“Exceedtheirincome!MydearMr.Bennet,”criedhiswife,“whatareyoutalkingof?Why,hehasfourorfivethousandayear,andverylikelymore.”Thenaddressingherdaughter,“Oh!mydear,dearJane,Iamsohappy!IamsureIshantgetawinkofsleepallnight.Iknewhowitwouldbe.Ialwayssaiditmustbeso,atlast.Iwassureyoucouldnotbesobeautifulfornothing!Iremember,assoonaseverIsawhim,whenhefirstcameintoHertfordshirelastyear,Ithoughthowlikelyitwasthatyoushouldcometogether.Oh!heisthehandsomestyoungmanthateverwasseen!”
Wickham,Lydia,wereallforgotten.Janewasbeyondcompetitionherfavouritechild.Atthatmoment,shecaredfornoother.Heryoungersisterssoonbegantomakeinterestwithherforobjectsofhappinesswhichshemightinfuturebeabletodispense.
MarypetitionedfortheuseofthelibraryatNetherfield;andKittybeggedveryhardforafewballsthereeverywinter.
Bingley,fromthistime,wasofcourseadailyvisitoratLongbourn;comingfrequentlybeforebreakfast,andalwaysremainingtillaftersupper;unlesswhensomebarbarousneighbour,whocouldnotbeenoughdetested,hadgivenhimaninvitationtodinnerwhichhethoughthimselfobligedtoaccept.
Elizabethhadnowbutlittletimeforconversationwithhersister;forwhilehewaspresent,Janehadnoattentiontobestowonanyoneelse;butshefoundherselfconsiderablyusefultobothoftheminthosehoursofseparationthatmustsometimesoccur.IntheabsenceofJane,healwaysattachedhimselftoElizabeth,forthepleasureoftalkingofher;andwhenBingleywasgone,Janeconstantlysoughtthesamemeansofrelief.
“Hehasmademesohappy,”saidshe,oneevening,“bytellingmethathewastotallyignorantofmybeingintownlastspring!Ihadnotbelieveditpossible.”
“Isuspectedasmuch,”repliedElizabeth.“Buthowdidheaccountforit?”
“Itmusthavebeenhissistersdoing.Theywerecertainlynofriendstohisacquaintancewithme,whichIcannotwonderat,sincehemighthavechosensomuchmoreadvantageouslyinmanyrespects.Butwhentheysee,asItrusttheywill,thattheirbrotherishappywithme,theywilllearntobecontented,andweshallbeongoodtermsagain;thoughwecanneverbewhatweonceweretoeachother.”
“Thatisthemostunforgivingspeech,”saidElizabeth,“thatIeverheardyouutter.Goodgirl!Itwouldvexme,indeed,toseeyouagainthedupeofMissBingleyspretendedregard.”
“Wouldyoubelieveit,Lizzy,thatwhenhewenttotownlastNovember,hereallylovedme,andnothingbutapersuasionofmybeingindifferentwouldhavepreventedhiscomingdownagain!”
“Hemadealittlemistaketobesure;butitistothecreditofhismodesty.”
ThisnaturallyintroducedapanegyricfromJaneonhisdiffidence,andthelittlevalueheputonhisowngoodqualities.Elizabethwaspleasedtofindthathehadnotbetrayedtheinterferenceofhisfriend;for,thoughJanehadthemostgenerousandforgivingheartintheworld,sheknewitwasacircumstancewhichmustprejudiceheragainsthi
“Iamcertainlythemostfortunatecreaturethateverexisted!”criedJane.“Oh!Lizzy,whyamIthussingledfrommyfamily,andblessedabovethemall!IfIcouldbutseeyouashappy!Iftherewerebutsuchanothermanforyou!”
“Ifyouweretogivemefortysuchmen,Inevercouldbesohappyasyou.TillIhaveyourdisposition,yourgoodness,Inevercanhaveyourhappiness.No,no,letmeshiftformyself;and,perhaps,ifIhaveverygoodluck,ImaymeetwithanotherMr.Collinsintime.”
ThesituationofaffairsintheLongbournfamilycouldnotbelongasecret.Mrs.BennetwasprivilegedtowhisperittoMrs.Phillips,andsheventured,withoutanypermission,todothesamebyallherneighboursinMeryton.
TheBennetswerespeedilypronouncedtobetheluckiestfamilyintheworld,thoughonlyafewweeksbefore,whenLydiahadfirstrunaway,theyhadbeengenerallyprovedtobemarkedoutformisfortune.
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