PRIDE & PREJUDICE: JANE AUSTEN: CHAPTER SIXTY

Elizabeth was in high spirits, and she asked Darcy playfully, "I can comprehend your going on charmingly, when you had once made a beginning; but what could set you off in the first place?

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun."

"My beauty you had early withstood, and as for my manners - my behaviour to you was at least always boardering on the uncivil, and I never spoke to you without rather wishing to give you pain than not. Now be sincere; did you admire me for my impertinence?"

"For the liveliness of your mind, I did."

"You may as well call it impertinence at once. It was very little less. The fact is, that you were sick of civility, of deference, of officious attention. You were disgusted with the women who were always talking, and looking, and thinking of your approbation alone. I roused and interested you, because I was so unlike them. Had you not been really amiable, you would have hated me for it; but in spite of the pains you took to disguise yourself, your feelings were always noble and just; and in your heart, you thoroughly despised who so assiduously courted you. There - I have saved you the trouble of accounting for it; and really, all things considered I begin to think it perfectly reasonable. To be sure, you knew no actual good of me - but nobody thinks of that when they fall in love."

"Was there no good in your affectionate behaviour to Jane while she was ill at Netherfield?"

"Dearest Jane! Who would have done less for her? But make a virtue of it by all means. My good qualities are under your protection, and you are to exaggerate them as much as possible; and, in return, it belongs to me to find occasions for teasing and quarreling with you as often as may be, and I shall begin directly by asking you what made you so unwilling to come to the point at last. What made you so shy of me, when you first called, and afterwards dined here? Why, especially when you called, did you look as if you did not care about me?"

"Because you were grave and silent, and gave me no encouragement."

"But I was embarassed."

"And So was I."

"You might have talked to me more when you came to dinner."

"A man who had felt less, might."

"How unlucky that you should have a reasonable answer to give, and that I should be so reasonable as to admit it! But I wonder how long you would have gone on, if you had been left to yourself. I wonder when you would have spoken if I had not had not asked asked you! My resolution of thanking you for your kindness to Lydia had certainly great affect. Too much, I am afraid; for what becomes of the moral, if our comfort springs from a breach of promise? for I ought not to have mentioned the subject. This will never do."

"You need not distress yourself. The moral will be perfectly fair. Lady Catherine's unjustifiable endeavour to separate us were the means of removing all my doubts. I am not indebted for my present happiness to your eager desire of expressing your gratitude. I was not in a humour to wait for any opening of your's. My aunt's intelligence had given me hope, and I was determined at once to know everything."

"Lady Catherine has been of infinite use, which ought to make her happy, for she loves to be of use. But tell me, what did you come down for Netherfield for? Was it merely to ride to Longbourn and be embarassed? Or had you intended any more serious consequence.?"

"My real purpose was to see you, and to judge, if I could, whether I might ever hope to make you love me. My avowed one or what I avowed to myself, was to see whether your sister is still partial to Bingley, and if she were, make the confession to him which I have since made."

"Shall you ever have courage to announce to Lady Catherine what is to befall her?"

"I am more likely to want more time than courage, Elizabeth. But it ought to be done, and if you will give me a sheet of paper, it shall be done directly."

"And if I had not a letter to write myself, I might sit by you, and admire the evenness of your writing, as another young lady once did. But I have an aunt, too, who must not be longer neglected."

From an unwillingness to confess how much her intimacy with Darcy had been over-rated, Elizabeth had never yet answered Mrs Gardiner's long letter, but now, having that to communicate which she knew would be most welcome, she was almost ashamed to find that her uncle and aunt had already lost three days of happiness, and immediately wrote as follows:

"I would have thanked you before, my dear aunt, as I ought to have done, for your long, kind, satisfactory, detail of particulars, but to sa the truth, I was too cross to write. You supposed more than really existed. But now suppose as much as you choose; give a loose rein to your fancy, indulge your imagination in every possible flight which the subject will afford, and unless you believe me actually married, you cannot greatly err. You must write  again very soon, and praise him a great deal more than you did in your last. I thank you again and again for not going to the Lakes. How could I be so silly as to wish it!  Your idea of ponies is delightful. We will go round the park every day. I am happiest creeture in the world. I am the happiest creeture in the world. Perhaps other people have said so before, but none with such justice. I am happier even than Jane; she only smiles, I laugh. Mr Darcy sends you all the love in the world that he can spare from me. You are all to come to Pemberly at Christmas. Yours Etc."

Mr Darcy's letter to Lady Catherine was in a different style; and still different from either was what Mr Bennet sent to Mr Collins, in reply to his last.

"Dear Sir,

"I must trouble you once more for congratulations. Elizabeth will soon be the wife of Mr Darcy. Console Lady Catherine as well as you can. But, if I were you, I would stand by the nephew. He has more to give.

"Yours sincerely, etc."

Miss Bingley's congratulations to her brother, on his approaching marriage, were all that was affectionate and insincere. She wrote even to Jane on the occasion, to express her delight, and repeat all her former professions of regard. Jane was not deceived, but she was affected, and feeling no relience on her, could not help writing her a much kinder answer than she was deserved.

The joy with which Miss Darcy expressed on receiving similar information, was sincere as her brother's in sending it.

Lady Catherine had been rendered so exceedingly angry by the contents of the letter of her nephew, Charlotte Lucas who had been reoicing at the match, decided to get away till the storm was blown over, took Mr Collins and left for Longbourn. Her arrival was a pleasure to Elizabeth, though Mr Darcy had to bear with the show of all civility by Mr Collins. Mr and Mrs Darcy waited for all the bustle to rest to keep themselves to each other, and to leave for the comfort and elegance of Pemberly.

THE END