CHAPTER XL.

1ELIZABETH’S impatience to acquaint Jane with what had happened could no longer be overcome; and at length resolving to suppress every particular in which her sister was concerned, and preparing her to be surprised, she related to her the next morning the chief of the scene between Mr. Darcy and herself.

2Miss Bennet’s astonishment was soon lessened by the strong sisterly partiality which made any admiration of Elizabeth appear perfectly natural; and all surprise was shortly lost in other feelings. 3She was sorry that Mr. Darcy should have delivered his sentiments in a manner so little suited to recommend them; but still more was she grieved for the unhappiness which her sister’s refusal must have given him.

4“His being so sure of succeeding was wrong,” said she, “and certainly ought not to have appeared; but consider how much it must increase his disappointment.”

5“Indeed,” replied Elizabeth, “I am heartily sorry for him; but he has other feelings which will probably soon drive away his regard for me. 6You do not blame me, however, for refusing him?”

7“Blame you! 8Oh, no.”

9“But you blame me for having spoken so warmly of Wickham?”

10“No—I do not know that you were wrong in saying what you did.”

11“But you will know it, when I have told you what happened the very next day.”

12She then spoke of the letter, repeating the whole of its contents as far as they concerned George Wickham. 13What a stroke was this for poor Jane, who would willingly have gone through the world without believing that so much wickedness existed in the whole race of mankind as was here collected in one individual! 14Nor was Darcy’s vindication, though grateful to her feelings, capable of consoling her for such discovery. 15Most earnestly did she labour to prove the probability of error, and seek to clear one, without involving the other.

16“This will not do,” said Elizabeth; “you never will be able to make both of them good for anything. 17Take your choice, but you must be satisfied with only one. 18There is but such a quantity of merit between them; just enough to make one good sort of man; and of late it has been shifting about pretty much. 19For my part, I am inclined to believe it all Mr. Darcy’s, but you shall do as you choose.”

20It was some time, however, before a smile could be extorted from Jane.

21“I do not know when I have been more shocked,” said she. 22“Wickham so very bad! 23It is almost past belief. 24And poor Mr. Darcy! 25dear Lizzy, only consider what he must have suffered. 26Such a disappointment! 27and with the knowledge of your ill opinion too! 28and having to relate such a thing of his sister! 29It is really too distressing, I am sure you must feel it so.”

30“Oh no, my regret and compassion are all done away by seeing you so full of both. 31I know you will do him such ample justice, that I am growing every moment more unconcerned and indifferent. 32Your profusion makes me saving; and if you lament over him much longer, my heart will be as light as a feather.”

33“Poor Wickham! 34there is such an expression of goodness in his countenance! 35such an openness and gentleness in his manner.”

36“There certainly was some great mismanagement in the education of those two young men. 37One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it.”

38“I never thought Mr. Darcy so deficient in the appearance of it as you used to do.”

39“And yet I meant to be uncommonly clever in taking so decided a dislike to him, without any reason. 40It is such a spur to one’s genius, such an opening for wit, to have a dislike of that kind. 41One may be continually abusive without saying anything just; but one cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty.”

42“Lizzy, when you first read that letter, I am sure you could not treat the matter as you do now.”

43“Indeed, I could not. 44I was uncomfortable enough, I was very uncomfortable—I may say unhappy. 45And with no one to speak to of what I felt, no Jane to comfort me, and say that I had not been so very weak, and vain, and nonsensical, as I knew I had! 46Oh, how I wanted you!”

47“How unfortunate that you should have used such very strong expressions in speaking of Wickham to Mr. Darcy, for now they do appear wholly undeserved.”

48“Certainly. 49But the misfortune of speaking with bitterness is a most natural consequence of the prejudices I had been encouraging. 50There is one point on which I want your advice. 51I want to be told whether I ought, or ought not, to make our acquaintance in general understand Wickham’s character.”

52Miss Bennet paused a little, and then replied, “Surely there can be no occasion for exposing him so dreadfully. 53What is your own opinion?”

54“That it ought not to be attempted. 55Mr. Darcy has not authorized me to make his communication public. 56On the contrary, every particular relative to his sister was meant to be kept as much as possible to myself; and if I endeavour to undeceive people as to the rest of his conduct, who will believe me? 57The general prejudice against Mr. Darcy is so violent, that it would be the death of half the good people in Meryton, to attempt to place him in an amiable light. 58I am not equal to it. 59Wickham will soon be gone; and, therefore, it will not signify to anybody here what he really is. 60Some time hence it will be all found out, and then we may laugh at their stupidity in not knowing it before. 61At present I will say nothing about it.”

62“You are quite right. 63To have his errors made public might ruin him for ever. 64He is now, perhaps, sorry for what he has done, and anxious to re-establish a character. 65We must not make him desperate.”

66The tumult of Elizabeth’s mind was allayed by this conversation. 67She had got rid of two of the secrets which had weighed on her for a fortnight, and was certain of a willing listener in Jane, whenever she might wish to talk again of either. 68But there was still something lurking behind, of which prudence forbade the disclosure. 69She dared not relate the other half of Mr. Darcy’s letter, nor explain to her sister how sincerely she had been valued by his friend. 70Here was knowledge in which no one could partake; and she was sensible that nothing less than a perfect understanding between the parties could justify her in throwing off this last encumbrance of mystery. 71“And then,” said she, “if that very improbable event should ever take place, I shall merely be able to tell what Bingley may tell in a much more agreeable manner himself. 72The liberty of communication cannot be mine till it has lost all its value!”

73She was now, on being settled at home, at leisure to observe the real state of her sister’s spirits. 74Jane was not happy. 75She still cherished a very tender affection for Bingley. 76Having never even fancied herself in love before, her regard had all the warmth of first attachment, and from her age and disposition, greater steadiness than first attachments often boast; and so fervently did she value his remembrance, and prefer him to every other man, that all her good sense, and all her attention to the feelings of her friends, were requisite to check the indulgence of those regrets which must have been injurious to her own health and their tranquillity.

77“Well, Lizzy,” said Mrs. Bennet, one day, “what is your opinion now of this sad business of Jane’s? 78For my part, I am determined never to speak of it again to anybody. 79I told my sister Philips so the other day. 80But I cannot find out that Jane saw anything of him in London. 81Well, he is a very undeserving young man—and I do not suppose there is the least chance in the world of her ever getting him now. 82There is no talk of his coming to Netherfield again in the summer; and I have inquired of everybody, too, who is likely to know.”

83“I do not believe that he will ever live at Netherfield any more.”

84“Oh, well! 85it is just as he chooses. 86Nobody wants him to come; though I shall always say that he used my daughter extremely ill; and, if I was her, I would not have put up with it. 87Well, my comfort is, I am sure Jane will die of a broken heart, and then he will be sorry for what he has done.”

88But as Elizabeth could not receive comfort from any such expectation she made no answer.

89“Well, Lizzy,” continued her mother, soon afterwards, “and so the Collinses live very comfortable, do they? 90Well, well, I only hope it will last. 91And what sort of table do they keep? 92Charlotte is an excellent manager, I dare say. 93If she is half as sharp as her mother, she is saving enough. 94There is nothing extravagant in their housekeeping, I dare say.”

95“No, nothing at all.”

96“A great deal of good management, depend upon it. 97Yes, yes. 98They will take care not to outrun their income. 99They will never be distressed for money. 100Well, much good may it do them! 101And so, I suppose, they often talk of having Longbourn when your father is dead. 102They look upon it quite as their own, I dare say, whenever that happens.”

103“It was a subject which they could not mention before me.”

104“No; it would have been strange if they had. 105But I make no doubt they often talk of it between themselves. 106Well, if they can be easy with an estate that is not lawfully their own, so much the better. 107I should be ashamed of having one that was only entailed on me.”