ith a stronger de!endence on &y judge&ent than on his on% To con$ince hi&, therefore, that he



had decei$ed hi&se"f, as no $ery difficu"t !oint% To !ersuadehi& against returning into 1ertfordshire, hen that con$ictionhad been gi$en, as scarce"y the ork of a &o&ent% cannot

b"a&e &yse"f for ha$ing done thus &uch% There is but one !artof &y conduct in the ho"e affair on hich do not ref"ect ith

satisfactionF it is that condescended to ado!t the &easures of art so far as to concea" fro& hi& your sisterKs being in ton% kne it &yse"f, as it as knon to =iss Bing"eyF but her brother is e$en yet ignorant of it% That they &ight ha$e &et ithout i""conseuence is !erha!s !robab"eF but his regard did not a!!ear to &e enough e/tinguished for hi& to see her ithout so&e danger%Perha!s this concea"&ent, this disguise as beneath &eF it isdone, hoe$er, and it as done for the best% n this subject ha$e nothing &ore to say, no other a!o"ogy to offer% f ha$e ounded your sisterKs fee"ings, it as unknoing"y done andthough the &oti$es hich go$erned &e &ay to you $ery natura""y

a!!ear insufficient, ha$e not yet "earnt to conde&n the&%

ith res!ect to that other, &ore eighty accusation, of ha$inginjured =r% ickha&, can on"y refute it by "aying before youthe ho"e of his connection ith &y fa&i"y% f hat he has

!articu"ar"y accused &e a& ignorantF but of the truth of hat sha"" re"ate, can su&&on &ore than one itness of undoubted $eracity%

=r% ickha& is the son of a $ery res!ectab"e &an, ho had for &any years the &anage&ent of a"" the Pe&ber"ey estates, andhose good conduct in the discharge of his trust natura""yinc"ined &y father to be of ser$ice to hi&F and on Georgeickha&, ho as his godson, his kindness as therefore"ibera""y bestoed% =y father su!!orted hi& at schoo", andafterards at a&bridgeHH&ost i&!ortant assistance, as his onfather, a"ays !oor fro& the e/tra$agance of his ife, ou"dha$e been unab"e to gi$e hi& a gent"e&anKs education% =yfather as not on"y fond of this young &anKs society, hose&anner ere a"ays engagingF he had a"so the highest o!inion of hi&, and ho!ing the church ou"d be his !rofession, intended to

!ro$ide for hi& in it% As for &yse"f, it is &any, &any years since first began to think of hi& in a $ery different &anner% The$icious !ro!ensitiesHHthe ant of !rinci!"e, hich he as carefu"to guard fro& the kno"edge of his best friend, cou"d not esca!ethe obser$ation of a young &an of near"y the sa&e age ithhi&se"f, and ho had o!!ortunities of seeing hi& in unguarded&o&ents, hich =r% 'arcy cou"d not ha$e% 1ere again sha""gi$e you !ainHHto hat degree you on"y can te""% But hate$er &ay be the senti&ents hich =r% ickha& has created, asus!icion of their nature sha"" not !re$ent &e fro& unfo"dinghis rea" characterHHit adds e$en another &oti$e%

=y e/ce""ent father died about fi$e years agoF and his attach&ent



to =r% ickha& as to the "ast so steady, that in his i"" he !articu"ar"y reco&&ended it to &e, to !ro&ote his ad$ance&ent inthe best &anner that his !rofession &ight a""oHHand if he took orders, desired that a $a"uab"e fa&i"y "i$ing &ight be his as soonas it beca&e $acant% There as a"so a "egacy of one thousand

!ounds% 1is on father did not "ong sur$i$e &ine, and ithin ha"f a year fro& these e$ents, =r% ickha& rote to infor& &e that,ha$ing fina""y reso"$ed against taking orders, he ho!ed shou"dnot think it unreasonab"e for hi& to e/!ect so&e &ore i&&ediate

!ecuniary ad$antage, in "ieu of the !refer&ent, by hich he cou"dnot be benefited% 1e had so&e intention, he added, of studying"a, and &ust be aare that the interest of one thousand !oundsou"d be a $ery insufficient su!!ort therein% rather ished,than be"ie$ed hi& to be sincereF but, at any rate, as !erfect"yready to accede to his !ro!osa"% kne that =r% ickha&ought not to be a c"ergy&anF the business as therefore soon

sett"edHHhe resigned a"" c"ai& to assistance in the church, ereit !ossib"e that he cou"d e$er be in a situation to recei$e it,and acce!ted in return three thousand !ounds% A"" connection

beteen us see&ed no disso"$ed% thought too i"" of hi& toin$ite hi& to Pe&ber"ey, or ad&it his society in ton% n ton be"ie$e he chief"y "i$ed, but his studying the "a as a &ere

!retence, and being no free fro& a"" restraint, his "ife as a"ife of id"eness and dissi!ation% -or about three years heard"itt"e of hi&F but on the decease of the incu&bent of the "i$inghich had been designed for hi&, he a!!"ied to &e again by "etter for the !resentation% 1is circu&stances, he assured &e, and had no difficu"ty in be"ie$ing it, ere e/ceeding"y bad% 1e hadfound the "a a &ost un!rofitab"e study, and as no abso"ute"yreso"$ed on being ordained, if ou"d !resent hi& to the "i$ingin uestionHHof hich he trusted there cou"d be "itt"e doubt, ashe as e"" assured that had no other !erson to !ro$ide for,and cou"d not ha$e forgotten &y re$ered fatherKs intentions%*ou i"" hard"y b"a&e &e for refusing to co&!"y ith this entreaty,or for resisting e$ery re!etition to it% 1is resent&ent as in

!ro!ortion to the distress of his circu&stancesHHand he asdoubt"ess as $io"ent in his abuse of &e to others as in his

re!roaches to &yse"f% After this !eriod e$ery a!!earance of acuaintance as dro!!ed% 1o he "i$ed kno not% But "astsu&&er he as again &ost !ainfu""y obtruded on &y notice%

&ust no &ention a circu&stance hich ou"d ish toforget &yse"f, and hich no ob"igation "ess than the !resentshou"d induce &e to unfo"d to any hu&an being% 1a$ing saidthus &uch, fee" no doubt of your secrecy% =y sister, ho is&ore than ten years &y junior, as "eft to the guardianshi! of &y &otherKs ne!he, o"one" -itIi""ia&, and &yse"f% About ayear ago, she as taken fro& schoo", and an estab"ish&ent

for&ed for her in @ondonF and "ast su&&er she ent ith the"ady ho !resided o$er it, to 0a&sgateF and thither a"so ent



=r% ickha&, undoubted"y by designF for there !ro$ed to ha$e been a !rior acuaintance beteen hi& and =rs% *ounge, inhose character e ere &ost unha!!i"y decei$edF and byher conni$ance and aid, he so far reco&&ended hi&se"f toGeorgiana, hose affectionate heart retained a strong i&!ression

of his kindness to her as a chi"d, that she as !ersuaded to be"ie$e herse"f in "o$e, and to consent to an e"o!e&ent% 2he asthen but fifteen, hich &ust be her e/cuseF and after stating her i&!rudence, a& ha!!y to add, that oed the kno"edge of itto herse"f% joined the& une/!ected"y a day or to before theintended e"o!e&ent, and then Georgiana, unab"e to su!!ort theidea of grie$ing and offending a brother ho& she a"&ost"ooked u! to as a father, ackno"edged the ho"e to &e% *ou&ay i&agine hat fe"t and ho acted% 0egard for &y sisterKscredit and fee"ings !re$ented any !ub"ic e/!osureF but roteto =r% ickha&, ho "eft the !"ace i&&ediate"y, and =rs% *ounge

as of course re&o$ed fro& her charge% =r% ickha&Ks chief object as unuestionab"y &y sisterKs fortune, hich is thirtythousand !oundsF but cannot he"! su!!osing that the ho!e of re$enging hi&se"f on &e as a strong induce&ent% 1is re$engeou"d ha$e been co&!"ete indeed%

This, &ada&, is a faithfu" narrati$e of e$ery e$ent in hiche ha$e been concerned togetherF and if you do not abso"ute"yreject it as fa"se, you i"", ho!e, acuit &e henceforthof crue"ty toards =r% ickha&% kno not in hat &anner,under hat for& of fa"sehood he had i&!osed on youF but hissuccess is not !erha!s to be ondered at% gnorant as you

!re$ious"y ere of e$erything concerning either, detectioncou"d not be in your !oer, and sus!icion certain"y not inyour inc"ination%

*ou &ay !ossib"y onder hy a"" this as not to"d you "astnightF but as not then &aster enough of &yse"f to kno hatcou"d or ought to be re$ea"ed% -or the truth of e$erything herere"ated, can a!!ea" &ore !articu"ar"y to the testi&ony of o"one" -itIi""ia&, ho, fro& our near re"ationshi! and

constant inti&acy, and, sti"" &ore, as one of the e/ecutors of &y fatherKs i"", has been una$oidab"y acuainted ith e$ery !articu"ar of these transactions% f your abhorrence of &e shou"d &ake &y assertions $a"ue"ess, you cannot be !re$ented

by the sa&e cause fro& confiding in &y cousinF and that there&ay be the !ossibi"ity of consu"ting hi&, sha"" endea$our tofind so&e o!!ortunity of !utting this "etter in your hands inthe course of the &orning% i"" on"y add, God b"ess you%

-TM@@A= 'A0*



ha!ter 9?

f E"iIabeth, hen =r% 'arcy ga$e her the "etter, did not e/!ectit to contain a renea" of his offers, she had for&ed no

e/!ectation at a"" of its contents% But such as they ere, it&ay e"" be su!!osed ho eager"y she ent through the&, and hata contrariety of e&otion they e/cited% 1er fee"ings as sheread ere scarce"y to be defined% ith a&aIe&ent did she firstunderstand that he be"ie$ed any a!o"ogy to be in his !oerF andsteadfast"y as she !ersuaded, that he cou"d ha$e no e/!"anationto gi$e, hich a just sense of sha&e ou"d not concea"% ith astrong !rejudice against e$erything he &ight say, she began hisaccount of hat had ha!!ened at Cetherfie"d% 2he read ith aneagerness hich hard"y "eft her !oer of co&!rehension, andfro& i&!atience of knoing hat the ne/t sentence &ight bring,

as inca!ab"e of attending to the sense of the one before her eyes% 1is be"ief of her sisterKs insensibi"ity she instant"yreso"$ed to be fa"seF and his account of the rea", the orstobjections to the &atch, &ade her too angry to ha$e any ish of doing hi& justice% 1e e/!ressed no regret for hat he had donehich satisfied herF his sty"e as not !enitent, but haughty%t as a"" !ride and inso"ence%

But hen this subject as succeeded by his account of =r%ickha&HHhen she read ith so&ehat c"earer attention are"ation of e$ents hich, if true, &ust o$erthro e$ery cherishedo!inion of his orth, and hich bore so a"ar&ing an affinity tohis on history of hi&se"fHHher fee"ings ere yet &ore acute"y

!ainfu" and &ore difficu"t of definition% Astonish&ent,a!!rehension, and e$en horror, o!!ressed her% 2he ished todiscredit it entire"y, re!eated"y e/c"ai&ing, This &ust be fa"se6This cannot be6 This &ust be the grossest fa"sehood6HHandhen she had gone through the ho"e "etter, though scarce"yknoing anything of the "ast !age or to, !ut it hasti"y aay,

!rotesting that she ou"d not regard it, that she ou"d ne$er "ook in it again%

n this !erturbed state of &ind, ith thoughts that cou"d rest onnothing, she a"ked onF but it ou"d not doF in ha"f a &inute the"etter as unfo"ded again, and co""ecting herse"f as e"" as shecou"d, she again began the &ortifying !erusa" of a"" that re"atedto ickha&, and co&&anded herse"f so far as to e/a&ine the&eaning of e$ery sentence% The account of his connection iththe Pe&ber"ey fa&i"y as e/act"y hat he had re"ated hi&se"fFand the kindness of the "ate =r% 'arcy, though she had not

before knon its e/tent, agreed eua""y e"" ith his onords% 2o far each recita" confir&ed the otherF but hen she

ca&e to the i"", the difference as great% hat ickha& hadsaid of the "i$ing as fresh in her &e&ory, and as she reca""ed



his $ery ords, it as i&!ossib"e not to fee" that there as grossdu!"icity on one side or the otherF and, for a fe &o&ents, shef"attered herse"f that her ishes did not err% But hen sheread and reHread ith the c"osest attention, the !articu"arsi&&ediate"y fo""oing of ickha&Ks resigning a"" !retensions to

the "i$ing, of his recei$ing in "ieu so considerab"e a su& asthree thousand !ounds, again as she forced to hesitate% 2he

!ut don the "etter, eighed e$ery circu&stance ith hat she&eant to be i&!artia"ityHHde"iberated on the !robabi"ity of eachstate&entHHbut ith "itt"e success% n both sides it as on"yassertion% Again she read onF but e$ery "ine !ro$ed &ore c"ear"ythat the affair, hich she had be"ie$ed it i&!ossib"e that anycontri$ance cou"d so re!resent as to render =r% 'arcyKs conductin it "ess than infa&ous, as ca!ab"e of a turn hich &ust &akehi& entire"y b"a&e"ess throughout the ho"e%

The e/tra$agance and genera" !rof"igacy hich he scru!"ed notto "ay at =r% ickha&Ks charge, e/ceeding"y shocked herF the&ore so, as she cou"d bring no !roof of its injustice% 2he hadne$er heard of hi& before his entrance into the HHHHshire =i"itia,in hich he had engaged at the !ersuasion of the young &anho, on &eeting hi& accidenta""y in ton, had there reneed as"ight acuaintance% f his for&er ay of "ife nothing had beenknon in 1ertfordshire but hat he to"d hi&se"f% As to his rea"character, had infor&ation been in her !oer, she had ne$er fe"ta ish of inuiring% 1is countenance, $oice, and &anner hadestab"ished hi& at once in the !ossession of e$ery $irtue% 2hetried to reco""ect so&e instance of goodness, so&e distinguishedtrait of integrity or bene$o"ence, that &ight rescue hi& fro& theattacks of =r% 'arcyF or at "east, by the !redo&inance of $irtue,atone for those casua" errors under hich she ou"d endea$our to c"ass hat =r% 'arcy had described as the id"eness and $iceof &any yearsK continuance% But no such reco""ection befriendedher% 2he cou"d see hi& instant"y before her, in e$ery char& of air and addressF but she cou"d re&e&ber no &ore substantia"good than the genera" a!!robation of the neighbourhood, andthe regard hich his socia" !oers had gained hi& in the &ess%

After !ausing on this !oint a considerab"e hi"e, she once &orecontinued to read% But, a"as6 the story hich fo""oed, of hisdesigns on =iss 'arcy, recei$ed so&e confir&ation fro& hathad !assed beteen o"one" -itIi""ia& and herse"f on"y the&orning beforeF and at "ast she as referred for the truth of e$ery !articu"ar to o"one" -itIi""ia& hi&se"fHHfro& ho& shehad !re$ious"y recei$ed the infor&ation of his near concern ina"" his cousinKs affairs, and hose character she had no reasonto uestion% At one ti&e she had a"&ost reso"$ed on a!!"yingto hi&, but the idea as checked by the akardness of thea!!"ication, and at "ength ho""y banished by the con$iction

that =r% 'arcy ou"d ne$er ha$e haIarded such a !ro!osa", if he had not been e"" assured of his cousinKs corroboration%



2he !erfect"y re&e&bered e$erything that had !assed incon$ersation beteen ickha& and herse"f, in their first e$eningat =r% Phi""i!sKs% =any of his e/!ressions ere sti"" fresh inher &e&ory% 2he as no struck ith the i&!ro!riety of such

co&&unications to a stranger, and ondered it had esca!ed her before% 2he sa the inde"icacy of !utting hi&se"f forard ashe had done, and the inconsistency of his !rofessions ith hisconduct% 2he re&e&bered that he had boasted of ha$ing no fear of seeing =r% 'arcyHHthat =r% 'arcy &ight "ea$e the country,

but that he shou"d stand his groundF yet he had a$oided the Cetherfie"d ba"" the $ery ne/t eek% 2he re&e&bered a"so that,ti"" the Cetherfie"d fa&i"y had uitted the country, he had to"dhis story to no one but herse"fF but that after their re&o$a" ithad been e$eryhere discussedF that he had then no reser$es, noscru!"es in sinking =r% 'arcyKs character, though he had assured

her that res!ect for the father ou"d a"ays !re$ent his e/!osingthe son%

1o different"y did e$erything no a!!ear in hich he asconcerned6 1is attentions to =iss Ding ere no the conseuenceof $ies so"e"y and hatefu""y &ercenaryF and the &ediocrity of her fortune !ro$ed no "onger the &oderation of his ishes, buthis eagerness to gras! at anything% 1is beha$iour to herse"f cou"d no ha$e had no to"erab"e &oti$eF he had either beendecei$ed ith regard to her fortune, or had been gratifying his$anity by encouraging the !reference hich she be"ie$ed she had&ost incautious"y shon% E$ery "ingering strugg"e in his fa$our gre fainter and fainterF and in farther justification of =r%'arcy, she cou"d not but a""o =r% Bing"ey, hen uestioned

by Jane, had "ong ago asserted his b"a&e"essness in the affairFthat !roud and re!u"si$e as ere his &anners, she had ne$er, inthe ho"e course of their acuaintanceHHan acuaintance hichhad "atter"y brought the& &uch together, and gi$en her a sort of inti&acy ith his aysHHseen anything that betrayed hi& to beun!rinci!"ed or unjustHHanything that s!oke hi& of irre"igiousor i&&ora" habitsF that a&ong his on connections he as

estee&ed and $a"uedHHthat e$en ickha& had a""oed hi&&erit as a brother, and that she had often heard hi& s!eak soaffectionate"y of his sister as to !ro$e hi& ca!ab"e of so&e a&iab"e fee"ingF that had his actions been hat =r% ickha&re!resented the&, so gross a $io"ation of e$erything right cou"dhard"y ha$e been concea"ed fro& the or"dF and that friendshi!

beteen a !erson ca!ab"e of it, and such an a&iab"e &an as =r%Bing"ey, as inco&!rehensib"e%

2he gre abso"ute"y asha&ed of herse"f% f neither 'arcy nor ickha& cou"d she think ithout fee"ing she had been b"ind,

!artia", !rejudiced, absurd%



1o des!icab"y ha$e acted6 she criedF , ho ha$e !rided&yse"f on &y discern&ent6 , ho ha$e $a"ued &yse"f on &yabi"ities6 ho ha$e often disdained the generous candour of &ysister, and gratified &y $anity in use"ess or b"a&eab"e &istrust61o hu&i"iating is this disco$ery6 *et, ho just a hu&i"iation6

1ad been in "o$e, cou"d not ha$e been &ore retched"y b"ind6But $anity, not "o$e, has been &y fo""y% P"eased ith the

!reference of one, and offended by the neg"ect of the other,on the $ery beginning of our acuaintance, ha$e courted

!re!ossession and ignorance, and dri$en reason aay, hereeither ere concerned% Ti"" this &o&ent ne$er kne &yse"f%

-ro& herse"f to JaneHHfro& Jane to Bing"ey, her thoughts erein a "ine hich soon brought to her reco""ection that =r% 'arcyKse/!"anation there had a!!eared $ery insufficient, and she readit again% ide"y different as the effect of a second !erusa"%

1o cou"d she deny that credit to his assertions in one instance,hich she had been ob"iged to gi$e in the other 1e dec"aredhi&se"f to be tota""y unsus!icious of her sisterKs attach&entFand she cou"d not he"! re&e&bering hat har"otteKs o!inionhad a"ays been% Ceither cou"d she deny the justice of hisdescri!tion of Jane% 2he fe"t that JaneKs fee"ings, though fer$ent,ere "itt"e dis!"ayed, and that there as a constant co&!"acencyin her air and &anner not often united ith great sensibi"ity%

hen she ca&e to that !art of the "etter in hich her fa&i"y ere&entioned in ter&s of such &ortifying, yet &erited re!roach, her sense of sha&e as se$ere% The justice of the charge struck her too forcib"y for denia", and the circu&stances to hich he

!articu"ar"y a""uded as ha$ing !assed at the Cetherfie"d ba"",and as confir&ing a"" his first disa!!robation, cou"d not ha$e&ade a stronger i&!ression on his &ind than on hers%

The co&!"i&ent to herse"f and her sister as not unfe"t% tsoothed, but it cou"d not conso"e her for the conte&!t hich hadthus been se"fHattracted by the rest of her fa&i"yF and as sheconsidered that JaneKs disa!!oint&ent had in fact been the ork

of her nearest re"ations, and ref"ected ho &ateria""y the creditof both &ust be hurt by such i&!ro!riety of conduct, she fe"tde!ressed beyond anything she had e$er knon before%

After andering a"ong the "ane for to hours, gi$ing ay toe$ery $ariety of thoughtHHreHconsidering e$ents, deter&ining

!robabi"ities, and reconci"ing herse"f, as e"" as she cou"d, toa change so sudden and so i&!ortant, fatigue, and a reco""ectionof her "ong absence, &ade her at "ength return ho&eF and sheentered the house ith the ish of a!!earing cheerfu" as usua",and the reso"ution of re!ressing such ref"ections as &ust &ake

her unfit for con$ersation%



2he as i&&ediate"y to"d that the to gent"e&en fro& 0osingshad each ca""ed during her absenceF =r% 'arcy, on"y for a fe&inutes, to take "ea$eHHbut that o"one" -itIi""ia& had beensitting ith the& at "east an hour, ho!ing for her return, anda"&ost reso"$ing to a"k after her ti"" she cou"d be found%

E"iIabeth cou"d but just affect concern in &issing hi&F sherea""y rejoiced at it% o"one" -itIi""ia& as no "onger anobjectF she cou"d think on"y of her "etter%

ha!ter 95

The to gent"e&en "eft 0osings the ne/t &orning, and =r%o""ins ha$ing been in aiting near the "odges, to &ake the&

his !arting obeisance, as ab"e to bring ho&e the !"easinginte""igence, of their a!!earing in $ery good hea"th, and in asto"erab"e s!irits as cou"d be e/!ected, after the &e"ancho"y sceneso "ate"y gone through at 0osings% To 0osings he then hastened,to conso"e @ady atherine and her daughterF and on his return

brought back, ith great satisfaction, a &essage fro& her "adyshi!, i&!orting that she fe"t herse"f so du"" as to &akeher $ery desirous of ha$ing the& a"" to dine ith her%

E"iIabeth cou"d not see @ady atherine ithout reco""ecting that,had she chosen it, she &ight by this ti&e ha$e been !resented toher as her future nieceF nor cou"d she think, ithout a s&i"e, of hat her "adyshi!Ks indignation ou"d ha$e been% hat ou"dshe ha$e said ho ou"d she ha$e beha$ed ere uestions ithhich she a&used herse"f%

Their first subject as the di&inution of the 0osings !arty% assure you, fee" it e/ceeding"y, said @ady atherineF

be"ie$e no one fee"s the "oss of friends so &uch as do% But a& !articu"ar"y attached to these young &en, and kno the& to

be so &uch attached to &e6 They ere e/cessi$e"y sorry to go6

But so they a"ays are% The dear o"one" ra""ied his s!iritsto"erab"y ti"" just at "astF but 'arcy see&ed to fee" it &ostacute"y, &ore, think, than "ast year% 1is attach&ent to0osings certain"y increases%

=r% o""ins had a co&!"i&ent, and an a""usion to thro in here,hich ere kind"y s&i"ed on by the &other and daughter%

@ady atherine obser$ed, after dinner, that =iss Bennet see&edout of s!irits, and i&&ediate"y accounting for it by herse"f,

by su!!osing that she did not "ike to go ho&e again so soon,

she added7



But if that is the case, you &ust rite to your &other and begthat you &ay stay a "itt"e "onger% =rs% o""ins i"" be $ery g"adof your co&!any, a& sure%

a& &uch ob"iged to your "adyshi! for your kind in$itation,

re!"ied E"iIabeth, but it is not in &y !oer to acce!t it% &ust be in ton ne/t 2aturday%

hy, at that rate, you i"" ha$e been here on"y si/ eeks% e/!ected you to stay to &onths% to"d =rs% o""ins so beforeyou ca&e% There can be no occasion for your going so soon%=rs% Bennet cou"d certain"y s!are you for another fortnight%

But &y father cannot% 1e rote "ast eek to hurry &y return%

h6 your father of course &ay s!are you, if your &other can%

'aughters are ne$er of so &uch conseuence to a father% And if you i"" stay another &onth co&!"ete, it i"" be in &y !oer to take one of you as far as @ondon, for a& going there ear"yin June, for a eekF and as 'ason does not object to the

baroucheHbo/, there i"" be $ery good roo& for one of youHHandindeed, if the eather shou"d ha!!en to be coo", shou"d notobject to taking you both, as you are neither of you "arge%

*ou are a"" kindness, &ada&F but be"ie$e e &ust abide byour origina" !"an%

@ady atherine see&ed resigned% =rs% o""ins, you &ust senda ser$ant ith the&% *ou kno a"ays s!eak &y &ind, and cannot bear the idea of to young o&en tra$e""ing !ost bythe&se"$es% t is high"y i&!ro!er% *ou &ust contri$e to sendso&ebody% ha$e the greatest dis"ike in the or"d to that sortof thing% *oung o&en shou"d a"ays be !ro!er"y guarded andattended, according to their situation in "ife% hen &y nieceGeorgiana ent to 0a&sgate "ast su&&er, &ade a !oint of her ha$ing to &enHser$ants go ith her% =iss 'arcy, the daughter of =r% 'arcy, of Pe&ber"ey, and @ady Anne, cou"d not ha$e

a!!eared ith !ro!riety in a different &anner% a& e/cessi$e"yattenti$e to a"" those things% *ou &ust send John ith the young"adies, =rs% o""ins% a& g"ad it occurred to &e to &ention itFfor it ou"d rea""y be discreditab"e to you to "et the& goa"one%

=y unc"e is to send a ser$ant for us%

h6 *our unc"e6 1e kee!s a &anHser$ant, does he a& $eryg"ad you ha$e so&ebody ho thinks of these things% heresha"" you change horses h6 Bro&"ey, of course% f you

&ention &y na&e at the Be"", you i"" be attended to%



@ady atherine had &any other uestions to ask res!ecting their journey, and as she did not anser the& a"" herse"f, attention asnecessary, hich E"iIabeth be"ie$ed to be "ucky for herF or, itha &ind so occu!ied, she &ight ha$e forgotten here she as%0ef"ection &ust be reser$ed for so"itary hoursF hene$er she

as a"one, she ga$e ay to it as the greatest re"iefF and not aday ent by ithout a so"itary a"k, in hich she &ight indu"gein a"" the de"ight of un!"easant reco""ections%

=r% 'arcyKs "etter she as in a fair ay of soon knoing byheart% 2he studied e$ery sentenceF and her fee"ings toards itsriter ere at ti&es ide"y different% hen she re&e&bered thesty"e of his address, she as sti"" fu"" of indignationF but henshe considered ho unjust"y she had conde&ned and u!braided hi&,her anger as turned against herse"fF and his disa!!ointedfee"ings beca&e the object of co&!assion% 1is attach&ent

e/cited gratitude, his genera" character res!ectF but she cou"dnot a!!ro$e hi&F nor cou"d she for a &o&ent re!ent her refusa",or fee" the s"ightest inc"ination e$er to see hi& again% nher on !ast beha$iour, there as a constant source of $e/ationand regretF and in the unha!!y defects of her fa&i"y, a subjectof yet hea$ier chagrin% They ere ho!e"ess of re&edy% 1er father,contented ith "aughing at the&, ou"d ne$er e/ert hi&se"f torestrain the i"d giddiness of his youngest daughtersF and her &other, ith &anners so far fro& right herse"f, as entire"yinsensib"e of the e$i"% E"iIabeth had freuent"y united ith Janein an endea$our to check the i&!rudence of atherine and @ydiaF

but hi"e they ere su!!orted by their &otherKs indu"gence, hatchance cou"d there be of i&!ro$e&ent atherine, eakHs!irited,irritab"e, and co&!"ete"y under @ydiaKs guidance, had been a"aysaffronted by their ad$iceF and @ydia, se"fHi""ed and care"ess,ou"d scarce"y gi$e the& a hearing% They ere ignorant, id"e, and$ain% hi"e there as an officer in =eryton, they ou"d f"irtith hi&F and hi"e =eryton as ithin a a"k of @ongbourn, theyou"d be going there fore$er%

An/iety on JaneKs beha"f as another !re$ai"ing concernF and

=r% 'arcyKs e/!"anation, by restoring Bing"ey to a"" her for&er good o!inion, heightened the sense of hat Jane had "ost% 1isaffection as !ro$ed to ha$e been sincere, and his conductc"eared of a"" b"a&e, un"ess any cou"d attach to the i&!"icitnessof his confidence in his friend% 1o grie$ous then as thethought that, of a situation so desirab"e in e$ery res!ect, sore!"ete ith ad$antage, so !ro&ising for ha!!iness, Jane had

been de!ri$ed, by the fo""y and indecoru& of her on fa&i"y6

hen to these reco""ections as added the de$e"o!&ent of ickha&Kscharacter, it &ay be easi"y be"ie$ed that the ha!!y s!irits hich

had se"do& been de!ressed before, ere no so &uch affected as to&ake it a"&ost i&!ossib"e for her to a!!ear to"erab"y cheerfu"%



Their engage&ents at 0osings ere as freuent during the "asteek of her stay as they had been at first% The $ery "ast e$eningas s!ent thereF and her "adyshi! again inuired &inute"y intothe !articu"ars of their journey, ga$e the& directions as to the

best &ethod of !acking, and as so urgent on the necessity of !"acing gons in the on"y right ay, that =aria thought herse"f ob"iged, on her return, to undo a"" the ork of the &orning, and

!ack her trunk afresh%

hen they !arted, @ady atherine, ith great condescension,ished the& a good journey, and in$ited the& to co&e to1unsford again ne/t yearF and =iss de Bourgh e/erted herse"f so far as to curtsey and ho"d out her hand to both%

ha!ter 98

n 2aturday &orning E"iIabeth and =r% o""ins &et for breakfasta fe &inutes before the others a!!earedF and he took theo!!ortunity of !aying the !arting ci$i"ities hich he dee&edindis!ensab"y necessary%

kno not, =iss E"iIabeth, said he, hether =rs% o""ins hasyet e/!ressed her sense of your kindness in co&ing to usF but a& $ery certain you i"" not "ea$e the house ithout recei$ingher thanks for it% The fa$or of your co&!any has been &uchfe"t, assure you% e kno ho "itt"e there is to te&!t anyoneto our hu&b"e abode% ur !"ain &anner of "i$ing, our s&a""roo&s and fe do&estics, and the "itt"e e see of the or"d,&ust &ake 1unsford e/tre&e"y du"" to a young "ady "ikeyourse"fF but ho!e you i"" be"ie$e us gratefu" for thecondescension, and that e ha$e done e$erything in our !oer to !re$ent your s!ending your ti&e un!"easant"y%

E"iIabeth as eager ith her thanks and assurances of ha!!iness%2he had s!ent si/ eeks ith great enjoy&entF and the !"easureof being ith har"otte, and the kind attentions she had recei$ed,&ust &ake her fee" the ob"iged% =r% o""ins as gratified, andith a &ore s&i"ing so"e&nity re!"ied7

t gi$es &e great !"easure to hear that you ha$e !assed your ti&e not disagreeab"y% e ha$e certain"y done our bestF and&ost fortunate"y ha$ing it in our !oer to introduce you to $erysu!erior society, and, fro& our connection ith 0osings, thefreuent &eans of $arying the hu&b"e ho&e scene, think e

&ay f"atter ourse"$es that your 1unsford $isit cannot ha$e beenentire"y irkso&e% ur situation ith regard to @ady atherineKs



fa&i"y is indeed the sort of e/traordinary ad$antage and b"essinghich fe can boast% *ou see on hat a footing e are% *ousee ho continua""y e are engaged there% n truth &ustackno"edge that, ith a"" the disad$antages of this hu&b"e

!arsonage, shou"d not think anyone abiding in it an object of

co&!assion, hi"e they are sharers of our inti&acy at 0osings%

ords ere insufficient for the e"e$ation of his fee"ingsF andhe as ob"iged to a"k about the roo&, hi"e E"iIabeth tried tounite ci$i"ity and truth in a fe short sentences%

*ou &ay, in fact, carry a $ery fa$ourab"e re!ort of us into1ertfordshire, &y dear cousin% f"atter &yse"f at "east that youi"" be ab"e to do so% @ady atherineKs great attentions to =rs%o""ins you ha$e been a dai"y itness ofF and a"together trustit does not a!!ear that your friend has dran an unfortunateHHbut

on this !oint it i"" be as e"" to be si"ent% n"y "et &eassure you, &y dear =iss E"iIabeth, that can fro& &y heart &ostcordia""y ish you eua" fe"icity in &arriage% =y dear har"otteand ha$e but one &ind and one ay of thinking% There is ine$erything a &ost re&arkab"e rese&b"ance of character and ideas

beteen us% e see& to ha$e been designed for each other%

E"iIabeth cou"d safe"y say that it as a great ha!!iness herethat as the case, and ith eua" sincerity cou"d add, that shefir&"y be"ie$ed and rejoiced in his do&estic co&forts% 2he asnot sorry, hoe$er, to ha$e the recita" of the& interru!ted bythe "ady fro& ho& they s!rang% Poor har"otte6 it as&e"ancho"y to "ea$e her to such society6 But she had chosen itith her eyes o!enF and though e$ident"y regretting that her $isitors ere to go, she did not see& to ask for co&!assion%1er ho&e and her housekee!ing, her !arish and her !ou"try, anda"" their de!endent concerns, had not yet "ost their char&s%

At "ength the chaise arri$ed, the trunks ere fastened on, the !arce"s !"aced ithin, and it as !ronounced to be ready% After an affectionate !arting beteen the friends, E"iIabeth as

attended to the carriage by =r% o""ins, and as they a"keddon the garden he as co&&issioning her ith his bestres!ects to a"" her fa&i"y, not forgetting his thanks for thekindness he had recei$ed at @ongbourn in the inter, and hisco&!"i&ents to =r% and =rs% Gardiner, though unknon% 1ethen handed her in, =aria fo""oed, and the door as on the

!oint of being c"osed, hen he sudden"y re&inded the&, ithso&e consternation, that they had hitherto forgotten to "ea$eany &essage for the "adies at 0osings%

But, he added, you i"" of course ish to ha$e your hu&b"e

res!ects de"i$ered to the&, ith your gratefu" thanks for their kindness to you hi"e you ha$e been here%



E"iIabeth &ade no objectionF the door as then a""oed to beshut, and the carriage dro$e off%

Good gracious6 cried =aria, after a fe &inutesK si"ence, it

see&s but a day or to since e first ca&e6 and yet ho &anythings ha$e ha!!ened6

A great &any indeed, said her co&!anion ith a sigh%

e ha$e dined nine ti&es at 0osings, besides drinking tea theretice6 1o &uch sha"" ha$e to te""6

E"iIabeth added !ri$ate"y, And ho &uch sha"" ha$e to concea"6

Their journey as !erfor&ed ithout &uch con$ersation, or any

a"ar&F and ithin four hours of their "ea$ing 1unsford theyreached =r% GardinerKs house, here they ere to re&ain a fedays%

Jane "ooked e"", and E"iIabeth had "itt"e o!!ortunity of studying her s!irits, a&idst the $arious engage&ents hich thekindness of her aunt had reser$ed for the&% But Jane as to goho&e ith her, and at @ongbourn there ou"d be "eisure enoughfor obser$ation%

t as not ithout an effort, &eanhi"e, that she cou"d aite$en for @ongbourn, before she to"d her sister of =r% 'arcyKs

!ro!osa"s% To kno that she had the !oer of re$ea"ing hatou"d so e/ceeding"y astonish Jane, and &ust, at the sa&e ti&e,so high"y gratify hate$er of her on $anity she had not yet

been ab"e to reason aay, as such a te&!tation to o!ennessas nothing cou"d ha$e conuered but the state of indecisionin hich she re&ained as to the e/tent of hat she shou"dco&&unicateF and her fear, if she once entered on the subject,of being hurried into re!eating so&ething of Bing"ey hich&ight on"y grie$e her sister further%

ha!ter 94

t as the second eek in =ay, in hich the three young "adiesset out together fro& Gracechurch 2treet for the ton of HHHH,in 1ertfordshireF and, as they dre near the a!!ointed inn here=r% BennetKs carriage as to &eet the&, they uick"y !ercei$ed,in token of the coach&anKs !unctua"ity, both Ditty and @ydia

"ooking out of a diningHroo& u!stairs% These to gir"s had beenabo$e an hour in the !"ace, ha!!i"y e&!"oyed in $isiting an



o!!osite &i""iner, atching the sentine" on guard, and dressing asa"ad and cucu&ber%

After e"co&ing their sisters, they triu&!hant"y dis!"ayed a tab"eset out ith such co"d &eat as an inn "arder usua""y affords,

e/c"ai&ing, s not this nice s not this an agreeab"e sur!rise

And e &ean to treat you a"", added @ydia, but you &ust "endus the &oney, for e ha$e just s!ent ours at the sho! out there%Then, shoing her !urchasesHH@ook here, ha$e bought this bonnet% do not think it is $ery !rettyF but thought &ight as e""

buy it as not% sha"" !u"" it to !ieces as soon as get ho&e,and see if can &ake it u! any better%

And hen her sisters abused it as ug"y, she added, ith !erfectunconcern, h6 but there ere to or three &uch ug"ier in the

sho!F and hen ha$e bought so&e !rettierHco"oured satin totri& it ith fresh, think it i"" be $ery to"erab"e% Besides,it i"" not &uch signify hat one ears this su&&er, after theHHHHshire ha$e "eft =eryton, and they are going in a fortnight%

Are they indeed6 cried E"iIabeth, ith the greatest satisfaction%

They are going to be enca&!ed near BrightonF and do soant !a!a to take us a"" there for the su&&er6 t ou"d be sucha de"icious sche&eF and dare say ou"d hard"y cost anything ata""% =a&&a ou"d "ike to go too of a"" things6 n"y think hata &iserab"e su&&er e"se e sha"" ha$e6

*es, thought E"iIabeth, that ou"d be a de"ightfu" sche&eindeed, and co&!"ete"y do for us at once% Good 1ea$en6Brighton, and a ho"e ca&!fu" of so"diers, to us, ho ha$e beeno$erset a"ready by one !oor regi&ent of &i"itia, and the &onth"y

ba""s of =eryton6

Co ha$e got so&e nes for you, said @ydia, as they sat donat tab"e% hat do you think t is e/ce""ent nesHHca!ita"

nesHHand about a certain !erson e a"" "ike6

Jane and E"iIabeth "ooked at each other, and the aiter as to"dhe need not stay% @ydia "aughed, and said7

Aye, that is just "ike your for&a"ity and discretion% *outhought the aiter &ust not hear, as if he cared6 dare say heoften hears orse things said than a& going to say% But he isan ug"y fe""o6 a& g"ad he is gone% ne$er sa such a "ongchin in &y "ife% e"", but no for &y nesF it is about dear ickha&F too good for the aiter, is it not There is no danger

of ickha&Ks &arrying =ary Ding% ThereKs for you6 2he is gonedon to her unc"e at @i$er!oo"7 gone to stay% ickha& is safe%



And =ary Ding is safe6 added E"iIabethF safe fro& aconnection i&!rudent as to fortune%

2he is a great foo" for going aay, if she "iked hi&%

But ho!e there is no strong attach&ent on either side,said Jane%

a& sure there is not on his% i"" anser for it, he ne$er cared three stras about herHHho cou"d about such a nasty"itt"e freck"ed thing

E"iIabeth as shocked to think that, hoe$er inca!ab"e of such coarseness of e/!ression herse"f, the coarseness of the

senti&ent as "itt"e other than her on breast had harboured

and fancied "ibera"6

As soon as a"" had ate, and the e"der ones !aid, the carriage asorderedF and after so&e contri$ance, the ho"e !arty, ith a""their bo/es, orkHbags, and !arce"s, and the une"co&e additionof DittyKs and @ydiaKs !urchases, ere seated in it%

1o nice"y e are a"" cra&&ed in, cried @ydia% a& g"ad bought &y bonnet, if it is on"y for the fun of ha$ing another bandbo/6 e"", no "et us be uite co&fortab"e and snug, andta"k and "augh a"" the ay ho&e% And in the first !"ace, "etus hear hat has ha!!ened to you a"" since you ent aay% 1a$eyou seen any !"easant &en 1a$e you had any f"irting asin great ho!es that one of you ou"d ha$e got a husband beforeyou ca&e back% Jane i"" be uite an o"d &aid soon, dec"are%2he is a"&ost threeHandHtenty6 @ord, ho asha&ed shou"d be of not being &arried before threeHandHtenty6 =y aunt Phi""i!s antsyou so to get husbands, you canKt think% 2he says @iIIy had

better ha$e taken =r% o""insF but do not think there ou"dha$e been any fun in it% @ord6 ho shou"d "ike to be &arried

before any of youF and then ou"d cha!eron you about to a""

the ba""s% 'ear &e6 e had such a good !iece of fun the other day at o"one" -orsterKs% Ditty and &e ere to s!end the daythere, and =rs% -orster !ro&ised to ha$e a "itt"e dance in thee$eningF (by the bye, =rs% -orster and &e are such friends6) andso she asked the to 1arringtons to co&e, but 1arriet as i"",and so Pen as forced to co&e by herse"fF and then, hat do youthink e did e dressed u! ha&ber"ayne in o&anKs c"othes on

!ur!ose to !ass for a "ady, on"y think hat fun6 Cot a sou"kne of it, but o"one" and =rs% -orster, and Ditty and &e,e/ce!t &y aunt, for e ere forced to borro one of her gonsFand you cannot i&agine ho e"" he "ooked6 hen 'enny, and

ickha&, and Pratt, and to or three &ore of the &en ca&e in,they did not kno hi& in the "east% @ord6 ho "aughed6 and



so did =rs% -orster% thought shou"d ha$e died% And that &ade the &en sus!ect so&ething, and then they soon found outhat as the &atter%

ith such kinds of histories of their !arties and good jokes, did

@ydia, assisted by DittyKs hints and additions, endea$our toa&use her co&!anions a"" the ay to @ongbourn% E"iIabeth"istened as "itt"e as she cou"d, but there as no esca!ing thefreuent &ention of ickha&Ks na&e%

Their rece!tion at ho&e as &ost kind% =rs% Bennet rejoiced tosee Jane in undi&inished beautyF and &ore than once duringdinner did =r% Bennet say $o"untari"y to E"iIabeth7

a& g"ad you are co&e back, @iIIy%

Their !arty in the diningHroo& as "arge, for a"&ost a"" the@ucases ca&e to &eet =aria and hear the nesF and $ariousere the subjects that occu!ied the&7 @ady @ucas as inuiringof =aria, after the e"fare and !ou"try of her e"dest daughterF=rs% Bennet as doub"y engaged, on one hand co""ecting anaccount of the !resent fashions fro& Jane, ho sat so&e ay

be"o her, and, on the other, retai"ing the& a"" to the younger @ucasesF and @ydia, in a $oice rather "ouder than any other

!ersonKs, as enu&erating the $arious !"easures of the &orningto anybody ho ou"d hear her%

h6 =ary, said she, ish you had gone ith us, for e hadsuch fun6 As e ent a"ong, Ditty and dre u! the b"inds,and !retended there as nobody in the coachF and shou"d ha$egone so a"" the ay, if Ditty had not been sickF and hen e gotto the George, do think e beha$ed $ery handso&e"y, for etreated the other three ith the nicest co"d "uncheon in theor"d, and if you ou"d ha$e gone, e ou"d ha$e treated youtoo% And then hen e ca&e aay it as such fun6 thoughte ne$er shou"d ha$e got into the coach% as ready to dieof "aughter% And then e ere so &erry a"" the ay ho&e6 e

ta"ked and "aughed so "oud, that anybody &ight ha$e heard usten &i"es off6

To this =ary $ery gra$e"y re!"ied, -ar be it fro& &e, &y dear sister, to de!reciate such !"easures6 They ou"d doubt"ess becongenia" ith the genera"ity of fe&a"e &inds% But confessthey ou"d ha$e no char&s for &eHH shou"d infinite"y !refer a

book%

But of this anser @ydia heard not a ord% 2he se"do& "istenedto anybody for &ore than ha"f a &inute, and ne$er attended to

=ary at a""%



n the afternoon @ydia as urgent ith the rest of the gir"sto a"k to =eryton, and to see ho e$erybody ent onF butE"iIabeth steadi"y o!!osed the sche&e% t shou"d not be saidthat the =iss Bennets cou"d not be at ho&e ha"f a day beforethey ere in !ursuit of the officers% There as another reason

too for her o!!osition% 2he dreaded seeing =r% ickha& again,and as reso"$ed to a$oid it as "ong as !ossib"e% The co&fortto her of the regi&entKs a!!roaching re&o$a" as indeed beyonde/!ression% n a fortnight they ere to goHHand once gone, sheho!ed there cou"d be nothing &ore to !"ague her on his account%

2he had not been &any hours at ho&e before she found that theBrighton sche&e, of hich @ydia had gi$en the& a hint at the inn,as under freuent discussion beteen her !arents% E"iIabethsa direct"y that her father had not the s&a""est intention of yie"dingF but his ansers ere at the sa&e ti&e so $ague and

eui$oca", that her &other, though often disheartened, had ne$er yet des!aired of succeeding at "ast%

ha!ter :>

E"iIabethKs i&!atience to acuaint Jane ith hat had ha!!enedcou"d no "onger be o$erco&eF and at "ength, reso"$ing tosu!!ress e$ery !articu"ar in hich her sister as concerned,and !re!aring her to be sur!rised, she re"ated to her the ne/t&orning the chief of the scene beteen =r% 'arcy and herse"f%

=iss BennetKs astonish&ent as soon "essened by the strongsister"y !artia"ity hich &ade any ad&iration of E"iIabeth a!!ear

!erfect"y natura"F and a"" sur!rise as short"y "ost in other fee"ings% 2he as sorry that =r% 'arcy shou"d ha$e de"i$ered hissenti&ents in a &anner so "itt"e suited to reco&&end the&F butsti"" &ore as she grie$ed for the unha!!iness hich her sisterKsrefusa" &ust ha$e gi$en hi&%

1is being so sure of succeeding as rong, said she, andcertain"y ought not to ha$e a!!earedF but consider ho &uch it&ust increase his disa!!oint&ent6

ndeed, re!"ied E"iIabeth, a& hearti"y sorry for hi&F but hehas other fee"ings, hich i"" !robab"y soon dri$e aay hisregard for &e% *ou do not b"a&e &e, hoe$er, for refusing hi&

B"a&e you6 h, no%

But you b"a&e &e for ha$ing s!oken so ar&"y of ickha&



CoHH do not kno that you ere rong in saying hat youdid%

But you i"" kno it, hen te"" you hat ha!!ened the $eryne/t day%

2he then s!oke of the "etter, re!eating the ho"e of its contentsas far as they concerned George ickha&% hat a stroke asthis for !oor Jane6 ho ou"d i""ing"y ha$e gone through theor"d ithout be"ie$ing that so &uch ickedness e/isted in theho"e race of &ankind, as as here co""ected in one indi$idua"%

Cor as 'arcyKs $indication, though gratefu" to her fee"ings,ca!ab"e of conso"ing her for such disco$ery% =ost earnest"y didshe "abour to !ro$e the !robabi"ity of error, and seek to c"ear theone ithout in$o"$ing the other%

This i"" not do, said E"iIabethF you ne$er i"" be ab"e to&ake both of the& good for anything% Take your choice, butyou &ust be satisfied ith on"y one% There is but such a uantityof &erit beteen the&F just enough to &ake one good sort of &anF and of "ate it has been shifting about !retty &uch% -or &y

!art, a& inc"ined to be"ie$e it a"" 'arcyKsF but you sha"" doas you choose%

t as so&e ti&e, hoe$er, before a s&i"e cou"d be e/tortedfro& Jane%

do not kno hen ha$e been &ore shocked, said she%ickha& so $ery bad6 t is a"&ost !ast be"ief% And !oor =r%'arcy6 'ear @iIIy, on"y consider hat he &ust ha$e suffered%2uch a disa!!oint&ent6 and ith the kno"edge of your i""o!inion, too6 and ha$ing to re"ate such a thing of his sister6t is rea""y too distressing% a& sure you &ust fee" it so%

h6 no, &y regret and co&!assion are a"" done aay by seeingyou so fu"" of both% kno you i"" do hi& such a&!"e justice,that a& groing e$ery &o&ent &ore unconcerned and indifferent%

*our !rofusion &akes &e sa$ingF and if you "a&ent o$er hi& &uch"onger, &y heart i"" be as "ight as a feather%

Poor ickha&6 there is such an e/!ression of goodness in hiscountenance6 such an o!enness and gent"eness in his &anner6

There certain"y as so&e great &is&anage&ent in the educationof those to young &en% ne has got a"" the goodness, and theother a"" the a!!earance of it%

ne$er thought =r% 'arcy so deficient in the a!!earance

of it as you used to do%



And yet &eant to be unco&&on"y c"e$er in taking so decideda dis"ike to hi&, ithout any reason% t is such a s!ur to oneKsgenius, such an o!ening for it, to ha$e a dis"ike of that kind%ne &ay be continua""y abusi$e ithout saying anything justF butone cannot a"ays be "aughing at a &an ithout no and then

stu&b"ing on so&ething itty%

@iIIy, hen you first read that "etter, a& sure you cou"d nottreat the &atter as you do no%

ndeed, cou"d not% as unco&fortab"e enough, &ay sayunha!!y% And ith no one to s!eak to about hat fe"t, noJane to co&fort &e and say that had not been so $ery eak and$ain and nonsensica" as kne had6 h6 ho anted you6

1o unfortunate that you shou"d ha$e used such $ery strong

e/!ressions in s!eaking of ickha& to =r% 'arcy, for no they do a!!ear ho""y undeser$ed%

ertain"y% But the &isfortune of s!eaking ith bitternessis a &ost natura" conseuence of the !rejudices had beenencouraging% There is one !oint on hich ant your ad$ice% ant to be to"d hether ought, or ought not, to &ake our acuaintances in genera" understand ickha&Ks character%

=iss Bennet !aused a "itt"e, and then re!"ied, 2ure"y there can be no occasion for e/!osing hi& so dreadfu""y% hat is your o!inion

That it ought not to be atte&!ted% =r% 'arcy has notauthorised &e to &ake his co&&unication !ub"ic% n thecontrary, e$ery !articu"ar re"ati$e to his sister as &eant to

be ke!t as &uch as !ossib"e to &yse"fF and if endea$our toundecei$e !eo!"e as to the rest of his conduct, ho i"" be"ie$e&e The genera" !rejudice against =r% 'arcy is so $io"ent, thatit ou"d be the death of ha"f the good !eo!"e in =eryton toatte&!t to !"ace hi& in an a&iab"e "ight% a& not eua" to it%

ickha& i"" soon be goneF and therefore it i"" not signify toanyone here hat he rea""y is% 2o&e ti&e hence it i"" be a""found out, and then e &ay "augh at their stu!idity in notknoing it before% At !resent i"" say nothing about it%

*ou are uite right% To ha$e his errors &ade !ub"ic &ight ruinhi& for e$er% 1e is no, !erha!s, sorry for hat he has done,and an/ious to reHestab"ish a character% e &ust not &ake hi&des!erate%

The tu&u"t of E"iIabethKs &ind as a""ayed by this con$ersation%

2he had got rid of to of the secrets hich had eighed on her for a fortnight, and as certain of a i""ing "istener in Jane,



hene$er she &ight ish to ta"k again of either% But there assti"" so&ething "urking behind, of hich !rudence forbade thedisc"osure% 2he dared not re"ate the other ha"f of =r% 'arcyKs"etter, nor e/!"ain to her sister ho sincere"y she had been$a"ued by her friend% 1ere as kno"edge in hich no one

cou"d !artakeF and she as sensib"e that nothing "ess than a !erfect understanding beteen the !arties cou"d justify her inthroing off this "ast encu&brance of &ystery% And then, saidshe, if that $ery i&!robab"e e$ent shou"d e$er take !"ace, sha"" &ere"y be ab"e to te"" hat Bing"ey &ay te"" in a &uch &oreagreeab"e &anner hi&se"f% The "iberty of co&&unication cannot

be &ine ti"" it has "ost a"" its $a"ue6

2he as no, on being sett"ed at ho&e, at "eisure to obser$e therea" state of her sisterKs s!irits% Jane as not ha!!y% 2he sti""cherished a $ery tender affection for Bing"ey% 1a$ing ne$er e$en

fancied herse"f in "o$e before, her regard had a"" the ar&th of first attach&ent, and, fro& her age and dis!osition, greater steadiness than &ost first attach&ents often boastF and sofer$ent"y did she $a"ue his re&e&brance, and !refer hi& to e$eryother &an, that a"" her good sense, and a"" her attention to thefee"ings of her friends, ere reuisite to check the indu"gence of those regrets hich &ust ha$e been injurious to her on hea"thand their tranui""ity%

e"", @iIIy, said =rs% Bennet one day, hat is your o!inion no of this sad business of JaneKs -or &y !art, a&deter&ined ne$er to s!eak of it again to anybody% to"d &ysister Phi""i!s so the other day% But cannot find out that Janesa anything of hi& in @ondon% e"", he is a $ery undeser$ingyoung &anHHand do not su!!ose thereKs the "east chance in theor"d of her e$er getting hi& no% There is no ta"k of hisco&ing to Cetherfie"d again in the su&&erF and ha$e inuiredof e$erybody, too, ho is "ike"y to kno%

do not be"ie$e he i"" e$er "i$e at Cetherfie"d any &ore%

h e""6 it is just as he chooses% Cobody ants hi& to co&e%Though sha"" a"ays say he used &y daughter e/tre&e"y i""F andif as her, ou"d not ha$e !ut u! ith it% e"", &y co&fortis, a& sure Jane i"" die of a broken heartF and then he i""

be sorry for hat he has done%

But as E"iIabeth cou"d not recei$e co&fort fro& any suche/!ectation, she &ade no anser%

e"", @iIIy, continued her &other, soon afterards, and sothe o""inses "i$e $ery co&fortab"e, do they e"", e"", on"y

ho!e it i"" "ast% And hat sort of tab"e do they kee! har"otteis an e/ce""ent &anager, dare say% f she is ha"f as shar! as



her &other, she is sa$ing enough% There is nothing e/tra$agant in their housekee!ing, dare say%

Co, nothing at a""%

A great dea" of good &anage&ent, de!end u!on it% *es, yes% they i"" take care not to outrun their inco&e% They i""ne$er be distressed for &oney% e"", &uch good &ay it dothe&6 And so, su!!ose, they often ta"k of ha$ing @ongbournhen your father is dead% They "ook u!on it as uite their on, dare say, hene$er that ha!!ens%

t as a subject hich they cou"d not &ention before &e%

CoF it ou"d ha$e been strange if they hadF but &ake nodoubt they often ta"k of it beteen the&se"$es% e"", if they

can be easy ith an estate that is not "afu""y their on, so&uch the better% shou"d be asha&ed of ha$ing one that ason"y entai"ed on &e%

ha!ter :3

The first eek of their return as soon gone% The second began%t as the "ast of the regi&entKs stay in =eryton, and a"" theyoung "adies in the neighbourhood ere droo!ing a!ace% Thedejection as a"&ost uni$ersa"% The e"der =iss Bennets a"oneere sti"" ab"e to eat, drink, and s"ee!, and !ursue the usua"course of their e&!"oy&ents% .ery freuent"y ere theyre!roached for this insensibi"ity by Ditty and @ydia, hoseon &isery as e/tre&e, and ho cou"d not co&!rehend suchhardHheartedness in any of the fa&i"y%

Good 1ea$en6 hat is to beco&e of us hat are e to doou"d they often e/c"ai& in the bitterness of oe% 1o can

you be s&i"ing so, @iIIy

Their affectionate &other shared a"" their griefF she re&e&beredhat she had herse"f endured on a si&i"ar occasion, fi$eHandHtentyyears ago%

a& sure, said she, cried for to days together heno"one" =i""erKs regi&ent ent aay% thought shou"d ha$e

broken &y heart%

a& sure sha"" break &ine, said @ydia%

f one cou"d but go to Brighton6 obser$ed =rs% Bennet%



h, yes6HHif one cou"d but go to Brighton6 But !a!a is sodisagreeab"e%

A "itt"e seaHbathing ou"d set &e u! fore$er%

And &y aunt Phi""i!s is sure it ou"d do &e a great dea" of good, added Ditty%

2uch ere the kind of "a&entations resounding !er!etua""ythrough @ongbourn 1ouse% E"iIabeth tried to be di$erted bythe&F but a"" sense of !"easure as "ost in sha&e% 2he fe"t anethe justice of =r% 'arcyKs objectionsF and ne$er had she been so&uch dis!osed to !ardon his interference in the $ies of hisfriend%

But the g"oo& of @ydiaKs !ros!ect as short"y c"eared aayF for she recei$ed an in$itation fro& =rs% -orster, the ife of theco"one" of the regi&ent, to acco&!any her to Brighton% Thisin$a"uab"e friend as a $ery young o&an, and $ery "ate"y&arried% A rese&b"ance in good hu&our and good s!irits hadreco&&ended her and @ydia to each other, and out of their

three &onthsK acuaintance they had been inti&ate to%

The ra!ture of @ydia on this occasion, her adoration of =rs%-orster, the de"ight of =rs% Bennet, and the &ortification of Ditty, are scarce"y to be described% ho""y inattenti$e to her sisterKs fee"ings, @ydia f"e about the house in rest"ess ecstasy,ca""ing for e$eryoneKs congratu"ations, and "aughing and ta"kingith &ore $io"ence than e$erF hi"st the "uck"ess Ditty continuedin the !ar"our re!ined at her fate in ter&s as unreasonab"e as her accent as !ee$ish%

cannot see hy =rs% -orster shou"d not ask &e as e"" as@ydia, said she, Though a& not her !articu"ar friend% ha$e just as &uch right to be asked as she has, and &ore too,for a& to years o"der%

n $ain did E"iIabeth atte&!t to &ake her reasonab"e, and Janeto &ake her resigned% As for E"iIabeth herse"f, this in$itationas so far fro& e/citing in her the sa&e fee"ings as in her &other and @ydia, that she considered it as the death arrant of a""

!ossibi"ity of co&&on sense for the "atterF and detestab"e as sucha ste! &ust &ake her ere it knon, she cou"d not he"! secret"yad$ising her father not to "et her go% 2he re!resented to hi& a""the i&!ro!rieties of @ydiaKs genera" beha$iour, the "itt"ead$antage she cou"d deri$e fro& the friendshi! of such a o&anas =rs% -orster, and the !robabi"ity of her being yet &ore

i&!rudent ith such a co&!anion at Brighton, here thete&!tations &ust be greater than at ho&e% 1e heard her



attenti$e"y, and then said7

@ydia i"" ne$er be easy unti" she has e/!osed herse"f in so&e !ub"ic !"ace or other, and e can ne$er e/!ect her to do it ithso "itt"e e/!ense or incon$enience to her fa&i"y as under the

!resent circu&stances%

f you ere aare, said E"iIabeth, of the $ery greatdisad$antage to us a"" hich &ust arise fro& the !ub"ic noticeof @ydiaKs unguarded and i&!rudent &annerHHnay, hich hasa"ready arisen fro& it, a& sure you ou"d judge different"y inthe affair%

A"ready arisen re!eated =r% Bennet% hat, has shefrightened aay so&e of your "o$ers Poor "itt"e @iIIy6 But donot be cast don% 2uch suea&ish youths as cannot bear to be

connected ith a "itt"e absurdity are not orth a regret% o&e,"et &e see the "ist of !itifu" fe""os ho ha$e been ke!t a"oof

by @ydiaKs fo""y%

ndeed you are &istaken% ha$e no such injuries to resent%t is not of !articu"ar, but of genera" e$i"s, hich a& noco&!"aining% ur i&!ortance, our res!ectabi"ity in the or"d &ust

be affected by the i"d $o"ati"ity, the assurance and disdain of a"" restraint hich &ark @ydiaKs character% E/cuse &e, for &usts!eak !"ain"y% f you, &y dear father, i"" not take the troub"eof checking her e/uberant s!irits, and of teaching her that her

!resent !ursuits are not to be the business of her "ife, she i""soon be beyond the reach of a&end&ent% 1er character i"" befi/ed, and she i"", at si/teen, be the &ost deter&ined f"irt thate$er &ade herse"f or her fa&i"y ridicu"ousF a f"irt, too, in theorst and &eanest degree of f"irtationF ithout any attraction

beyond youth and a to"erab"e !ersonF and, fro& the ignorance ande&!tiness of her &ind, ho""y unab"e to ard off any !ortion of that uni$ersa" conte&!t hich her rage for ad&iration i"" e/cite%n this danger Ditty a"so is co&!rehended% 2he i"" fo""o here$er @ydia "eads% .ain, ignorant, id"e, and abso"ute"y uncontro""ed6

h6 &y dear father, can you su!!ose it !ossib"e that they i"" not be censured and des!ised here$er they are knon, and that their sisters i"" not be often in$o"$ed in the disgrace

=r% Bennet sa that her ho"e heart as in the subject, andaffectionate"y taking her hand said in re!"y7

'o not &ake yourse"f uneasy, &y "o$e% here$er you and Janeare knon you &ust be res!ected and $a"uedF and you i"" nota!!ear to "ess ad$antage for ha$ing a cou!"e ofHHor &ay say,threeHH$ery si""y sisters% e sha"" ha$e no !eace at @ongbourn

if @ydia does not go to Brighton% @et her go, then% o"one"-orster is a sensib"e &an, and i"" kee! her out of any rea"



&ischiefF and she is "ucki"y too !oor to be an object of !reyto anybody% At Brighton she i"" be of "ess i&!ortance e$en asa co&&on f"irt than she has been here% The officers i"" findo&en better orth their notice% @et us ho!e, therefore, thather being there &ay teach her her on insignificance% At any

rate, she cannot gro &any degrees orse, ithout authorisingus to "ock her u! for the rest of her "ife%

ith this anser E"iIabeth as forced to be contentF but her on o!inion continued the sa&e, and she "eft hi& disa!!ointedand sorry% t as not in her nature, hoe$er, to increase her $e/ations by de""ing on the&% 2he as confident of ha$ing

!erfor&ed her duty, and to fret o$er una$oidab"e e$i"s, or aug&ent the& by an/iety, as no !art of her dis!osition%

1ad @ydia and her &other knon the substance of her conference

ith her father, their indignation ou"d hard"y ha$e founde/!ression in their united $o"ubi"ity% n @ydiaKs i&agination,a $isit to Brighton co&!rised e$ery !ossibi"ity of earth"yha!!iness% 2he sa, ith the creati$e eye of fancy, the streetsof that gay bathingH!"ace co$ered ith officers% 2he saherse"f the object of attention, to tens and to scores of the&at !resent unknon% 2he sa a"" the g"ories of the ca&!HHitstents stretched forth in beauteous unifor&ity of "ines, crodedith the young and the gay, and daII"ing ith scar"etF and, toco&!"ete the $ie, she sa herse"f seated beneath a tent, tender"yf"irting ith at "east si/ officers at once%

1ad she knon her sister sought to tear her fro& such !ros!ectsand such rea"ities as these, hat ou"d ha$e been her sensationsThey cou"d ha$e been understood on"y by her &other, ho &ightha$e fe"t near"y the sa&e% @ydiaKs going to Brighton as a""that conso"ed her for her &e"ancho"y con$iction of her husbandKsne$er intending to go there hi&se"f%

But they ere entire"y ignorant of hat had !assedF and their ra!tures continued, ith "itt"e inter&ission, to the $ery day of

@ydiaKs "ea$ing ho&e%

E"iIabeth as no to see =r% ickha& for the "ast ti&e%1a$ing been freuent"y in co&!any ith hi& since her return,agitation as !retty e"" o$erF the agitations of for&a" !artia"ityentire"y so% 2he had e$en "earnt to detect, in the $ery gent"enesshich had first de"ighted her, an affectation and a sa&eness todisgust and eary% n his !resent beha$iour to herse"f,&oreo$er, she had a fresh source of dis!"easure, for theinc"ination he soon testified of reneing those intentions hichhad &arked the ear"y !art of their acuaintance cou"d on"y ser$e,

after hat had since !assed, to !ro$oke her% 2he "ost a"" concernfor hi& in finding herse"f thus se"ected as the object of such id"e



and fri$o"ous ga""antryF and hi"e she steadi"y re!ressed it, cou"dnot but fee" the re!roof contained in his be"ie$ing, that hoe$er "ong, and for hate$er cause, his attentions had been ithdran,her $anity ou"d be gratified, and her !reference secured at anyti&e by their renea"%

n the $ery "ast day of the regi&entKs re&aining at =eryton, hedined, ith other of the officers, at @ongbournF and so "itt"eas E"iIabeth dis!osed to !art fro& hi& in good hu&our, that onhis &aking so&e inuiry as to the &anner in hich her ti&e had

!assed at 1unsford, she &entioned o"one" -itIi""ia&Ks and=r% 'arcyKs ha$ing both s!ent three eeks at 0osings, andasked hi&, if he as acuainted ith the for&er%

1e "ooked sur!rised, dis!"eased, a"ar&edF but ith a &o&entKsreco""ection and a returning s&i"e, re!"ied, that he had for&er"y

seen hi& oftenF and, after obser$ing that he as a $erygent"e&an"ike &an, asked her ho she had "iked hi&% 1er anser as ar&"y in his fa$our% ith an air of indifference hesoon afterards added7

1o "ong did you say he as at 0osings

Cear"y three eeks%

And you sa hi& freuent"y

*es, a"&ost e$ery day%

1is &anners are $ery different fro& his cousinKs%

*es, $ery different% But think =r% 'arcy i&!ro$es u!onacuaintance%

ndeed6 cried =r% ickha& ith a "ook hich did not esca!eher% And !ray, &ay askHH But checking hi&se"f, he added,in a gayer tone, s it in address that he i&!ro$es 1as he

deigned to add aught of ci$i"ity to his ordinary sty"eHHfor dare not ho!e, he continued in a "oer and &ore serious tone,that he is i&!ro$ed in essentia"s%

h, no6 said E"iIabeth% n essentia"s, be"ie$e, he is $ery&uch hat he e$er as%

hi"e she s!oke, ickha& "ooked as if scarce"y knoinghether to rejoice o$er her ords, or to distrust their &eaning%There as a so&ething in her countenance hich &ade hi& "istenith an a!!rehensi$e and an/ious attention, hi"e she added7

hen said that he i&!ro$ed on acuaintance, did not &ean



she cou"d not ha$e for&ed a $ery !"easing o!inion of conjuga"fe"icity or do&estic co&fort% 1er father, ca!ti$ated by youthand beauty, and that a!!earance of good hu&our hich youthand beauty genera""y gi$e, had &arried a o&an hose eak understanding and i""ibera" &ind had $ery ear"y in their &arriage

!ut an end to a"" rea" affection for her% 0es!ect, estee&, andconfidence had $anished for e$erF and a"" his $ies of do&esticha!!iness ere o$erthron% But =r% Bennet as not of adis!osition to seek co&fort for the disa!!oint&ent hich hison i&!rudence had brought on, in any of those !"easures hichtoo often conso"e the unfortunate for their fo""y or their $ice%1e as fond of the country and of booksF and fro& these tastes hadarisen his !rinci!a" enjoy&ents% To his ife he as $ery "itt"eotherise indebted, than as her ignorance and fo""y hadcontributed to his a&use&ent% This is not the sort of ha!!inesshich a &an ou"d in genera" ish to oe to his ifeF but

here other !oers of entertain&ent are anting, the true !hi"oso!her i"" deri$e benefit fro& such as are gi$en%

E"iIabeth, hoe$er, had ne$er been b"ind to the i&!ro!riety of her fatherKs beha$iour as a husband% 2he had a"ays seen it ith

!ainF but res!ecting his abi"ities, and gratefu" for his affectionatetreat&ent of herse"f, she endea$oured to forget hat she cou"dnot o$er"ook, and to banish fro& her thoughts that continua"

breach of conjuga" ob"igation and decoru& hich, in e/!osinghis ife to the conte&!t of her on chi"dren, as so high"yre!rehensib"e% But she had ne$er fe"t so strong"y as no thedisad$antages hich &ust attend the chi"dren of so unsuitab"e a&arriage, nor e$er been so fu""y aare of the e$i"s arising fro&so i""Hjudged a direction of ta"entsF ta"ents, hich, right"y used,&ight at "east ha$e !reser$ed the res!ectabi"ity of his daughters,e$en if inca!ab"e of en"arging the &ind of his ife%

hen E"iIabeth had rejoiced o$er ickha&Ks de!arture shefound "itt"e other cause for satisfaction in the "oss of theregi&ent% Their !arties abroad ere "ess $aried than before, andat ho&e she had a &other and sister hose constant re!inings at

the du""ness of e$erything around the& thre a rea" g"oo& o$er their do&estic circ"eF and, though Ditty &ight in ti&e regain her natura" degree of sense, since the disturbers of her brain erere&o$ed, her other sister, fro& hose dis!osition greater e$i"&ight be a!!rehended, as "ike"y to be hardened in a"" her fo""y and assurance by a situation of such doub"e danger as aateringH!"ace and a ca&!% !on the ho"e, therefore, shefound, hat has been so&eti&es found before, that an e$entto hich she had been "ooking ith i&!atient desire did not,in taking !"ace, bring a"" the satisfaction she had !ro&isedherse"f% t as conseuent"y necessary to na&e so&e other

!eriod for the co&&ence&ent of actua" fe"icityHHto ha$e so&eother !oint on hich her ishes and ho!es &ight be fi/ed, and



by again enjoying the !"easure of antici!ation, conso"e herse"f for the !resent, and !re!are for another disa!!oint&ent% 1er tour to the @akes as no the object of her ha!!iest thoughtsF it asher best conso"ation for a"" the unco&fortab"e hours hich thediscontentedness of her &other and Ditty &ade ine$itab"eF and

cou"d she ha$e inc"uded Jane in the sche&e, e$ery !art of itou"d ha$e been !erfect%

But it is fortunate, thought she, that ha$e so&ething to ishfor% ere the ho"e arrange&ent co&!"ete, &y disa!!oint&entou"d be certain% But here, by carrying ith &e one cease"esssource of regret in &y sisterKs absence, &ay reasonab"y ho!e toha$e a"" &y e/!ectations of !"easure rea"ised% A sche&e of hich e$ery !art !ro&ises de"ight can ne$er be successfu"F andgenera" disa!!oint&ent is on"y arded off by the defence of so&e "itt"e !ecu"iar $e/ation%

hen @ydia ent aay she !ro&ised to rite $ery often and$ery &inute"y to her &other and DittyF but her "etters erea"ays "ong e/!ected, and a"ays $ery short% Those to her &other contained "itt"e e"se than that they ere just returnedfro& the "ibrary, here such and such officers had attendedthe&, and here she had seen such beautifu" orna&ents as &adeher uite i"dF that she had a ne gon, or a ne !araso", hichshe ou"d ha$e described &ore fu""y, but as ob"iged to "ea$eoff in a $io"ent hurry, as =rs% -orster ca""ed her, and they eregoing off to the ca&!F and fro& her corres!ondence ith her sister, there as sti"" "ess to be "earntHHfor her "etters toDitty, though rather "onger, ere &uch too fu"" of "ines under theords to be &ade !ub"ic%

After the first fortnight or three eeks of her absence, hea"th,good hu&our, and cheerfu"ness began to rea!!ear at @ongbourn%E$erything ore a ha!!ier as!ect% The fa&i"ies ho had been inton for the inter ca&e back again, and su&&er finery andsu&&er engage&ents arose% =rs% Bennet as restored to her usua" ueru"ous serenityF and, by the &idd"e of June, Ditty as

so &uch reco$ered as to be ab"e to enter =eryton ithout tearsFan e$ent of such ha!!y !ro&ise as to &ake E"iIabeth ho!e that by the fo""oing hrist&as she &ight be so to"erab"y reasonab"eas not to &ention an officer abo$e once a day, un"ess, by so&ecrue" and &a"icious arrange&ent at the ar ffice, another regi&ent shou"d be uartered in =eryton%

The ti&e fi/ed for the beginning of their northern tour as nofast a!!roaching, and a fortnight on"y as anting of it, hena "etter arri$ed fro& =rs% Gardiner, hich at once de"ayed itsco&&ence&ent and curtai"ed its e/tent% =r% Gardiner ou"d be

!re$ented by business fro& setting out ti"" a fortnight "ater inJu"y, and &ust be in @ondon again ithin a &onth, and as that



"eft too short a !eriod for the& to go so far, and see so &uchas they had !ro!osed, or at "east to see it ith the "eisure andco&fort they had bui"t on, they ere ob"iged to gi$e u! the@akes, and substitute a &ore contracted tour, and, accordingto the !resent !"an, ere to go no farther northards than

'erbyshire% n that county there as enough to be seen tooccu!y the chief of their three eeksF and to =rs% Gardiner ithad a !ecu"iar"y strong attraction% The ton here she hadfor&er"y !assed so&e years of her "ife, and here they ere noto s!end a fe days, as !robab"y as great an object of her curiosity as a"" the ce"ebrated beauties of =at"ock, hatsorth,'o$eda"e, or the Peak%

E"iIabeth as e/cessi$e"y disa!!ointedF she had set her heart onseeing the @akes, and sti"" thought there &ight ha$e been ti&eenough% But it as her business to be satisfiedHHand certain"y

her te&!er to be ha!!yF and a"" as soon right again%

ith the &ention of 'erbyshire there ere &any ideas connected%t as i&!ossib"e for her to see the ord ithout thinking of Pe&ber"ey and its oner% But sure"y, said she, &ay enter his county ithout i&!unity, and rob it of a fe !etrified s!arsithout his !ercei$ing &e%

The !eriod of e/!ectation as no doub"ed% -our eeks ere to !ass aay before her unc"e and auntKs arri$a"% But they did !assaay, and =r% and =rs% Gardiner, ith their four chi"dren, didat "ength a!!ear at @ongbourn% The chi"dren, to gir"s of si/and eight years o"d, and to younger boys, ere to be "eft under the !articu"ar care of their cousin Jane, ho as the genera"fa$ourite, and hose steady sense and seetness of te&!er e/act"yada!ted her for attending to the& in e$ery ayHHteaching the&,

!"aying ith the&, and "o$ing the&%

The Gardiners stayed on"y one night at @ongbourn, and set off the ne/t &orning ith E"iIabeth in !ursuit of no$e"ty anda&use&ent% ne enjoy&ent as certainHHthat of suitab"eness

of co&!anionsF a suitab"eness hich co&!rehended hea"th andte&!er to bear incon$eniencesHHcheerfu"ness to enhance e$ery !"easureHHand affection and inte""igence, hich &ight su!!"yit a&ong the&se"$es if there ere disa!!oint&ents abroad%

t is not the object of this ork to gi$e a descri!tion of 'erbyshire, nor of any of the re&arkab"e !"aces through hichtheir route thither "ayF /ford, B"enhei&, arick, Deni"orth,Bir&ingha&, etc% are sufficient"y knon% A s&a"" !art of 'erbyshire is a"" the !resent concern% To the "itt"e ton of @a&bton, the scene of =rs% GardinerKs for&er residence, and

here she had "ate"y "earned so&e acuaintance sti"" re&ained,they bent their ste!s, after ha$ing seen a"" the !rinci!a" onders



of the countryF and ithin fi$e &i"es of @a&bton, E"iIabethfound fro& her aunt that Pe&ber"ey as situated% t as not intheir direct road, nor &ore than a &i"e or to out of it% nta"king o$er their route the e$ening before, =rs% Gardiner e/!ressed an inc"ination to see the !"ace again% =r% Gardiner

dec"ared his i""ingness, and E"iIabeth as a!!"ied to for her a!!robation%

=y "o$e, shou"d not you "ike to see a !"ace of hich you ha$eheard so &uch said her auntF a !"ace, too, ith hich so&any of your acuaintances are connected% ickha& !assed a""his youth there, you kno%

E"iIabeth as distressed% 2he fe"t that she had no business atPe&ber"ey, and as ob"iged to assu&e a disinc"ination for seeingit% 2he &ust on that she as tired of seeing great housesF after

going o$er so &any, she rea""y had no !"easure in fine car!ets or satin curtains%

=rs% Gardiner abused her stu!idity% f it ere &ere"y a finehouse rich"y furnished, said she, shou"d not care about it&yse"fF but the grounds are de"ightfu"% They ha$e so&e of thefinest oods in the country%

E"iIabeth said no &oreHHbut her &ind cou"d not acuiesce%The !ossibi"ity of &eeting =r% 'arcy, hi"e $ieing the !"ace,instant"y occurred% t ou"d be dreadfu"6 2he b"ushed at the$ery idea, and thought it ou"d be better to s!eak o!en"y toher aunt than to run such a risk% But against this there ereobjectionsF and she fina""y reso"$ed that it cou"d be the "astresource, if her !ri$ate inuiries to the absence of the fa&i"yere unfa$ourab"y ansered%

According"y, hen she retired at night, she asked the cha&ber&aidhether Pe&ber"ey ere not a $ery fine !"ace hat as the na&eof its !ro!rietor and, ith no "itt"e a"ar&, hether the fa&i"yere don for the su&&er A &ost e"co&e negati$e fo""oed the

"ast uestionHHand her a"ar&s no being re&o$ed, she as at"eisure to fee" a great dea" of curiosity to see the house herse"fFand hen the subject as re$i$ed the ne/t &orning, and she asagain a!!"ied to, cou"d readi"y anser, and ith a !ro!er air of indifference, that she had not rea""y any dis"ike to the sche&e%To Pe&ber"ey, therefore, they ere to go%

ha!ter :9

E"iIabeth, as they dro$e a"ong, atched for the first a!!earance



of Pe&ber"ey oods ith so&e !erturbationF and hen at"ength they turned in at the "odge, her s!irits ere in a highf"utter%

The !ark as $ery "arge, and contained great $ariety of ground%

They entered it in one of its "oest !oints, and dro$e for so&eti&e through a beautifu" ood stretching o$er a ide e/tent%

E"iIabethKs &ind as too fu"" for con$ersation, but she sa andad&ired e$ery re&arkab"e s!ot and !oint of $ie% Theygradua""y ascended for ha"fHaH&i"e, and then found the&se"$esat the to! of a considerab"e e&inence, here the ood ceased,and the eye as instant"y caught by Pe&ber"ey 1ouse, situatedon the o!!osite side of a $a""ey, into hich the road ith so&eabru!tness ound% t as a "arge, handso&e stone bui"ding,standing e"" on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high

oody hi""sF and in front, a strea& of so&e natura" i&!ortanceas se""ed into greater, but ithout any artificia" a!!earance%ts banks ere neither for&a" nor fa"se"y adorned% E"iIabethas de"ighted% 2he had ne$er seen a !"ace for hich naturehad done &ore, or here natura" beauty had been so "itt"ecounteracted by an akard taste% They ere a"" of the& ar&in their ad&irationF and at that &o&ent she fe"t that to be&istress of Pe&ber"ey &ight be so&ething6

They descended the hi"", crossed the bridge, and dro$e to thedoorF and, hi"e e/a&ining the nearer as!ect of the house, a""her a!!rehension of &eeting its oner returned% 2he dreaded"est the cha&ber&aid had been &istaken% n a!!"ying to seethe !"ace, they ere ad&itted into the ha""F and E"iIabeth, asthey aited for the housekee!er, had "eisure to onder at her

being here she as%

The housekee!er ca&eF a res!ectab"eH"ooking e"der"y o&an,&uch "ess fine, and &ore ci$i", than she had any notion of finding her% They fo""oed her into the diningH!ar"our%t as a "arge, e"" !ro!ortioned roo&, handso&e"y fitted u!%

E"iIabeth, after s"ight"y sur$eying it, ent to a indo to enjoyits !ros!ect% The hi"", croned ith ood, hich they haddescended, recei$ing increased abru!tness fro& the distance,as a beautifu" object% E$ery dis!osition of the ground asgoodF and she "ooked on the ho"e scene, the ri$er, the treesscattered on its banks and the inding of the $a""ey, as far asshe cou"d trace it, ith de"ight% As they !assed into other roo&s these objects ere taking different !ositionsF but fro&e$ery indo there ere beauties to be seen% The roo&s ere"ofty and handso&e, and their furniture suitab"e to the fortuneof its !ro!rietorF but E"iIabeth sa, ith ad&iration of his taste,

that it as neither gaudy nor use"ess"y fineF ith "ess of s!"endour, and &ore rea" e"egance, than the furniture of 0osings%



And of this !"ace, thought she, &ight ha$e been &istress6ith these roo&s &ight no ha$e been fa&i"iar"y acuainted6nstead of $ieing the& as a stranger, &ight ha$e rejoicedin the& as &y on, and e"co&ed to the& as $isitors &y unc"e

and aunt% But no,HHreco""ecting herse"fHHthat cou"d ne$er beF &y unc"e and aunt ou"d ha$e been "ost to &eF shou"d notha$e been a""oed to in$ite the&%

This as a "ucky reco""ectionHHit sa$ed her fro& so&ething$ery "ike regret%

2he "onged to inuire of the housekee!er hether her &aster as rea""y absent, but had not the courage for it% At "engthhoe$er, the uestion as asked by her unc"eF and she turnedaay ith a"ar&, hi"e =rs% 0eyno"ds re!"ied that he as,

adding, But e e/!ect hi& toH&orro, ith a "arge !arty of friends% 1o rejoiced as E"iIabeth that their on journeyhad not by any circu&stance been de"ayed a day6

1er aunt no ca""ed her to "ook at a !icture% 2he a!!roachedand sa the "ikeness of =r% ickha&, sus!ended, a&ongstse$era" other &iniatures, o$er the &ante"!iece% 1er aunt askedher, s&i"ing"y, ho she "iked it% The housekee!er ca&e forard,and to"d the& it as a !icture of a young gent"e&an, the son of her "ate &asterKs steard, ho had been brought u! by hi& athis on e/!ense% 1e is no gone into the ar&y, she addedFbut a& afraid he has turned out $ery i"d%

=rs% Gardiner "ooked at her niece ith a s&i"e, but E"iIabethcou"d not return it%

And that, said =rs% 0eyno"ds, !ointing to another of the&iniatures, is &y &asterHHand $ery "ike hi&% t as dran atthe sa&e ti&e as the otherHHabout eight years ago%

ha$e heard &uch of your &asterKs fine !erson, said =rs%

Gardiner, "ooking at the !ictureF it is a handso&e face%But, @iIIy, you can te"" us hether it is "ike or not%

=rs% 0eyno"ds res!ect for E"iIabeth see&ed to increase on thisinti&ation of her knoing her &aster%

'oes that young "ady kno =r% 'arcy

E"iIabeth co"oured, and said7 A "itt"e%

And do not you think hi& a $ery handso&e gent"e&an, &aKa&

*es, $ery handso&e%



a& sure kno none so handso&eF but in the ga""eryu!stairs you i"" see a finer, "arger !icture of hi& than this%This roo& as &y "ate &asterKs fa$ourite roo&, and these&iniatures are just as they used to be then% 1e as $ery fond

of the&%

This accounted to E"iIabeth for =r% ickha&Ks being a&ong the&%

=rs% 0eyno"ds then directed their attention to one of =iss 'arcy,dran hen she as on"y eight years o"d%

And is =iss 'arcy as handso&e as her brother said =rs% Gardiner%

h6 yesHHthe handso&est young "ady that e$er as seenF andso acco&!"ished6HH2he !"ays and sings a"" day "ong% n the ne/t

roo& is a ne instru&ent just co&e don for herHHa !resentfro& &y &asterF she co&es here toH&orro ith hi&%

=r% Gardiner, hose &anners ere $ery easy and !"easant,encouraged her co&&unicati$eness by his uestions and re&arksF=rs% 0eyno"ds, either by !ride or attach&ent, had e$ident"ygreat !"easure in ta"king of her &aster and his sister%

s your &aster &uch at Pe&ber"ey in the course of the year

Cot so &uch as cou"d ish, sirF but dare say he &ay s!endha"f his ti&e hereF and =iss 'arcy is a"ays don for thesu&&er &onths%

E/ce!t, thought E"iIabeth, hen she goes to 0a&sgate%

f your &aster ou"d &arry, you &ight see &ore of hi&%

*es, sirF but do not kno hen that i"" be% do notkno ho is good enough for hi&%

=r% and =rs% Gardiner s&i"ed% E"iIabeth cou"d not he"! saying,t is $ery &uch to his credit, a& sure, that you shou"d think so%

say no &ore than the truth, and e$erybody i"" say thatknos hi&, re!"ied the other% E"iIabeth thought this asgoing !retty farF and she "istened ith increasing astonish&entas the housekee!er added, ha$e ne$er knon a cross ordfro& hi& in &y "ife, and ha$e knon hi& e$er since he asfour years o"d%

This as !raise, of a"" others &ost e/traordinary, &ost o!!ositeto her ideas% That he as not a goodHte&!ered &an had been



her fir&est o!inion% 1er keenest attention as aakenedF she"onged to hear &ore, and as gratefu" to her unc"e for saying7

There are $ery fe !eo!"e of ho& so &uch can be said% *ouare "ucky in ha$ing such a &aster%

*es, sir, kno a&% f ere to go through the or"d, cou"d not &eet ith a better% But ha$e a"ays obser$ed, thatthey ho are goodHnatured hen chi"dren, are goodHnaturedhen they gro u!F and he as a"ays the seetestHte&!ered,&ost generousHhearted boy in the or"d%

E"iIabeth a"&ost stared at her% an this be =r% 'arcythought she%

1is father as an e/ce""ent &an, said =rs% Gardiner%

*es, &aKa&, that he as indeedF and his son i"" be just "ikehi&HHjust as affab"e to the !oor%

E"iIabeth "istened, ondered, doubted, and as i&!atient for &ore% =rs% 0eyno"ds cou"d interest her on no other !oint% 2here"ated the subjects of the !ictures, the di&ensions of the roo&s,and the !rice of the furniture, in $ain, =r% Gardiner, high"ya&used by the kind of fa&i"y !rejudice to hich he attributedher e/cessi$e co&&endation of her &aster, soon "ed again tothe subjectF and she de"t ith energy on his &any &erits asthey !roceeded together u! the great staircase%

1e is the best "and"ord, and the best &aster, said she, thate$er "i$edF not "ike the i"d young &en noadays, ho think of nothing but the&se"$es% There is not one of his tenants or ser$ants but i"" gi$e hi& a good na&e% 2o&e !eo!"e ca"" hi&

!roudF but a& sure ne$er sa anything of it% To &y fancy, itis on"y because he does not ratt"e aay "ike other young &en%

n hat an a&iab"e "ight does this !"ace hi&6 thought

E"iIabeth%

This fine account of hi&, his!ered her aunt as they a"ked,is not uite consistent ith his beha$iour to our !oor friend%

Perha!s e &ight be decei$ed%

That is not $ery "ike"yF our authority as too good%

n reaching the s!acious "obby abo$e they ere shon into a$ery !retty sittingHroo&, "ate"y fitted u! ith greater e"egance

and "ightness than the a!art&ents be"oF and ere infor&ed thatit as but just done to gi$e !"easure to =iss 'arcy, ho had



taken a "iking to the roo& hen "ast at Pe&ber"ey%

1e is certain"y a good brother, said E"iIabeth, as she a"kedtoards one of the indos%

=rs% 0eyno"ds antici!ated =iss 'arcyKs de"ight, hen sheshou"d enter the roo&% And this is a"ays the ay ith hi&,she added% hate$er can gi$e his sister any !"easure is sureto be done in a &o&ent% There is nothing he ou"d not do for her%

The !ictureHga""ery, and to or three of the !rinci!a" bedroo&s,ere a"" that re&ained to be shon% n the for&er ere &anygood !aintingsF but E"iIabeth kne nothing of the artF and fro&such as had been a"ready $isib"e be"o, she had i""ing"y turnedto "ook at so&e draings of =iss 'arcyKs, in crayons, hose

subjects ere usua""y &ore interesting, and a"so &ore inte""igib"e%

n the ga""ery there ere &any fa&i"y !ortraits, but they cou"dha$e "itt"e to fi/ the attention of a stranger% E"iIabeth a"kedin uest of the on"y face hose features ou"d be knon to her%At "ast it arrested herHHand she behe"d a striking rese&b"anceto =r% 'arcy, ith such a s&i"e o$er the face as she re&e&beredto ha$e so&eti&es seen hen he "ooked at her% 2he stoodse$era" &inutes before the !icture, in earnest conte&!"ation,and returned to it again before they uitted the ga""ery% =rs%0eyno"ds infor&ed the& that it had been taken in his fatherKs"ifeti&e%

There as certain"y at this &o&ent, in E"iIabethKs &ind, a &oregent"e sensation toards the origina" than she had e$er fe"t atthe height of their acuaintance% The co&&endation bestoedon hi& by =rs% 0eyno"ds as of no trif"ing nature% hat !raiseis &ore $a"uab"e than the !raise of an inte""igent ser$ant As a

brother, a "and"ord, a &aster, she considered ho &any !eo!"eKsha!!iness ere in his guardianshi!6HHho &uch of !"easure or

!ain as it in his !oer to besto6HHho &uch of good or e$i"

&ust be done by hi&6 E$ery idea that had been brought forard by the housekee!er as fa$ourab"e to his character, and as shestood before the can$as on hich he as re!resented, and fi/edhis eyes u!on herse"f, she thought of his regard ith a dee!er senti&ent of gratitude than it had e$er raised beforeF shere&e&bered its ar&th, and softened its i&!ro!riety of e/!ression%

hen a"" of the house that as o!en to genera" ins!ection had been seen, they returned donstairs, and, taking "ea$e of thehousekee!er, ere consigned o$er to the gardener, ho &et

the& at the ha""Hdoor%



As they a"ked across the ha"" toards the ri$er, E"iIabethturned back to "ook againF her unc"e and aunt sto!!ed a"so, andhi"e the for&er as conjecturing as to the date of the bui"ding,the oner of it hi&se"f sudden"y ca&e forard fro& the road,hich "ed behind it to the stab"es%

They ere ithin tenty yards of each other, and so abru!t ashis a!!earance, that it as i&!ossib"e to a$oid his sight% Their eyes instant"y &et, and the cheeks of both ere o$ers!read iththe dee!est b"ush% 1e abso"ute"y started, and for a &o&entsee&ed i&&o$ab"e fro& sur!riseF but short"y reco$ering hi&se"f,ad$anced toards the !arty, and s!oke to E"iIabeth, if not inter&s of !erfect co&!osure, at "east of !erfect ci$i"ity%

2he had instincti$e"y turned aayF but sto!!ing on his a!!roach,recei$ed his co&!"i&ents ith an e&barrass&ent i&!ossib"e to

be o$erco&e% 1ad his first a!!earance, or his rese&b"ance tothe !icture they had just been e/a&ining, been insufficientto assure the other to that they no sa =r% 'arcy, thegardenerKs e/!ression of sur!rise, on beho"ding his &aster,&ust i&&ediate"y ha$e to"d it% They stood a "itt"e a"oof hi"ehe as ta"king to their niece, ho, astonished and confused,scarce"y dared "ift her eyes to his face, and kne not hatanser she returned to his ci$i" inuiries after her fa&i"y%A&aIed at the a"teration of his &anner since they "ast !arted,e$ery sentence that he uttered as increasing her e&barrass&entFand e$ery idea of the i&!ro!riety of her being found thererecurring to her &ind, the fe &inutes in hich they continuedere so&e of the &ost unco&fortab"e in her "ife% Cor did hesee& &uch &ore at easeF hen he s!oke, his accent had none of its usua" sedatenessF and he re!eated his inuiries as to theti&e of her ha$ing "eft @ongbourn, and of her ha$ing stayed in'erbyshire, so often, and in so hurried a ay, as !"ain"y s!okethe distraction of his thoughts%

At "ength e$ery idea see&ed to fai" hi&F and, after standing afe &o&ents ithout saying a ord, he sudden"y reco""ected

hi&se"f, and took "ea$e%

The others then joined her, and e/!ressed ad&iration of hisfigureF but E"iIabeth heard not a ord, and ho""y engrossed

by her on fee"ings, fo""oed the& in si"ence% 2he aso$er!oered by sha&e and $e/ation% 1er co&ing there asthe &ost unfortunate, the &ost i""Hjudged thing in the or"d61o strange it &ust a!!ear to hi&6 n hat a disgracefu" "ight&ight it not strike so $ain a &an6 t &ight see& as if shehad !ur!ose"y thron herse"f in his ay again6 h6 hy did sheco&e r, hy did he thus co&e a day before he as e/!ected

1ad they been on"y ten &inutes sooner, they shou"d ha$e been beyond the reach of his discri&inationF for it as !"ain that



he as that &o&ent arri$edHHthat &o&ent a"ighted fro& hishorse or his carriage% 2he b"ushed again and again o$er the

!er$erseness of the &eeting% And his beha$iour, so striking"ya"teredHHhat cou"d it &ean That he shou"d e$en s!eak to her as a&aIing6HHbut to s!eak ith such ci$i"ity, to inuire after

her fa&i"y6 Ce$er in her "ife had she seen his &anners so "itt"edignified, ne$er had he s!oken ith such gent"eness as on thisune/!ected &eeting% hat a contrast did it offer to his "astaddress in 0osings Park, hen he !ut his "etter into her hand62he kne not hat to think, or ho to account for it%

They had no entered a beautifu" a"k by the side of the ater,and e$ery ste! as bringing forard a nob"er fa"" of ground, or a finer reach of the oods to hich they ere a!!roachingF butit as so&e ti&e before E"iIabeth as sensib"e of any of itFand, though she ansered &echanica""y to the re!eated a!!ea"s

of her unc"e and aunt, and see&ed to direct her eyes to suchobjects as they !ointed out, she distinguished no !art of the scene% 1er thoughts ere a"" fi/ed on that one s!ot of Pe&ber"ey 1ouse, hiche$er it &ight be, here =r% 'arcy thenas% 2he "onged to kno hat at the &o&ent as !assing inhis &indHHin hat &anner he thought of her, and hether, indefiance of e$erything, she as sti"" dear to hi&% Perha!s hehad been ci$i" on"y because he fe"t hi&se"f at easeF yet therehad been that in his $oice hich as not "ike ease% hether hehad fe"t &ore of !ain or of !"easure in seeing her she cou"dnot te"", but he certain"y had not seen her ith co&!osure%

At "ength, hoe$er, the re&arks of her co&!anions on her absence of &ind aroused her, and she fe"t the necessity of a!!earing &ore "ike herse"f%

They entered the oods, and bidding adieu to the ri$er for ahi"e, ascended so&e of the higher groundsF hen, in s!ots herethe o!ening of the trees ga$e the eye !oer to ander, ere &anychar&ing $ies of the $a""ey, the o!!osite hi""s, ith the "ongrange of oods o$ers!reading &any, and occasiona""y !art of the

strea&% =r% Gardiner e/!ressed a ish of going round the ho"e !ark, but feared it &ight be beyond a a"k% ith a triu&!hants&i"e they ere to"d that it as ten &i"es round% t sett"ed the&atterF and they !ursued the accusto&ed circuitF hich broughtthe& again, after so&e ti&e, in a descent a&ong hanging oods,to the edge of the ater, and one of its narroest !arts% Theycrossed it by a si&!"e bridge, in character ith the genera" air of the sceneF it as a s!ot "ess adorned than any they had yet$isitedF and the $a""ey, here contracted into a g"en, a""oedroo& on"y for the strea&, and a narro a"k a&idst the roughco!!iceHood hich bordered it% E"iIabeth "onged to e/!"ore its

indingsF but hen they had crossed the bridge, and !ercei$edtheir distance fro& the house, =rs% Gardiner, ho as not a



great a"ker, cou"d go no farther, and thought on"y of returningto the carriage as uick"y as !ossib"e% 1er niece as, therefore,ob"iged to sub&it, and they took their ay toards the house onthe o!!osite side of the ri$er, in the nearest directionF buttheir !rogress as s"o, for =r% Gardiner, though se"do& ab"e to

indu"ge the taste, as $ery fond of fishing, and as so &uchengaged in atching the occasiona" a!!earance of so&e trout inthe ater, and ta"king to the &an about the&, that he ad$anced

but "itt"e% hi"st andering on in this s"o &anner, they ereagain sur!rised, and E"iIabethKs astonish&ent as uite eua" tohat it had been at first, by the sight of =r% 'arcy a!!roachingthe&, and at no great distance% The a"k here being here "essshe"tered than on the other side, a""oed the& to see hi& beforethey &et% E"iIabeth, hoe$er astonished, as at "east &ore

!re!ared for an inter$ie than before, and reso"$ed to a!!ear and to s!eak ith ca"&ness, if he rea""y intended to &eet the&%

-or a fe &o&ents, indeed, she fe"t that he ou"d !robab"y strikeinto so&e other !ath% The idea "asted hi"e a turning in thea"k concea"ed hi& fro& their $ieF the turning !ast, he asi&&ediate"y before the&% ith a g"ance, she sa that he had "ostnone of his recent ci$i"ityF and, to i&itate his !o"iteness, she

began, as they &et, to ad&ire the beauty of the !"aceF but shehad not got beyond the ords de"ightfu", and char&ing, henso&e un"ucky reco""ections obtruded, and she fancied that !raiseof Pe&ber"ey fro& her &ight be &ischie$ous"y construed% 1er co"our changed, and she said no &ore%

=rs% Gardiner as standing a "itt"e behindF and on her !ausing,he asked her if she ou"d do hi& the honour of introducing hi&to her friends% This as a stroke of ci$i"ity for hich sheas uite un!re!aredF and she cou"d hard"y su!!ress a s&i"e athis being no seeking the acuaintance of so&e of those $ery

!eo!"e against ho& his !ride had re$o"ted in his offer toherse"f% hat i"" be his sur!rise, thought she, hen heknos ho they are 1e takes the& no for !eo!"e of fashion%

The introduction, hoe$er, as i&&ediate"y &adeF and as she

na&ed their re"ationshi! to herse"f, she sto"e a s"y "ook athi&, to see ho he bore it, and as not ithout the e/!ectationof his deca&!ing as fast as he cou"d fro& such disgracefu"co&!anions% That he as sur!rised by the connection ase$identF he sustained it, hoe$er, ith fortitude, and so far fro& going aay, turned his back ith the&, and entered intocon$ersation ith =r% Gardiner% E"iIabeth cou"d not but be

!"eased, cou"d not but triu&!h% t as conso"ing that he shou"dkno she had so&e re"ations for ho& there as no need to

b"ush% 2he "istened &ost attenti$e"y to a"" that !assed beteenthe&, and g"oried in e$ery e/!ression, e$ery sentence of her

unc"e, hich &arked his inte""igence, his taste, or his good&anners%



The con$ersation soon turned u!on fishingF and she heard =r%'arcy in$ite hi&, ith the greatest ci$i"ity, to fish there as oftenas he chose hi"e he continued in the neighbourhood, offeringat the sa&e ti&e to su!!"y hi& ith fishing tack"e, and !ointing

out those !arts of the strea& here there as usua""y &osts!ort% =rs% Gardiner, ho as a"king ar&HinHar& ithE"iIabeth, ga$e her a "ook e/!ressi$e of onder% E"iIabethsaid nothing, but it gratified her e/ceeding"yF the co&!"i&ent&ust be a"" for herse"f% 1er astonish&ent, hoe$er, ase/tre&e, and continua""y as she re!eating, hy is he soa"tered -ro& hat can it !roceed t cannot be for &eHHitcannot be for &y sake that his &anners are thus softened% =yre!roofs at 1unsford cou"d not ork such a change as this%t is i&!ossib"e that he shou"d sti"" "o$e &e%

After a"king so&e ti&e in this ay, the to "adies in front,the to gent"e&en behind, on resu&ing their !"aces, after descending to the brink of the ri$er for the better ins!ection of so&e curious aterH!"ant, there chanced to be a "itt"e a"teration%t originated in =rs% Gardiner, ho, fatigued by the e/ercise of the &orning, found E"iIabethKs ar& inadeuate to her su!!ort, andconseuent"y !referred her husbandKs% =r% 'arcy took her !"ace

by her niece, and they a"ked on together% After a short si"ence,the "ady first s!oke% 2he ished hi& to kno that she had

been assured of his absence before she ca&e to the !"ace, andaccording"y began by obser$ing, that his arri$a" had been $eryune/!ectedHHfor your housekee!er, she added, infor&ed us thatyou ou"d certain"y not be here ti"" toH&orroF and indeed, beforee "eft Bakee"", e understood that you ere not i&&ediate"ye/!ected in the country% 1e ackno"edged the truth of it a"",and said that business ith his steard had occasioned his co&ingforard a fe hours before the rest of the !arty ith ho& hehad been tra$e""ing% They i"" join &e ear"y toH&orro, hecontinued, and a&ong the& are so&e ho i"" c"ai& an acuaintanceith youHH=r% Bing"ey and his sisters%

E"iIabeth ansered on"y by a s"ight bo% 1er thoughts ereinstant"y dri$en back to the ti&e hen =r% Bing"eyKs na&e had been the "ast &entioned beteen the&F and, if she &ight judge by his co&!"e/ion, his &ind as not $ery different"y engaged%

There is a"so one other !erson in the !arty, he continued after a !ause, ho &ore !articu"ar"y ishes to be knon to you%i"" you a""o &e, or do ask too &uch, to introduce &y sister to your acuaintance during your stay at @a&bton

The sur!rise of such an a!!"ication as great indeedF it as too

great for her to kno in hat &anner she acceded to it% 2hei&&ediate"y fe"t that hate$er desire =iss 'arcy &ight ha$e of



being acuainted ith her &ust be the ork of her brother, and,ithout "ooking farther, it as satisfactoryF it as gratifying tokno that his resent&ent had not &ade hi& think rea""y i"" of her%

They no a"ked on in si"ence, each of the& dee! in thought%

E"iIabeth as not co&fortab"eF that as i&!ossib"eF but she asf"attered and !"eased% 1is ish of introducing his sister to her as a co&!"i&ent of the highest kind% They soon outstri!!ed theothers, and hen they had reached the carriage, =r% and =rs%Gardiner ere ha"f a uarter of a &i"e behind%

1e then asked her to a"k into the houseHHbut she dec"aredherse"f not tired, and they stood together on the "an% Atsuch a ti&e &uch &ight ha$e been said, and si"ence as $eryakard% 2he anted to ta"k, but there see&ed to be ane&bargo on e$ery subject% At "ast she reco""ected that she had

been tra$e""ing, and they ta"ked of =at"ock and 'o$e 'a"e ithgreat !erse$erance% *et ti&e and her aunt &o$ed s"o"yHHandher !atience and her ideas ere near"y orn our before theteteHaHtete as o$er% n =r% and =rs% GardinerKs co&ing u!they ere a"" !ressed to go into the house and take so&erefresh&entF but this as dec"ined, and they !arted on eachside ith ut&ost !o"iteness% =r% 'arcy handed the "adies intothe carriageF and hen it dro$e off, E"iIabeth sa hi& a"kings"o"y toards the house%

The obser$ations of her unc"e and aunt no beganF and each of the& !ronounced hi& to be infinite"y su!erior to anything theyhad e/!ected% 1e is !erfect"y e"" beha$ed, !o"ite, andunassu&ing, said her unc"e%

There is so&ething a "itt"e state"y in hi&, to be sure, re!"iedher aunt, but it is confined to his air, and is not unbeco&ing% can no say ith the housekee!er, that though so&e !eo!"e &ayca"" hi& !roud, ha$e seen nothing of it%

as ne$er &ore sur!rised than by his beha$iour to us% t as

&ore than ci$i"F it as rea""y attenti$eF and there as nonecessity for such attention% 1is acuaintance ith E"iIabethas $ery trif"ing%

To be sure, @iIIy, said her aunt, he is not so handso&e asickha&F or, rather, he has not ickha&Ks countenance, for his features are !erfect"y good% But ho ca&e you to te"" &ethat he as so disagreeab"e

E"iIabeth e/cused herse"f as e"" as she cou"dF said that she had"iked hi& better hen they had &et in Dent than before, and that

she had ne$er seen hi& so !"easant as this &orning%



But !erha!s he &ay be a "itt"e hi&sica" in his ci$i"ities,re!"ied her unc"e% *our great &en often areF and therefore sha"" not take hi& at his ord, as he &ight change his &indanother day, and arn &e off his grounds%

E"iIabeth fe"t that they had entire"y &isunderstood his character, but said nothing%

-ro& hat e ha$e seen of hi&, continued =rs% Gardiner, rea""y shou"d not ha$e thought that he cou"d ha$e beha$ed in socrue" a ay by anybody as he has done by !oor ickha&% 1ehas not an i""Hnatured "ook% n the contrary, there is so&ething

!"easing about his &outh hen he s!eaks% And there is so&ethingof dignity in his countenance that ou"d not gi$e one anunfa$ourab"e idea of his heart% But, to be sure, the good "adyho shoed us his house did gi$e hi& a &ost f"a&ing character6

cou"d hard"y he"! "aughing a"oud so&eti&es% But he is a"ibera" &aster, su!!ose, and that in the eye of a ser$antco&!rehends e$ery $irtue%

E"iIabeth here fe"t herse"f ca""ed on to say so&ething in$indication of his beha$iour to ickha&F and therefore ga$ethe& to understand, in as guarded a &anner as she cou"d, that

by hat she had heard fro& his re"ations in Dent, his actionsere ca!ab"e of a $ery different constructionF and that hischaracter as by no &eans so fau"ty, nor ickha&Ks so a&iab"e,as they had been considered in 1ertfordshire% n confir&ationof this, she re"ated the !articu"ars of a"" the !ecuniarytransactions in hich they had been connected, ithout actua""yna&ing her authority, but stating it to be such as &ight bere"ied on%

=rs% Gardiner as sur!rised and concernedF but as they ereno a!!roaching the scene of her for&er !"easures, e$ery ideaga$e ay to the char& of reco""ectionF and she as too &uchengaged in !ointing out to her husband a"" the interesting s!otsin its en$irons to think of anything e"se% -atigued as she had

been by the &orningKs a"k they had no sooner dined than sheset off again in uest of her for&er acuaintance, and thee$ening as s!ent in the satisfactions of a intercourse reneedafter &any yearsK discontinuance%

The occurrences of the day ere too fu"" of interest to "ea$eE"iIabeth &uch attention for any of these ne friendsF and shecou"d do nothing but think, and think ith onder, of =r%'arcyKs ci$i"ity, and, abo$e a"", of his ishing her to beacuainted ith his sister%



ha!ter ::

E"iIabeth had sett"ed it that =r% 'arcy ou"d bring his sister to $isit her the $ery day after her reaching Pe&ber"eyF and as

conseuent"y reso"$ed not to be out of sight of the inn the ho"eof that &orning% But her conc"usion as fa"seF for on the $ery&orning after their arri$a" at @a&bton, these $isitors ca&e%They had been a"king about the !"ace ith so&e of their nefriends, and ere just returning to the inn to dress the&se"$esfor dining ith the sa&e fa&i"y, hen the sound of a carriagedre the& to a indo, and they sa a gent"e&an and a "adyin a curric"e dri$ing u! the street% E"iIabeth i&&ediate"yrecogniIing the "i$ery, guessed hat it &eant, and i&!arted nos&a"" degree of her sur!rise to her re"ations by acuaintingthe& ith the honour hich she e/!ected% 1er unc"e and aunt

ere a"" a&aIe&entF and the e&barrass&ent of her &anner asshe s!oke, joined to the circu&stance itse"f, and &any of thecircu&stances of the !receding day, o!ened to the& a ne ideaon the business% Cothing had e$er suggested it before, but theyfe"t that there as no other ay of accounting for such attentionsfro& such a uarter than by su!!osing a !artia"ity for their niece% hi"e these ne"yHborn notions ere !assing in their heads,the !erturbation of E"iIabethKs fee"ings as at e$ery &o&entincreasing% 2he as uite a&aIed at her on disco&!osureF buta&ongst other causes of disuiet, she dreaded "est the !artia"ityof the brother shou"d ha$e said too &uch in her fa$ourF and, &orethan co&&on"y an/ious to !"ease, she natura""y sus!ected thate$ery !oer of !"easing ou"d fai" her%

2he retreated fro& the indo, fearfu" of being seenF and asshe a"ked u! and don the roo&, endea$ouring to co&!oseherse"f, sa such "ooks of inuiring sur!rise in her unc"e andaunt as &ade e$erything orse%

=iss 'arcy and her brother a!!eared, and this for&idab"eintroduction took !"ace% ith astonish&ent did E"iIabeth see

that her ne acuaintance as at "east as &uch e&barrassed asherse"f% 2ince her being at @a&bton, she had heard that =iss'arcy as e/ceeding"y !roudF but the obser$ation of a $ery fe&inutes con$inced her that she as on"y e/ceeding"y shy% 2hefound it difficu"t to obtain e$en a ord fro& her beyond a&onosy""ab"e%

=iss 'arcy as ta"", and on a "arger sca"e than E"iIabethFand, though "itt"e &ore than si/teen, her figure as for&ed,and her a!!earance o&an"y and gracefu"% 2he as "ess handso&ethan her brotherF but there as sense and good hu&our in her

face, and her &anners ere !erfect"y unassu&ing and gent"e%E"iIabeth, ho had e/!ected to find in her as acute and



une&barrassed an obser$er as e$er =r% 'arcy had been, as&uch re"ie$ed by discerning such different fee"ings%

They had not "ong been together before =r% 'arcy to"d her thatBing"ey as a"so co&ing to ait on herF and she had bare"y ti&e

to e/!ress her satisfaction, and !re!are for such a $isitor, henBing"eyKs uick ste! as heard on the stairs, and in a &o&ent heentered the roo&% A"" E"iIabethKs anger against hi& had been"ong done aayF but had she sti"" fe"t any, it cou"d hard"y ha$estood its ground against the unaffected cordia"ity ith hich hee/!ressed hi&se"f on seeing her again% 1e inuired in a friend"y,though genera" ay, after her fa&i"y, and "ooked and s!oke iththe sa&e goodHhu&oured ease that he had e$er done%

To =r% and =rs% Gardiner he as scarce"y a "ess interesting !ersonage than to herse"f% They had "ong ished to see hi&%

The ho"e !arty before the&, indeed, e/cited a "i$e"y attention%The sus!icions hich had just arisen of =r% 'arcy and their niecedirected their obser$ation toards each ith an earnest thoughguarded inuiryF and they soon dre fro& those inuiries the fu""con$iction that one of the& at "east kne hat it as to "o$e%f the "adyKs sensations they re&ained a "itt"e in doubtF but thatthe gent"e&an as o$erf"oing ith ad&iration as e$ident enough%

E"iIabeth, on her side, had &uch to do% 2he anted toascertain the fee"ings of each of her $isitorsF she anted toco&!ose her on, and to &ake herse"f agreeab"e to a""F and inthe "atter object, here she feared &ost to fai", she as &ostsure of success, for those to ho& she endea$oured to gi$e

!"easure ere !re!ossessed in her fa$our% Bing"ey as ready,Georgiana as eager, and 'arcy deter&ined, to be !"eased%

n seeing Bing"ey, her thoughts natura""y f"e to her sisterFand, oh6 ho ardent"y did she "ong to kno hether any of his eredirected in a "ike &anner% 2o&eti&es she cou"d fancy that heta"ked "ess than on for&er occasions, and once or tice !"easedherse"f ith the notion that, as he "ooked at her, he as trying

to trace a rese&b"ance% But, though this &ight be i&aginary,she cou"d not be decei$ed as to his beha$iour to =iss 'arcy, hohad been set u! as a ri$a" to Jane% Co "ook a!!eared on either side that s!oke !articu"ar regard% Cothing occurred beteenthe& that cou"d justify the ho!es of his sister% n this !ointshe as soon satisfiedF and to or three "itt"e circu&stancesoccurred ere they !arted, hich, in her an/ious inter!retation,denoted a reco""ection of Jane not untinctured by tenderness,and a ish of saying &ore that &ight "ead to the &ention of her,had he dared% 1e obser$ed to her, at a &o&ent hen the othersere ta"king together, and in a tone hich had so&ething of rea"

regret, that it as a $ery "ong ti&e since he had had the !"easure of seeing herF and, before she cou"d re!"y, he added,



t is abo$e eight &onths% e ha$e not &et since the ;?th of Co$e&ber, hen e ere a"" dancing together at Cetherfie"d%

E"iIabeth as !"eased to find his &e&ory so e/actF and heafterards took occasion to ask her, hen unattended to by

any of the rest, hether a"" her sisters ere at @ongbourn%There as not &uch in the uestion, nor in the !recedingre&arkF but there as a "ook and a &anner hich ga$e the&&eaning%

t as not often that she cou"d turn her eyes on =r% 'arcyhi&se"fF but, hene$er she did catch a g"i&!se, she sa ane/!ression of genera" co&!"aisance, and in a"" that he saidshe heard an accent so re&o$ed fro& hauteur or disdain of hisco&!anions, as con$inced her that the i&!ro$e&ent of &annershich she had yesterday itnessed hoe$er te&!orary its

e/istence &ight !ro$e, had at "east out"i$ed one day% hen shesa hi& thus seeking the acuaintance and courting the goodo!inion of !eo!"e ith ho& any intercourse a fe &onths agoou"d ha$e been a disgraceHHhen she sa hi& thus ci$i", noton"y to herse"f, but to the $ery re"ations ho& he had o!en"ydisdained, and reco""ected their "ast "i$e"y scene in 1unsfordParsonageHHthe difference, the change as so great, and struck so forcib"y on her &ind, that she cou"d hard"y restrain her astonish&ent fro& being $isib"e% Ce$er, e$en in the co&!anyof his dear friends at Cetherfie"d, or his dignified re"ationsat 0osings, had she seen hi& so desirous to !"ease, so freefro& se"fHconseuence or unbending reser$e, as no, hen noi&!ortance cou"d resu"t fro& the success of his endea$ours, andhen e$en the acuaintance of those to ho& his attentionsere addressed ou"d dra don the ridicu"e and censure of the "adies both of Cetherfie"d and 0osings%

Their $isitors stayed ith the& abo$e ha"fHanHhourF and henthey arose to de!art, =r% 'arcy ca""ed on his sister to join hi&in e/!ressing their ish of seeing =r% and =rs% Gardiner, and=iss Bennet, to dinner at Pe&ber"ey, before they "eft the

country% =iss 'arcy, though ith a diffidence hich &arkedher "itt"e in the habit of gi$ing in$itations, readi"y obeyed%=rs% Gardiner "ooked at her niece, desirous of knoing ho she,ho& the in$itation &ost concerned, fe"t dis!osed as to itsacce!tance, but E"iIabeth had turned aay her head% Presu&inghoe$er, that this studied a$oidance s!oke rather a &o&entarye&barrass&ent than any dis"ike of the !ro!osa", and seeing inher husband, ho as fond of society, a !erfect i""ingness toacce!t it, she $entured to engage for her attendance, and theday after the ne/t as fi/ed on%

Bing"ey e/!ressed great !"easure in the certainty of seeingE"iIabeth again, ha$ing sti"" a great dea" to say to her, and &any



inuiries to &ake after a"" their 1ertfordshire friends% E"iIabeth,construing a"" this into a ish of hearing her s!eak of her sister,as !"eased, and on this account, as e"" as so&e others, foundherse"f, hen their $isitors "eft the&, ca!ab"e of consideringthe "ast ha"fHhour ith so&e satisfaction, though hi"e it as

!assing, the enjoy&ent of it had been "itt"e% Eager to be a"one,and fearfu" of inuiries or hints fro& her unc"e and aunt, shestayed ith the& on"y "ong enough to hear their fa$ourab"eo!inion of Bing"ey, and then hurried aay to dress%

But she had no reason to fear =r% and =rs% GardinerKs curiosityFit as not their ish to force her co&&unication% t as e$identthat she as &uch better acuainted ith =r% 'arcy than theyhad before any idea ofF it as e$ident that he as $ery &uch in"o$e ith her% They sa &uch to interest, but nothing to justifyinuiry%

f =r% 'arcy it as no a &atter of an/iety to think e""F and,as far as their acuaintance reached, there as no fau"t to find%They cou"d not be untouched by his !o"itenessF and had theydran his character fro& their on fee"ings and his ser$antKsre!ort, ithout any reference to any other account, the circ"ein 1ertfordshire to hich he as knon ou"d not ha$e recogniIedit for =r% 'arcy% There as no an interest, hoe$er, in

be"ie$ing the housekee!erF and they soon beca&e sensib"e thatthe authority of a ser$ant ho had knon hi& since he as four years o"d, and hose on &anners indicated res!ectabi"ity, asnot to be hasti"y rejected% Ceither had anything occurred inthe inte""igence of their @a&bton friends that cou"d &ateria""y"essen its eight% They had nothing to accuse hi& of but !rideF

!ride he !robab"y had, and if not, it ou"d certain"y be i&!uted by the inhabitants of a s&a"" &arketHton here the fa&i"y didnot $isit% t as ackno"edged, hoe$er, that he as a "ibera"&an, and did &uch good a&ong the !oor%

ith res!ect to ickha&, the tra$e""ers soon found that he asnot he"d there in &uch esti&ationF for though the chief of his

concerns ith the son of his !atron ere i&!erfect"y understood,it as yet a e""Hknon fact that, on his uitting 'erbyshire,he had "eft &any debts behind hi&, hich =r% 'arcy afterardsdischarged%

As for E"iIabeth, her thoughts ere at Pe&ber"ey this e$ening&ore than the "astF and the e$ening, though as it !assed itsee&ed "ong, as not "ong enough to deter&ine her fee"ingstoards one in that &ansionF and she "ay aake to ho"ehours endea$ouring to &ake the& out% 2he certain"y did nothate hi&% CoF hatred had $anished "ong ago, and she had

a"&ost as "ong been asha&ed of e$er fee"ing a dis"ike againsthi&, that cou"d be so ca""ed% The res!ect created by the



con$iction of his $a"uab"e ua"ities, though at first uni""ing"yad&itted, had for so&e ti&e ceased to be re!ugnant to her fee"ingF and it as no heightened into so&ehat of a friend"ier nature, by the testi&ony so high"y in his fa$our, and bringingforard his dis!osition in so a&iab"e a "ight, hich yesterday

had !roduced% But abo$e a"", abo$e res!ect and estee&, thereas a &oti$e ithin her of goodi"" hich cou"d not beo$er"ooked% t as gratitudeF gratitude, not &ere"y for ha$ingonce "o$ed her, but for "o$ing her sti"" e"" enough to forgi$ea"" the !etu"ance and acri&ony of her &anner in rejecting hi&, anda"" the unjust accusations acco&!anying her rejection% 1e ho,she had been !ersuaded, ou"d a$oid her as his greatest ene&y,see&ed, on this accidenta" &eeting, &ost eager to !reser$e theacuaintance, and ithout any inde"icate dis!"ay of regard, or any !ecu"iarity of &anner, here their to se"$es on"y ereconcerned, as so"iciting the good o!inion of her friends,

and bent on &aking her knon to his sister% 2uch a changein a &an of so &uch !ride e/citing not on"y astonish&ent butgratitudeHHfor to "o$e, ardent "o$e, it &ust be attributedF andas such its i&!ression on her as of a sort to be encouraged, as

by no &eans un!"easing, though it cou"d not be e/act"y defined%2he res!ected, she estee&ed, she as gratefu" to hi&, she fe"ta rea" interest in his e"fareF and she on"y anted to kno hofar she ished that e"fare to de!end u!on herse"f, and ho far it ou"d be for the ha!!iness of both that she shou"d e&!"oy the

!oer, hich her fancy to"d her she sti"" !ossessed, of bringingon her the renea" of his addresses%

t had been sett"ed in the e$ening beteen the aunt and theniece, that such a striking ci$i"ity as =iss 'arcyKs in co&ing tosee the& on the $ery day of her arri$a" at Pe&ber"ey, for shehad reached it on"y to a "ate breakfast, ought to be i&itated,though it cou"d not be eua""ed, by so&e e/ertion of !o"itenesson their sideF and, conseuent"y, that it ou"d be high"ye/!edient to ait on her at Pe&ber"ey the fo""oing &orning%They ere, therefore, to go% E"iIabeth as !"easedF thoughhen she asked herse"f the reason, she had $ery "itt"e to say in

re!"y%

=r% Gardiner "eft the& soon after breakfast% The fishing sche&ehad been reneed the day before, and a !ositi$e engage&ent&ade of his &eeting so&e of the gent"e&en at Pe&ber"ey beforenoon%

ha!ter :L

on$inced as E"iIabeth no as that =iss Bing"eyKs dis"ike of



her had originated in jea"ousy, she cou"d not he"! fee"ing houne"co&e her a!!earance at Pe&ber"ey &ust be to her, andas curious to kno ith ho &uch ci$i"ity on that "adyKs sidethe acuaintance ou"d no be reneed%

n reaching the house, they ere shon through the ha"" intothe sa"oon, hose northern as!ect rendered it de"ightfu" for su&&er% ts indos o!ening to the ground, ad&itted a &ostrefreshing $ie of the high oody hi""s behind the house,and of the beautifu" oaks and 2!anish chestnuts hich erescattered o$er the inter&ediate "an%

n this house they ere recei$ed by =iss 'arcy, ho assitting there ith =rs% 1urst and =iss Bing"ey, and the "adyith ho& she "i$ed in @ondon% GeorgianaKs rece!tion of the&as $ery ci$i", but attended ith a"" the e&barrass&ent hich,

though !roceeding fro& shyness and the fear of doing rong,ou"d easi"y gi$e to those ho fe"t the&se"$es inferior the

be"ief of her being !roud and reser$ed% =rs% Gardiner and her niece, hoe$er, did her justice, and !itied her%

By =rs% 1urst and =iss Bing"ey they ere noticed on"y by acurtseyF and, on their being seated, a !ause, akard as such

!auses &ust a"ays be, succeeded for a fe &o&ents% t asfirst broken by =rs% Annes"ey, a gentee", agreeab"eH"ookingo&an, hose endea$our to introduce so&e kind of discourse

!ro$ed her to be &ore tru"y e""Hbred than either of the othersFand beteen her and =rs% Gardiner, ith occasiona" he"! fro&E"iIabeth, the con$ersation as carried on% =iss 'arcy "ookedas if she ished for courage enough to join in itF and so&eti&esdid $enture a short sentence hen there as "east danger of its

being heard%

E"iIabeth soon sa that she as herse"f c"ose"y atched by =issBing"ey, and that she cou"d not s!eak a ord, es!ecia""y to =iss'arcy, ithout ca""ing her attention% This obser$ation ou"d notha$e !re$ented her fro& trying to ta"k to the "atter, had they

not been seated at an incon$enient distanceF but she as not sorryto be s!ared the necessity of saying &uch% 1er on thoughtsere e&!"oying her% 2he e/!ected e$ery &o&ent that so&e of thegent"e&en ou"d enter the roo&% 2he ished, she feared thatthe &aster of the house &ight be a&ongst the&F and hether she ished or feared it &ost, she cou"d scarce"y deter&ine%After sitting in this &anner a uarter of an hour ithout hearing=iss Bing"eyKs $oice, E"iIabeth as roused by recei$ing fro&her a co"d inuiry after the hea"th of her fa&i"y% 2he anseredith eua" indifference and bre$ity, and the others said no &ore%

The ne/t $ariation hich their $isit afforded as !roduced bythe entrance of ser$ants ith co"d &eat, cake, and a $ariety of



a"" the finest fruits in seasonF but this did not take !"ace ti""after &any a significant "ook and s&i"e fro& =rs% Annes"ey to=iss 'arcy had been gi$en, to re&ind her of her !ost% There asno e&!"oy&ent for the ho"e !artyHHfor though they cou"d not a""ta"k, they cou"d a"" eatF and the beautifu" !yra&ids of gra!es,

nectarines, and !eaches soon co""ected the& round the tab"e%

hi"e thus engaged, E"iIabeth had a fair o!!ortunity of decidinghether she &ost feared or ished for the a!!earance of =r%'arcy, by the fee"ings hich !re$ai"ed on his entering the roo&Fand then, though but a &o&ent before she had be"ie$ed her ishes to !redo&inate, she began to regret that he ca&e%

1e had been so&e ti&e ith =r% Gardiner, ho, ith to or three other gent"e&en fro& the house, as engaged by the ri$er,and had "eft hi& on"y on "earning that the "adies of the fa&i"y

intended a $isit to Georgiana that &orning% Co sooner did hea!!ear than E"iIabeth ise"y reso"$ed to be !erfect"y easy andune&barrassedF a reso"ution the &ore necessary to be &ade, but

!erha!s not the &ore easi"y ke!t, because she sa that thesus!icions of the ho"e !arty ere aakened against the&, andthat there as scarce"y an eye hich did not atch his

beha$iour hen he first ca&e into the roo&% n no countenanceas attenti$e curiosity so strong"y &arked as in =iss Bing"eyKs,in s!ite of the s&i"es hich o$ers!read her face hene$er shes!oke to one of its objectsF for jea"ousy had not yet &ade her des!erate, and her attentions to =r% 'arcy ere by no &eanso$er% =iss 'arcy, on her brotherKs entrance, e/erted herse"f &uch &ore to ta"k, and E"iIabeth sa that he as an/ious for his sister and herse"f to get acuainted, and forarded as &uchas !ossib"e, e$ery atte&!t at con$ersation on either side% =issBing"ey sa a"" this "ikeiseF and, in the i&!rudence of anger,took the first o!!ortunity of saying, ith sneering ci$i"ity7

Pray, =iss E"iIa, are not the HHHHshire =i"itia re&o$ed fro&=eryton They &ust be a great "oss to your fa&i"y%

n 'arcyKs !resence she dared not &ention ickha&Ks na&eF but E"iIabeth instant"y co&!rehended that he as u!!er&ost inher thoughtsF and the $arious reco""ections connected ith hi&ga$e her a &o&entKs distressF but e/erting herse"f $igorous"y tore!e" the i""Hnatured attack, she !resent"y ansered the uestionin a to"erab"y detached tone% hi"e she s!oke, an in$o"untaryg"ance shoed her 'arcy, ith a heightened co&!"e/ion,earnest"y "ooking at her, and his sister o$erco&e ith confusion,and unab"e to "ift u! her eyes% 1ad =iss Bing"ey knon hat

!ain she as then gi$ing her be"o$ed friend, she undoubted"you"d ha$e refrained fro& the hintF but she had &ere"y intended

to disco&!ose E"iIabeth by bringing forard the idea of a &anto ho& she be"ie$ed her !artia", to &ake her betray a sensibi"ity



ayF and as for her eyes, hich ha$e so&eti&es been ca""ed sofine, cou"d ne$er see anything e/traordinary in the&% Theyha$e a shar!, shreish "ook, hich do not "ike at a""F and in her air a"together there is a se"fHsufficiency ithout fashion, hichis into"erab"e%

Persuaded as =iss Bing"ey as that 'arcy ad&ired E"iIabeth,this as not the best &ethod of reco&&ending herse"fF butangry !eo!"e are not a"ays iseF and in seeing hi& at "ast "ook so&ehat nett"ed, she had a"" the success she e/!ected% 1e asreso"ute"y si"ent, hoe$er, and, fro& a deter&ination of &akinghi& s!eak, she continued7

re&e&ber, hen e first kne her in 1ertfordshire, hoa&aIed e a"" ere to find that she as a re!uted beautyF and

!articu"ar"y reco""ect your saying one night, after they had been

dining at Cetherfie"d, K2he a beauty6HH shou"d as soon ca"" her &other a it%K But afterards she see&ed to i&!ro$e on you,and be"ie$e you thought her rather !retty at one ti&e%

*es, re!"ied 'arcy, ho cou"d contain hi&se"f no "onger,but that as on"y hen first sa her, for it is &any &onthssince ha$e considered her as one of the handso&est o&en of &y acuaintance%

1e then ent aay, and =iss Bing"ey as "eft to a"" thesatisfaction of ha$ing forced hi& to say hat ga$e no one any

!ain but herse"f%

=rs% Gardiner and E"iIabeth ta"ked of a"" that had occurred duringtheir $isit, as they returned, e/ce!t hat had !articu"ar"yinterested the& both% The "ook and beha$iour of e$erybody theyhad seen ere discussed, e/ce!t of the !erson ho had &ost"yengaged their attention% They ta"ked of his sister, his friends,his house, his fruitHHof e$erything but hi&se"fF yet E"iIabethas "onging to kno hat =rs% Gardiner thought of hi&, and =rs%Gardiner ou"d ha$e been high"y gratified by her nieceKs beginning

the subject%

ha!ter :?

E"iIabeth had been a good dea" disa!!ointed in not finding a"etter fro& Jane on their first arri$a" at @a&btonF and thisdisa!!oint&ent had been reneed on each of the &ornings thathad no been s!ent thereF but on the third her re!ining as

o$er, and her sister justified, by the recei!t of to "ettersfro& her at once, on one of hich as &arked that it had been



&issent e"sehere% E"iIabeth as not sur!rised at it, as Janehad ritten the direction re&arkab"y i""%

They had just been !re!aring to a"k as the "etters ca&e inFand her unc"e and aunt, "ea$ing her to enjoy the& in uiet, set

off by the&se"$es% The one &issent &ust first be attended toFit had been ritten fi$e days ago% The beginning contained anaccount of a"" their "itt"e !arties and engage&ents, ith suchnes as the country affordedF but the "atter ha"f, hich asdated a day "ater, and ritten in e$ident agitation, ga$e &orei&!ortant inte""igence% t as to this effect7

2ince riting the abo$e, dearest @iIIy, so&ething has occurredof a &ost une/!ected and serious natureF but a& afraid of a"ar&ing youHHbe assured that e are a"" e""% hat ha$e tosay re"ates to !oor @ydia% An e/!ress ca&e at te"$e "ast night,

just as e ere a"" gone to bed, fro& o"one" -orster, toinfor& us that she as gone off to 2cot"and ith one of hisofficersF to on the truth, ith ickha&6 &agine our sur!rise%To Ditty, hoe$er, it does not see& so ho""y une/!ected% a& $ery, $ery sorry% 2o i&!rudent a &atch on both sides6 But a& i""ing to ho!e the best, and that his character has been&isunderstood% Thought"ess and indiscreet can easi"y be"ie$ehi&, but this ste! (and "et us rejoice o$er it) &arks nothing badat heart% 1is choice is disinterested at "east, for he &ust kno&y father can gi$e her nothing% ur !oor &other is sad"ygrie$ed% =y father bears it better% 1o thankfu" a& that ene$er "et the& kno hat has been said against hi&F e &ustforget it ourse"$es% They ere off 2aturday night about te"$e,as is conjectured, but ere not &issed ti"" yesterday &orning ateight% The e/!ress as sent off direct"y% =y dear @iIIy, they&ust ha$e !assed ithin ten &i"es of us% o"one" -orster gi$esus reason to e/!ect hi& here soon% @ydia "eft a fe "ines for his ife, infor&ing her of their intention% &ust conc"ude, for cannot be "ong fro& &y !oor &other% a& afraid you i"" not

be ab"e to &ake it out, but hard"y kno hat ha$e ritten%

ithout a""oing herse"f ti&e for consideration, and scarce"yknoing hat she fe"t, E"iIabeth on finishing this "etter instant"yseiIed the other, and o!ening it ith the ut&ost i&!atience, readas fo""os7 it had been ritten a day "ater than the conc"usion of the first%

By this ti&e, &y dearest sister, you ha$e recei$ed &y hurried"etterF ish this &ay be &ore inte""igib"e, but though notconfined for ti&e, &y head is so bei"dered that cannot anser for being coherent% 'earest @iIIy, hard"y kno hat ou"drite, but ha$e bad nes for you, and it cannot be de"ayed%

&!rudent as the &arriage beteen =r% ickha& and our !oor @ydia ou"d be, e are no an/ious to be assured it has taken



!"ace, for there is but too &uch reason to fear they are not goneto 2cot"and% o"one" -orster ca&e yesterday, ha$ing "eftBrighton the day before, not &any hours after the e/!ress%Though @ydiaKs short "etter to =rs% -% ga$e the& to understandthat they ere going to Gretna Green, so&ething as dro!!ed

by 'enny e/!ressing his be"ief that % ne$er intended to gothere, or to &arry @ydia at a"", hich as re!eated to o"one"-%, ho, instant"y taking the a"ar&, set off fro& B% intending totrace their route% 1e did trace the& easi"y to "a!ha&, but nofurtherF for on entering that !"ace, they re&o$ed into a hackneycoach, and dis&issed the chaise that brought the& fro& E!so&%A"" that is knon after this is, that they ere seen to continuethe @ondon road% kno not hat to think% After &aking e$ery

!ossib"e inuiry on that side @ondon, o"one" -% ca&e on into1ertfordshire, an/ious"y reneing the& at a"" the turn!ikes, andat the inns in Barnet and 1atfie"d, but ithout any successHHno

such !eo!"e had been seen to !ass through% ith the kindestconcern he ca&e on to @ongbourn, and broke his a!!rehensionsto us in a &anner &ost creditab"e to his heart% a& sincere"ygrie$ed for hi& and =rs% -%, but no one can thro any b"a&eon the&% ur distress, &y dear @iIIy, is $ery great% =y father and &other be"ie$e the orst, but cannot think so i"" of hi&%=any circu&stances &ight &ake it &ore e"igib"e for the& to be&arried !ri$ate"y in ton than to !ursue their first !"anFand e$en if he cou"d for& such a design against a young o&anof @ydiaKs connections, hich is not "ike"y, can su!!ose her so "ost to e$erything &!ossib"e6 grie$e to find, hoe$er,that o"one" -% is not dis!osed to de!end u!on their &arriageFhe shook his head hen e/!ressed &y ho!es, and said he feared% as not a &an to be trusted% =y !oor &other is rea""y i"",and kee!s her roo&% ou"d she e/ert herse"f, it ou"d be betterF

but this is not to be e/!ected% And as to &y father, ne$er in&y "ife sa hi& so affected% Poor Ditty has anger for ha$ingconcea"ed their attach&entF but as it as a &atter of confidence,one cannot onder% a& tru"y g"ad, dearest @iIIy, that youha$e been s!ared so&ething of these distressing scenesF butno, as the first shock is o$er, sha"" on that "ong for

your return a& not so se"fish, hoe$er, as to !ress for it,if incon$enient% Adieu6 take u! &y !en again to do hat ha$e just to"d you ou"d notF but circu&stances are such that cannot he"! earnest"y begging you a"" to co&e here as soon as

!ossib"e% kno &y dear unc"e and aunt so e"", that a& notafraid of reuesting it, though ha$e sti"" so&ething &ore toask of the for&er% =y father is going to @ondon ith o"one"-orster instant"y, to try to disco$er her% hat he &eans to do a& sure kno notF but his e/cessi$e distress i"" not a""ohi& to !ursue any &easure in the best and safest ay, ando"one" -orster is ob"iged to be at Brighton again toH&orro

e$ening% n such an e/igence, &y unc"eKs ad$ice and assistanceou"d be e$erything in the or"dF he i"" i&&ediate"y co&!rehend



, ho kne hat he as% 1ad but e/!"ained so&e !art of it on"yHHso&e !art of hat "earnt, to &y on fa&i"y6 1ad hischaracter been knon, this cou"d not ha$e ha!!ened% But it isa""HHa"" too "ate no%

a& grie$ed indeed, cried 'arcyF grie$edHHshocked% But isit certainHHabso"ute"y certain

h, yes6 They "eft Brighton together on 2unday night, andere traced a"&ost to @ondon, but not beyondF they arecertain"y not gone to 2cot"and%

And hat has been done, hat has been atte&!ted, to reco$er her

=y father is gone to @ondon, and Jane has ritten to beg &y

unc"eKs i&&ediate assistanceF and e sha"" be off, ho!e, inha"fHanHhour% But nothing can be doneHH kno $ery e"" thatnothing can be done% 1o is such a &an to be orked on 1oare they e$en to be disco$ered ha$e not the s&a""est ho!e%t is e$ery ay horrib"e6

'arcy shook his head in si"ent acuiescence%

hen &y eyes ere o!ened to his rea" characterHHh6 had knon hat ought, hat dared to do6 But kne notHHas afraid of doing too &uch% retched, retched &istake6

'arcy &ade no anser% 1e see&ed scarce"y to hear her, andas a"king u! and don the roo& in earnest &editation, his

bro contracted, his air g"oo&y% E"iIabeth soon obser$ed, andinstant"y understood it% 1er !oer as sinkingF e$erything

&ust sink under such a !roof of fa&i"y eakness, such anassurance of the dee!est disgrace% 2he cou"d neither onder nor conde&n, but the be"ief of his se"fHconuest brought nothingconso"atory to her boso&, afforded no !a""iation of her distress% t as, on the contrary, e/act"y ca"cu"ated to &ake

her understand her on ishesF and ne$er had she so honest"y fe"tthat she cou"d ha$e "o$ed hi&, as no, hen a"" "o$e &ust be $ain%

But se"f, though it ou"d intrude, cou"d not engross her%@ydiaHHthe hu&i"iation, the &isery she as bringing on the& a"",soon sa""oed u! e$ery !ri$ate careF and co$ering her face ithher handkerchief, E"iIabeth as soon "ost to e$erything e"seFand, after a !ause of se$era" &inutes, as on"y reca""ed to asense of her situation by the $oice of her co&!anion, ho, in a&anner hich, though it s!oke co&!assion, s!oke "ikeise restraint,said, a& afraid you ha$e been "ong desiring &y absence, nor

ha$e anything to !"ead in e/cuse of &y stay, but rea", thoughuna$ai"ing concern% ou"d to 1ea$en that anything cou"d be



either said or done on &y !art that &ight offer conso"ation tosuch distress6 But i"" not tor&ent you ith $ain ishes, hich&ay see& !ur!ose"y to ask for your thanks% This unfortunateaffair i"", fear, !re$ent &y sisterKs ha$ing the !"easure of seeing you at Pe&ber"ey toHday%

h, yes% Be so kind as to a!o"ogise for us to =iss 'arcy% 2aythat urgent business ca""s us ho&e i&&ediate"y% oncea" theunha!!y truth as "ong as it is !ossib"e, kno it cannot be "ong%

1e readi"y assured her of his secrecyF again e/!ressed his sorrofor her distress, ished it a ha!!ier conc"usion than there asat !resent reason to ho!e, and "ea$ing his co&!"i&ents for her re"ations, ith on"y one serious, !arting "ook, ent aay%

As he uitted the roo&, E"iIabeth fe"t ho i&!robab"e it as

that they shou"d e$er see each other again on such ter&s of cordia"ity as had &arked their se$era" &eetings in 'erbyshireFand as she thre a retros!ecti$e g"ance o$er the ho"e of their acuaintance, so fu"" of contradictions and $arieties, sighedat the !er$erseness of those fee"ings hich ou"d no ha$e

!ro&oted its continuance, and ou"d for&er"y ha$e rejoiced inits ter&ination%

f gratitude and estee& are good foundations of affection,E"iIabethKs change of senti&ent i"" be neither i&!robab"e nor fau"ty% But if otheriseHHif regard s!ringing fro& such sourcesis unreasonab"e or unnatura", in co&!arison of hat is so oftendescribed as arising on a first inter$ie ith its object, and e$en

before to ords ha$e been e/changed, nothing can be said inher defence, e/ce!t that she had gi$en so&ehat of a tria" to the"atter &ethod in her !artia"ity for ickha&, and that its i""success &ight, !erha!s, authorise her to seek the other "essinteresting &ode of attach&ent% Be that as it &ay, she sa hi&go ith regretF and in this ear"y e/a&!"e of hat @ydiaKs infa&y&ust !roduce, found additiona" anguish as she ref"ected on thatretched business% Ce$er, since reading JaneKs second "etter,

had she entertained a ho!e of ickha&Ks &eaning to &arry her% Co one but Jane, she thought, cou"d f"atter herse"f ith such ane/!ectation% 2ur!rise as the "east of her fee"ings on thisde$e"o!&ent% hi"e the contents of the first "etter re&ained inher &ind, she as a"" sur!riseHHa"" astonish&ent that ickha&shou"d &arry a gir" ho& it as i&!ossib"e he cou"d &arryfor &oneyF and ho @ydia cou"d e$er ha$e attached hi& hada!!eared inco&!rehensib"e% But no it as a"" too natura"% -or such an attach&ent as this she &ight ha$e sufficient char&sF andthough she did not su!!ose @ydia to be de"iberate"y engaging inan e"o!e&ent ithout the intention of &arriage, she had no

difficu"ty in be"ie$ing that neither her $irtue nor her understanding ou"d !reser$e her fro& fa""ing an easy !rey%



2he had ne$er !ercei$ed, hi"e the regi&ent as in 1ertfordshire,that @ydia had any !artia"ity for hi&F but she as con$inced that@ydia anted on"y encourage&ent to attach herse"f to anybody%2o&eti&es one officer, so&eti&es another, had been her fa$ourite,

as their attentions raised the& in her o!inion% 1er affectionshad continua""y been f"uctuating but ne$er ithout an object%The &ischief of neg"ect and &istaken indu"gence toards such agir"HHoh6 ho acute"y did she no fee" it6

2he as i"d to be at ho&eHHto hear, to see, to be u!on thes!ot to share ith Jane in the cares that &ust no fa"" ho""yu!on her, in a fa&i"y so deranged, a father absent, a &other inca!ab"e of e/ertion, and reuiring constant attendanceF andthough a"&ost !ersuaded that nothing cou"d be done for @ydia,her unc"eKs interference see&ed of the ut&ost i&!ortance, and

ti"" he entered the roo& her i&!atience as se$ere% =r% and=rs% Gardiner had hurried back in a"ar&, su!!osing by theser$antKs account that their niece as taken sudden"y i""F butsatisfying the& instant"y on that head, she eager"y co&&unicatedthe cause of their su&&ons, reading the to "etters a"oud, andde""ing on the !ostscri!t of the "ast ith tre&b"ing energy,though @ydia had ne$er been a fa$ourite ith the&, =r% and=rs% Gardiner cou"d not but be dee!"y aff"icted% Cot @ydiaon"y, but a"" ere concerned in itF and after the firste/c"a&ations of sur!rise and horror, =r% Gardiner !ro&isede$ery assistance in his !oer% E"iIabeth, though e/!ecting no"ess, thanked hi& ith tears of gratitudeF and a"" three beingactuated by one s!irit, e$erything re"ating to their journey ass!eedi"y sett"ed% They ere to be off as soon as !ossib"e% Buthat is to be done about Pe&ber"ey cried =rs% Gardiner%John to"d us =r% 'arcy as here hen you sent for usF as itso

*esF and to"d hi& e shou"d not be ab"e to kee! our engage&ent% That is a"" sett"ed%

hat is a"" sett"ed re!eated the other, as she ran into her roo& to !re!are% And are they u!on such ter&s as for her todisc"ose the rea" truth h, that kne ho it as6

But ishes ere $ain, or at "east cou"d on"y ser$e to a&use her in the hurry and confusion of the fo""oing hour% 1ad E"iIabeth

been at "eisure to be id"e, she ou"d ha$e re&ained certain thata"" e&!"oy&ent as i&!ossib"e to one so retched as herse"fF

but she had her share of business as e"" as her aunt, anda&ongst the rest there ere notes to be ritten to a"" their friends at @a&bton, ith fa"se e/cuses for their sudden

de!arture% An hour, hoe$er, sa the ho"e co&!"etedF and=r% Gardiner &eanhi"e ha$ing sett"ed his account at the inn,



nothing re&ained to be done but to goF and E"iIabeth, after a""the &isery of the &orning, found herse"f, in a shorter s!ace of ti&e than she cou"d ha$e su!!osed, seated in the carriage, andon the road to @ongbourn%

ha!ter :5

ha$e been thinking it o$er again, E"iIabeth, said her unc"e,as they dro$e fro& the tonF and rea""y, u!on seriousconsideration, a& &uch &ore inc"ined than as to judge asyour e"dest sister does on the &atter% t a!!ears to &e so $eryun"ike"y that any young &an shou"d for& such a design againsta gir" ho is by no &eans un!rotected or friend"ess, and ho

as actua""y staying in his co"one"Ks fa&i"y, that a& strong"yinc"ined to ho!e the best% ou"d he e/!ect that her friendsou"d not ste! forard ou"d he e/!ect to be noticed again

by the regi&ent, after such an affront to o"one" -orster 1iste&!tation is not adeuate to the risk6

'o you rea""y think so cried E"iIabeth, brightening u! for a&o&ent%

!on &y ord, said =rs% Gardiner, begin to be of your unc"eKs o!inion% t is rea""y too great a $io"ation of decency,honour, and interest, for hi& to be gui"ty of% cannot think so $ery i"" of ickha&% an you yourse"f, @iIIy, so ho""y gi$ehi& u!, as to be"ie$e hi& ca!ab"e of it

Cot, !erha!s, of neg"ecting his on interestF but of e$ery other neg"ect can be"ie$e hi& ca!ab"e% f, indeed, it shou"d be so6But dare not ho!e it% hy shou"d they not go on to 2cot"andif that had been the case

n the first !"ace, re!"ied =r% Gardiner, there is no abso"ute

!roof that they are not gone to 2cot"and%

h6 but their re&o$ing fro& the chaise into a hackney coach issuch a !resu&!tion6 And, besides, no traces of the& ere to befound on the Barnet road%

e"", thenHHsu!!osing the& to be in @ondon% They &ay be there,though for the !ur!ose of concea"&ent, for no &ore e/ce!tiona"

!ur!ose% t is not "ike"y that &oney shou"d be $ery abundant oneither sideF and it &ight strike the& that they cou"d be &oreecono&ica""y, though "ess e/!editious"y, &arried in @ondon

than in 2cot"and%



And do you rea""y kno a"" this cried =rs% Gardiner, hosecuriosity as to the &ode of her inte""igence as a"" a"i$e%

do indeed, re!"ied E"iIabeth, co"ouring% to"d you, the

other day, of his infa&ous beha$iour to =r% 'arcyF and youyourse"f, hen "ast at @ongbourn, heard in hat &anner hes!oke of the &an ho had beha$ed ith such forbearance and"ibera"ity toards hi&% And there are other circu&stances hich a& not at "ibertyHHhich it is not orth hi"e to re"ateF buthis "ies about the ho"e Pe&ber"ey fa&i"y are end"ess% -ro& hathe said of =iss 'arcy as thorough"y !re!ared to see a !roud,reser$ed, disagreeab"e gir"% *et he kne to the contrary hi&se"f%1e &ust kno that she as as a&iab"e and un!retending as eha$e found her%

But does @ydia kno nothing of this can she be ignorant of hat you and Jane see& so e"" to understand

h, yes6HHthat, that is the orst of a""% Ti"" as in Dent,and sa so &uch both of =r% 'arcy and his re"ation o"one"-itIi""ia&, as ignorant of the truth &yse"f% And hen returned ho&e, the HHHHshire as to "ea$e =eryton in a eek or fortnightKs ti&e% As that as the case, neither Jane, to ho& re"ated the ho"e, nor , thought it necessary to &ake our kno"edge !ub"icF for of hat use cou"d it a!!arent"y be to anyone, that the good o!inion hich a"" the neighbourhood had of hi& shou"d then be o$erthron And e$en hen it as sett"edthat @ydia shou"d go ith =rs% -orster, the necessity of o!eningher eyes to his character ne$er occurred to &e% That she cou"d

be in any danger fro& the dece!tion ne$er entered &y head%That such a conseuence as this cou"d ensue, you &ay easi"y

be"ie$e, as far enough fro& &y thoughts%

hen they a"" re&o$ed to Brighton, therefore, you had noreason, su!!ose, to be"ie$e the& fond of each other

Cot the s"ightest% can re&e&ber no sy&!to& of affection oneither sideF and had anything of the kind been !erce!tib"e, you&ust be aare that ours is not a fa&i"y on hich it cou"d bethron aay% hen first he entered the cor!s, she as readyenough to ad&ire hi&F but so e a"" ere% E$ery gir" in or near =eryton as out of her senses about hi& for the firstto &onthsF but he ne$er distinguished her by any !articu"ar attentionF and, conseuent"y, after a &oderate !eriod of e/tra$agant and i"d ad&iration, her fancy for hi& ga$eay, and others of the regi&ent, ho treated her ith &oredistinction, again beca&e her fa$ourites%

+ + + + +



right to be !re!ared for the orst, there is no occasion to "ook on it as certain% t is not uite a eek since they "eft Brighton%n a fe days &ore e &ay gain so&e nes of the&F and ti"" ekno that they are not &arried, and ha$e no design of &arrying,do not "et us gi$e the &atter o$er as "ost% As soon as get to

ton sha"" go to &y brother, and &ake hi& co&e ho&e ith&e to Gracechurch 2treetF and then e &ay consu"t together asto hat is to be done%

h6 &y dear brother, re!"ied =rs% Bennet, that is e/act"yhat cou"d &ost ish for% And no do, hen you get toton, find the& out, here$er they &ay beF and if they arenot &arried a"ready, &ake the& &arry% And as for eddingc"othes, do not "et the& ait for that, but te"" @ydia shesha"" ha$e as &uch &oney as she chooses to buy the&, after theyare &arried% And, abo$e a"", kee! =r% Bennet fro& fighting%

Te"" hi& hat a dreadfu" state a& in, that a& frighted outof &y itsHHand ha$e such tre&b"ings, such f"utterings, a""o$er &eHHsuch s!as&s in &y side and !ains in &y head, andsuch beatings at heart, that can get no rest by night nor byday% And te"" &y dear @ydia not to gi$e any directions abouther c"othes ti"" she has seen &e, for she does not kno hichare the best arehouses% h, brother, ho kind you are6 kno you i"" contri$e it a""%

But =r% Gardiner, though he assured her again of his earnestendea$ours in the cause, cou"d not a$oid reco&&ending &oderationto her, as e"" in her ho!es as her fearF and after ta"king ithher in this &anner ti"" dinner as on the tab"e, they a"" "efther to $ent a"" her fee"ings on the housekee!er, ho attendedin the absence of her daughters%

Though her brother and sister ere !ersuaded that there as norea" occasion for such a sec"usion fro& the fa&i"y, they did notatte&!t to o!!ose it, for they kne that she had not !rudenceenough to ho"d her tongue before the ser$ants, hi"e theyaited at tab"e, and judged it better that one on"y of the

househo"d, and the one ho& they cou"d &ost trust shou"dco&!rehend a"" her fears and so"icitude on the subject%

n the diningHroo& they ere soon joined by =ary and Ditty,ho had been too busi"y engaged in their se!arate a!art&entsto &ake their a!!earance before% ne ca&e fro& her books,and the other fro& her toi"ette% The faces of both, hoe$er,ere to"erab"y ca"&F and no change as $isib"e in either, e/ce!tthat the "oss of her fa$ourite sister, or the anger hich she hadherse"f incurred in this business, had gi$en &ore of fretfu"nessthan usua" to the accents of Ditty% As for =ary, she as

&istress enough of herse"f to his!er to E"iIabeth, ith acountenance of gra$e ref"ection, soon after they ere seated



at tab"e7

This is a &ost unfortunate affair, and i"" !robab"y be &uchta"ked of% But e &ust ste& the tide of &a"ice, and !our intothe ounded boso&s of each other the ba"& of sister"y conso"ation%

Then, !ercei$ing in E"iIabeth no inc"ination of re!"ying, sheadded, nha!!y as the e$ent &ust be for @ydia, e &ay drafro& it this usefu" "esson7 that "oss of $irtue in a fe&a"e isirretrie$ab"eF that one fa"se ste! in$o"$es her in end"ess ruinFthat her re!utation is no "ess britt"e than it is beautifu"F andthat she cannot be too &uch guarded in her beha$iour toards theundeser$ing of the other se/%

E"iIabeth "ifted u! her eyes in a&aIe&ent, but as too &ucho!!ressed to &ake any re!"y% =ary, hoe$er, continued to

conso"e herse"f ith such kind of &ora" e/tractions fro& thee$i" before the&%

n the afternoon, the to e"der =iss Bennets ere ab"e to befor ha"fHanHhour by the&se"$esF and E"iIabeth instant"y a$ai"edherse"f of the o!!ortunity of &aking any inuiries, hich Janeas eua""y eager to satisfy% After joining in genera""a&entations o$er the dreadfu" seue" of this e$ent, hichE"iIabeth considered as a"" but certain, and =iss Bennet cou"dnot assert to be ho""y i&!ossib"e, the for&er continued thesubject, by saying, But te"" &e a"" and e$erything about ithich ha$e not a"ready heard% Gi$e &e further !articu"ars%hat did o"one" -orster say 1ad they no a!!rehension of anything before the e"o!e&ent took !"ace They &ust ha$e seenthe& together for e$er%

o"one" -orster did on that he had often sus!ected so&e !artia"ity, es!ecia""y on @ydiaKs side, but nothing to gi$e hi& anya"ar&% a& so grie$ed for hi&6 1is beha$iour as attenti$e andkind to the ut&ost% 1e as co&ing to us, in order to assure usof his concern, before he had any idea of their not being gone to

2cot"and7 hen that a!!rehension first got abroad, it hastenedhis journey%

And as 'enny con$inced that ickha& ou"d not &arry 'idhe kno of their intending to go off 1ad o"one" -orster seen 'enny hi&se"f

*esF but, hen uestioned by hi&, 'enny denied knoinganything of their !"ans, and ou"d not gi$e his rea" o!inionabout it% 1e did not re!eat his !ersuasion of their not&arryingHHand fro& that, a& inc"ined to ho!e, he &ight

ha$e been &isunderstood before%



And ti"" o"one" -orster ca&e hi&se"f, not one of youentertained a doubt, su!!ose, of their being rea""y &arried

1o as it !ossib"e that such an idea shou"d enter our brains fe"t a "itt"e uneasyHHa "itt"e fearfu" of &y sisterKs ha!!iness

ith hi& in &arriage, because kne that his conduct had not beena"ays uite right% =y father and &other kne nothing of thatFthey on"y fe"t ho i&!rudent a &atch it &ust be% Ditty thenoned, ith a $ery natura" triu&!h on knoing &ore than therest of us, that in @ydiaKs "ast "etter she had !re!ared her for such a ste!% 2he had knon, it see&s, of their being in "o$e itheach other, &any eeks%

But not before they ent to Brighton

Co, be"ie$e not%

And did o"one" -orster a!!ear to think e"" of ickha&hi&se"f 'oes he kno his rea" character

&ust confess that he did not s!eak so e"" of ickha& as hefor&er"y did% 1e be"ie$ed hi& to be i&!rudent and e/tra$agant%And since this sad affair has taken !"ace, it is said that he"eft =eryton great"y in debtF but ho!e this &ay be fa"se%

h, Jane, had e been "ess secret, had e to"d hat e kneof hi&, this cou"d not ha$e ha!!ened6

Perha!s it ou"d ha$e been better, re!"ied her sister% But toe/!ose the for&er fau"ts of any !erson ithout knoing hattheir !resent fee"ings ere, see&ed unjustifiab"e% e acted iththe best intentions%

ou"d o"one" -orster re!eat the !articu"ars of @ydiaKs note tohis ife

1e brought it ith hi& for us to see%

Jane then took it fro& her !ocketHbook, and ga$e it to E"iIabeth%These ere the contents7

=* 'EA0 1A00ET,

*ou i"" "augh hen you kno here a& gone, and cannothe"! "aughing &yse"f at your sur!rise toH&orro &orning, assoon as a& &issed% a& going to Gretna Green, and if youcannot guess ith ho, sha"" think you a si&!"eton, for thereis but one &an in the or"d "o$e, and he is an ange"% shou"d

ne$er be ha!!y ithout hi&, so think it no har& to be off% *ouneed not send the& ord at @ongbourn of &y going, if you do



not "ike it, for it i"" &ake the sur!rise the greater, hen rite to the& and sign &y na&e K@ydia ickha&%K hat a good

joke it i"" be6 can hard"y rite for "aughing% Pray &ake&y e/cuses to Pratt for not kee!ing &y engage&ent, and dancingith hi& toHnight% Te"" hi& ho!e he i"" e/cuse &e hen he

knos a""F and te"" hi& i"" dance ith hi& at the ne/t ba""e &eet, ith great !"easure% sha"" send for &y c"othes hen get to @ongbournF but ish you ou"d te"" 2a""y to &end agreat s"it in &y orked &us"in gon before they are !acked u!%GoodHbye% Gi$e &y "o$e to o"one" -orster% ho!e you i""drink to our good journey%

*our affectionate friend,

@*'A BECCET%

h6 thought"ess, thought"ess @ydia6 cried E"iIabeth hen shehad finished it% hat a "etter is this, to be ritten at sucha &o&ent6 But at "east it shos that she as serious on thesubject of their journey% hate$er he &ight afterards

!ersuade her to, it as not on her side a sche&e of infa&y%=y !oor father6 ho he &ust ha$e fe"t it6

ne$er sa anyone so shocked% 1e cou"d not s!eak a ordfor fu"" ten &inutes% =y &other as taken i"" i&&ediate"y,and the ho"e house in such confusion6

h6 Jane, cried E"iIabeth, as there a ser$ant be"onging to itho did not kno the ho"e story before the end of the day

do not kno% ho!e there as% But to be guarded at such ati&e is $ery difficu"t% =y &other as in hysterics, and though endea$oured to gi$e her e$ery assistance in &y !oer, a&afraid did not do so &uch as &ight ha$e done6 But thehorror of hat &ight !ossib"y ha!!en a"&ost took fro& &e&y facu"ties%

*our attendance u!on her has been too &uch for you% *ou donot "ook e""% h that had been ith you6 you ha$e hade$ery care and an/iety u!on yourse"f a"one%

=ary and Ditty ha$e been $ery kind, and ou"d ha$e shared ine$ery fatigue, a& sureF but did not think it right for either of the&% Ditty is s"ight and de"icateF and =ary studies so &uch,that her hours of re!ose shou"d not be broken in on% =y auntPhi""i!s ca&e to @ongbourn on Tuesday, after &y father entaayF and as so good as to stay ti"" Thursday ith &e% 2heas of great use and co&fort to us a""% And @ady @ucas has

been $ery kindF she a"ked here on ednesday &orning tocondo"e ith us, and offered her ser$ices, or any of her



daughtersK, if they shou"d be of use to us%

2he had better ha$e stayed at ho&e, cried E"iIabethF !erha!sshe &eant e"", but, under such a &isfortune as this, onecannot see too "itt"e of oneKs neighbours% Assistance is

i&!ossib"eF condo"ence insufferab"e% @et the& triu&!h o$er usat a distance, and be satisfied%

2he then !roceeded to inuire into the &easures hich her father had intended to !ursue, hi"e in ton, for the reco$eryof his daughter%

1e &eant be"ie$e, re!"ied Jane, to go to E!so&, the !"acehere they "ast changed horses, see the !osti"ions and try if anything cou"d be &ade out fro& the&% 1is !rinci!a" object&ust be to disco$er the nu&ber of the hackney coach hich

took the& fro& "a!ha&% t had co&e ith a fare fro& @ondonFand as he thought that the circu&stance of a gent"e&an and "adyKsre&o$ing fro& one carriage into another &ight be re&arked he&eant to &ake inuiries at "a!ha&% f he cou"d anyho disco$er at hat house the coach&an had before set don his fare, hedeter&ined to &ake inuiries there, and ho!ed it &ight not bei&!ossib"e to find out the stand and nu&ber of the coach% donot kno of any other designs that he had for&edF but he as insuch a hurry to be gone, and his s!irits so great"y disco&!osed,that had difficu"ty in finding out e$en so &uch as this%

ha!ter :8

The ho"e !arty ere in ho!es of a "etter fro& =r% Bennet thene/t &orning, but the !ost ca&e in ithout bringing a sing"e "inefro& hi&% 1is fa&i"y kne hi& to be, on a"" co&&on occasions,a &ost neg"igent and di"atory corres!ondentF but at such a ti&ethey had ho!ed for e/ertion% They ere forced to conc"ude that

he had no !"easing inte""igence to sendF but e$en of that theyou"d ha$e been g"ad to be certain% =r% Gardiner had aitedon"y for the "etters before he set off%

hen he as gone, they ere certain at "east of recei$ingconstant infor&ation of hat as going on, and their unc"e

!ro&ised, at !arting, to !re$ai" on =r% Bennet to return to@ongbourn, as soon as he cou"d, to the great conso"ation of hissister, ho considered it as the on"y security for her husbandKsnot being ki""ed in a due"%

=rs% Gardiner and the chi"dren ere to re&ain in 1ertfordshirea fe days "onger, as the for&er thought her !resence &ight be



ser$iceab"e to her nieces% 2he shared in their attendance on=rs% Bennet, and as a great co&fort to the& in their hours of freedo&% Their other aunt a"so $isited the& freuent"y, anda"ays, as she said, ith the design of cheering and hearteningthe& u!HHthough, as she ne$er ca&e ithout re!orting so&e

fresh instance of ickha&Ks e/tra$agance or irregu"arity, shese"do& ent aay ithout "ea$ing the& &ore dis!irited thanshe found the&%

A"" =eryton see&ed stri$ing to b"acken the &an ho, but three&onths before, had been a"&ost an ange" of "ight% 1e asdec"ared to be in debt to e$ery trades&an in the !"ace, and hisintrigues, a"" honoured ith the tit"e of seduction, had beene/tended into e$ery trades&anKs fa&i"y% E$erybody dec"aredthat he as the ickedest young &an in the or"dF and e$erybody

began to find out that they had a"ays distrusted the a!!earance

of his goodness% E"iIabeth, though she did not credit abo$eha"f of hat as said, be"ie$ed enough to &ake her for&er assurance of her sisterKs ruin &ore certainF and e$en Jane,ho be"ie$ed sti"" "ess of it, beca&e a"&ost ho!e"ess, &orees!ecia""y as the ti&e as no co&e hen, if they had gone to2cot"and, hich she had ne$er before entire"y des!aired of,they &ust in a"" !robabi"ity ha$e gained so&e nes of the&%

=r% Gardiner "eft @ongbourn on 2undayF on Tuesday his iferecei$ed a "etter fro& hi&F it to"d the& that, on his arri$a",he had i&&ediate"y found out his brother, and !ersuaded hi& toco&e to Gracechurch 2treetF that =r% Bennet had been toE!so& and "a!ha&, before his arri$a", but ithout gainingany satisfactory infor&ationF and that he as no deter&inedto inuire at a"" the !rinci!a" hote"s in ton, as =r% Bennetthought it !ossib"e they &ight ha$e gone to one of the&, ontheir first co&ing to @ondon, before they !rocured "odgings%=r% Gardiner hi&se"f did not e/!ect any success fro& this&easure, but as his brother as eager in it, he &eant to assisthi& in !ursuing it% 1e added that =r% Bennet see&ed ho""ydisinc"ined at !resent to "ea$e @ondon and !ro&ised to rite

again $ery soon% There as a"so a !ostscri!t to this effect7

ha$e ritten to o"one" -orster to desire hi& to find out,if !ossib"e, fro& so&e of the young &anKs inti&ates in theregi&ent, hether ickha& has any re"ations or connectionsho ou"d be "ike"y to kno in hat !art of ton he has noconcea"ed hi&se"f% f there ere anyone that one cou"d a!!"yto ith a !robabi"ity of gaining such a c"ue as that, it &ight beof essentia" conseuence% At !resent e ha$e nothing to guideus% o"one" -orster i"", dare say, do e$erything in his !oer to satisfy us on this head% But, on second thoughts, !erha!s,

@iIIy cou"d te"" us hat re"ations he has no "i$ing, better thanany other !erson%



E"iIabeth as at no "oss to understand fro& hence thisdeference to her authority !roceededF but it as not in her

!oer to gi$e any infor&ation of so satisfactory a nature as theco&!"i&ent deser$ed% 2he had ne$er heard of his ha$ing had

any re"ations, e/ce!t a father and &other, both of ho& had been dead &any years% t as !ossib"e, hoe$er, that so&e of his co&!anions in the HHHHshire &ight be ab"e to gi$e &oreinfor&ationF and though she as not $ery sanguine in e/!ectingit, the a!!"ication as a so&ething to "ook forard to%

E$ery day at @ongbourn as no a day of an/ietyF but the &ostan/ious !art of each as hen the !ost as e/!ected% Thearri$a" of "etters as the grand object of e$ery &orningKsi&!atience% Through "etters, hate$er of good or bad as to

be to"d ou"d be co&&unicated, and e$ery succeeding day as

e/!ected to bring so&e nes of i&!ortance%

But before they heard again fro& =r% Gardiner, a "etter arri$edfor their father, fro& a different uarter, fro& =r% o""insFhich, as Jane had recei$ed directions to o!en a"" that ca&e for hi& in his absence, she according"y readF and E"iIabeth, hokne hat curiosities his "etters a"ays ere, "ooked o$er her,and read it "ikeise% t as as fo""os7

=* 'EA0 20,

fee" &yse"f ca""ed u!on, by our re"ationshi!, and &y situationin "ife, to condo"e ith you on the grie$ous aff"iction you are nosuffering under, of hich e ere yesterday infor&ed by a "etter fro& 1ertfordshire% Be assured, &y dear sir, that =rs% o""insand &yse"f sincere"y sy&!athise ith you and a"" your res!ectab"efa&i"y, in your !resent distress, hich &ust be of the bitterestkind, because !roceeding fro& a cause hich no ti&e can re&o$e%

Co argu&ents sha"" be anting on &y !art that can a""e$iate sose$ere a &isfortuneHHor that &ay co&fort you, under a circu&stancethat &ust be of a"" others the &ost aff"icting to a !arentKs &ind%

The death of your daughter ou"d ha$e been a b"essing in co&!arisonof this% And it is the &ore to be "a&ented, because there isreason to su!!ose as &y dear har"otte infor&s &e, that this"icentiousness of beha$iour in your daughter has !roceeded fro&a fau"ty degree of indu"genceF though, at the sa&e ti&e, for theconso"ation of yourse"f and =rs% Bennet, a& inc"ined to think that her on dis!osition &ust be natura""y bad, or she cou"d not

be gui"ty of such an enor&ity, at so ear"y an age% 1osoe$er that&ay be, you are grie$ous"y to be !itiedF in hich o!inion a& noton"y joined by =rs% o""ins, but "ikeise by @ady atherine andher daughter, to ho& ha$e re"ated the affair% They agree ith

&e in a!!rehending that this fa"se ste! in one daughter i"" beinjurious to the fortunes of a"" the othersF for ho, as @ady



atherine herse"f condescending"y says, i"" connect the&se"$esith such a fa&i"y And this consideration "eads &e &oreo$er to ref"ect, ith aug&ented satisfaction, on a certain e$entof "ast Co$e&berF for had it been otherise, &ust ha$e beenin$o"$ed in a"" your sorro and disgrace% @et &e then ad$ise you,

dear sir, to conso"e yourse"f as &uch as !ossib"e, to thro off your unorthy chi"d fro& your affection for e$er, and "ea$e her to rea! the fruits of her on heinous offense%

a&, dear sir, etc%, etc%

=r% Gardiner did not rite again ti"" he had recei$ed an anser fro& o"one" -orsterF and then he had nothing of a !"easantnature to send% t as not knon that ickha& had a sing"ere"ationshi! ith ho& he ke!t u! any connection, and itas certain that he had no near one "i$ing% 1is for&er

acuaintances had been nu&erousF but since he had been in the&i"itia, it did not a!!ear that he as on ter&s of !articu"ar friendshi! ith any of the&% There as no one, therefore, hocou"d be !ointed out as "ike"y to gi$e any nes of hi&% Andin the retched state of his on finances, there as a $ery

!oerfu" &oti$e for secrecy, in addition to his fear of disco$ery by @ydiaKs re"ations, for it had just trans!ired that he had"eft ga&ing debts behind hi& to a $ery considerab"e a&ount%o"one" -orster be"ie$ed that &ore than a thousand !oundsou"d be necessary to c"ear his e/!enses at Brighton% 1e oeda good dea" in ton, but his debts of honour ere sti"" &orefor&idab"e% =r% Gardiner did not atte&!t to concea" these

!articu"ars fro& the @ongbourn fa&i"y% Jane heard the& ithhorror% A ga&ester6 she cried% This is ho""y une/!ected% had not an idea of it%

=r% Gardiner added in his "etter, that they &ight e/!ect to seetheir father at ho&e on the fo""oing day, hich as 2aturday%0endered s!irit"ess by the i""Hsuccess of a"" their endea$ours, hehad yie"ded to his brotherHinH"aKs entreaty that he ou"d returnto his fa&i"y, and "ea$e it to hi& to do hate$er occasion &ight

suggest to be ad$isab"e for continuing their !ursuit% hen =rs%Bennet as to"d of this, she did not e/!ress so &uch satisfactionas her chi"dren e/!ected, considering hat her an/iety for his"ife had been before%

hat, is he co&ing ho&e, and ithout !oor @ydia she cried%2ure he i"" not "ea$e @ondon before he has found the&% hois to fight ickha&, and &ake hi& &arry her, if he co&es aay

As =rs% Gardiner began to ish to be at ho&e, it as sett"edthat she and the chi"dren shou"d go to @ondon, at the sa&e ti&e

that =r% Bennet ca&e fro& it% The coach, therefore, took the&the first stage of their journey, and brought its &aster back



to @ongbourn%

=rs% Gardiner ent aay in a"" the !er!"e/ity about E"iIabethand her 'erbyshire friend that had attended her fro& that !artof the or"d% 1is na&e had ne$er been $o"untari"y &entioned

before the& by her nieceF and the kind of ha"fHe/!ectation hich=rs% Gardiner had for&ed, of their being fo""oed by a "etter fro& hi&, had ended in nothing% E"iIabeth had recei$ed nonesince her return that cou"d co&e fro& Pe&ber"ey%

The !resent unha!!y state of the fa&i"y rendered any other e/cuse for the "oness of her s!irits unnecessaryF nothing,therefore, cou"d be fair"y conjectured fro& that, thoughE"iIabeth, ho as by this ti&e to"erab"y e"" acuainted ithher on fee"ings, as !erfect"y aare that, had she knonnothing of 'arcy, she cou"d ha$e borne the dread of @ydiaKs

infa&y so&ehat better% t ou"d ha$e s!ared her, she thought,one s"ee!"ess night out of to%

hen =r% Bennet arri$ed, he had a"" the a!!earance of his usua" !hi"oso!hic co&!osure% 1e said as "itt"e as he had e$er been inthe habit of sayingF &ade no &ention of the business that hadtaken hi& aay, and it as so&e ti&e before his daughters hadcourage to s!eak of it%

t as not ti"" the afternoon, hen he had joined the& at tea,that E"iIabeth $entured to introduce the subjectF and then, onher brief"y e/!ressing her sorro for hat he &ust ha$eendured, he re!"ied, 2ay nothing of that% ho shou"d suffer

but &yse"f t has been &y on doing, and ought to fee" it%

*ou &ust not be too se$ere u!on yourse"f, re!"ied E"iIabeth%

*ou &ay e"" arn &e against such an e$i"% 1u&an nature isso !rone to fa"" into it6 Co, @iIIy, "et &e once in &y "ifefee" ho &uch ha$e been to b"a&e% a& not afraid of beingo$er!oered by the i&!ression% t i"" !ass aay soon enough%

'o you su!!ose the& to be in @ondon

*esF here e"se can they be so e"" concea"ed

And @ydia used to ant to go to @ondon, added Ditty%

2he is ha!!y then, said her father dri"yF and her residencethere i"" !robab"y be of so&e duration%

Then after a short si"ence he continued7

@iIIy, bear you no i""Hi"" for being justified in your ad$ice



to &e "ast =ay, hich, considering the e$ent, shos so&egreatness of &ind%

They ere interru!ted by =iss Bennet, ho ca&e to fetch her &otherKs tea%

This is a !arade, he cried, hich does one goodF it gi$es suchan e"egance to &isfortune6 Another day i"" do the sa&eF i"" sit in &y "ibrary, in &y nightca! and !odering gon, andgi$e as &uch troub"e as canF or, !erha!s, &ay defer it ti""Ditty runs aay%

a& not going to run aay, !a!a, said Ditty fretfu""y% f shou"d e$er go to Brighton, ou"d beha$e better than @ydia%

*ou go to Brighton% ou"d not trust you so near it as

Eastbourne for fifty !ounds6 Co, Ditty, ha$e at "ast "earnt to be cautious, and you i"" fee" the effects of it% Co officer is e$er to enter into &y house again, nor e$en to !ass through the$i""age% Ba""s i"" be abso"ute"y !rohibited, un"ess you stand u!ith one of your sisters% And you are ne$er to stir out of doorsti"" you can !ro$e that you ha$e s!ent ten &inutes of e$ery dayin a rationa" &anner%

Ditty, ho took a"" these threats in a serious "ight, began to cry%

e"", e"", said he, do not &ake yourse"f unha!!y% f youare a good gir" for the ne/t ten years, i"" take you to a re$ieat the end of the&%

ha!ter :4

To days after =r% BennetKs return, as Jane and E"iIabeth erea"king together in the shrubbery behind the house, they sa

the housekee!er co&ing toards the&, and, conc"uding that sheca&e to ca"" the& to their &other, ent forard to &eet herF but, instead of the e/!ected su&&ons, hen they a!!roachedher, she said to =iss Bennet, beg your !ardon, &ada&, for interru!ting you, but as in ho!es you &ight ha$e got so&egood nes fro& ton, so took the "iberty of co&ing to ask%

hat do you &ean, 1i"" e ha$e heard nothing fro& ton%

'ear &ada&, cried =rs% 1i"", in great astonish&ent, donKtyou kno there is an e/!ress co&e for &aster fro& =r% Gardiner

1e has been here this ha"fHhour, and &aster has had a "etter%



Aay ran the gir"s, too eager to get in to ha$e ti&e for s!eech%They ran through the $estibu"e into the breakfastHroo&F fro&thence to the "ibraryF their father as in neitherF and theyere on the !oint of seeking hi& u!stairs ith their &other,hen they ere &et by the but"er, ho said7

f you are "ooking for &y &aster, &aKa&, he is a"kingtoards the "itt"e co!se%

!on this infor&ation, they instant"y !assed through the ha""once &ore, and ran across the "an after their father, ho asde"iberate"y !ursuing his ay toards a s&a"" ood on one sideof the !addock%

Jane, ho as not so "ight nor so &uch in the habit of runningas E"iIabeth, soon "agged behind, hi"e her sister, !anting for

breath, ca&e u! ith hi&, and eager"y cried out7

h, !a!a, hat nesHHhat nes 1a$e you heard fro& &yunc"e

*es ha$e had a "etter fro& hi& by e/!ress%

e"", and hat nes does it bringHHgood or bad

hat is there of good to be e/!ected said he, taking the"etter fro& his !ocket% But !erha!s you ou"d "ike to read it%

E"iIabeth i&!atient"y caught it fro& his hand% Jane no ca&e u!%

0ead it a"oud, said their father, for hard"y kno &yse"f hatit is about%

Gracechurch 2treet, =onday,August ;%

=* 'EA0 B0T1E0,

At "ast a& ab"e to send you so&e tidings of &y niece, andsuch as, u!on the ho"e, ho!e it i"" gi$e you satisfaction%2oon after you "eft &e on 2aturday, as fortunate enough tofind out in hat !art of @ondon they ere% The !articu"ars reser$e ti"" e &eetF it is enough to kno they are disco$ered% ha$e seen the& bothHH

Then it is as a"ays ho!ed, cried JaneF they are &arried6

E"iIabeth read on7

ha$e seen the& both% They are not &arried, nor can find



there as any intention of being soF but if you are i""ing to !erfor& the engage&ents hich ha$e $entured to &ake on your side, ho!e it i"" not be "ong before they are% A"" that isreuired of you is, to assure to your daughter, by sett"e&ent,her eua" share of the fi$e thousand !ounds secured a&ong your

chi"dren after the decease of yourse"f and &y sisterF and,&oreo$er, to enter into an engage&ent of a""oing her, duringyour "ife, one hundred !ounds !er annu&% These are conditionshich, considering e$erything, had no hesitation in co&!"yingith, as far as thought &yse"f !ri$i"eged, for you% sha""send this by e/!ress, that no ti&e &ay be "ost in bringing &eyour anser% *ou i"" easi"y co&!rehend, fro& these !articu"ars,that =r% ickha&Ks circu&stances are not so ho!e"ess as theyare genera""y be"ie$ed to be% The or"d has been decei$ed inthat res!ectF and a& ha!!y to say there i"" be so&e "itt"e&oney, e$en hen a"" his debts are discharged, to sett"e on &y

niece, in addition to her on fortune% f, as conc"ude i"" be the case, you send &e fu"" !oers to act in your na&ethroughout the ho"e of this business, i"" i&&ediate"y gi$edirections to 1aggerston for !re!aring a !ro!er sett"e&ent%There i"" not be the s&a""est occasion for your co&ing to tonagainF therefore stay uiet at @ongbourn, and de!end on &ydi"igence and care% 2end back your anser as fast as you can,and be carefu" to rite e/!"icit"y% e ha$e judged it best that&y niece shou"d be &arried fro& this house, of hich ho!eyou i"" a!!ro$e% 2he co&es to us toHday% sha"" rite againas soon as anything &ore is deter&ined on% *ours, etc%,

E'% GA0'CE0%

s it !ossib"e cried E"iIabeth, hen she had finished% an it be !ossib"e that he i"" &arry her

ickha& is not so undeser$ing, then, as e thought hi&, saidher sister% =y dear father, congratu"ate you%

And ha$e you ansered the "etter cried E"iIabeth%

CoF but it &ust be done soon%

=ost earnest"y did she then entreaty hi& to "ose no &ore ti&e before he rote%

h6 &y dear father, she cried, co&e back and rite i&&ediate"y%onsider ho i&!ortant e$ery &o&ent is in such a case%

@et &e rite for you, said Jane, if you dis"ike the troub"eyourse"f%

dis"ike it $ery &uch, he re!"iedF but it &ust be done%



And so saying, he turned back ith the&, and a"ked toardsthe house%

And &ay askHH said E"iIabethF but the ter&s, su!!ose,

&ust be co&!"ied ith%

o&!"ied ith6 a& on"y asha&ed of his asking so "itt"e%

And they &ust &arry6 *et he is such a &an6

*es, yes, they &ust &arry% There is nothing e"se to be done%But there are to things that ant $ery &uch to knoF one is,ho &uch &oney your unc"e has "aid don to bring it aboutFand the other, ho a& e$er to !ay hi&%

=oney6 =y unc"e6 cried Jane, hat do you &ean, sir

&ean, that no &an in his senses ou"d &arry @ydia on sos"ight a te&!tation as one hundred a year during &y "ife, andfifty after a& gone%

That is $ery true, said E"iIabethF though it had not occurredto &e before% 1is debts to be discharged, and so&ething sti""to re&ain6 h6 it &ust be &y unc"eKs doings6 Generous, good&an, a& afraid he has distressed hi&se"f% A s&a"" su& cou"dnot do a"" this%

Co, said her fatherF ickha&Ks a foo" if he takes her ith afarthing "ess than ten thousand !ounds% shou"d be sorry tothink so i"" of hi&, in the $ery beginning of our re"ationshi!%

Ten thousand !ounds6 1ea$en forbid6 1o is ha"f such asu& to be re!aid

=r% Bennet &ade no anser, and each of the&, dee! in thought,continued si"ent ti"" they reached the house% Their father then

ent on to the "ibrary to rite, and the gir"s a"ked into the breakfastHroo&%

And they are rea""y to be &arried6 cried E"iIabeth, as soonas they ere by the&se"$es% 1o strange this is6 And for

this e are to be thankfu"% That they shou"d &arry, s&a"" asis their chance of ha!!iness, and retched as is his character,e are forced to rejoice% h, @ydia6

co&fort &yse"f ith thinking, re!"ied Jane, that he certain"you"d not &arry @ydia if he had not a rea" regard for her%

Though our kind unc"e has done so&ething toards c"earinghi&, cannot be"ie$e that ten thousand !ounds, or anything "ike



it, has been ad$anced% 1e has chi"dren of his on, and &ayha$e &ore% 1o cou"d he s!are ha"f ten thousand !ounds

f he ere e$er ab"e to "earn hat ickha&Ks debts ha$e been,said E"iIabeth, and ho &uch is sett"ed on his side on our

sister, e sha"" e/act"y kno hat =r% Gardiner has done for the&, because ickha& has not si/!ence of his on% Thekindness of &y unc"e and aunt can ne$er be reuited% Their taking her ho&e, and affording her their !ersona" !rotectionand countenance, is such a sacrifice to her ad$antage as yearsof gratitude cannot enough ackno"edge% By this ti&e sheis actua""y ith the&6 f such goodness does not &ake her &iserab"e no, she i"" ne$er deser$e to be ha!!y6 hat a&eeting for her, hen she first sees &y aunt6

e &ust endea$our to forget a"" that has !assed on either side,

said Jane7 ho!e and trust they i"" yet be ha!!y% 1isconsenting to &arry her is a !roof, i"" be"ie$e, that he isco&e to a right ay of thinking% Their &utua" affection i""steady the&F and f"atter &yse"f they i"" sett"e so uiet"y,and "i$e in so rationa" a &anner, as &ay in ti&e &ake their

!ast i&!rudence forgotten%

Their conduct has been such, re!"ied E"iIabeth, as neither you, nor , nor anybody can e$er forget% t is use"ess to ta"k of it%

t no occurred to the gir"s that their &other as in a"""ike"ihood !erfect"y ignorant of hat had ha!!ened% They entto the "ibrary, therefore, and asked their father hether heou"d not ish the& to &ake it knon to her% 1e as ritingand, ithout raising his head, coo""y re!"ied7

Just as you !"ease%

=ay e take &y unc"eKs "etter to read to her

Take hate$er you "ike, and get aay%

E"iIabeth took the "etter fro& his ritingHtab"e, and they entu!stairs together% =ary and Ditty ere both ith =rs% Bennet7one co&&unication ou"d, therefore, do for a""% After a s"ight

!re!aration for good nes, the "etter as read a"oud% =rs%Bennet cou"d hard"y contain herse"f% As soon as Jane had read=r% GardinerKs ho!e of @ydiaKs being soon &arried, her joy

burst forth, and e$ery fo""oing sentence added to itse/uberance% 2he as no in an irritation as $io"ent fro&de"ight, as she had e$er been fidgety fro& a"ar& and $e/ation%

To kno that her daughter ou"d be &arried as enough% 2heas disturbed by no fear for her fe"icity, nor hu&b"ed by any



re&e&brance of her &isconduct%

=y dear, dear @ydia6 she cried% This is de"ightfu" indeed62he i"" be &arried6 sha"" see her again6 2he i"" be &arriedat si/teen6 =y good, kind brother6 kne ho it ou"d be%

kne he ou"d &anage e$erything6 1o "ong to see her6 andto see dear ickha& too6 But the c"othes, the edding c"othes6 i"" rite to &y sister Gardiner about the& direct"y% @iIIy,&y dear, run don to your father, and ask hi& ho &uch he i""gi$e her% 2tay, stay, i"" go &yse"f% 0ing the be"", Ditty, for 1i""% i"" !ut on &y things in a &o&ent% =y dear, dear @ydia61o &erry e sha"" be together hen e &eet6

1er e"dest daughter endea$oured to gi$e so&e re"ief to the$io"ence of these trans!orts, by "eading her thoughts to theob"igations hich =r% GardinerKs beha$iour "aid the& a"" under%

-or e &ust attribute this ha!!y conc"usion, she added, in agreat &easure to his kindness% e are !ersuaded that he has

!"edged hi&se"f to assist =r% ickha& ith &oney%

e"", cried her &other, it is a"" $ery rightF ho shou"d do it but her on unc"e f he had not had a fa&i"y of his on, and&y chi"dren &ust ha$e had a"" his &oney, you knoF and it is thefirst ti&e e ha$e e$er had anything fro& hi&, e/ce!t a fe

!resents% e""6 a& so ha!!y6 n a short ti&e sha"" ha$ea daughter &arried% =rs% ickha&6 1o e"" it sounds6 Andshe as on"y si/teen "ast June% =y dear Jane, a& in such af"utter, that a& sure canKt riteF so i"" dictate, and yourite for &e% e i"" sett"e ith your father about the &oneyafterardsF but the things shou"d be ordered i&&ediate"y%

2he as then !roceeding to a"" the !articu"ars of ca"ico,&us"in, and ca&bric, and ou"d short"y ha$e dictated so&e $ery

!"entifu" orders, had not Jane, though ith so&e difficu"ty, !ersuaded her to ait ti"" her father as at "eisure to beconsu"ted% ne dayKs de"ay, she obser$ed, ou"d be of s&a""

i&!ortanceF and her &other as too ha!!y to be uite soobstinate as usua"% ther sche&es, too, ca&e into her head%

i"" go to =eryton, said she, as soon as a& dressed, andte"" the good, good nes to &y sister Phi"i!s% And as co&e

back, can ca"" on @ady @ucas and =rs% @ong% Ditty, run donand order the carriage% An airing ou"d do &e a great dea" of good, a& sure% Gir"s, can do anything for you in =erytonh6 1ere co&es 1i""6 =y dear 1i"", ha$e you heard the goodnes =iss @ydia is going to be &arriedF and you sha"" a"" ha$ea bo" of !unch to &ake &erry at her edding%

=rs% 1i"" began instant"y to e/!ress her joy% E"iIabeth recei$ed



e/!ressed &ost concise"y, he then de"i$ered on !a!er his !erfecta!!robation of a"" that as done, and his i""ingness to fu"fi"the engage&ents that had been &ade for hi&% 1e had ne$er beforesu!!osed that, cou"d ickha& be !re$ai"ed on to &arry hisdaughter, it ou"d be done ith so "itt"e incon$enience to

hi&se"f as by the !resent arrange&ent% 1e ou"d scarce"y beten !ounds a year the "oser by the hundred that as to be !aidthe&F for, hat ith her board and !ocket a""oance, and thecontinua" !resents in &oney hich !assed to her through her &otherKs hands, @ydiaKs e/!enses had been $ery "itt"e ithinthat su&%

That it ou"d be done ith such trif"ing e/ertion on his side,too, as another $ery e"co&e sur!riseF for his ish at !resentas to ha$e as "itt"e troub"e in the business as !ossib"e% henthe first trans!orts of rage hich had !roduced his acti$ity in

seeking her ere o$er, he natura""y returned to a"" his for&er indo"ence% 1is "etter as soon dis!atchedF for, though di"atoryin undertaking business, he as uick in its e/ecution% 1e

begged to kno further !articu"ars of hat he as indebted tohis brother, but as too angry ith @ydia to send any &essageto her%

The good nes s!read uick"y through the house, and ith !ro!ortionate s!eed through the neighbourhood% t as bornein the "atter ith decent !hi"oso!hy% To be sure, it ou"dha$e been &ore for the ad$antage of con$ersation had =iss @ydiaBennet co&e u!on the tonF or, as the ha!!iest a"ternati$e,

been sec"uded fro& the or"d, in so&e distant far&house%But there as &uch to be ta"ked of in &arrying herF and thegoodHnatured ishes for her e""Hdoing hich had !roceeded

before fro& a"" the s!itefu" o"d "adies in =eryton "ost but a"itt"e of their s!irit in this change of circu&stances, becauseith such an husband her &isery as considered certain%

t as a fortnight since =rs% Bennet had been donstairsF but onthis ha!!y day she again took her seat at the head of her tab"e,

and in s!irits o!!ressi$e"y high% Co senti&ent of sha&e ga$ea da&! to her triu&!h% The &arriage of a daughter, hich had been the first object of her ishes since Jane as si/teen, asno on the !oint of acco&!"ish&ent, and her thoughts and her ords ran ho""y on those attendants of e"egant nu!tia"s, fine&us"ins, ne carriages, and ser$ants% 2he as busi"y searchingthrough the neighbourhood for a !ro!er situation for her daughter, and, ithout knoing or considering hat their inco&e &ight be, rejected &any as deficient in siIe andi&!ortance%

1aye Park &ight do, said she, if the Gou"dings cou"d uit itHHor the great house at 2toke, if the draingHroo& ere "argerF but



Ashorth is too far off6 cou"d not bear to ha$e her ten &i"esfro& &eF and as for Pu"$is @odge, the attics are dreadfu"%

1er husband a""oed her to ta"k on ithout interru!tion hi"ethe ser$ants re&ained% But hen they had ithdran, he said

to her7 =rs% Bennet, before you take any or a"" of these housesfor your son and daughter, "et us co&e to a right understanding%nto one house in this neighbourhood they sha"" ne$er ha$ead&ittance% i"" not encourage the i&!udence of either,

by recei$ing the& at @ongbourn%

A "ong dis!ute fo""oed this dec"arationF but =r% Bennet asfir&% t soon "ed to anotherF and =rs% Bennet found, itha&aIe&ent and horror, that her husband ou"d not ad$ance aguinea to buy c"othes for his daughter% 1e !rotested that sheshou"d recei$e fro& hi& no &ark of affection hate$er on the

occasion% =rs% Bennet cou"d hard"y co&!rehend it% That hisanger cou"d be carried to such a !oint of inconcei$ab"eresent&ent as to refuse his daughter a !ri$i"ege ithout hichher &arriage ou"d scarce"y see& $a"id, e/ceeded a"" she cou"d

be"ie$e !ossib"e% 2he as &ore a"i$e to the disgrace hich her ant of ne c"othes &ust ref"ect on her daughterKs nu!tia"s, thanto any sense of sha&e at her e"o!ing and "i$ing ith ickha& afortnight before they took !"ace%

E"iIabeth as no &ost hearti"y sorry that she had, fro& thedistress of the &o&ent, been "ed to &ake =r% 'arcy acuaintedith their fears for her sisterF for since her &arriage ou"dso short"y gi$e the !ro!er ter&ination to the e"o!e&ent, they&ight ho!e to concea" its unfa$ourab"e beginning fro& a"" thoseho ere not i&&ediate"y on the s!ot%

2he had no fear of its s!reading farther through his &eans%There ere fe !eo!"e on hose secrecy she ou"d ha$e &oreconfident"y de!endedF but, at the sa&e ti&e, there as no onehose kno"edge of a sisterKs frai"ty ou"d ha$e &ortified her so &uchHHnot, hoe$er, fro& any fear of disad$antage fro& it

indi$idua""y to herse"f, for, at any rate, there see&ed a gu"f i&!assab"e beteen the&% 1ad @ydiaKs &arriage been conc"udedon the &ost honourab"e ter&s, it as not to be su!!osed that=r% 'arcy ou"d connect hi&se"f ith a fa&i"y here, to e$eryother objection, ou"d no be added an a""iance and re"ationshi!of the nearest kind ith a &an ho& he so just"y scorned%

-ro& such a connection she cou"d not onder that he ou"d shrink%The ish of !rocuring her regard, hich she had assured herse"f of his fee"ing in 'erbyshire, cou"d not in rationa" e/!ectationsur$i$e such a b"o as this% 2he as hu&b"ed, she as grie$edF

she re!ented, though she hard"y kne of hat% 2he beca&e jea"ousof his estee&, hen she cou"d no "onger ho!e to be benefited by it%



2he anted to hear of hi&, hen there see&ed the "east chance of gaining inte""igence% 2he as con$inced that she cou"d ha$e beenha!!y ith hi&, hen it as no "onger "ike"y they shou"d &eet%

hat a triu&!h for hi&, as she often thought, cou"d he kno

that the !ro!osa"s hich she had !roud"y s!urned on"y four &onths ago, ou"d no ha$e been &ost g"ad"y and gratefu""yrecei$ed6 1e as as generous, she doubted not, as the &ostgenerous of his se/F but hi"e he as &orta", there &ust be atriu&!h%

2he began no to co&!rehend that he as e/act"y the &anho, in dis!osition and ta"ents, ou"d &ost suit her% 1isunderstanding and te&!er, though un"ike her on, ou"d ha$eansered a"" her ishes% t as an union that &ust ha$e beento the ad$antage of bothF by her ease and "i$e"iness, his &ind

&ight ha$e been softened, his &anners i&!ro$edF and fro& his judge&ent, infor&ation, and kno"edge of the or"d, she &ustha$e recei$ed benefit of greater i&!ortance%

But no such ha!!y &arriage cou"d no teach the ad&iring&u"titude hat connubia" fe"icity rea""y as% An union of adifferent tendency, and !rec"uding the !ossibi"ity of theother, as soon to be for&ed in their fa&i"y%

1o ickha& and @ydia ere to be su!!orted in to"erab"einde!endence, she cou"d not i&agine% But ho "itt"e of

!er&anent ha!!iness cou"d be"ong to a cou!"e ho ere on"y brought together because their !assions ere stronger thantheir $irtue, she cou"d easi"y conjecture%

+ + + + +

=r% Gardiner soon rote again to his brother% To =r% BennetKsackno"edg&ents he brief"y re!"ied, ith assurance of hiseagerness to !ro&ote the e"fare of any of his fa&i"yF andconc"uded ith entreaties that the subject &ight ne$er be

&entioned to hi& again% The !rinci!a" !ur!ort of his "etter asto infor& the& that =r% ickha& had reso"$ed on uitting the&i"itia%

t as great"y &y ish that he shou"d do so, he added, assoon as his &arriage as fi/ed on% And think you i"" agreeith &e, in considering the re&o$a" fro& that cor!s as high"yad$isab"e, both on his account and &y nieceKs% t is =r% ickha&Ksintention to go into the regu"arsF and a&ong his for&er friends,there are sti"" so&e ho are ab"e and i""ing to assist hi& inthe ar&y% 1e has the !ro&ise of an ensigncy in Genera" HHHHKs

regi&ent, no uartered in the Corth% t is an ad$antage to ha$eit so far fro& this !art of the kingdo&% 1e !ro&ises fair"yF and



sit near E"iIabeth, began inuiring after his acuaintance inthat neighbourhood, ith a good hu&oured ease hich she fe"t$ery unab"e to eua" in her re!"ies% They see&ed each of the&to ha$e the ha!!iest &e&ories in the or"d% Cothing of the

!ast as reco""ected ith !ainF and @ydia "ed $o"untari"y to

subjects hich her sisters ou"d not ha$e a""uded to for theor"d%

n"y think of its being three &onths, she cried, since ent aayF it see&s but a fortnight dec"areF and yet thereha$e been things enough ha!!ened in the ti&e% Good gracious6hen ent aay, a& sure had no &ore idea of being &arriedti"" ca&e back again6 though thought it ou"d be $ery goodfun if as%

1er father "ifted u! his eyes% Jane as distressed% E"iIabeth

"ooked e/!ressi$e"y at @ydiaF but she, ho ne$er heard nor saanything of hich she chose to be insensib"e, gai"y continued,h6 &a&&a, do the !eo!"e hereabouts kno a& &arriedtoHday as afraid they &ight notF and e o$ertook i""ia&Gou"ding in his curric"e, so as deter&ined he shou"d knoit, and so "et don the sideHg"ass ne/t to hi&, and took off &y g"o$e, and "et &y hand just rest u!on the indo fra&e, sothat he &ight see the ring, and then boed and s&i"ed "ikeanything%

E"iIabeth cou"d bear it no "onger% 2he got u!, and ran out of the roo&F and returned no &ore, ti"" she heard the& !assingthrough the ha"" to the dining !ar"our% 2he then joined the&soon enough to see @ydia, ith an/ious !arade, a"k u! to her &otherKs right hand, and hear her say to her e"dest sister,Ah6 Jane, take your !"ace no, and you &ust go "oer,

because a& a &arried o&an%

t as not to be su!!osed that ti&e ou"d gi$e @ydia thate&barrass&ent fro& hich she had been so ho""y free at first%1er ease and good s!irits increased% 2he "onged to see =rs%

Phi""i!s, the @ucases, and a"" their other neighbours, and tohear herse"f ca""ed =rs% ickha& by each of the&F and in the&ean ti&e, she ent after dinner to sho her ring, and boastof being &arried, to =rs% 1i"" and the to house&aids%

e"", &a&&a, said she, hen they ere a"" returned to the breakfast roo&, and hat do you think of &y husband s nothe a char&ing &an a& sure &y sisters &ust a"" en$y &e% on"y ho!e they &ay ha$e ha"f &y good "uck% They &ust a"" go toBrighton% That is the !"ace to get husbands% hat a !ity itis, &a&&a, e did not a"" go%

.ery trueF and if had &y i"", e shou"d% But &y dear



@ydia, donKt at a"" "ike your going such a ay off% =ustit be so

h, "ord6 yesFHHthere is nothing in that% sha"" "ike itof a"" things% *ou and !a!a, and &y sisters, &ust co&e don

and see us% e sha"" be at Cecast"e a"" the inter, and dare say there i"" be so&e ba""s, and i"" take care to getgood !artners for the& a""%

shou"d "ike it beyond anything6 said her &other%

And then hen you go aay, you &ay "ea$e one or to of &ysisters behind youF and dare say sha"" get husbands for the& before the inter is o$er%

thank you for &y share of the fa$our, said E"iIabethF

but do not !articu"ar"y "ike your ay of getting husbands%

Their $isitors ere not to re&ain abo$e ten days ith the&%=r% ickha& had recei$ed his co&&ission before he "eft @ondon,and he as to join his regi&ent at the end of a fortnight%

Co one but =rs% Bennet regretted that their stay ou"d be soshortF and she &ade the &ost of the ti&e by $isiting about ithher daughter, and ha$ing $ery freuent !arties at ho&e% These

!arties ere acce!tab"e to a""F to a$oid a fa&i"y circ"e ase$en &ore desirab"e to such as did think, than such as did not%

ickha&Ks affection for @ydia as just hat E"iIabeth hade/!ected to find itF not eua" to @ydiaKs for hi&% 2he hadscarce"y needed her !resent obser$ation to be satisfied, fro&the reason of things, that their e"o!e&ent had been brought on

by the strength of her "o$e, rather than by hisF and she ou"dha$e ondered hy, ithout $io"ent"y caring for her, he choseto e"o!e ith her at a"", had she not fe"t certain that hisf"ight as rendered necessary by distress of circu&stancesFand if that ere the case, he as not the young &an to resist

an o!!ortunity of ha$ing a co&!anion%

@ydia as e/ceeding"y fond of hi&% 1e as her dear ickha& one$ery occasionF no one as to be !ut in co&!etition ith hi&%1e did e$ery thing best in the or"dF and she as sure he ou"dki"" &ore birds on the first of 2e!te&ber, than any body e"sein the country%

ne &orning, soon after their arri$a", as she as sitting ithher to e"der sisters, she said to E"iIabeth7

@iIIy, ne$er ga$e you an account of &y edding, be"ie$e%*ou ere not by, hen to"d &a&&a and the others a"" about it%



in HHHH street% 1e sa ickha&, and afterards insisted on seeing@ydia% 1is first object ith her, he ackno"edged, had been to

!ersuade her to uit her !resent disgracefu" situation, and return toher friends as soon as they cou"d be !re$ai"ed on to recei$e her,offering his assistance, as far as it ou"d go% But he found @ydia

abso"ute"y reso"$ed on re&aining here she as% 2he cared for none of her friendsF she anted no he"! of hisF she ou"d not hear of "ea$ingickha&% 2he as sure they shou"d be &arried so&e ti&e or other, andit did not &uch signify hen% 2ince such ere her fee"ings, it on"yre&ained, he thought, to secure and e/!edite a &arriage, hich, in his$ery first con$ersation ith ickha&, he easi"y "earnt had ne$er been

his design% 1e confessed hi&se"f ob"iged to "ea$e the regi&ent, onaccount of so&e debts of honour, hich ere $ery !ressingF andscru!"ed not to "ay a"" the i""Hconseuences of @ydiaKs f"ight on her on fo""y a"one% 1e &eant to resign his co&&ission i&&ediate"yF andas to his future situation, he cou"d conjecture $ery "itt"e about it%

1e &ust go so&ehere, but he did not kno here, and he kne he shou"dha$e nothing to "i$e on%

=r% 'arcy asked hi& hy he had not &arried your sister at once%Though =r% Bennet as not i&agined to be $ery rich, he ou"d ha$e beenab"e to do so&ething for hi&, and his situation &ust ha$e been

benefited by &arriage% But he found, in re!"y to this uestion, thatickha& sti"" cherished the ho!e of &ore effectua""y &aking hisfortune by &arriage in so&e other country% nder such circu&stances,hoe$er, he as not "ike"y to be !roof against the te&!tation of i&&ediate re"ief%

They &et se$era" ti&es, for there as &uch to be discussed%ickha& of course anted &ore than he cou"d getF but at "engthas reduced to be reasonab"e%

E$ery thing being sett"ed beteen the&, =r% 'arcyKs ne/t ste! as to&ake your unc"e acuainted ith it, and he first ca""ed in Gracechurchstreet the e$ening before ca&e ho&e% But =r% Gardiner cou"d not beseen, and =r% 'arcy found, on further inuiry, that your father assti"" ith hi&, but ou"d uit ton the ne/t &orning% 1e did not

judge your father to be a !erson ho& he cou"d so !ro!er"y consu"t asyour unc"e, and therefore readi"y !ost!oned seeing hi& ti"" after thede!arture of the for&er% 1e did not "ea$e his na&e, and ti"" the ne/tday it as on"y knon that a gent"e&an had ca""ed on business%

n 2aturday he ca&e again% *our father as gone, your unc"e at ho&e,and, as said before, they had a great dea" of ta"k together%

They &et again on 2unday, and then sa hi& too% t as not a""sett"ed before =onday7 as soon as it as, the e/!ress as sent off to@ongbourn% But our $isitor as $ery obstinate% fancy, @iIIy, that

obstinacy is the rea" defect of his character, after a""% 1e has beenaccused of &any fau"ts at different ti&es, but this is the true one%



Cothing as to be done that he did not do hi&se"fF though a& sure(and do not s!eak it to be thanked, therefore say nothing about it),your unc"e ou"d &ost readi"y ha$e sett"ed the ho"e%

They batt"ed it together for a "ong ti&e, hich as &ore than either

the gent"e&an or "ady concerned in it deser$ed% But at "ast your unc"e as forced to yie"d, and instead of being a""oed to be of useto his niece, as forced to !ut u! ith on"y ha$ing the !robab"ecredit of it, hich ent sore"y against the grainF and rea""y

be"ie$e your "etter this &orning ga$e hi& great !"easure, because itreuired an e/!"anation that ou"d rob hi& of his borroed feathers,and gi$e the !raise here it as due% But, @iIIy, this &ust go nofarther than yourse"f, or Jane at &ost%

*ou kno !retty e"", su!!ose, hat has been done for the young !eo!"e% 1is debts are to be !aid, a&ounting, be"ie$e, to

considerab"y &ore than a thousand !ounds, another thousand in additionto her on sett"ed u!on her, and his co&&ission !urchased% The reasonhy a"" this as to be done by hi& a"one, as such as ha$e gi$enabo$e% t as oing to hi&, to his reser$e and ant of !ro!er consideration, that ickha&Ks character had been so &isunderstood, andconseuent"y that he had been recei$ed and noticed as he as% Perha!sthere as so&e truth in thisF though doubt hether his reser$e, or

anybodyKs reser$e, can be anserab"e for the e$ent% But in s!ite of a"" this fine ta"king, &y dear @iIIy, you &ay rest !erfect"y assuredthat your unc"e ou"d ne$er ha$e yie"ded, if e had not gi$en hi&credit for another interest in the affair%

hen a"" this as reso"$ed on, he returned again to his friends, hoere sti"" staying at Pe&ber"eyF but it as agreed that he shou"d bein @ondon once &ore hen the edding took !"ace, and a"" &oney &attersere then to recei$e the "ast finish%

be"ie$e ha$e no to"d you e$ery thing% t is a re"ation hich youte"" &e is to gi$e you great sur!riseF ho!e at "east it i"" notafford you any dis!"easure% @ydia ca&e to usF and ickha& hadconstant ad&ission to the house% 1e as e/act"y hat he had been,

hen kne hi& in 1ertfordshireF but ou"d not te"" you ho "itt"e as satisfied ith her beha$iour hi"e she staid ith us, if hadnot !ercei$ed, by JaneKs "etter "ast ednesday, that her conduct onco&ing ho&e as e/act"y of a !iece ith it, and therefore hat note"" you can gi$e you no fresh !ain% ta"ked to her re!eated"y inthe &ost serious &anner, re!resenting to her a"" the ickedness of hat she had done, and a"" the unha!!iness she had brought on her fa&i"y% f she heard &e, it as by good "uck, for a& sure she didnot "isten% as so&eti&es uite !ro$oked, but then reco""ected &ydear E"iIabeth and Jane, and for their sakes had !atience ith her%

=r% 'arcy as !unctua" in his return, and as @ydia infor&ed you,attended the edding% 1e dined ith us the ne/t day, and as to "ea$e



ton again on ednesday or Thursday% i"" you be $ery angry ith &e,&y dear @iIIy, if take this o!!ortunity of saying (hat as ne$er

bo"d enough to say before) ho &uch "ike hi&% 1is beha$iour to ushas, in e$ery res!ect, been as !"easing as hen e ere in 'erbyshire%1is understanding and o!inions a"" !"ease &eF he ants nothing but a

"itt"e &ore "i$e"iness, and that, if he &arry !rudent"y, his ife&ay teach hi&% thought hi& $ery s"yFHHhe hard"y e$er &entioned your na&e% But s"yness see&s the fashion%

Pray forgi$e &e if ha$e been $ery !resu&ing, or at "east do not !unish &e so far as to e/c"ude &e fro& P% sha"" ne$er be uiteha!!y ti"" ha$e been a"" round the !ark% A "o !haeton, ith a nice"itt"e !air of !onies, ou"d be the $ery thing%

But &ust rite no &ore% The chi"dren ha$e been anting &e this ha"f hour%

*ours, $ery sincere"y,

=% GA0'CE0%

The contents of this "etter thre E"iIabeth into a f"utter of s!irits, in hich it as difficu"t to deter&ine hether

!"easure or !ain bore the greatest share% The $ague andunsett"ed sus!icions hich uncertainty had !roduced of hat=r% 'arcy &ight ha$e been doing to forard her sisterKs &atch,hich she had feared to encourage as an e/ertion of goodnesstoo great to be !robab"e, and at the sa&e ti&e dreaded to be

just, fro& the !ain of ob"igation, ere !ro$ed beyond their greatest e/tent to be true6 1e had fo""oed the& !ur!ose"y toton, he had taken on hi&se"f a"" the troub"e and &ortificationattendant on such a researchF in hich su!!"ication had beennecessary to a o&an ho& he &ust abo&inate and des!ise, andhere he as reduced to &eet, freuent"y &eet, reason ith,

!ersuade, and fina""y bribe, the &an ho& he a"ays &ost ishedto a$oid, and hose $ery na&e it as !unish&ent to hi& to

!ronounce% 1e had done a"" this for a gir" ho& he cou"d

neither regard nor estee&% 1er heart did his!er that he haddone it for her% But it as a ho!e short"y checked by other considerations, and she soon fe"t that e$en her $anity asinsufficient, hen reuired to de!end on his affection for her HHfor a o&an ho had a"ready refused hi&HHas ab"e to o$erco&ea senti&ent so natura" as abhorrence against re"ationshi! ithickha&% BrotherHinH"a of ickha&6 E$ery kind of !ride &ustre$o"t fro& the connection% 1e had, to be sure, done &uch%2he as asha&ed to think ho &uch% But he had gi$en a reasonfor his interference, hich asked no e/traordinary stretch of

be"ief% t as reasonab"e that he shou"d fee" he had been rongF

he had "ibera"ity, and he had the &eans of e/ercising itF andthough she ou"d not !"ace herse"f as his !rinci!a" induce&ent,



she cou"d, !erha!s, be"ie$e that re&aining !artia"ity for her &ight assist his endea$ours in a cause here her !eace of &ind&ust be &ateria""y concerned% t as !ainfu", e/ceeding"y

!ainfu", to kno that they ere under ob"igations to a !ersonho cou"d ne$er recei$e a return% They oed the restoration of

@ydia, her character, e$ery thing, to hi&% h6 ho hearti"ydid she grie$e o$er e$ery ungracious sensation she had e$er encouraged, e$ery saucy s!eech she had e$er directed toards hi&%-or herse"f she as hu&b"edF but she as !roud of hi&% Proudthat in a cause of co&!assion and honour, he had been ab"e to getthe better of hi&se"f% 2he read o$er her auntKs co&&endationof hi& again and again% t as hard"y enoughF but it !"easedher% 2he as e$en sensib"e of so&e !"easure, though &i/ed ithregret, on finding ho steadfast"y both she and her unc"e had

been !ersuaded that affection and confidence subsisted beteen=r% 'arcy and herse"f%

2he as roused fro& her seat, and her ref"ections, by so&eoneKs a!!roachF and before she cou"d strike into another !ath,she as o$ertaken by ickha&%

a& afraid interru!t your so"itary ra&b"e, &y dear sistersaid he, as he joined her%

*ou certain"y do, she re!"ied ith a s&i"eF but it does notfo""o that the interru!tion &ust be une"co&e%

shou"d be sorry indeed, if it ere% e ere a"ays goodfriendsF and no e are better%

True% Are the others co&ing out

do not kno% =rs% Bennet and @ydia are going in thecarriage to =eryton% And so, &y dear sister, find, fro&our unc"e and aunt, that you ha$e actua""y seen Pe&ber"ey%

2he re!"ied in the affir&ati$e%

a"&ost en$y you the !"easure, and yet be"ie$e it ou"d be too &uch for &e, or e"se cou"d take it in &y ay to Cecast"e% And you sa the o"d housekee!er, su!!ose Poor 0eyno"ds, she as a"ays $ery fond of &e% But of course shedid not &ention &y na&e to you%

*es, she did%

And hat did she say

That you ere gone into the ar&y, and she as afraid hadHHnot turned out e""% At such a distance as that, you



kno, things are strange"y &isre!resented%

ertain"y, he re!"ied, biting his "i!s% E"iIabeth ho!ed shehad si"enced hi&F but he soon afterards said7

as sur!rised to see 'arcy in ton "ast &onth% e !assedeach other se$era" ti&es% onder hat he can be doingthere%

Perha!s !re!aring for his &arriage ith =iss de Bourgh, saidE"iIabeth% t &ust be so&ething !articu"ar, to take hi& thereat this ti&e of year%

ndoubted"y% 'id you see hi& hi"e you ere at @a&bton thought understood fro& the Gardiners that you had%

*esF he introduced us to his sister%

And do you "ike her

.ery &uch%

ha$e heard, indeed, that she is unco&&on"y i&!ro$ed ithinthis year or to% hen "ast sa her, she as not $ery

!ro&ising% a& $ery g"ad you "iked her% ho!e she i"" turnout e""%

dare say she i""F she has got o$er the &ost trying age%

'id you go by the $i""age of Dy&!ton

do not reco""ect that e did%

&ention it, because it is the "i$ing hich ought to ha$ehad% A &ost de"ightfu" !"ace6HHE/ce""ent Parsonage 1ouse6t ou"d ha$e suited &e in e$ery res!ect%

1o shou"d you ha$e "iked &aking ser&ons

E/ceeding"y e""% shou"d ha$e considered it as !art of &yduty, and the e/ertion ou"d soon ha$e been nothing% ne oughtnot to re!ineFHHbut, to be sure, it ou"d ha$e been such athing for &e6 The uiet, the retire&ent of such a "ife ou"dha$e ansered a"" &y ideas of ha!!iness6 But it as not to be%'id you e$er hear 'arcy &ention the circu&stance, hen you erein Dent

ha$e heard fro& authority, hich thought as good,

that it as "eft you conditiona""y on"y, and at the i"" of the !resent !atron%



*ou ha$e% *es, there as so&ething in thatF to"d you sofro& the first, you &ay re&e&ber%

did hear, too, that there as a ti&e, hen ser&onH&aking

as not so !a"atab"e to you as it see&s to be at !resentF thatyou actua""y dec"ared your reso"ution of ne$er taking orders,and that the business had been co&!ro&ised according"y%

*ou did6 and it as not ho""y ithout foundation% *ou &ayre&e&ber hat to"d you on that !oint, hen first e ta"kedof it%

They ere no a"&ost at the door of the house, for shehad a"ked fast to get rid of hi&F and uni""ing, for her sisterKs sake, to !ro$oke hi&, she on"y said in re!"y, ith

a goodHhu&oured s&i"e7

o&e, =r% ickha&, e are brother and sister, you kno%'o not "et us uarre" about the !ast% n future, ho!e esha"" be a"ays of one &ind%

2he he"d out her handF he kissed it ith affectionate ga""antry,though he hard"y kne ho to "ook, and they entered the house%

ha!ter L9

=r% ickha& as so !erfect"y satisfied ith this con$ersationthat he ne$er again distressed hi&se"f, or !ro$oked his dear sister E"iIabeth, by introducing the subject of itF and she as

!"eased to find that she had said enough to kee! hi& uiet%

The day of his and @ydiaKs de!arture soon ca&e, and =rs% Bennetas forced to sub&it to a se!aration, hich, as her husband by

no &eans entered into her sche&e of their a"" going to Cecast"e, as "ike"y to continue at "east a te"$e&onth%

h6 &y dear @ydia, she cried, hen sha"" e &eet again

h, "ord6 donKt kno% Cot these to or three years, !erha!s%

rite to &e $ery often, &y dear%

As often as can% But you kno &arried o&en ha$e ne$er &uch

ti&e for riting% =y sisters &ay rite to &e% They i""ha$e nothing e"se to do%



$ery "ike"y on ednesday% 2he as going to the butcherKs, sheto"d &e, on !ur!ose to order in so&e &eat on ednesday, and shehas got three cou!"e of ducks just fit to be ki""ed%

=iss Bennet had not been ab"e to hear of his co&ing ithout

changing co"our% t as &any &onths since she had &entionedhis na&e to E"iIabethF but no, as soon as they ere a"onetogether, she said7

sa you "ook at &e toHday, @iIIy, hen &y aunt to"d us of the !resent re!ortF and kno a!!eared distressed% ButdonKt i&agine it as fro& any si""y cause% as on"y confusedfor the &o&ent, because fe"t that shou"d be "ooked at% do assure you that the nes does not affect &e either ith

!"easure or !ain% a& g"ad of one thing, that he co&es a"oneF because e sha"" see the "ess of hi&% Cot that a& afraid of

&yse"f, but dread other !eo!"eKs re&arks%

E"iIabeth did not kno hat to &ake of it% 1ad she not seenhi& in 'erbyshire, she &ight ha$e su!!osed hi& ca!ab"e of co&ing there ith no other $ie than hat as ackno"edgedF butshe sti"" thought hi& !artia" to Jane, and she a$ered as tothe greater !robabi"ity of his co&ing there ith his friendKs

!er&ission, or being bo"d enough to co&e ithout it%

*et it is hard, she so&eti&es thought, that this !oor &ancannot co&e to a house hich he has "ega""y hired, ithoutraising a"" this s!ecu"ation6 i"" "ea$e hi& to hi&se"f%

n s!ite of hat her sister dec"ared, and rea""y be"ie$ed to beher fee"ings in the e/!ectation of his arri$a", E"iIabeth cou"deasi"y !ercei$e that her s!irits ere affected by it% Theyere &ore disturbed, &ore uneua", than she had often seen the&%

The subject hich had been so ar&"y can$assed beteen their !arents, about a te"$e&onth ago, as no brought forardagain%

As soon as e$er =r% Bing"ey co&es, &y dear, said =rs% Bennet,you i"" ait on hi& of course%

Co, no% *ou forced &e into $isiting hi& "ast year, and !ro&ised, if ent to see hi&, he shou"d &arry one of &ydaughters% But it ended in nothing, and i"" not be sent ona foo"Ks errand again%

1is ife re!resented to hi& ho abso"ute"y necessary such anattention ou"d be fro& a"" the neighbouring gent"e&en, on his

returning to Cetherfie"d%



KTis an etiuette des!ise, said he% f he ants our society, "et hi& seek it% 1e knos here e "i$e% i"" nots!end &y hours in running after &y neighbours e$ery ti&e theygo aay and co&e back again%

e"", a"" kno is, that it i"" be abo&inab"y rude if you donot ait on hi&% But, hoe$er, that shanKt !re$ent &y askinghi& to dine here, a& deter&ined% e &ust ha$e =rs% @ong andthe Gou"dings soon% That i"" &ake thirteen ith ourse"$es, sothere i"" be just roo& at tab"e for hi&%

onso"ed by this reso"ution, she as the better ab"e to bear her husbandKs inci$i"ityF though it as $ery &ortifying to knothat her neighbours &ight a"" see =r% Bing"ey, in conseuenceof it, before they did% As the day of his arri$a" dre near7

begin to be sorry that he co&es at a"", said Jane to her sister% t ou"d be nothingF cou"d see hi& ith !erfectindifference, but can hard"y bear to hear it thus !er!etua""yta"ked of% =y &other &eans e""F but she does not kno, no onecan kno, ho &uch suffer fro& hat she says% 1a!!y sha""

be, hen his stay at Cetherfie"d is o$er6

ish cou"d say anything to co&fort you, re!"ied E"iIabethFbut it is ho""y out of &y !oer% *ou &ust fee" itF and theusua" satisfaction of !reaching !atience to a sufferer is denied&e, because you ha$e a"ays so &uch%

=r% Bing"ey arri$ed% =rs% Bennet, through the assistance of ser$ants, contri$ed to ha$e the ear"iest tidings of it, thatthe !eriod of an/iety and fretfu"ness on her side &ight be as"ong as it cou"d% 2he counted the days that &ust inter$ene

before their in$itation cou"d be sentF ho!e"ess of seeinghi& before% But on the third &orning after his arri$a" in1ertfordshire, she sa hi&, fro& her dressingHroo& indo,enter the !addock and ride toards the house%

1er daughters ere eager"y ca""ed to !artake of her joy% Janereso"ute"y ke!t her !"ace at the tab"eF but E"iIabeth, tosatisfy her &other, ent to the indoHHshe "ooked,HHshesa =r% 'arcy ith hi&, and sat don again by her sister%

There is a gent"e&an ith hi&, &a&&a, said DittyF ho can it be

2o&e acuaintance or other, &y dear, su!!oseF a& sure do not kno%

@a6 re!"ied Ditty, it "ooks just "ike that &an that used to

be ith hi& before% =r% hatKsHhisHna&e% That ta"", !roud&an%



Good gracious6 =r% 'arcy6HHand so it does, $o% e"",any friend of =r% Bing"eyKs i"" a"ays be e"co&e here, to besureF but e"se &ust say that hate the $ery sight of hi&%

Jane "ooked at E"iIabeth ith sur!rise and concern% 2he kne but "itt"e of their &eeting in 'erbyshire, and therefore fe"tfor the akardness hich &ust attend her sister, in seeing hi&a"&ost for the first ti&e after recei$ing his e/!"anatory"etter% Both sisters ere unco&fortab"e enough% Each fe"tfor the other, and of course for the&se"$esF and their &other ta"ked on, of her dis"ike of =r% 'arcy, and her reso"utionto be ci$i" to hi& on"y as =r% Bing"eyKs friend, ithout

being heard by either of the&% But E"iIabeth had sources of uneasiness hich cou"d not be sus!ected by Jane, to ho& shehad ne$er yet had courage to she =rs% GardinerKs "etter, or

to re"ate her on change of senti&ent toards hi&% To Jane,he cou"d be on"y a &an hose !ro!osa"s she had refused, andhose &erit she had under$a"uedF but to her on &ore e/tensi$einfor&ation, he as the !erson to ho& the ho"e fa&i"y ereindebted for the first of benefits, and ho& she regardedherse"f ith an interest, if not uite so tender, at "eastas reasonab"e and just as hat Jane fe"t for Bing"ey% 1er astonish&ent at his co&ingHHat his co&ing to Cetherfie"d, to@ongbourn, and $o"untari"y seeking her again, as a"&ost eua"to hat she had knon on first itnessing his a"tered beha$iour in 'erbyshire%

The co"our hich had been dri$en fro& her face, returned for ha"f a &inute ith an additiona" g"o, and a s&i"e of de"ightadded "ustre to her eyes, as she thought for that s!ace of ti&ethat his affection and ishes &ust sti"" be unshaken% But sheou"d not be secure%

@et &e first see ho he beha$es, said sheF it i"" then beear"y enough for e/!ectation%

2he sat intent"y at ork, stri$ing to be co&!osed, and ithoutdaring to "ift u! her eyes, ti"" an/ious curiosity carried the&to the face of her sister as the ser$ant as a!!roaching thedoor% Jane "ooked a "itt"e !a"er than usua", but &ore sedatethan E"iIabeth had e/!ected% n the gent"e&enKs a!!earing, her co"our increasedF yet she recei$ed the& ith to"erab"e ease,and ith a !ro!riety of beha$iour eua""y free fro& any sy&!to&of resent&ent or any unnecessary co&!"aisance%

E"iIabeth said as "itt"e to either as ci$i"ity ou"d a""o, andsat don again to her ork, ith an eagerness hich it did not

often co&&and% 2he had $entured on"y one g"ance at 'arcy% 1e"ooked serious, as usua"F and, she thought, &ore as he had been



used to "ook in 1ertfordshire, than as she had seen hi& atPe&ber"ey% But, !erha!s he cou"d not in her &otherKs !resence

be hat he as before her unc"e and aunt% t as a !ainfu", but not an i&!robab"e, conjecture%

Bing"ey, she had "ikeise seen for an instant, and in thatshort !eriod sa hi& "ooking both !"eased and e&barrassed% 1eas recei$ed by =rs% Bennet ith a degree of ci$i"ity hich&ade her to daughters asha&ed, es!ecia""y hen contrasted iththe co"d and cere&onious !o"iteness of her curtsey and addressto his friend%

E"iIabeth, !articu"ar"y, ho kne that her &other oed to the"atter the !reser$ation of her fa$ourite daughter fro&irre&ediab"e infa&y, as hurt and distressed to a &ost !ainfu"degree by a distinction so i"" a!!"ied%

'arcy, after inuiring of her ho =r% and =rs% Gardiner did, auestion hich she cou"d not anser ithout confusion, saidscarce"y anything% 1e as not seated by herF !erha!s thatas the reason of his si"enceF but it had not been so in'erbyshire% There he had ta"ked to her friends, hen he cou"dnot to herse"f% But no se$era" &inutes e"a!sed ithout

bringing the sound of his $oiceF and hen occasiona""y, unab"eto resist the i&!u"se of curiosity, she raised he eyes to hisface, she as often found hi& "ooking at Jane as at herse"f, andfreuent"y on no object but the ground% =ore thoughtfu"nessand "ess an/iety to !"ease, than hen they "ast &et, ere

!"ain"y e/!ressed% 2he as disa!!ointed, and angry ithherse"f for being so%

ou"d e/!ect it to be otherise6 said she% *et hy didhe co&e

2he as in no hu&our for con$ersation ith anyone but hi&se"fFand to hi& she had hard"y courage to s!eak%

2he inuired after his sister, but cou"d do no &ore%

t is a "ong ti&e, =r% Bing"ey, since you ent aay, said=rs% Bennet%

1e readi"y agreed to it%

began to be afraid you ou"d ne$er co&e back again% Peo!"e did say you &eant to uit the !"ace entire"y at =ichae"&asF but, hoe$er, ho!e it is not true% A great &any changes ha$eha!!ened in the neighbourhood, since you ent aay% =iss @ucas

is &arried and sett"ed% And one of &y on daughters% su!!oseyou ha$e heard of itF indeed, you &ust ha$e seen it in the



!a!ers% t as in The Ti&es and The ourier, knoF thoughit as not !ut in as it ought to be% t as on"y said, K@ate"y,George ickha&, Es% to =iss @ydia Bennet,K ithout there beinga sy""ab"e said of her father, or the !"ace here she "i$ed, or anything% t as &y brother GardinerKs draing u! too, and

onder ho he ca&e to &ake such an akard business of it% 'idyou see it

Bing"ey re!"ied that he did, and &ade his congratu"ations%E"iIabeth dared not "ift u! her eyes% 1o =r% 'arcy "ooked,therefore, she cou"d not te""%

t is a de"ightfu" thing, to be sure, to ha$e a daughter e"" &arried, continued her &other, but at the sa&e ti&e,=r% Bing"ey, it is $ery hard to ha$e her taken such a ay fro&&e% They are gone don to Cecast"e, a !"ace uite northard,

it see&s, and there they are to stay do not kno ho "ong%1is regi&ent is thereF for su!!ose you ha$e heard of his"ea$ing the HHHHshire, and of his being gone into the regu"ars%Thank 1ea$en6 he has so&e friends, though !erha!s not so&any as he deser$es%

E"iIabeth, ho kne this to be "e$e""ed at =r% 'arcy, asin such &isery of sha&e, that she cou"d hard"y kee! her seat%t dre fro& her, hoe$er, the e/ertion of s!eaking, hichnothing e"se had so effectua""y done beforeF and she askedBing"ey hether he &eant to &ake any stay in the country at

!resent% A fe eeks, he be"ie$ed%

hen you ha$e ki""ed a"" your on birds, =r% Bing"ey,said her &other, beg you i"" co&e here, and shoot as&any as you !"ease on =r% BennetKs &anor% a& sure hei"" be $ast"y ha!!y to ob"ige you, and i"" sa$e a"" the

best of the co$ies for you%

E"iIabethKs &isery increased, at such unnecessary, suchofficious attention6 ere the sa&e fair !ros!ect to arise at

!resent as had f"attered the& a year ago, e$ery thing, she as !ersuaded, ou"d be hastening to the sa&e $e/atious conc"usion%At that instant, she fe"t that years of ha!!iness cou"d not&ake Jane or herse"f a&ends for &o&ents of such !ainfu"confusion%

The first ish of &y heart, said she to herse"f, is ne$er &ore to be in co&!any ith either of the&% Their society canafford no !"easure that i"" atone for such retchedness asthis6 @et &e ne$er see either one or the other again6

*et the &isery, for hich years of ha!!iness ere to offer noco&!ensation, recei$ed soon afterards &ateria" re"ief, fro&



obser$ing ho &uch the beauty of her sister reHkind"ed thead&iration of her for&er "o$er% hen first he ca&e in, he hads!oken to her but "itt"eF but e$ery fi$e &inutes see&ed to begi$ing her &ore of his attention% 1e found her as handso&e asshe had been "ast yearF as good natured, and as unaffected,

though not uite so chatty% Jane as an/ious that no differenceshou"d be !ercei$ed in her at a"", and as rea""y !ersuaded thatshe ta"ked as &uch as e$er% But her &ind as so busi"y engaged,that she did not a"ays kno hen she as si"ent%

hen the gent"e&en rose to go aay, =rs% Bennet as &indfu" of her intended ci$i"ity, and they ere in$ited and engaged todine at @ongbourn in a fe days ti&e%

*ou are uite a $isit in &y debt, =r% Bing"ey, she added,for hen you ent to ton "ast inter, you !ro&ised to take

a fa&i"y dinner ith us, as soon as you returned% ha$e notforgot, you seeF and assure you, as $ery &uch disa!!ointedthat you did not co&e back and kee! your engage&ent%

Bing"ey "ooked a "itt"e si""y at this ref"ection, and saidso&ething of his concern at ha$ing been !re$ented by business%They then ent aay%

=rs% Bennet had been strong"y inc"ined to ask the& to stay anddine there that dayF but, though she a"ays ke!t a $ery goodtab"e, she did not think anything "ess than to courses cou"d

be good enough for a &an on ho& she had such an/ious designs,or satisfy the a!!etite and !ride of one ho had ten thousand ayear%

ha!ter L:

As soon as they ere gone, E"iIabeth a"ked out to reco$er

her s!iritsF or in other ords, to de"" ithout interru!tionon those subjects that &ust deaden the& &ore% =r% 'arcyKs beha$iour astonished and $e/ed her%

hy, if he ca&e on"y to be si"ent, gra$e, and indifferent,said she, did he co&e at a""

2he cou"d sett"e it in no ay that ga$e her !"easure%

1e cou"d be sti"" a&iab"e, sti"" !"easing, to &y unc"e andaunt, hen he as in tonF and hy not to &e f he fears &e,

hy co&e hither f he no "onger cares for &e, hy si"entTeasing, teasing, &an6 i"" think no &ore about hi&%



1er reso"ution as for a short ti&e in$o"untari"y ke!t bythe a!!roach of her sister, ho joined her ith a cheerfu""ook, hich shoed her better satisfied ith their $isitors,than E"iIabeth%

Co, said she, that this first &eeting is o$er, fee" !erfect"y easy% kno &y on strength, and sha"" ne$er bee&barrassed again by his co&ing% a& g"ad he dines here onTuesday% t i"" then be !ub"ic"y seen that, on both sides,e &eet on"y as co&&on and indifferent acuaintance%

*es, $ery indifferent indeed, said E"iIabeth, "aughing"y%h, Jane, take care%

=y dear @iIIy, you cannot think &e so eak, as to be in danger

no

think you are in $ery great danger of &aking hi& as &uchin "o$e ith you as e$er%

+ + + + +

They did not see the gent"e&en again ti"" TuesdayF and=rs% Bennet, in the &eanhi"e, as gi$ing ay to a"" theha!!y sche&es, hich the good hu&our and co&&on !o"itenessof Bing"ey, in ha"f an hourKs $isit, had re$i$ed%

n Tuesday there as a "arge !arty asse&b"ed at @ongbournFand the to ho ere &ost an/ious"y e/!ected, to the credit of their !unctua"ity as s!orts&en, ere in $ery good ti&e% henthey re!aired to the diningHroo&, E"iIabeth eager"y atched tosee hether Bing"ey ou"d take the !"ace, hich, in a"" their for&er !arties, had be"onged to hi&, by her sister% 1er

!rudent &other, occu!ied by the sa&e ideas, forbore to in$itehi& to sit by herse"f% n entering the roo&, he see&ed tohesitateF but Jane ha!!ened to "ook round, and ha!!ened to

s&i"e7 it as decided% 1e !"aced hi&se"f by her%

E"iIabeth, ith a triu&!hant sensation, "ooked toards hisfriend% 1e bore it ith nob"e indifference, and she ou"d ha$ei&agined that Bing"ey had recei$ed his sanction to be ha!!y,had she not seen his eyes "ikeise turned toards =r% 'arcy,ith an e/!ression of ha"fH"aughing a"ar&%

1is beha$iour to her sister as such, during dinner ti&e, asshoed an ad&iration of her, hich, though &ore guarded thanfor&er"y, !ersuaded E"iIabeth, that if "eft ho""y to hi&se"f,

JaneKs ha!!iness, and his on, ou"d be s!eedi"y secured%Though she dared not de!end u!on the conseuence, she yet



recei$ed !"easure fro& obser$ing his beha$iour% t ga$e her a"" the ani&ation that her s!irits cou"d boastF for she as inno cheerfu" hu&our% =r% 'arcy as a"&ost as far fro& her asthe tab"e cou"d di$ide the&% 1e as on one side of her &other%2he kne ho "itt"e such a situation ou"d gi$e !"easure to

either, or &ake either a!!ear to ad$antage% 2he as not near enough to hear any of their discourse, but she cou"d see hose"do& they s!oke to each other, and ho for&a" and co"d astheir &anner hene$er they did% 1er &otherKs ungraciousness,&ade the sense of hat they oed hi& &ore !ainfu" to E"iIabethKs&indF and she ou"d, at ti&es, ha$e gi$en anything to be

!ri$i"eged to te"" hi& that his kindness as neither unknonnor unfe"t by the ho"e of the fa&i"y%

2he as in ho!es that the e$ening ou"d afford so&e o!!ortunityof bringing the& togetherF that the ho"e of the $isit ou"d

not !ass aay ithout enab"ing the& to enter into so&ething&ore of con$ersation than the &ere cere&onious sa"utationattending his entrance% An/ious and uneasy, the !eriod hich

!assed in the draingHroo&, before the gent"e&en ca&e, aseariso&e and du"" to a degree that a"&ost &ade her unci$i"%2he "ooked forard to their entrance as the !oint on hich a""her chance of !"easure for the e$ening &ust de!end%

f he does not co&e to &e, then, said she, sha"" gi$ehi& u! for e$er%

The gent"e&en ca&eF and she thought he "ooked as if he ou"dha$e ansered her ho!esF but, a"as6 the "adies had crodedround the tab"e, here =iss Bennet as &aking tea, andE"iIabeth !ouring out the coffee, in so c"ose a confederacythat there as not a sing"e $acancy near her hich ou"d ad&itof a chair% And on the gent"e&enKs a!!roaching, one of thegir"s &o$ed c"oser to her than e$er, and said, in a his!er7

The &en shanKt co&e and !art us, a& deter&ined% e antnone of the&F do e

'arcy had a"ked aay to another !art of the roo&% 2hefo""oed hi& ith her eyes, en$ied e$eryone to ho& he s!oke,had scarce"y !atience enough to he"! anybody to coffeeF andthen as enraged against herse"f for being so si""y6

A &an ho has once been refused6 1o cou"d e$er be foo"ishenough to e/!ect a renea" of his "o$e s there one a&ong these/, ho ou"d not !rotest against such a eakness as a second

!ro!osa" to the sa&e o&an There is no indignity so abhorrentto their fee"ings6

2he as a "itt"e re$i$ed, hoe$er, by his bringing back his



coffee cu! hi&se"fF and she seiIed the o!!ortunity of saying7

s your sister at Pe&ber"ey sti""

*es, she i"" re&ain there ti"" hrist&as%

And uite a"one 1a$e a"" her friends "eft her

=rs% Annes"ey is ith her% The others ha$e been gone on to2carborough, these three eeks%

2he cou"d think of nothing &ore to sayF but if he ished tocon$erse ith her, he &ight ha$e better success% 1e stood byher, hoe$er, for so&e &inutes, in si"enceF and, at "ast, onthe young "adyKs his!ering to E"iIabeth again, he a"ked aay%

hen the teaHthings ere re&o$ed, and the cardHtab"es !"aced,the "adies a"" rose, and E"iIabeth as then ho!ing to be soon

joined by hi&, hen a"" her $ies ere o$erthron by seeing hi&fa"" a $icti& to her &otherKs ra!acity for hist !"ayers, andin a fe &o&ents after seated ith the rest of the !arty% 2heno "ost e$ery e/!ectation of !"easure% They ere confined for the e$ening at different tab"es, and she had nothing to ho!e,

but that his eyes ere so often turned toards her side of theroo&, as to &ake hi& !"ay as unsuccessfu""y as herse"f%

=rs% Bennet had designed to kee! the to Cetherfie"d gent"e&ento su!!erF but their carriage as un"ucki"y ordered before anyof the others, and she had no o!!ortunity of detaining the&%

e"" gir"s, said she, as soon as they ere "eft to the&se"$es,hat say you to the day think e$ery thing has !assed off unco&&on"y e"", assure you% The dinner as as e"" dressedas any e$er sa% The $enison as roasted to a turnHHande$erybody said they ne$er sa so fat a haunch% The sou! asfifty ti&es better than hat e had at the @ucasesK "ast eekFand e$en =r% 'arcy ackno"edged, that the !artridges ere

re&arkab"y e"" doneF and su!!ose he has to or three -renchcooks at "east% And, &y dear Jane, ne$er sa you "ook ingreater beauty% =rs% @ong said so too, for asked her hether you did not% And hat do you think she said besides KAh6 =rs%Bennet, e sha"" ha$e her at Cetherfie"d at "ast%K 2he didindeed% do think =rs% @ong is as good a creature as e$er "i$edHHand her nieces are $ery !retty beha$ed gir"s, and notat a"" handso&e7 "ike the& !rodigious"y%

=rs% Bennet, in short, as in $ery great s!iritsF she had seenenough of Bing"eyKs beha$iour to Jane, to be con$inced that she

ou"d get hi& at "astF and her e/!ectations of ad$antage to her fa&i"y, hen in a ha!!y hu&our, ere so far beyond reason, that



she as uite disa!!ointed at not seeing hi& there again thene/t day, to &ake his !ro!osa"s%

t has been a $ery agreeab"e day, said =iss Bennet toE"iIabeth% The !arty see&ed so e"" se"ected, so suitab"e

one ith the other% ho!e e &ay often &eet again%

E"iIabeth s&i"ed%

@iIIy, you &ust not do so% *ou &ust not sus!ect &e% t&ortifies &e% assure you that ha$e no "earnt to enjoyhis con$ersation as an agreeab"e and sensib"e young &an,ithout ha$ing a ish beyond it% a& !erfect"y satisfied,fro& hat his &anners no are, that he ne$er had any designof engaging &y affection% t is on"y that he is b"essedith greater seetness of address, and a stronger desire of

genera""y !"easing, than any other &an%

*ou are $ery crue", said her sister, you i"" not "et &es&i"e, and are !ro$oking &e to it e$ery &o&ent%

1o hard it is in so&e cases to be be"ie$ed6

And ho i&!ossib"e in others6

But hy shou"d you ish to !ersuade &e that fee" &ore than ackno"edge

That is a uestion hich hard"y kno ho to anser% e a"""o$e to instruct, though e can teach on"y hat is not orthknoing% -orgi$e &eF and if you !ersist in indifference, donot &ake &e your confidante%

ha!ter LL

A fe days after this $isit, =r% Bing"ey ca""ed again, anda"one% 1is friend had "eft hi& that &orning for @ondon, butas to return ho&e in ten days ti&e% 1e sat ith the& abo$e anhour, and as in re&arkab"y good s!irits% =rs% Bennet in$itedhi& to dine ith the&F but, ith &any e/!ressions of concern,he confessed hi&se"f engaged e"sehere%

Ce/t ti&e you ca"", said she, ho!e e sha"" be &ore"ucky%

1e shou"d be !articu"ar"y ha!!y at any ti&e, etc% etc%F and if she ou"d gi$e hi& "ea$e, ou"d take an ear"y o!!ortunity of



aiting on the&%

an you co&e toH&orro

*es, he had no engage&ent at a"" for toH&orroF and her

in$itation as acce!ted ith a"acrity%

1e ca&e, and in such $ery good ti&e that the "adies ere noneof the& dressed% n ran =rs% Bennet to her daughterKs roo&, inher dressing gon, and ith her hair ha"f finished, crying out7

=y dear Jane, &ake haste and hurry don% 1e is co&eHH=r%Bing"ey is co&e% 1e is, indeed% =ake haste, &ake haste%1ere, 2arah, co&e to =iss Bennet this &o&ent, and he"! her on ith her gon% Ce$er &ind =iss @iIIyKs hair%

e i"" be don as soon as e can, said JaneF but dare sayDitty is forarder than either of us, for she ent u! stairsha"f an hour ago%

h6 hang Ditty6 hat has she to do ith it o&e be uick, be uick6 here is your sash, &y dear

But hen her &other as gone, Jane ou"d not be !re$ai"ed on togo don ithout one of her sisters%

The sa&e an/iety to get the& by the&se"$es as $isib"e againin the e$ening% After tea, =r% Bennet retired to the "ibrary,as as his custo&, and =ary ent u! stairs to her instru&ent%To obstac"es of the fi$e being thus re&o$ed, =rs% Bennetsat "ooking and inking at E"iIabeth and atherine for aconsiderab"e ti&e, ithout &aking any i&!ression on the&%E"iIabeth ou"d not obser$e herF and hen at "ast Ditty did,she $ery innocent"y said, hat is the &atter &a&&a hat doyou kee! inking at &e for hat a& to do

Cothing chi"d, nothing% did not ink at you% 2he then sat

sti"" fi$e &inutes "ongerF but unab"e to aste such a !reciousoccasion, she sudden"y got u!, and saying to Ditty, o&e here,&y "o$e, ant to s!eak to you, took her out of the roo&%Jane instant"y ga$e a "ook at E"iIabeth hich s!oke her distress at such !re&editation, and her entreaty that she ou"d not gi$e in to it% n a fe &inutes, =rs% Bennetha"fHo!ened the door and ca""ed out7

@iIIy, &y dear, ant to s!eak ith you%

E"iIabeth as forced to go%

e &ay as e"" "ea$e the& by the&se"$es you knoF said her



&other, as soon as she as in the ha""% Ditty and are goingu!stairs to sit in &y dressingHroo&%

E"iIabeth &ade no atte&!t to reason ith her &other, butre&ained uiet"y in the ha"", ti"" she and Ditty ere out of

sight, then returned into the draingHroo&%

=rs% BennetKs sche&es for this day ere ineffectua"% Bing"eyas e$ery thing that as char&ing, e/ce!t the !rofessed "o$er of her daughter% 1is ease and cheerfu"ness rendered hi& a&ost agreeab"e addition to their e$ening !artyF and he boreith the i""Hjudged officiousness of the &other, and heard a""her si""y re&arks ith a forbearance and co&&and of countenance

!articu"ar"y gratefu" to the daughter%

1e scarce"y needed an in$itation to stay su!!erF and before he

ent aay, an engage&ent as for&ed, chief"y through his onand =rs% BennetKs &eans, for his co&ing ne/t &orning to shootith her husband%

After this day, Jane said no &ore of her indifference% Cot a ord !assed beteen the sisters concerning Bing"eyF but E"iIabeth ent to bed in the ha!!y be"ief that a"" &usts!eedi"y be conc"uded, un"ess =r% 'arcy returned ithin thestated ti&e% 2erious"y, hoe$er, she fe"t to"erab"y !ersuadedthat a"" this &ust ha$e taken !"ace ith that gent"e&anKsconcurrence%

Bing"ey as !unctua" to his a!!oint&entF and he and =r% Bennets!ent the &orning together, as had been agreed on% The "atter as &uch &ore agreeab"e than his co&!anion e/!ected% There asnothing of !resu&!tion or fo""y in Bing"ey that cou"d !ro$okehis ridicu"e, or disgust hi& into si"enceF and he as &oreco&&unicati$e, and "ess eccentric, than the other had e$er seenhi&% Bing"ey of course returned ith hi& to dinnerF and in thee$ening =rs% BennetKs in$ention as again at ork to get e$ery

body aay fro& hi& and her daughter% E"iIabeth, ho had a

"etter to rite, ent into the breakfast roo& for that !ur!osesoon after teaF for as the others ere a"" going to sit don tocards, she cou"d not be anted to counteract her &otherKssche&es%

But on returning to the draingHroo&, hen her "etter asfinished, she sa, to her infinite sur!rise, there asreason to fear that her &other had been too ingenious for her% n o!ening the door, she !ercei$ed her sister andBing"ey standing together o$er the hearth, as if engaged inearnest con$ersationF and had this "ed to no sus!icion, the

faces of both, as they hasti"y turned round and &o$ed aayfro& each other, ou"d ha$e to"d it a""% Their situation



as akard enoughF but herKs she thought as sti"" orse% Cot a sy""ab"e as uttered by eitherF and E"iIabeth as onthe !oint of going aay again, hen Bing"ey, ho as e"" asthe other had sat don, sudden"y rose, and his!ering a feords to her sister, ran out of the roo&%

Jane cou"d ha$e no reser$es fro& E"iIabeth, here confidenceou"d gi$e !"easureF and instant"y e&bracing her, ackno"edged,ith the "i$e"iest e&otion, that she as the ha!!iest creaturein the or"d%

KTis too &uch6 she added, by far too &uch% do notdeser$e it% h6 hy is not e$erybody as ha!!y

E"iIabethKs congratu"ations ere gi$en ith a sincerity, aar&th, a de"ight, hich ords cou"d but !oor"y e/!ress% E$ery

sentence of kindness as a fresh source of ha!!iness to Jane%But she ou"d not a""o herse"f to stay ith her sister, or sayha"f that re&ained to be said for the !resent%

&ust go instant"y to &y &otherF she cried% ou"d not onany account trif"e ith her affectionate so"icitudeF or a""oher to hear it fro& anyone but &yse"f% 1e is gone to &yfather a"ready% h6 @iIIy, to kno that hat ha$e to re"atei"" gi$e such !"easure to a"" &y dear fa&i"y6 ho sha""

bear so &uch ha!!iness6

2he then hastened aay to her &other, ho had !ur!ose"y brokenu! the card !arty, and as sitting u! stairs ith Ditty%

E"iIabeth, ho as "eft by herse"f, no s&i"ed at the ra!idityand ease ith hich an affair as fina""y sett"ed, that hadgi$en the& so &any !re$ious &onths of sus!ense and $e/ation%

And this, said she, is the end of a"" his friendKs an/iouscircu&s!ection6 of a"" his sisterKs fa"sehood and contri$ance6the ha!!iest, isest, &ost reasonab"e end6

n a fe &inutes she as joined by Bing"ey, hose conferenceith her father had been short and to the !ur!ose%

here is your sister said he hasti"y, as he o!ened the door%

ith &y &other u! stairs% 2he i"" be don in a &o&ent, dare say%

1e then shut the door, and, co&ing u! to her, c"ai&ed the goodishes and affection of a sister% E"iIabeth honest"y and

hearti"y e/!ressed her de"ight in the !ros!ect of their re"ationshi!% They shook hands ith great cordia"ityF and



younger sisters soon began to &ake interest ith her for objectsof ha!!iness hich she &ight in future be ab"e to dis!ense%

=ary !etitioned for the use of the "ibrary at Cetherfie"dF andDitty begged $ery hard for a fe ba""s there e$ery inter%

Bing"ey, fro& this ti&e, as of course a dai"y $isitor at@ongbournF co&ing freuent"y before breakfast, and a"aysre&aining ti"" after su!!erF un"ess hen so&e barbarousneighbour, ho cou"d not be enough detested, had gi$en hi&an in$itation to dinner hich he thought hi&se"f ob"iged toacce!t%

E"iIabeth had no but "itt"e ti&e for con$ersation ith her sisterF for hi"e he as !resent, Jane had no attention to

besto on anyone e"seF but she found herse"f considerab"y

usefu" to both of the& in those hours of se!aration that &ustso&eti&es occur% n the absence of Jane, he a"ays attachedhi&se"f to E"iIabeth, for the !"easure of ta"king of herF andhen Bing"ey as gone, Jane constant"y sought the sa&e &eansof re"ief%

1e has &ade &e so ha!!y, said she, one e$ening, by te""ing&e that he as tota""y ignorant of &y being in ton "asts!ring6 had not be"ie$ed it !ossib"e%

sus!ected as &uch, re!"ied E"iIabeth% But ho did heaccount for it

t &ust ha$e been his sisterKs doing% They ere certain"y nofriends to his acuaintance ith &e, hich cannot onder at,since he &ight ha$e chosen so &uch &ore ad$antageous"y in &anyres!ects% But hen they see, as trust they i"", that their

brother is ha!!y ith &e, they i"" "earn to be contented, ande sha"" be on good ter&s againF though e can ne$er be hat eonce ere to each other%

That is the &ost unforgi$ing s!eech, said E"iIabeth, that e$er heard you utter% Good gir"6 t ou"d $e/ &e, indeed,to see you again the du!e of =iss Bing"eyKs !retended regard%

ou"d you be"ie$e it, @iIIy, that hen he ent to ton "ast Co$e&ber, he rea""y "o$ed &e, and nothing but a !ersuasion of &y being indifferent ou"d ha$e !re$ented his co&ing donagain6

1e &ade a "itt"e &istake to be sureF but it is to the creditof his &odesty%

This natura""y introduced a !anegyric fro& Jane on his



diffidence, and the "itt"e $a"ue he !ut on his on goodua"ities% E"iIabeth as !"eased to find that he had not

betrayed the interference of his friendF for, though Jane hadthe &ost generous and forgi$ing heart in the or"d, she kneit as a circu&stance hich &ust !rejudice her against hi&%

a& certain"y the &ost fortunate creature that e$er e/isted6cried Jane% h6 @iIIy, hy a& thus sing"ed fro& &y fa&i"y,and b"essed abo$e the& a""6 f cou"d but see you as ha!!y6f there ere but such another &an for you6

f you ere to gi$e &e forty such &en, ne$er cou"d be soha!!y as you% Ti"" ha$e your dis!osition, your goodness, ne$er can ha$e your ha!!iness% Co, no, "et &e shift for &yse"fF and, !erha!s, if ha$e $ery good "uck, &ay &eetith another =r% o""ins in ti&e%

The situation of affairs in the @ongbourn fa&i"y cou"d not be"ong a secret% =rs% Bennet as !ri$i"eged to his!er it to=rs% Phi""i!s, and she $entured, ithout any !er&ission, to dothe sa&e by a"" her neighbours in =eryton%

The Bennets ere s!eedi"y !ronounced to be the "uckiest fa&i"yin the or"d, though on"y a fe eeks before, hen @ydia hadfirst run aay, they had been genera""y !ro$ed to be &arked outfor &isfortune%

ha!ter L?

ne &orning, about a eek after Bing"eyKs engage&ent ithJane had been for&ed, as he and the fe&a"es of the fa&i"yere sitting together in the diningHroo&, their attentionas sudden"y dran to the indo, by the sound of a carriageFand they !ercei$ed a chaise and four dri$ing u! the "an%

t as too ear"y in the &orning for $isitors, and besides, theeui!age did not anser to that of any of their neighbours%The horses ere !ostF and neither the carriage, nor the "i$eryof the ser$ant ho !receded it, ere fa&i"iar to the&% As itas certain, hoe$er, that so&ebody as co&ing, Bing"eyinstant"y !re$ai"ed on =iss Bennet to a$oid the confine&ent of such an intrusion, and a"k aay ith hi& into the shrubbery%They both set off, and the conjectures of the re&aining threecontinued, though ith "itt"e satisfaction, ti"" the door asthron o!en and their $isitor entered% t as @ady atherinede Bourgh%

They ere of course a"" intending to be sur!risedF but their



astonish&ent as beyond their e/!ectationF and on the !art of =rs% Bennet and Ditty, though she as !erfect"y unknon tothe&, e$en inferior to hat E"iIabeth fe"t%

2he entered the roo& ith an air &ore than usua""y ungracious,

&ade no other re!"y to E"iIabethKs sa"utation than a s"ightinc"ination of the head, and sat don ithout saying a ord%E"iIabeth had &entioned her na&e to her &other on her "adyshi!Ksentrance, though no reuest of introduction had been &ade%

=rs% Bennet, a"" a&aIe&ent, though f"attered by ha$ing aguest of such high i&!ortance, recei$ed her ith the ut&ost

!o"iteness% After sitting for a &o&ent in si"ence, she said$ery stiff"y to E"iIabeth,

ho!e you are e"", =iss Bennet% That "ady, su!!ose,

is your &other%

E"iIabeth re!"ied $ery concise"y that she as%

And that su!!ose is one of your sisters%

*es, &ada&, said =rs% Bennet, de"ighted to s!eak to a @adyatherine% 2he is &y youngest gir" but one% =y youngest of a"" is "ate"y &arried, and &y e"dest is so&ehere about thegrounds, a"king ith a young &an ho, be"ie$e, i"" soon

beco&e a !art of the fa&i"y%

*ou ha$e a $ery s&a"" !ark here, returned @ady atherineafter a short si"ence%

t is nothing in co&!arison of 0osings, &y "ady, dare sayF but assure you it is &uch "arger than 2ir i""ia& @ucasKs%

This &ust be a &ost incon$enient sitting roo& for the e$ening,in su&&erF the indos are fu"" est%

=rs% Bennet assured her that they ne$er sat there after dinner,and then added7

=ay take the "iberty of asking your "adyshi! hether you"eft =r% and =rs% o""ins e""%

*es, $ery e""% sa the& the night before "ast%

E"iIabeth no e/!ected that she ou"d !roduce a "etter for her fro& har"otte, as it see&ed the on"y !robab"e &oti$e for her ca""ing% But no "etter a!!eared, and she as co&!"ete"y

!uII"ed%



ne!he, =r% 'arcy% Though kno it &ust be a scanda"ousfa"sehood, though ou"d not injure hi& so &uch as to su!!osethe truth of it !ossib"e, instant"y reso"$ed on setting off for this !"ace, that &ight &ake &y senti&ents knon to you%

f you be"ie$ed it i&!ossib"e to be true, said E"iIabeth,co"ouring ith astonish&ent and disdain, onder you took thetroub"e of co&ing so far% hat cou"d your "adyshi! !ro!ose byit

At once to insist u!on ha$ing such a re!ort uni$ersa""ycontradicted%

*our co&ing to @ongbourn, to see &e and &y fa&i"y, saidE"iIabeth coo""y, i"" be rather a confir&ation of itF if,indeed, such a re!ort is in e/istence%

f6 'o you then !retend to be ignorant of it 1as it not been industrious"y circu"ated by yourse"$es 'o you not knothat such a re!ort is s!read abroad

ne$er heard that it as%

And can you "ikeise dec"are, that there is no foundationfor it

do not !retend to !ossess eua" frankness ith your "adyshi!%*ou &ay ask uestions hich sha"" not choose to anser%

This is not to be borne% =iss Bennet, insist on beingsatisfied% 1as he, has &y ne!he, &ade you an offer of &arriage

*our "adyshi! has dec"ared it to be i&!ossib"e%

t ought to be soF it &ust be so, hi"e he retains the use of his reason% But your arts and a""ure&ents &ay, in a &o&ent

of infatuation, ha$e &ade hi& forget hat he oes to hi&se"f and to a"" his fa&i"y% *ou &ay ha$e dran hi& in%

f ha$e, sha"" be the "ast !erson to confess it%

=iss Bennet, do you kno ho a& ha$e not been accusto&edto such "anguage as this% a& a"&ost the nearest re"ation he hasin the or"d, and a& entit"ed to kno a"" his dearest concerns%

But you are not entit"ed to kno &ineF nor i"" such beha$iour as this, e$er induce &e to be e/!"icit%

@et &e be right"y understood% This &atch, to hich you ha$e



the !resu&!tion to as!ire, can ne$er take !"ace% Co, ne$er%=r% 'arcy is engaged to &y daughter% Co hat ha$e you to say

n"y thisF that if he is so, you can ha$e no reason to su!!osehe i"" &ake an offer to &e%

@ady atherine hesitated for a &o&ent, and then re!"ied7

The engage&ent beteen the& is of a !ecu"iar kind% -ro& their infancy, they ha$e been intended for each other% t as thefa$ourite ish of his &other, as e"" as of herKs% hi"e intheir crad"es, e !"anned the union7 and no, at the &o&enthen the ishes of both sisters ou"d be acco&!"ished in their &arriage, to be !re$ented by a young o&an of inferior birth,of no i&!ortance in the or"d, and ho""y una""ied to thefa&i"y6 'o you !ay no regard to the ishes of his friends

To his tacit engage&ent ith =iss de Bourgh Are you "ost toe$ery fee"ing of !ro!riety and de"icacy 1a$e you not heard&e say that fro& his ear"iest hours he as destined for hiscousin

*es, and had heard it before% But hat is that to &e f there is no other objection to &y &arrying your ne!he, sha""certain"y not be ke!t fro& it by knoing that his &other andaunt ished hi& to &arry =iss de Bourgh% *ou both did as &uchas you cou"d in !"anning the &arriage% ts co&!"etion de!endedon others% f =r% 'arcy is neither by honour nor inc"inationconfined to his cousin, hy is not he to &ake another choiceAnd if a& that choice, hy &ay not acce!t hi&

Because honour, decoru&, !rudence, nay, interest, forbid it%*es, =iss Bennet, interestF for do not e/!ect to be noticed

by his fa&i"y or friends, if you i"fu""y act against theinc"inations of a""% *ou i"" be censured, s"ighted, anddes!ised, by e$eryone connected ith hi&% *our a""iance i""

be a disgraceF your na&e i"" ne$er e$en be &entioned by anyof us%

These are hea$y &isfortunes, re!"ied E"iIabeth% But theife of =r% 'arcy &ust ha$e such e/traordinary sources of ha!!iness necessari"y attached to her situation, that shecou"d, u!on the ho"e, ha$e no cause to re!ine%

bstinate, headstrong gir"6 a& asha&ed of you6 s thisyour gratitude for &y attentions to you "ast s!ring snothing due to &e on that score @et us sit don% *ou are tounderstand, =iss Bennet, that ca&e here ith the deter&inedreso"ution of carrying &y !ur!oseF nor i"" be dissuaded

fro& it% ha$e not been used to sub&it to any !ersonKs hi&s% ha$e not been in the habit of brooking disa!!oint&ent%



That i"" &ake your "adyshi!Ks situation at !resent &ore !itiab"eF but it i"" ha$e no effect on &e%

i"" not be interru!ted% 1ear &e in si"ence% =y daughter

and &y ne!he are for&ed for each other% They are descended,on the &aterna" side, fro& the sa&e nob"e "ineF and, on thefatherKs, fro& res!ectab"e, honourab"e, and ancientHHthoughuntit"edHHfa&i"ies% Their fortune on both sides is s!"endid%They are destined for each other by the $oice of e$ery &e&ber of their res!ecti$e housesF and hat is to di$ide the&The u!start !retensions of a young o&an ithout fa&i"y,connections, or fortune% s this to be endured6 But it&ust not, sha"" not be% f you ere sensib"e of your ongood, you ou"d not ish to uit the s!here in hich youha$e been brought u!%

n &arrying your ne!he, shou"d not consider &yse"f asuitting that s!here% 1e is a gent"e&anF a& a gent"e&anKsdaughterF so far e are eua"%

True% *ou are a gent"e&anKs daughter% But ho as your &other ho are your unc"es and aunts 'o not i&agine &eignorant of their condition%

hate$er &y connections &ay be, said E"iIabeth, if your ne!he does not object to the&, they can be nothing to you%

Te"" &e once for a"", are you engaged to hi&

Though E"iIabeth ou"d not, for the &ere !ur!ose of ob"iging@ady atherine, ha$e ansered this uestion, she cou"d not butsay, after a &o&entKs de"iberation7

a& not%

@ady atherine see&ed !"eased%

And i"" you !ro&ise &e, ne$er to enter into such an engage&ent

i"" &ake no !ro&ise of the kind%

=iss Bennet a& shocked and astonished% e/!ected to find a&ore reasonab"e young o&an% But do not decei$e yourse"f intoa be"ief that i"" e$er recede% sha"" not go aay ti"" youha$e gi$en &e the assurance reuire%

And certain"y ne$er sha"" gi$e it% a& not to be inti&idated

into anything so ho""y unreasonab"e% *our "adyshi! ants=r% 'arcy to &arry your daughterF but ou"d &y gi$ing you the



Ceither duty, nor honour, nor gratitude, re!"ied E"iIabeth,ha$e any !ossib"e c"ai& on &e, in the !resent instance% Co

!rinci!"e of either ou"d be $io"ated by &y &arriage ith=r% 'arcy% And ith regard to the resent&ent of his fa&i"y, or the indignation of the or"d, if the for&er ere e/cited by his

&arrying &e, it ou"d not gi$e &e one &o&entKs concernHHandthe or"d in genera" ou"d ha$e too &uch sense to join in thescorn%

And this is your rea" o!inion6 This is your fina" reso"$e6.ery e""% sha"" no kno ho to act% 'o not i&agine, =issBennet, that your a&bition i"" e$er be gratified% ca&e totry you% ho!ed to find you reasonab"eF but, de!end u!on it, i"" carry &y !oint%

n this &anner @ady atherine ta"ked on, ti"" they ere at the

door of the carriage, hen, turning hasti"y round, she added, take no "ea$e of you, =iss Bennet% send no co&!"i&ents toyour &other% *ou deser$e no such attention% a& &ostserious"y dis!"eased%

E"iIabeth &ade no anserF and ithout atte&!ting to !ersuadeher "adyshi! to return into the house, a"ked uiet"y into itherse"f% 2he heard the carriage dri$e aay as she !roceededu! stairs% 1er &other i&!atient"y &et her at the door of thedressingHroo&, to ask hy @ady atherine ou"d not co&e inagain and rest herse"f%

2he did not choose it, said her daughter, she ou"d go%

2he is a $ery fineH"ooking o&an6 and her ca""ing here as !rodigious"y ci$i"6 for she on"y ca&e, su!!ose, to te"" usthe o""inses ere e""% 2he is on her road so&ehere, daresay, and so, !assing through =eryton, thought she &ight as e""ca"" on you% su!!ose she had nothing !articu"ar to say toyou, @iIIy

E"iIabeth as forced to gi$e into a "itt"e fa"sehood hereFfor to ackno"edge the substance of their con$ersation asi&!ossib"e%

ha!ter L5

The disco&!osure of s!irits hich this e/traordinary $isitthre E"iIabeth into, cou"d not be easi"y o$erco&eF nor

cou"d she, for &any hours, "earn to think of it "ess thanincessant"y% @ady atherine, it a!!eared, had actua""y taken



the troub"e of this journey fro& 0osings, for the so"e !ur!oseof breaking off her su!!osed engage&ent ith =r% 'arcy% t asa rationa" sche&e, to be sure6 but fro& hat the re!ort of their engage&ent cou"d originate, E"iIabeth as at a "oss toi&agineF ti"" she reco""ected that his being the inti&ate

friend of Bing"ey, and her being the sister of Jane, asenough, at a ti&e hen the e/!ectation of one edding &adee$erybody eager for another, to su!!"y the idea% 2he had notherse"f forgotten to fee" that the &arriage of her sister &ust

bring the& &ore freuent"y together% And her neighbours at@ucas @odge, therefore (for through their co&&unication iththe o""inses, the re!ort, she conc"uded, had reached "adyatherine), had on"y set that don as a"&ost certain andi&&ediate, hich she had "ooked forard to as !ossib"e atso&e future ti&e%

n re$o"$ing @ady atherineKs e/!ressions, hoe$er, she cou"dnot he"! fee"ing so&e uneasiness as to the !ossib"e conseuenceof her !ersisting in this interference% -ro& hat she had saidof her reso"ution to !re$ent their &arriage, it occurred toE"iIabeth that she &ust &editate an a!!"ication to her ne!heFand ho he &ight take a si&i"ar re!resentation of the e$i"sattached to a connection ith her, she dared not !ronounce%2he kne not the e/act degree of his affection for his aunt, or his de!endence on her judg&ent, but it as natura" to su!!osethat he thought &uch higher of her "adyshi! than she cou"ddoF and it as certain that, in enu&erating the &iseries of a&arriage ith one, hose i&&ediate connections ere so uneua"to his on, his aunt ou"d address hi& on his eakest side%ith his notions of dignity, he ou"d !robab"y fee" that theargu&ents, hich to E"iIabeth had a!!eared eak and ridicu"ous,contained &uch good sense and so"id reasoning%

f he had been a$ering before as to hat he shou"d do, hichhad often see&ed "ike"y, the ad$ice and entreaty of so near are"ation &ight sett"e e$ery doubt, and deter&ine hi& at once to

be as ha!!y as dignity unb"e&ished cou"d &ake hi&% n that

case he ou"d return no &ore% @ady atherine &ight see hi& inher ay through tonF and his engage&ent to Bing"ey of co&ingagain to Cetherfie"d &ust gi$e ay%

f, therefore, an e/cuse for not kee!ing his !ro&ise shou"dco&e to his friend ithin a fe days, she added, sha""kno ho to understand it% sha"" then gi$e o$er e$erye/!ectation, e$ery ish of his constancy% f he is satisfiedith on"y regretting &e, hen he &ight ha$e obtained &yaffections and hand, sha"" soon cease to regret hi& at a""%

+ + + + +



The sur!rise of the rest of the fa&i"y, on hearing ho their $isitor had been, as $ery greatF but they ob"iging"y satisfiedit, ith the sa&e kind of su!!osition hich had a!!eased=rs% BennetKs curiosityF and E"iIabeth as s!ared fro& &uchteasing on the subject%

The ne/t &orning, as she as going donstairs, she as &et byher father, ho ca&e out of his "ibrary ith a "etter in hishand%

@iIIy, said he, as going to "ook for youF co&e into &yroo&%

2he fo""oed hi& thitherF and her curiosity to kno hat hehad to te"" her as heightened by the su!!osition of its beingin so&e &anner connected ith the "etter he he"d% t sudden"y

struck her that it &ight be fro& @ady atherineF and sheantici!ated ith dis&ay a"" the conseuent e/!"anations%

2he fo""oed her father to the fire !"ace, and they both satdon% 1e then said,

ha$e recei$ed a "etter this &orning that has astonished &ee/ceeding"y% As it !rinci!a""y concerns yourse"f, you oughtto kno its contents% did not kno before, that had todaughters on the brink of &atri&ony% @et &e congratu"ate youon a $ery i&!ortant conuest%

The co"our no rushed into E"iIabethKs cheeks in the instantaneouscon$iction of its being a "etter fro& the ne!he, instead of theauntF and she as undeter&ined hether &ost to be !"eased thathe e/!"ained hi&se"f at a"", or offended that his "etter as notrather addressed to herse"fF hen her father continued7

*ou "ook conscious% *oung "adies ha$e great !enetration insuch &atters as theseF but think &ay defy e$en your sagacity, to disco$er the na&e of your ad&irer% This "etter

is fro& =r% o""ins%

-ro& =r% o""ins6 and hat can he ha$e to say

2o&ething $ery &uch to the !ur!ose of course% 1e begins ithcongratu"ations on the a!!roaching nu!tia"s of &y e"dest daughter,of hich, it see&s, he has been to"d by so&e of the goodHnatured,gossi!ing @ucases% sha"" not s!ort ith your i&!atience, byreading hat he says on that !oint% hat re"ates to yourse"f, isas fo""os7 K1a$ing thus offered you the sincere congratu"ationsof =rs% o""ins and &yse"f on this ha!!y e$ent, "et &e no add

a short hint on the subject of anotherF of hich e ha$e beenad$ertised by the sa&e authority% *our daughter E"iIabeth, it is



!resu&ed, i"" not "ong bear the na&e of Bennet, after her e"der sister has resigned it, and the chosen !artner of her fate &ay bereasonab"y "ooked u! to as one of the &ost i""ustrious !ersonagesin this "and%K

an you !ossib"y guess, @iIIy, ho is &eant by this KThisyoung gent"e&an is b"essed, in a !ecu"iar ay, ith e$ery thingthe heart of &orta" can &ost desire,HHs!"endid !ro!erty,nob"e kindred, and e/tensi$e !atronage% *et in s!ite of a""these te&!tations, "et &e arn &y cousin E"iIabeth, andyourse"f, of hat e$i"s you &ay incur by a !reci!itate c"osureith this gent"e&anKs !ro!osa"s, hich, of course, you i"" beinc"ined to take i&&ediate ad$antage of%K

1a$e you any idea, @iIIy, ho this gent"e&an is But no itco&es out7

K=y &oti$e for cautioning you is as fo""os% e ha$e reason toi&agine that his aunt, @ady atherine de Bourgh, does not "ook on the &atch ith a friend"y eye%K

=r% 'arcy, you see, is the &an6 Co, @iIIy, think ha$e sur!rised you% ou"d he, or the @ucases, ha$e !itchedon any &an ithin the circ"e of our acuaintance, hose na&eou"d ha$e gi$en the "ie &ore effectua""y to hat they re"ated=r% 'arcy, ho ne$er "ooks at any o&an but to see a b"e&ish,and ho !robab"y ne$er "ooked at you in his "ife6 t isad&irab"e6

E"iIabeth tried to join in her fatherKs !"easantry, but cou"don"y force one &ost re"uctant s&i"e% Ce$er had his it beendirected in a &anner so "itt"e agreeab"e to her%

Are you not di$erted

h6 yes% Pray read on%

KAfter &entioning the "ike"ihood of this &arriage to her "adyshi!"ast night, she i&&ediate"y, ith her usua" condescension,e/!ressed hat she fe"t on the occasionF hen it beca&e a!!arent,that on the score of so&e fa&i"y objections on the !art of &ycousin, she ou"d ne$er gi$e her consent to hat she ter&ed sodisgracefu" a &atch% thought it &y duty to gi$e the s!eediestinte""igence of this to &y cousin, that she and her nob"ead&irer &ay be aare of hat they are about, and not runhasti"y into a &arriage hich has not been !ro!er"y sanctioned%K=r% o""ins &oreo$er adds, K a& tru"y rejoiced that &y cousin@ydiaKs sad business has been so e"" hushed u!, and a& on"y

concerned that their "i$ing together before the &arriage took !"ace shou"d be so genera""y knon% &ust not, hoe$er,



neg"ect the duties of &y station, or refrain fro& dec"aring &ya&aIe&ent at hearing that you recei$ed the young cou!"e intoyour house as soon as they ere &arried% t as an encourage&entof $iceF and had been the rector of @ongbourn, shou"d $erystrenuous"y ha$e o!!osed it% *ou ought certain"y to forgi$e the&,

as a hristian, but ne$er to ad&it the& in your sight, or a""otheir na&es to be &entioned in your hearing%K That is his notionof hristian forgi$eness6 The rest of his "etter is on"y abouthis dear har"otteKs situation, and his e/!ectation of a youngo"i$eHbranch% But, @iIIy, you "ook as if you did not enjoy it%*ou are not going to be &issish, ho!e, and !retend to beaffronted at an id"e re!ort% -or hat do e "i$e, but to &akes!ort for our neighbours, and "augh at the& in our turn

h6 cried E"iIabeth, a& e/cessi$e"y di$erted% But it isso strange6

*esHHthat is hat &akes it a&using% 1ad they fi/ed on any other &an it ou"d ha$e been nothingF but his !erfect indifference,and your !ointed dis"ike, &ake it so de"ightfu""y absurd6 =uchas abo&inate riting, ou"d not gi$e u! =r% o""insKscorres!ondence for any consideration% Cay, hen read a "etter of his, cannot he"! gi$ing hi& the !reference e$en o$er ickha&,&uch as $a"ue the i&!udence and hy!ocrisy of &y sonHinH"a%And !ray, @iIIy, hat said @ady atherine about this re!ort'id she ca"" to refuse her consent

To this uestion his daughter re!"ied on"y ith a "aughF andas it had been asked ithout the "east sus!icion, she as notdistressed by his re!eating it% E"iIabeth had ne$er been&ore at a "oss to &ake her fee"ings a!!ear hat they ere not%t as necessary to "augh, hen she ou"d rather ha$e cried%1er father had &ost crue""y &ortified her, by hat he said of =r% 'arcyKs indifference, and she cou"d do nothing but onder at such a ant of !enetration, or fear that !erha!s, insteadof his seeing too "itt"e, she &ight ha$e fancied too &uch%

ha!ter L8

nstead of recei$ing any such "etter of e/cuse fro& his friend,as E"iIabeth ha"f e/!ected =r% Bing"ey to do, he as ab"e to

bring 'arcy ith hi& to @ongbourn before &any days had !assedafter @ady atherineKs $isit% The gent"e&en arri$ed ear"yFand, before =rs% Bennet had ti&e to te"" hi& of their ha$ingseen his aunt, of hich her daughter sat in &o&entary dread,

Bing"ey, ho anted to be a"one ith Jane, !ro!osed their a"" a"king out% t as agreed to% =rs% Bennet as not in



an/iety of his situation, no forced herse"f to s!eakF andi&&ediate"y, though not $ery f"uent"y, ga$e hi& to understandthat her senti&ents had undergone so &ateria" a change, sincethe !eriod to hich he a""uded, as to &ake her recei$e ithgratitude and !"easure his !resent assurances% The ha!!iness

hich this re!"y !roduced, as such as he had !robab"y ne$er fe"t beforeF and he e/!ressed hi&se"f on the occasion assensib"y and as ar&"y as a &an $io"ent"y in "o$e can besu!!osed to do% 1ad E"iIabeth been ab"e to encounter hiseye, she &ight ha$e seen ho e"" the e/!ression of heartfe"tde"ight, diffused o$er his face, beca&e hi&F but, though shecou"d not "ook, she cou"d "isten, and he to"d her of fee"ings,hich, in !ro$ing of hat i&!ortance she as to hi&, &ade hisaffection e$ery &o&ent &ore $a"uab"e%

They a"ked on, ithout knoing in hat direction% There as

too &uch to be thought, and fe"t, and said, for attention toany other objects% 2he soon "earnt that they ere indebtedfor their !resent good understanding to the efforts of hisaunt, ho did ca"" on hi& in her return through @ondon,and there re"ate her journey to @ongbourn, its &oti$e, andthe substance of her con$ersation ith E"iIabethF de""inge&!hatica""y on e$ery e/!ression of the "atter hich, in her "adyshi!Ks a!!rehension, !ecu"iar"y denoted her !er$ersenessand assuranceF in the be"ief that such a re"ation &ust assisther endea$ours to obtain that !ro&ise fro& her ne!he hichshe had refused to gi$e% But, un"ucki"y for her "adyshi!,its effect had been e/act"y contrariise%

t taught &e to ho!e, said he, as had scarce"y e$er a""oed&yse"f to ho!e before% kne enough of your dis!osition to

be certain that, had you been abso"ute"y, irre$ocab"y decidedagainst &e, you ou"d ha$e ackno"edged it to @ady atherine,frank"y and o!en"y%

E"iIabeth co"oured and "aughed as she re!"ied, *es, you knoenough of &y frankness to be"ie$e &e ca!ab"e of that%

After abusing you so abo&inab"y to your face, cou"d ha$e noscru!"e in abusing you to a"" your re"ations%

hat did you say of &e, that did not deser$e -or, thoughyour accusations ere i""Hfounded, for&ed on &istaken !re&ises,&y beha$iour to you at the ti&e had &erited the se$erestre!roof% t as un!ardonab"e% cannot think of it ithoutabhorrence%

e i"" not uarre" for the greater share of b"a&e anne/ed tothat e$ening, said E"iIabeth% The conduct of neither, if

strict"y e/a&ined, i"" be irre!roachab"eF but since then, eha$e both, ho!e, i&!ro$ed in ci$i"ity%



cannot be so easi"y reconci"ed to &yse"f% The reco""ectionof hat then said, of &y conduct, &y &anners, &y e/!ressionsduring the ho"e of it, is no, and has been &any &onths,ine/!ressib"y !ainfu" to &e% *our re!roof, so e"" a!!"ied,

sha"" ne$er forget7 Khad you beha$ed in a &ore gent"e&an"ike&anner%K Those ere your ords% *ou kno not, you canscarce"y concei$e, ho they ha$e tortured &eFHHthough it asso&e ti&e, confess, before as reasonab"e enough to a""otheir justice%

as certain"y $ery far fro& e/!ecting the& to &ake so strongan i&!ression% had not the s&a""est idea of their being e$er fe"t in such a ay%

can easi"y be"ie$e it% *ou thought &e then de$oid of

e$ery !ro!er fee"ing, a& sure you did% The turn of your countenance sha"" ne$er forget, as you said that cou"dnot ha$e addressed you in any !ossib"e ay that ou"d induceyou to acce!t &e%

h6 do not re!eat hat then said% These reco""ectionsi"" not do at a""% assure you that ha$e "ong been &osthearti"y asha&ed of it%

'arcy &entioned his "etter% 'id it, said he, did it soon&ake you think better of &e 'id you, on reading it, gi$e anycredit to its contents

2he e/!"ained hat its effect on her had been, and ho gradua""ya"" her for&er !rejudices had been re&o$ed%

kne, said he, that hat rote &ust gi$e you !ain, but it as necessary% ho!e you ha$e destroyed the "etter%There as one !art es!ecia""y, the o!ening of it, hich shou"d dread your ha$ing the !oer of reading again% canre&e&ber so&e e/!ressions hich &ight just"y &ake you hate &e%

The "etter sha"" certain"y be burnt, if you be"ie$e itessentia" to the !reser$ation of &y regardF but, though e ha$e

both reason to think &y o!inions not entire"y una"terab"e, theyare not, ho!e, uite so easi"y changed as that i&!"ies%

hen rote that "etter, re!"ied 'arcy, be"ie$ed &yse"f !erfect"y ca"& and coo", but a& since con$inced that it asritten in a dreadfu" bitterness of s!irit%

The "etter, !erha!s, began in bitterness, but it did not end

so% The adieu is charity itse"f% But think no &ore of the"etter% The fee"ings of the !erson ho rote, and the !erson



ho recei$ed it, are no so ide"y different fro& hat theyere then, that e$ery un!"easant circu&stance attending itought to be forgotten% *ou &ust "earn so&e of &y !hi"oso!hy%Think on"y of the !ast as its re&e&brance gi$es you !"easure%

cannot gi$e you credit for any !hi"oso!hy of the kind%*our retros!ections &ust be so tota""y $oid of re!roach, thatthe content&ent arising fro& the& is not of !hi"oso!hy, but,hat is &uch better, of innocence% But ith &e, it is notso% Painfu" reco""ections i"" intrude hich cannot, hichought not, to be re!e""ed% ha$e been a se"fish being a"" &y"ife, in !ractice, though not in !rinci!"e% As a chi"d astaught hat as right, but as not taught to correct &yte&!er% as gi$en good !rinci!"es, but "eft to fo""o the&in !ride and conceit% nfortunate"y an on"y son (for &anyyears an on"y chi"d), as s!oi"t by &y !arents, ho, though

good the&se"$es (&y father, !articu"ar"y, a"" that as bene$o"ent and a&iab"e), a""oed, encouraged, a"&ost taught &eto be se"fish and o$erbearingF to care for none beyond &y onfa&i"y circ"eF to think &ean"y of a"" the rest of the or"dFto ish at "east to think &ean"y of their sense and orthco&!ared ith &y on% 2uch as, fro& eight to eight andtentyF and such &ight sti"" ha$e been but for you, dearest,"o$e"iest E"iIabeth6 hat do not oe you6 *ou taught &e a"esson, hard indeed at first, but &ost ad$antageous% By you, as !ro!er"y hu&b"ed% ca&e to you ithout a doubt of &yrece!tion% *ou shoed &e ho insufficient ere a"" &y

!retensions to !"ease a o&an orthy of being !"eased%

1ad you then !ersuaded yourse"f that shou"d

ndeed had% hat i"" you think of &y $anity be"ie$edyou to be ishing, e/!ecting &y addresses%

=y &anners &ust ha$e been in fau"t, but not intentiona""y, assure you% ne$er &eant to decei$e you, but &y s!irits&ight often "ead &e rong% 1o you &ust ha$e hated &e after

that e$ening

1ate you6 as angry !erha!s at first, but &y anger soon began to take a !ro!er direction%

a& a"&ost afraid of asking hat you thought of &e, hen e&et at Pe&ber"ey% *ou b"a&ed &e for co&ing

Co indeedF fe"t nothing but sur!rise%

*our sur!rise cou"d not be greater than &ine in being

noticed by you% =y conscience to"d &e that deser$ed noe/traordinary !o"iteness, and confess that did not e/!ect



to recei$e &ore than &y due%

=y object then, re!"ied 'arcy, as to sho you, by e$eryci$i"ity in &y !oer, that as not so &ean as to resent the

!astF and ho!ed to obtain your forgi$eness, to "essen your

i"" o!inion, by "etting you see that your re!roofs had beenattended to% 1o soon any other ishes introduced the&se"$es can hard"y te"", but be"ie$e in about ha"f an hour after had seen you%

1e then to"d her of GeorgianaKs de"ight in her acuaintance,and of her disa!!oint&ent at its sudden interru!tionF hichnatura""y "eading to the cause of that interru!tion, she soon"earnt that his reso"ution of fo""oing her fro& 'erbyshire inuest of her sister had been for&ed before he uitted the inn,and that his gra$ity and thoughtfu"ness there had arisen fro&

no other strugg"es than hat such a !ur!ose &ust co&!rehend%

2he e/!ressed her gratitude again, but it as too !ainfu" asubject to each, to be de"t on farther%

After a"king se$era" &i"es in a "eisure"y &anner, and too busyto kno anything about it, they found at "ast, on e/a&iningtheir atches, that it as ti&e to be at ho&e%

hat cou"d beco&e of =r% Bing"ey and Jane6 as a onder hich introduced the discussion of their affairs% 'arcyas de"ighted ith their engage&entF his friend had gi$enhi& the ear"iest infor&ation of it%

&ust ask hether you ere sur!rised said E"iIabeth%

Cot at a""% hen ent aay, fe"t that it ou"d soonha!!en%

That is to say, you had gi$en your !er&ission% guessed as&uch% And though he e/c"ai&ed at the ter&, she found that it

had been !retty &uch the case%

n the e$ening before &y going to @ondon, said he, &ade aconfession to hi&, hich be"ie$e ought to ha$e &ade "ongago% to"d hi& of a"" that had occurred to &ake &y for&er interference in his affairs absurd and i&!ertinent% 1issur!rise as great% 1e had ne$er had the s"ightest sus!icion% to"d hi&, &oreo$er, that be"ie$ed &yse"f &istaken insu!!osing, as had done, that your sister as indifferent tohi&F and as cou"d easi"y !ercei$e that his attach&ent to her as unabated, fe"t no doubt of their ha!!iness together%

E"iIabeth cou"d not he"! s&i"ing at his easy &anner of



directing his friend%

'id you s!eak fro& your on obser$ation, said she, henyou to"d hi& that &y sister "o$ed hi&, or &ere"y fro& &yinfor&ation "ast s!ring

-ro& the for&er% had narro"y obser$ed her during the to$isits hich had "ate"y &ade hereF and as con$inced of her affection%

And your assurance of it, su!!ose, carried i&&ediatecon$iction to hi&%

t did% Bing"ey is &ost unaffected"y &odest% 1is diffidencehad !re$ented his de!ending on his on judg&ent in so an/iousa case, but his re"iance on &ine &ade e$ery thing easy%

as ob"iged to confess one thing, hich for a ti&e, and notunjust"y, offended hi&% cou"d not a""o &yse"f to concea"that your sister had been in ton three &onths "ast inter,that had knon it, and !ur!ose"y ke!t it fro& hi&% 1e asangry% But his anger, a& !ersuaded, "asted no "onger thanhe re&ained in any doubt of your sisterKs senti&ents% 1e hashearti"y forgi$en &e no%

E"iIabeth "onged to obser$e that =r% Bing"ey had been a &ostde"ightfu" friendF so easi"y guided that his orth asin$a"uab"eF but she checked herse"f% 2he re&e&bered that hehad yet to "earn to be "aughed at, and it as rather too ear"yto begin% n antici!ating the ha!!iness of Bing"ey, hich of course as to be inferior on"y to his on, he continued thecon$ersation ti"" they reached the house% n the ha"" they

!arted%

ha!ter L4

=y dear @iIIy, here can you ha$e been a"king to as auestion hich E"iIabeth recei$ed fro& Jane as soon as sheentered their roo&, and fro& a"" the others hen they sat donto tab"e% 2he had on"y to say in re!"y, that they had anderedabout, ti"" she as beyond her on kno"edge% 2he co"oured asshe s!okeF but neither that, nor anything e"se, aakened asus!icion of the truth%

The e$ening !assed uiet"y, un&arked by anything e/traordinary%The ackno"edged "o$ers ta"ked and "aughed, the unackno"edged

ere si"ent% 'arcy as not of a dis!osition in hich ha!!inesso$erf"os in &irthF and E"iIabeth, agitated and confused, rather



kne that she as ha!!y than fe"t herse"f to be soF for, besidesthe i&&ediate e&barrass&ent, there ere other e$i"s before her%2he antici!ated hat ou"d be fe"t in the fa&i"y hen her situation beca&e knonF she as aare that no one "iked hi& butJaneF and e$en feared that ith the others it as a dis"ike

hich not a"" his fortune and conseuence &ight do aay%

At night she o!ened her heart to Jane% Though sus!icion as$ery far fro& =iss BennetKs genera" habits, she as abso"ute"yincredu"ous here%

*ou are joking, @iIIy% This cannot be6HHengaged to =r% 'arcy6 Co, no, you sha"" not decei$e &e% kno it to be i&!ossib"e%

This is a retched beginning indeed6 =y so"e de!endence ason youF and a& sure nobody e"se i"" be"ie$e &e, if you do

not% *et, indeed, a& in earnest% s!eak nothing but thetruth% 1e sti"" "o$es &e, and e are engaged%

Jane "ooked at her doubting"y% h, @iIIy6 it cannot be% kno ho &uch you dis"ike hi&%

*ou kno nothing of the &atter% That is a"" to be forgot%Perha!s did not a"ays "o$e hi& so e"" as do no% But insuch cases as these, a good &e&ory is un!ardonab"e% This isthe "ast ti&e sha"" e$er re&e&ber it &yse"f%

=iss Bennet sti"" "ooked a"" a&aIe&ent% E"iIabeth again, and&ore serious"y assured her of its truth%

Good 1ea$en6 can it be rea""y so6 *et no &ust be"ie$eyou, cried Jane% =y dear, dear @iIIy, ou"dHH docongratu"ate youHHbut are you certain forgi$e the uestionHHare you uite certain that you can be ha!!y ith hi&

There can be no doubt of that% t is sett"ed beteen usa"ready, that e are to be the ha!!iest cou!"e in the or"d%

But are you !"eased, Jane 2ha"" you "ike to ha$e such a brother

.ery, $ery &uch% Cothing cou"d gi$e either Bing"ey or &yse"f &ore de"ight% But e considered it, e ta"ked of it asi&!ossib"e% And do you rea""y "o$e hi& uite e"" enoughh, @iIIy6 do anything rather than &arry ithout affection%Are you uite sure that you fee" hat you ought to do

h, yes6 *ou i"" on"y think fee" &ore than ought todo, hen te"" you a""%

hat do you &ean



hy, &ust confess that "o$e hi& better than do Bing"ey% a& afraid you i"" be angry%

=y dearest sister, no be serious% ant to ta"k $ery

serious"y% @et &e kno e$ery thing that a& to kno, ithoutde"ay% i"" you te"" &e ho "ong you ha$e "o$ed hi&

t has been co&ing on so gradua""y, that hard"y kno hen it began% But be"ie$e &ust date it fro& &y first seeing his beautifu" grounds at Pe&ber"ey%

Another entreaty that she ou"d be serious, hoe$er, !roducedthe desired effectF and she soon satisfied Jane by her so"e&nassurances of attach&ent% hen con$inced on that artic"e, =issBennet had nothing further to ish%

Co a& uite ha!!y, said she, for you i"" be as ha!!y as&yse"f% a"ays had a $a"ue for hi&% ere it for nothing buthis "o$e of you, &ust a"ays ha$e estee&ed hi&F but no, asBing"eyKs friend and your husband, there can be on"y Bing"eyand yourse"f &ore dear to &e% But @iIIy, you ha$e been $erys"y, $ery reser$ed ith &e% 1o "itt"e did you te"" &e of hat

!assed at Pe&ber"ey and @a&bton6 oe a"" that kno of itto another, not to you%

E"iIabeth to"d her the &oti$es of her secrecy% 2he had beenuni""ing to &ention Bing"eyF and the unsett"ed state of her on fee"ings had &ade her eua""y a$oid the na&e of his friend%But no she ou"d no "onger concea" fro& her his share in@ydiaKs &arriage% A"" as ackno"edged, and ha"f the nights!ent in con$ersation%

+ + + + +

Good gracious6 cried =rs% Bennet, as she stood at a indothe ne/t &orning, if that disagreeab"e =r% 'arcy is not co&ing

here again ith our dear Bing"ey6 hat can he &ean by being sotireso&e as to be a"ays co&ing here had no notion but heou"d go aHshooting, or so&ething or other, and not disturb usith his co&!any% hat sha"" e do ith hi& @iIIy, you &usta"k out ith hi& again, that he &ay not be in Bing"eyKs ay%

E"iIabeth cou"d hard"y he"! "aughing at so con$enient a !ro!osa"F yet as rea""y $e/ed that her &other shou"d bea"ays gi$ing hi& such an e!ithet%

As soon as they entered, Bing"ey "ooked at her so e/!ressi$e"y,

and shook hands ith such ar&th, as "eft no doubt of his goodinfor&ationF and he soon afterards said a"oud, =rs% Bennet,



ha$e you no &ore "anes hereabouts in hich @iIIy &ay "ose her ay again toHday

ad$ise =r% 'arcy, and @iIIy, and Ditty, said =rs% Bennet,to a"k to akha& =ount this &orning% t is a nice "ong a"k,

and =r% 'arcy has ne$er seen the $ie%

t &ay do $ery e"" for the others, re!"ied =r% Bing"eyF but a& sure it i"" be too &uch for Ditty% onKt it, DittyDitty oned that she had rather stay at ho&e% 'arcy !rofesseda great curiosity to see the $ie fro& the =ount, and E"iIabethsi"ent"y consented% As she ent u! stairs to get ready,=rs% Bennet fo""oed her, saying7

a& uite sorry, @iIIy, that you shou"d be forced to ha$ethat disagreeab"e &an a"" to yourse"f% But ho!e you i"" not

&ind it7 it is a"" for JaneKs sake, you knoF and there is nooccasion for ta"king to hi&, e/ce!t just no and then% 2o, donot !ut yourse"f to incon$enience%

'uring their a"k, it as reso"$ed that =r% BennetKs consentshou"d be asked in the course of the e$ening% E"iIabethreser$ed to herse"f the a!!"ication for her &otherKs% 2hecou"d not deter&ine ho her &other ou"d take itF so&eti&esdoubting hether a"" his ea"th and grandeur ou"d be enoughto o$erco&e her abhorrence of the &an% But hether she ere$io"ent"y set against the &atch, or $io"ent"y de"ighted ithit, it as certain that her &anner ou"d be eua""y i"" ada!tedto do credit to her senseF and she cou"d no &ore bear that=r% 'arcy shou"d hear the first ra!tures of her joy, than thefirst $ehe&ence of her disa!!robation%

+ + + + +

n the e$ening, soon after =r% Bennet ithdre to the "ibrary,she sa =r% 'arcy rise a"so and fo""o hi&, and her agitationon seeing it as e/tre&e% 2he did not fear her fatherKs

o!!osition, but he as going to be &ade unha!!yF and that itshou"d be through her &eansHHthat she, his fa$ourite chi"d,shou"d be distressing hi& by her choice, shou"d be fi""ing hi&ith fears and regrets in dis!osing of herHHas a retchedref"ection, and she sat in &isery ti"" =r% 'arcy a!!earedagain, hen, "ooking at hi&, she as a "itt"e re"ie$ed by hiss&i"e% n a fe &inutes he a!!roached the tab"e here she assitting ith DittyF and, hi"e !retending to ad&ire her ork said in a his!er, Go to your father, he ants you in the"ibrary% 2he as gone direct"y%

1er father as a"king about the roo&, "ooking gra$e andan/ious% @iIIy, said he, hat are you doing Are you out



of your senses, to be acce!ting this &an 1a$e not you a"ayshated hi&

1o earnest"y did she then ish that her for&er o!inions had been &ore reasonab"e, her e/!ressions &ore &oderate6 t ou"d

ha$e s!ared her fro& e/!"anations and !rofessions hich it ase/ceeding"y akard to gi$eF but they ere no necessary, andshe assured hi&, ith so&e confusion, of her attach&ent to=r% 'arcy%

r, in other ords, you are deter&ined to ha$e hi&% 1e isrich, to be sure, and you &ay ha$e &ore fine c"othes and finecarriages than Jane% But i"" they &ake you ha!!y

1a$e you any other objection, said E"iIabeth, than your be"ief of &y indifference

Cone at a""% e a"" kno hi& to be a !roud, un!"easant sortof &anF but this ou"d be nothing if you rea""y "iked hi&%

do, do "ike hi&, she re!"ied, ith tears in her eyes, "o$e hi&% ndeed he has no i&!ro!er !ride% 1e is !erfect"ya&iab"e% *ou do not kno hat he rea""y isF then !ray do not

!ain &e by s!eaking of hi& in such ter&s%

@iIIy, said her father, ha$e gi$en hi& &y consent%1e is the kind of &an, indeed, to ho& shou"d ne$er darerefuse anything, hich he condescended to ask% no gi$e itto you, if you are reso"$ed on ha$ing hi&% But "et &e ad$iseyou to think better of it% kno your dis!osition, @iIIy% kno that you cou"d be neither ha!!y nor res!ectab"e, un"essyou tru"y estee&ed your husbandF un"ess you "ooked u! to hi&as a su!erior% *our "i$e"y ta"ents ou"d !"ace you in thegreatest danger in an uneua" &arriage% *ou cou"d scarce"yesca!e discredit and &isery% =y chi"d, "et &e not ha$e thegrief of seeing you unab"e to res!ect your !artner in "ife%*ou kno not hat you are about%

E"iIabeth, sti"" &ore affected, as earnest and so"e&n in her re!"yF and at "ength, by re!eated assurances that =r% 'arcy asrea""y the object of her choice, by e/!"aining the gradua"change hich her esti&ation of hi& had undergone, re"ating her abso"ute certainty that his affection as not the ork of aday, but had stood the test of &any &onthsK sus!ense, andenu&erating ith energy a"" his good ua"ities, she did conuer her fatherKs incredu"ity, and reconci"e hi& to the &atch%

e"", &y dear, said he, hen she ceased s!eaking, ha$e no

&ore to say% f this be the case, he deser$es you% cou"dnot ha$e !arted ith you, &y @iIIy, to anyone "ess orthy%



&e% sha"" go distracted%

This as enough to !ro$e that her a!!robation need not bedoubted7 and E"iIabeth, rejoicing that such an effusion asheard on"y by herse"f, soon ent aay% But before she had

been three &inutes in her on roo&, her &other fo""oed her%

=y dearest chi"d, she cried, can think of nothing e"se6Ten thousand a year, and $ery "ike"y &ore6 KTis as good as a@ord6 And a s!ecia" "icence% *ou &ust and sha"" be &arried

by a s!ecia" "icence% But &y dearest "o$e, te"" &e hat dish=r% 'arcy is !articu"ar"y fond of, that &ay ha$e it toH&orro%

This as a sad o&en of hat her &otherKs beha$iour to thegent"e&an hi&se"f &ight beF and E"iIabeth found that, though inthe certain !ossession of his ar&est affection, and secure of

her re"ationsK consent, there as sti"" so&ething to be ishedfor% But the &orro !assed off &uch better than she e/!ectedFfor =rs% Bennet "ucki"y stood in such ae of her intendedsonHinH"a that she $entured not to s!eak to hi&, un"ess it asin her !oer to offer hi& any attention, or &ark her deferencefor his o!inion%

E"iIabeth had the satisfaction of seeing her father taking !ains to get acuainted ith hi&F and =r% Bennet soon assuredher that he as rising e$ery hour in his estee&%

ad&ire a"" &y three sonsHinH"a high"y, said he% ickha&, !erha!s, is &y fa$ouriteF but think sha"" "ike your husbanduite as e"" as JaneKs%

ha!ter ?>

E"iIabethKs s!irits soon rising to !"ayfu"ness again, she

anted =r% 'arcy to account for his ha$ing e$er fa""en in "o$eith her% 1o cou"d you begin said she% can co&!rehendyour going on char&ing"y, hen you had once &ade a beginningF

but hat cou"d set you off in the first !"ace

cannot fi/ on the hour, or the s!ot, or the "ook, or theords, hich "aid the foundation% t is too "ong ago% asin the &idd"e before kne that had begun%

=y beauty you had ear"y ithstood, and as for &y &annersHH&y beha$iour to you as at "east a"ays bordering on the unci$i",

and ne$er s!oke to you ithout rather ishing to gi$e you !ainthan not% Co be sincereF did you ad&ire &e for &y i&!ertinence



*ou need not distress yourse"f% The &ora" i"" be !erfect"yfair% @ady atherineKs unjustifiab"e endea$ours to se!arate usere the &eans of re&o$ing a"" &y doubts% a& not indebtedfor &y !resent ha!!iness to your eager desire of e/!ressing

your gratitude% as not in a hu&our to ait for any o!eningof yourKs% =y auntKs inte""igence had gi$en &e ho!e, and asdeter&ined at once to kno e$ery thing%

@ady atherine has been of infinite use, hich ought to &akeher ha!!y, for she "o$es to be of use% But te"" &e, hat didyou co&e don to Cetherfie"d for as it &ere"y to ride to@ongbourn and be e&barrassed or had you intended any &oreserious conseuence

=y rea" !ur!ose as to see you, and to judge, if cou"d,

hether &ight e$er ho!e to &ake you "o$e &e% =y a$oed one,or hat a$oed to &yse"f, as to see hether your sister eresti"" !artia" to Bing"ey, and if she ere, to &ake theconfession to hi& hich ha$e since &ade%

2ha"" you e$er ha$e courage to announce to @ady atherinehat is to befa"" her

a& &ore "ike"y to ant &ore ti&e than courage, E"iIabeth%But it ought to be done, and if you i"" gi$e &e a sheet of !a!er,it sha"" be done direct"y%

And if had not a "etter to rite &yse"f, &ight sit by youand ad&ire the e$enness of your riting, as another young "adyonce did% But ha$e an aunt, too, ho &ust not be "onger neg"ected%

-ro& an uni""ingness to confess ho &uch her inti&acy ith=r% 'arcy had been o$erHrated, E"iIabeth had ne$er yetansered =rs% GardinerKs "ong "etterF but no, ha$ing that to co&&unicate hich she kne ou"d be &ost e"co&e, she as

a"&ost asha&ed to find that her unc"e and aunt had a"ready "ostthree days of ha!!iness, and i&&ediate"y rote as fo""os7

ou"d ha$e thanked you before, &y dear aunt, as oughtto ha$e done, for your "ong, kind, satisfactory, detai" of

!articu"arsF but to say the truth, as too cross to rite%*ou su!!osed &ore than rea""y e/isted% But no su!!ose as&uch as you chooseF gi$e a "oose rein to your fancy, indu"ge your i&agination in e$ery !ossib"e f"ight hich the subject i""afford, and un"ess you be"ie$e &e actua""y &arried, you cannotgreat"y err% *ou &ust rite again $ery soon, and !raise hi& a

great dea" &ore than you did in your "ast% thank you, againand again, for not going to the @akes% 1o cou"d be so si""y



as to ish it6 *our idea of the !onies is de"ightfu"% e i""go round the Park e$ery day% a& the ha!!iest creature in theor"d% Perha!s other !eo!"e ha$e said so before, but not oneith such justice% a& ha!!ier e$en than JaneF she on"ys&i"es, "augh% =r% 'arcy sends you a"" the "o$e in the or"d

that he can s!are fro& &e% *ou are a"" to co&e to Pe&ber"ey athrist&as% *ours, etc%

=r% 'arcyKs "etter to @ady atherine as in a different sty"eFand sti"" different fro& either as hat =r% Bennet sent to=r% o""ins, in re!"y to his "ast%

'EA0 20,

&ust troub"e you once &ore for congratu"ations% E"iIabethi"" soon be the ife of =r% 'arcy% onso"e @ady atherine

as e"" as you can% But, if ere you, ou"d stand by thene!he% 1e has &ore to gi$e%

*ours sincere"y, etc%

=iss Bing"eyKs congratu"ations to her brother, on his a!!roaching&arriage, ere a"" that as affectionate and insincere% 2herote e$en to Jane on the occasion, to e/!ress her de"ight, andre!eat a"" her for&er !rofessions of regard% Jane as notdecei$ed, but she as affectedF and though fee"ing no re"ianceon her, cou"d not he"! riting her a &uch kinder anser thanshe kne as deser$ed%

The joy hich =iss 'arcy e/!ressed on recei$ing si&i"ar infor&ation, as as sincere as her brotherKs in sending it%-our sides of !a!er ere insufficient to contain a"" her de"ight, and a"" her earnest desire of being "o$ed by her sister%

Before any anser cou"d arri$e fro& =r% o""ins, or anycongratu"ations to E"iIabeth fro& his ife, the @ongbourn

fa&i"y heard that the o""inses ere co&e the&se"$es to @ucas@odge% The reason of this sudden re&o$a" as soon e$ident%@ady atherine had been rendered so e/ceeding"y angry bythe contents of her ne!heKs "etter, that har"otte, rea""yrejoicing in the &atch, as an/ious to get aay ti"" thestor& as b"on o$er% At such a &o&ent, the arri$a" of her friend as a sincere !"easure to E"iIabeth, though inthe course of their &eetings she &ust so&eti&es think the

!"easure dear"y bought, hen she sa =r% 'arcy e/!osed to a""the !arading and obseuious ci$i"ity of her husband% 1e boreit, hoe$er, ith ad&irab"e ca"&ness% 1e cou"d e$en "isten to

2ir i""ia& @ucas, hen he co&!"i&ented hi& on carrying aaythe brightest jee" of the country, and e/!ressed his ho!es of



their a"" &eeting freuent"y at 2t% Ja&esKs, ith $ery decentco&!osure% f he did shrug his shou"ders, it as not ti"" 2ir i""ia& as out of sight%

=rs% Phi""i!sKs $u"garity as another, and !erha!s a greater,

ta/ on his forbearanceF and though =rs% Phi""i!s, as e"" asher sister, stood in too &uch ae of hi& to s!eak ith thefa&i"iarity hich Bing"eyKs good hu&our encouraged, yet,hene$er she did s!eak, she &ust be $u"gar% Cor as her res!ect for hi&, though it &ade her &ore uiet, at a"" "ike"yto &ake her &ore e"egant% E"iIabeth did a"" she cou"d toshie"d hi& fro& the freuent notice of either, and as e$er an/ious to kee! hi& to herse"f, and to those of her fa&i"y ithho& he &ight con$erse ithout &ortificationF and though theunco&fortab"e fee"ings arising fro& a"" this took fro& theseason of courtshi! &uch of its !"easure, it added to the ho!e

of the futureF and she "ooked forard ith de"ight to the ti&ehen they shou"d be re&o$ed fro& society so "itt"e !"easing toeither, to a"" the co&fort and e"egance of their fa&i"y !artyat Pe&ber"ey%

ha!ter ?3

1a!!y for a"" her &aterna" fee"ings as the day on hich=rs% Bennet got rid of her to &ost deser$ing daughters%ith hat de"ighted !ride she afterards $isited =rs% Bing"ey,and ta"ked of =rs% 'arcy, &ay be guessed% ish cou"d say,for the sake of her fa&i"y, that the acco&!"ish&ent of her earnest desire in the estab"ish&ent of so &any of her chi"dren

!roduced so ha!!y an effect as to &ake her a sensib"e, a&iab"e,e""Hinfor&ed o&an for the rest of her "ifeF though !erha!s itas "ucky for her husband, ho &ight not ha$e re"ished do&esticfe"icity in so unusua" a for&, that she sti"" as occasiona""yner$ous and in$ariab"y si""y%

=r% Bennet &issed his second daughter e/ceeding"yF hisaffection for her dre hi& oftener fro& ho&e than anythinge"se cou"d do% 1e de"ighted in going to Pe&ber"ey, es!ecia""yhen he as "east e/!ected%

=r% Bing"ey and Jane re&ained at Cetherfie"d on"y a te"$e&onth%2o near a $icinity to her &other and =eryton re"ations as notdesirab"e e$en to his easy te&!er, or her affectionate heart%The dar"ing ish of his sisters as then gratifiedF he boughtan estate in a neighbouring county to 'erbyshire, and Jane and

E"iIabeth, in addition to e$ery other source of ha!!iness, ereithin thirty &i"es of each other%



Ditty, to her $ery &ateria" ad$antage, s!ent the chief of her ti&e ith her to e"der sisters% n society so su!erior tohat she had genera""y knon, her i&!ro$e&ent as great% 2heas not of so ungo$ernab"e a te&!er as @ydiaF and, re&o$ed fro&

the inf"uence of @ydiaKs e/a&!"e, she beca&e, by !ro!er attention and &anage&ent, "ess irritab"e, "ess ignorant, and"ess insi!id% -ro& the further disad$antage of @ydiaKs societyshe as of course carefu""y ke!t, and though =rs% ickha&freuent"y in$ited her to co&e and stay ith her, ith the

!ro&ise of ba""s and young &en, her father ou"d ne$er consentto her going%

=ary as the on"y daughter ho re&ained at ho&eF and she asnecessari"y dran fro& the !ursuit of acco&!"ish&ents by=rs% BennetKs being uite unab"e to sit a"one% =ary as

ob"iged to &i/ &ore ith the or"d, but she cou"d sti""&ora"iIe o$er e$ery &orning $isitF and as she as no "onger &ortified by co&!arisons beteen her sistersK beauty and her on, it as sus!ected by her father that she sub&itted tothe change ithout &uch re"uctance%

As for ickha& and @ydia, their characters suffered nore$o"ution fro& the &arriage of her sisters% 1e bore ith

!hi"oso!hy the con$iction that E"iIabeth &ust no beco&eacuainted ith hate$er of his ingratitude and fa"sehoodhad before been unknon to herF and in s!ite of e$ery thing,as not ho""y ithout ho!e that 'arcy &ight yet be !re$ai"edon to &ake his fortune% The congratu"atory "etter hichE"iIabeth recei$ed fro& @ydia on her &arriage, e/!"ained toher that, by his ife at "east, if not by hi&se"f, such aho!e as cherished% The "etter as to this effect7

=* 'EA0 @MM*,

ish you joy% f you "o$e =r% 'arcy ha"f as e"" as do &ydear ickha&, you &ust be $ery ha!!y% t is a great co&fort to

ha$e you so rich, and hen you ha$e nothing e"se to do, ho!eyou i"" think of us% a& sure ickha& ou"d "ike a !"ace atcourt $ery &uch, and do not think e sha"" ha$e uite &oneyenough to "i$e u!on ithout so&e he"!% Any !"ace ou"d do, of about three or four hundred a yearF but hoe$er, do not s!eak to =r% 'arcy about it, if you had rather not%

*ours, etc%

As it ha!!ened that E"iIabeth had &uch rather not, sheendea$oured in her anser to !ut an end to e$ery entreaty

and e/!ectation of the kind% 2uch re"ief, hoe$er, as itas in her !oer to afford, by the !ractice of hat &ight be



ca""ed econo&y in her on !ri$ate e/!ences, she freuent"ysent the&% t had a"ays been e$ident to her that such aninco&e as theirs, under the direction of to !ersons soe/tra$agant in their ants, and heed"ess of the future, &ust

be $ery insufficient to their su!!ortF and hene$er they

changed their uarters, either Jane or herse"f ere sure of being a!!"ied to for so&e "itt"e assistance toards dischargingtheir bi""s% Their &anner of "i$ing, e$en hen the restorationof !eace dis&issed the& to a ho&e, as unsett"ed in thee/tre&e% They ere a"ays &o$ing fro& !"ace to !"ace in uestof a chea! situation, and a"ays s!ending &ore than they ought%1is affection for her soon sunk into indifferenceF herKs "asteda "itt"e "ongerF and in s!ite of her youth and her &anners, sheretained a"" the c"ai&s to re!utation hich her &arriage hadgi$en her%

Though 'arcy cou"d ne$er recei$e hi& at Pe&ber"ey, yet, for E"iIabethKs sake, he assisted hi& further in his !rofession%@ydia as occasiona""y a $isitor there, hen her husband asgone to enjoy hi&se"f in @ondon or BathF and ith the Bing"eysthey both of the& freuent"y staid so "ong, that e$en Bing"eyKsgood hu&our as o$erco&e, and he !roceeded so far as to ta"k of gi$ing the& a hint to be gone%

=iss Bing"ey as $ery dee!"y &ortified by 'arcyKs &arriageF butas she thought it ad$isab"e to retain the right of $isiting atPe&ber"ey, she dro!t a"" her resent&entF as fonder than e$er of Georgiana, a"&ost as attenti$e to 'arcy as heretofore, and

!aid off e$ery arrear of ci$i"ity to E"iIabeth%

Pe&ber"ey as no GeorgianaKs ho&eF and the attach&ent of thesisters as e/act"y hat 'arcy had ho!ed to see% They ere ab"eto "o$e each other e$en as e"" as they intended% Georgiana hadthe highest o!inion in the or"d of E"iIabethF though at firstshe often "istened ith an astonish&ent bordering on a"ar& ather "i$e"y, s!orti$e, &anner of ta"king to her brother% 1e, hohad a"ays ins!ired in herse"f a res!ect hich a"&ost o$erca&e

her affection, she no sa the object of o!en !"easantry% 1er &ind recei$ed kno"edge hich had ne$er before fa""en in her ay%By E"iIabethKs instructions, she began to co&!rehend that a o&an&ay take "iberties ith her husband hich a brother i"" nota"ays a""o in a sister &ore than ten years younger than hi&se"f%

@ady atherine as e/tre&e"y indignant on the &arriage of her ne!heF and as she ga$e ay to a"" the genuine frankness of her character in her re!"y to the "etter hich announced itsarrange&ent, she sent hi& "anguage so $ery abusi$e, es!ecia""yof E"iIabeth, that for so&e ti&e a"" intercourse as at an end%

But at "ength, by E"iIabethKs !ersuasion, he as !re$ai"ed onto o$er"ook the offence, and seek a reconci"iationF and, after



a "itt"e further resistance on the !art of his aunt, her resent&ent ga$e ay, either to her affection for hi&, or her curiosity to see ho his ife conducted herse"fF and shecondescended to ait on the& at Pe&ber"ey, in s!ite of that

!o""ution hich its oods had recei$ed, not &ere"y fro& the

!resence of such a &istress, but the $isits of her unc"e andaunt fro& the city%

ith the Gardiners, they ere a"ays on the &ost inti&ateter&s% 'arcy, as e"" as E"iIabeth, rea""y "o$ed the&F andthey ere both e$er sensib"e of the ar&est gratitude toardsthe !ersons ho, by bringing her into 'erbyshire, had been the&eans of uniting the&%

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