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PREJUDICE
BY JANE AUsTEN
E very object in the next day’s journey was new and in-
teresting to Elizabeth; and her spirits were in a state of
enjoyment; for she had seen her sister looking so well as to
banish all fear for her health, and the prospect of her north-
ern tour was a constant source of delight.
When they left the high road for the lane to Hunsford,
every eye was in search of the Parsonage, and every turn-
ing expected to bring it in view. The palings of Rosings
Park was their boundary on one side. Elizabeth smiled at
the rec- ollection of all that she had heard of its inhabitants.
At length the Parsonage was discernible. The garden
sloping to the road, the house standing in it, the green pales,
and the laurel hedge, everything declared they were arriv-
ing. Mr. Collins and Charlotte appeared at the door, and
the carriage stopped at the small gate which led by a short
gravel walk to the house, amidst the nods and smiles of the
whole party. In a moment they were all out of the chaise, re-
joicing at the sight of each other. Mrs. Collins welcomed
her friend with the liveliest pleasure, and Elizabeth was
more and more satisfied with coming when she found
herself so affectionately received. She saw instantly that her
cousin’s manners were not altered by his marriage; his
formal ci- vility was just what it had been, and he detained
her some minutes at the gate to hear and satisfy his
inquiries after
I f Elizabeth, when Mr. Darcy gave her the letter, did not
expect it to contain a renewal of his offers, she had
formed no expectation at all of its contents. But such as
they were, it may well be supposed how eagerly she went
through them, and what a contrariety of emotion they ex-
cited. Her feelings as she read were scarcely to be defined.
With amazement did she first understand that he believed
any apology to be in his power; and steadfastly was she per-
suaded, that he could have no explanation to give, which a
just sense of shame would not conceal. With a strong preju-
dice against everything he might say, she began his account
of what had happened at Netherfield. She read with an ea-
gerness which hardly left her power of comprehension, and
from impatience of knowing what the next sentence might
bring, was incapable of attending to the sense of the one
before her eyes. His belief of her sister’s insensibility she in-
stantly resolved to be false; and his account of the real, the
worst objections to the match, made her too angry to have
any wish of doing him justice. He expressed no regret for
what he had done which satisfied her; his style was not peni-
tent, but haughty. It was all pride and insolence.
But when this subject was succeeded by his account of
Mr. Wickham—when she read with somewhat clearer at-
tention a relation of events which, if true, must overthrow
‘LYDIA BENNET.’
‘I have seen them both. They are not married, nor can I
find there was any intention of being so; but if you are
willing to perform the engagements which I have ventured
to make on your side, I hope it will not be long before
they are. All that is required of you is, to assure to your
daughter, by settlement, her equal share of the five
thousand pounds secured among your children after the
decease of yourself and my sister; and, moreover, to enter
into an engagement of allowing her, during your life, one
hundred pounds per annum. These are
conditions which, considering everything, I had no hesitation
in complying with, as far as I thought myself privileged,
for you. I shall send this by express, that no time may be
lost in bringing me your answer. You will easily
comprehend, from these particulars, that Mr. Wickham’s
circumstances are not so hopeless as they are generally
believed to be. The world has been deceived in that respect;
and I am happy to say there will be some little money, even
when all his debts are discharged, to settle on my niece,
in addition to her own fortune. If, as
I conclude will be the case, you send me full powers to
act in your name throughout the whole of this business,
I will immediately give directions to Haggerston for
preparing a
proper settlement. There will not be the smallest occasion for
your coming to town again; therefore stay quiet at
Longbourn, and depend on my diligence and care. Send back
your answer as fast as you can, and be careful to write
explicitly. We
have judged it best that my niece should be married from
‘EDW. GARDINER.’
A few days after this visit, Mr. Bingley called again, and
alone. His friend had left him that morning for Lon-
don, but was to return home in ten days time. He sat with
them above an hour, and was in remarkably good spirits.
Mrs. Bennet invited him to dine with them; but, with many
expressions of concern, he confessed himself engaged else-
where.
‘Next time you call,’ said she, ‘I hope we shall be more
lucky.’
He should be particularly happy at any time, etc. etc.;
and if she would give him leave, would take an early oppor-
tunity of waiting on them.
‘Can you come to-morrow?’
Yes, he had no engagement at all for to-morrow; and her
invitation was accepted with alacrity.
He came, and in such very good time that the ladies were
none of them dressed. In ran Mrs. Bennet to her daughter’s
room, in her dressing gown, and with her hair half finished,
crying out:
‘My dear Jane, make haste and hurry down. He is come
— Mr. Bingley is come. He is, indeed. Make haste, make
haste. Here, Sarah, come to Miss Bennet this moment, and
help her on with her gown. Never mind Miss Lizzy’s hair.’
‘We will be down as soon as we can,’ said Jane; ‘but I dare
‘DEAR SIR,
‘Yours, etc.’
As it happened that Elizabeth had MUCH rather not, she
endeavoured in her answer to put an end to every entreaty
and expectation of the kind. Such relief, however, as it was
in her power to afford, by the practice of what might be
called economy in her own private expences, she frequently
sent them. It had always been evident to her that such an
income as theirs, under the direction of two persons so
extravagant in their wants, and heedless of the future, must
be very in- sufficient to their support; and whenever they
changed their quarters, either Jane or herself were sure of
being applied to for some little assistance towards
discharging their bills. Their manner of living, even when
the restoration of peace dismissed them to a home, was
unsettled in the extreme. They were always moving from
place to place in quest of a cheap situation, and always
spending more than they ought. His affection for her soon
sunk into indifference; her’s last- ed a little longer; and in
spite of her youth and her manners,