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第123章（第1页）

“Ibegintobesorrythathecomesatall，”saidJanetohersister。“Itwouldbenothing;Icouldseehimwithperfectindifference，butIcanhardlybeartohearitthusperpetuallytalkedof。Mymothermeanswell;butshedoesnotknow，noonecanknow，howmuchIsufferfromwhatshesays。HappyshallIbe，whenhisstayatNetherfieldisover!”

“IwishIcouldsayanythingtocomfortyou，”repliedElizabeth;“butitiswhollyoutofmypower。Youmustfeelit;andtheusualsatisfactionofpreachingpatiencetoasuffererisdeniedme，becauseyouhavealwayssomuch。”

Mr。Bingleyarrived。Mrs。Bennet，throughtheassistanceofservants，contrivedtohavetheearliesttidingsofit，thattheperiodofanxietyandfretfulnessonhersidemightbeaslongasitcould。Shecountedthedaysthatmustintervenebeforetheirinvitationcouldbesent;hopelessofseeinghimbefore。ButonthethirdmorningafterhisarrivalinHertfordshire，shesawhim，fromherdressing-roomwindow，enterthepaddockandridetowardsthehouse。

Herdaughterswereeagerlycalledtopartakeofherjoy。Janeresolutelykeptherplaceatthetable;butElizabeth，tosatisfyhermother，wenttothewindow—shelooked，—shesawMr。Darcywithhim，andsatdownagainbyhersister。

“Thereisagentlemanwithhim，mamma，”saidKitty;“whocanitbe?”

“Someacquaintanceorother，mydear，Isuppose;IamsureIdonotknow。”

“La!”repliedKitty，“itlooksjustlikethatmanthatusedtobewithhimbefore。Mr。whats-his-name。Thattall，proudman。”

“Goodgracious!Mr。Darcy!—andsoitdoes，Ivow。Well，anyfriendofMr。Bingleyswillalwaysbewelcomehere，tobesure;butelseImustsaythatIhatetheverysightofhim。”

JanelookedatElizabethwithsurpriseandconcern。SheknewbutlittleoftheirmeetinginDerbyshire，andthereforefeltfortheawkwardnesswhichmustattendhersister，inseeinghimalmostforthefirsttimeafterreceivinghisexplanatoryletter。Bothsisterswereuncomfortableenough。Eachfeltfortheother，andofcourseforthemselves;andtheirmothertalkedon，ofherdislikeofMr。Darcy，andherresolutiontobeciviltohimonlyasMr。Bingleysfriend，withoutbeingheardbyeitherofthem。ButElizabethhadsourcesofuneasinesswhichcouldnotbesuspectedbyJane，towhomshehadneveryethadcouragetoshewMrs。Gardinersletter，ortorelateherownchangeofsentimenttowardshim。ToJane，hecouldbeonlyamanwhoseproposalsshehadrefused，andwhosemeritshehadundervalued;buttoherownmoreextensiveinformation，hewasthepersontowhomthewholefamilywereindebtedforthefirstofbenefits，andwhomsheregardedherselfwithaninterest，ifnotquitesotender，atleastasreasonableandjustaswhatJanefeltforBingley。Herastonishmentathiscoming—athiscomingtoNetherfield，toLongbourn，andvoluntarilyseekingheragain，wasalmostequaltowhatshehadknownonfirstwitnessinghisalteredbehaviourinDerbyshire。

Thecolourwhichhadbeendrivenfromherface，returnedforhalfaminutewithanadditionalglow，andasmileofdelightaddedlustretohereyes，asshethoughtforthatspaceoftimethathisaffectionandwishesmuststillbeunshaken。Butshewouldnotbesecure。

“Letmefirstseehowhebehaves，”saidshe;“itwillthenbeearlyenoughforexpectation。”

Shesatintentlyatwork，strivingtobecomposed，andwithoutdaringtoliftuphereyes，tillanxiouscuriositycarriedthemtothefaceofhersisterastheservantwasapproachingthedoor。Janelookedalittlepalerthanusual，butmoresedatethanElizabethhadexpected。Onthegentlemensappearing，hercolourincreased;yetshereceivedthemwithtolerableease，andwithaproprietyofbehaviourequallyfreefromanysymptomofresentmentoranyunnecessarycomplaisance。

Elizabethsaidaslittletoeitherascivilitywouldallow，andsatdownagaintoherwork，withaneagernesswhichitdidnotoftencommand。ShehadventuredonlyoneglanceatDarcy。Helookedserious，asusual;and，shethought，moreashehadbeenusedtolookinHertfordshire，thanasshehadseenhimatPemberley。But，perhapshecouldnotinhermotherspresencebewhathewasbeforeheruncleandaunt。Itwasapainful，butnotanimprobable，conjecture。

Bingley，shehadlikewiseseenforaninstant，andinthatshortperiodsawhimlookingbothpleasedandembarrassed。HewasreceivedbyMrs。Bennetwithadegreeofcivilitywhichmadehertwodaughtersashamed，especiallywhencontrastedwiththecoldandceremoniouspolitenessofhercurtseyandaddresstohisfriend。

Elizabeth，particularly，whoknewthathermotherowedtothelatterthepreservationofherfavouritedaughterfromirremediableinfamy，washurtanddistressedtoamostpainfuldegreebyadistinctionsoillapplied。