“MydearLizzy,wherecanyouhavebeenwalkingto?”wasaquestionwhichElizabethreceivedfromJaneassoonassheenteredtheirroom,andfromalltheotherswhentheysatdowntotable。Shehadonlytosayinreply,thattheyhadwanderedabout,tillshewasbeyondherownknowledge。Shecolouredasshespoke;butneitherthat,noranythingelse,awakenedasuspicionofthetruth。
Theeveningpassedquietly,unmarkedbyanythingextraordinary。Theacknowledgedloverstalkedandlaughed,theunacknowledgedweresilent。Darcywasnotofadispositioninwhichhappinessoverflowsinmirth;andElizabeth,agitatedandconfused,ratherknewthatshewashappythanfeltherselftobeso;for,besidestheimmediateembarrassment,therewereotherevilsbeforeher。Sheanticipatedwhatwouldbefeltinthefamilywhenhersituationbecameknown;shewasawarethatnoonelikedhimbutJane;andevenfearedthatwiththeothersitwasadislikewhichnotallhisfortuneandconsequencemightdoaway。
AtnightsheopenedherhearttoJane。ThoughsuspicionwasveryfarfromMissBennetsgeneralhabits,shewasabsolutelyincreduloushere。
“Youarejoking,Lizzy。Thiscannotbe!—engagedtoMr。Darcy!No,no,youshallnotdeceiveme。Iknowittobeimpossible。”
“Thisisawretchedbeginningindeed!Mysoledependencewasonyou;andIamsurenobodyelsewillbelieveme,ifyoudonot。Yet,indeed,Iaminearnest。Ispeaknothingbutthetruth。Hestilllovesme,andweareengaged。”
Janelookedatherdoubtingly。“Oh,Lizzy!itcannotbe。Iknowhowmuchyoudislikehim。”
“Youknownothingofthematter。Thatisalltobeforgot。PerhapsIdidnotalwayslovehimsowellasIdonow。Butinsuchcasesasthese,agoodmemoryisunpardonable。ThisisthelasttimeIshalleverrememberitmyself。”
MissBennetstilllookedallamazement。Elizabethagain,andmoreseriouslyassuredherofitstruth。
“GoodHeaven!canitbereallyso!YetnowImustbelieveyou,”criedJane。“Mydear,dearLizzy,Iwould—Idocongratulateyou—butareyoucertain?forgivethequestion—areyouquitecertainthatyoucanbehappywithhim?”
“Therecanbenodoubtofthat。Itissettledbetweenusalready,thatwearetobethehappiestcoupleintheworld。Butareyoupleased,Jane?Shallyouliketohavesuchabrother?”
“Very,verymuch。NothingcouldgiveeitherBingleyormyselfmoredelight。Butweconsideredit,wetalkedofitasimpossible。Anddoyoureallylovehimquitewellenough?Oh,Lizzy!doanythingratherthanmarrywithoutaffection。Areyouquitesurethatyoufeelwhatyououghttodo?”
“Oh,yes!YouwillonlythinkIfeelmorethanIoughttodo,whenItellyouall。”
“Whatdoyoumean?”
“Why,ImustconfessthatIlovehimbetterthanIdoBingley。Iamafraidyouwillbeangry。”
“Mydearestsister,nowbeserious。Iwanttotalkveryseriously。LetmeknoweverythingthatIamtoknow,withoutdelay。Willyoutellmehowlongyouhavelovedhim?”
“Ithasbeencomingonsogradually,thatIhardlyknowwhenitbegan。ButIbelieveImustdateitfrommyfirstseeinghisbeautifulgroundsatPemberley。”
Anotherentreatythatshewouldbeserious,however,producedthedesiredeffect;andshesoonsatisfiedJanebyhersolemnassurancesofattachment。Whenconvincedonthatarticle,MissBennethadnothingfurthertowish。
“NowIamquitehappy,”saidshe,“foryouwillbeashappyasmyself。Ialwayshadavalueforhim。Wereitfornothingbuthisloveofyou,Imustalwayshaveesteemedhim;butnow,asBingleysfriendandyourhusband,therecanbeonlyBingleyandyourselfmoredeartome。ButLizzy,youhavebeenverysly,veryreservedwithme。HowlittledidyoutellmeofwhatpassedatPemberleyandLambton!IoweallthatIknowofittoanother,nottoyou。”
Elizabethtoldherthemotivesofhersecrecy。ShehadbeenunwillingtomentionBingley;andtheunsettledstateofherownfeelingshadmadeherequallyavoidthenameofhisfriend。ButnowshewouldnolongerconcealfromherhisshareinLydiasmarriage。Allwasacknowledged,andhalfthenightspentinconversation。
“Goodgracious!”criedMrs。Bennet,asshestoodatawindowthenextmorning,“ifthatdisagreeableMr。DarcyisnotcominghereagainwithourdearBingley!Whatcanhemeanbybeingsotiresomeastobealwayscominghere?Ihadnonotionbuthewouldgoa-shooting,orsomethingorother,andnotdisturbuswithhiscompany。Whatshallwedowithhim?Lizzy,youmustwalkoutwithhimagain,thathemaynotbeinBingleysway。”
Elizabethcouldhardlyhelplaughingatsoconvenientaproposal;yetwasreallyvexedthathermothershouldbealwaysgivinghimsuchanepithet。
Assoonastheyentered,Bingleylookedathersoexpressively,andshookhandswithsuchwarmth,asleftnodoubtofhisgoodinformation;andhesoonafterwardssaidaloud,“Mrs。Bennet,haveyounomorelaneshereaboutsinwhichLizzymayloseherwayagainto-day?”
“IadviseMr。Darcy,andLizzy,andKitty,”saidMrs。Bennet,“towalktoOakhamMountthismorning。Itisanicelongwalk,andMr。Darcyhasneverseentheview。”
“Itmaydoverywellfortheothers,”repliedMr。Bingley;“butIamsureitwillbetoomuchforKitty。Wontit,Kitty?”
Kittyownedthatshehadratherstayathome。DarcyprofessedagreatcuriositytoseetheviewfromtheMount,andElizabethsilentlyconsented。Asshewentupstairstogetready,Mrs。Bennetfollowedher,saying:
“Iamquitesorry,Lizzy,thatyoushouldbeforcedtohavethatdisagreeablemanalltoyourself,butIhopeyouwillnotmindit。ItisallforJanessake,youknow;andthereisnooccasionfortalkingtohim,exceptjustnowandthen。So,donotputyourselftoinconvenience。”