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field, and the servant waited for an answer. Mrs. Bennet's

eyes sparkled with pleasure, and she was eagerly calling out,

while her daughter read,--

'Well, Jane, who is it from? What is it about? What

does he say? Well, Jane, make haste and tell us; make

haste, my love.'

'It is from Miss Bingley,' said Jane, and then read it

aloud.

> 'My Dear Friend -- If you are not so compassionate as to dine

> to-day with Louisa and me, we shall be in danger of hating each

> other for the rest of our lives; for a whole day's tete-a-tete between

> two women can never end without a quarrel. Come as soon as you

> can on the receipt of this. My brother and the gentlemen are to

> dine with the officers. Yours ever,'

>

> Caroline Bingley

'With the officers!' cried Lydia: 'I wonder my aunt did

not tell us of _that.'_

'Dining out,' said Mrs. Bennet; 'that is very unlucky.'

'Can I have the carriage?' said Jane.

'No, my dear, you had better go on horseback, because it

seems likely to rain; and then you must stay all night.'

'That would be a good scheme,' said Elizabeth, 'if you

were sure that they would not offer to send her home.'

'Oh, but the gentlemen will have Mr. Bingley's chaise to

go to Meryton; and the Hursts have no horses to theirs.'

'I had much rather go in the coach.'

'But, my dear, your father cannot spare the horses, I am

sure. They are wanted in the farm, Mr. Bennet, are not

they?'

'They are wanted in the farm much oftener than I can

get them.'

'But if you have got them to-day,' said Elizabeth, 'my

mother's purpose will be answered.'

She did at last extort from her father an acknowledgment

that the horses were engaged; Jane was therefore obliged

to go on horseback, and her mother attended her to the door

with many cheerful prognostics of a bad day. Her hopes

were answered; Jane had not been gone long before it

rained hard. Her sisters were uneasy for her, but her

mother was delighted. The rain continued the whole even-

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