CHAPTER XXI.

The discussion of Mr. Collins's offer was now nearly at an end, and

Elizabeth had only to suffer from the uncomfortable feelings necessarily

attending it, and occasionally from some peevish allusion of her mother.

As for the gentleman himself, _his_ feelings were chiefly expressed, not

by embarrassment or dejection, or by trying to avoid her, but by

stiffness of manner and resentful silence. He scarcely ever spoke to

her, and the assiduous attentions which he had been so sensible of

himself, were transferred for the rest of the day to Miss Lucas, whose

civility in listening to him, was a seasonable relief to them all, and

especially to her friend.

The morrow produced no abatement of Mrs. Bennet's ill humour or ill

health. Mr. Collins was also in the same state of angry pride. Elizabeth

had hoped that his resentment might shorten his visit, but his plan did

not appear in the least affected by it. He was always to have gone on

Saturday, and to Saturday he still meant to stay.

After breakfast, the girls walked to Meryton to inquire if Mr. Wickham

were returned, and to lament over his absence from the Netherfield ball.

He joined them on their entering the town and attended them to their

aunt's, where his regret and vexation, and the concern of every body was

well talked over.--To Elizabeth, however, he voluntarily acknowledged

that the necessity of his absence _had_ been self imposed.

"I found," said he, "as the time drew near, that I had better not meet

Mr. Darcy;--that to be in the same room, the same party with him for so

many hours together, might be more than I could bear, and that scenes

might arise unpleasant to more than myself."

She highly approved his forbearance, and they had leisure for a full

discussion of it, and for all the commendation which they civilly

bestowed on each other, as Wickham and another officer walked back with

them to Longbourn, and during the walk, he particularly attended to her.

His accompanying them was a double advantage; she felt all the

compliment it offered to herself, and it was most acceptable as an

occasion of introducing him to her father and mother.

Soon after their return, a letter was delivered to Miss Bennet; it came

from Netherfield, and was opened immediately. The envelope contained a

sheet of elegant, little, hot pressed paper, well covered with a lady's

fair, flowing hand; and Elizabeth saw her sister's countenance change as

she read it, and saw her dwelling intently on some particular passages.

Jane recollected herself soon, and putting the letter away, tried to

join with her usual cheerfulness in the general conversation; but

Elizabeth felt an anxiety on the subject which drew off her attention

even from Wickham; and no sooner had he and his companion taken leave,

than a glance from Jane invited her to follow her up stairs. When they

had gained their own room, Jane taking out the letter, said,

"This is from Caroline Bingley; what it contains, has surprised me a

good deal. The whole party have left Netherfield by this time, and are

on their way to town; and without any intention of coming back again.

You shall hear what she says."

She then read the first sentence aloud, which comprised the information

of their having just resolved to follow their brother to town directly,

and of their meaning to dine that day in Grosvenor street, where Mr.

Hurst had a house. The next was in these words. "I do not pretend to

regret any thing I shall leave in Hertfordshire, except your society, my

dearest friend; but we will hope at some future period, to enjoy many

returns of the delightful intercourse we have known, and in the mean

while may lessen the pain of separation by a very frequent and most

unreserved correspondence. I depend on you for that." To these high

flown expressions, Elizabeth listened with all the insensibility of

distrust; and though the suddenness of their removal surprised her, she

saw nothing in it really to lament; it was not to be supposed that their

absence from Netherfield would prevent Mr. Bingley's being there; and as

to the loss of their society, she was persuaded that Jane must soon

cease to regard it, in the enjoyment of his.

"It is unlucky," said she, after a short pause, "that you should not be

able to see your friends before they leave the country. But may we not

hope that the period of future happiness to which Miss Bingley looks

forward, may arrive earlier than she is aware, and that the delightful

intercourse you have known as friends, will be renewed with yet greater

satisfaction as sisters?--Mr. Bingley will not be detained in London by

them."

"Caroline decidedly says that none of the party will return into

Hertfordshire this winter. I will read it to you--

"When my brother left us yesterday, he imagined that the business which

took him to London, might be concluded in three or four days, but as we

are certain it cannot be so, and at the same time convinced that when

Charles gets to town, he will be in no hurry to leave it again, we have

determined on following him thither, that he may not be obliged to spend

his vacant hours in a comfortless hotel. Many of my acquaintance are

already there for the winter; I wish I could hear that you, my dearest

friend, had any intention of making one in the croud, but of that I

despair. I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound in

the gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beaux

will be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three, of

whom we shall deprive you."

"It is evident by this," added Jane, "that he comes back no more this

winter."

"It is only evident that Miss Bingley does not mean he _should_."

"Why will you think so? It must be his own doing.--He is his own master.

But you do not know _all_. I _will_ read you the passage which

particularly hurts me. I will have no reserves from _you_." "Mr. Darcy

is impatient to see his sister, and to confess the truth, _we_ are

scarcely less eager to meet her again. I really do not think Georgiana

Darcy has her equal for beauty, elegance, and accomplishments; and the

affection she inspires in Louisa and myself, is heightened into

something still more interesting, from the hope we dare to entertain of

her being hereafter our sister. I do not know whether I ever before

mentioned to you my feelings on this subject, but I will not leave the

country without confiding them, and I trust you will not esteem them

unreasonable. My brother admires her greatly already, he will have

frequent opportunity now of seeing her on the most intimate footing, her

relations all wish the connection as much as his own, and a sister's

partiality is not misleading me, I think, when I call Charles most

capable of engaging any woman's heart. With all these circumstances to

favour an attachment and nothing to prevent it, am I wrong, my dearest

Jane, in indulging the hope of an event which will secure the happiness

of so many?"

"What think you of _this_ sentence, my dear Lizzy?"--said Jane as she

finished it. "Is it not clear enough?--Does it not expressly declare

that Caroline neither expects nor wishes me to be her sister; that she

is perfectly convinced of her brother's indifference, and that if she

suspects the nature of my feelings for him, she means (most kindly!) to

put me on my guard? Can there be any other opinion on the subject?"

"Yes, there can; for mine is totally different.--Will you hear it?"

"Most willingly."

"You shall have it in few words. Miss Bingley sees that her brother is

in love with you, and wants him to marry Miss Darcy. She follows him to

town in the hope of keeping him there, and tries to persuade you that he

does not care about you."

Jane shook her head.

"Indeed, Jane, you ought to believe me.--No one who has ever seen you

together, can doubt his affection. Miss Bingley I am sure cannot. She is

not such a simpleton. Could she have seen half as much love in Mr. Darcy

for herself, she would have ordered her wedding clothes. But the case is

this. We are not rich enough, or grand enough for them; and she is the

more anxious to get Miss Darcy for her brother, from the notion that

when there has been _one_ intermarriage, she may have less trouble in

achieving a second; in which there is certainly some ingenuity, and I

dare say it would succeed, if Miss de Bourgh were out of the way. But,

my dearest Jane, you cannot seriously imagine that because Miss Bingley

tells you her brother greatly admires Miss Darcy, he is in the smallest

degree less sensible of _your_ merit than when he took leave of you on

Tuesday, or that it will be in her power to persuade him that instead of

being in love with you, he is very much in love with her friend."

"If we thought alike of Miss Bingley," replied Jane, "your

representation of all this, might make me quite easy. But I know the

foundation is unjust. Caroline is incapable of wilfully deceiving any

one; and all that I can hope in this case is, that she is deceived

herself."

"That is right.--You could not have started a more happy idea, since you

will not take comfort in mine. Believe her to be deceived by all means.

You have now done your duty by her, and must fret no longer."

"But, my dear sister, can I be happy, even supposing the best, in

accepting a man whose sisters and friends are all wishing him to marry

elsewhere?"

"You must decide for yourself," said Elizabeth, "and if upon mature

deliberation, you find that the misery of disobliging his two sisters is

more than equivalent to the happiness of being his wife, I advise you by

all means to refuse him."

"How can you talk so?"--said Jane faintly smiling,--"You must know that

though I should be exceedingly grieved at their disapprobation, I could

not hesitate."

"I did not think you would;--and that being the case, I cannot consider

your situation with much compassion."

"But if he returns no more this winter, my choice will never be

required. A thousand things may arise in six months!"

The idea of his returning no more Elizabeth treated with the utmost

contempt. It appeared to her merely the suggestion of Caroline's

interested wishes, and she could not for a moment suppose that those

wishes, however openly or artfully spoken, could influence a young man

so totally independent of every one.

She represented to her sister as forcibly as possible what she felt on

the subject, and had soon the pleasure of seeing its happy effect.

Jane's temper was not desponding, and she was gradually led to hope,

though the diffidence of affection sometimes overcame the hope, that

Bingley would return to Netherfield and answer every wish of her heart.

They agreed that Mrs. Bennet should only hear of the departure of the

family, without being alarmed on the score of the gentleman's conduct;

but even this partial communication gave her a great deal of concern,

and she bewailed it as exceedingly unlucky that the ladies should happen

to go away, just as they were all getting so intimate together. After

lamenting it however at some length, she had the consolation of thinking

that Mr. Bingley would be soon down again and soon dining at Longbourn,

and the conclusion of all was the comfortable declaration that, though

he had been invited only to a family dinner, she would take care to have

two full courses.