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teasing than usual to himself. He wisely resolved to be

particularly careful that no sign of admiration should _now_

escape him -- nothing that could elevate her with the hope of

influencing his felicity; sensible that, if such an idea had been

suggested, his behaviour during the last day must have mate-

rial weight in confirming or crushing it. Steady to his pur-

pose, he scarcely spoke ten words to her through the whole

of Saturday; and though they were at one time left by them-

selves for half an hour, he adhered most conscientiously to

his book and would not even look at her.

On Sunday, after morning service, the separation, so

agreeable to almost all, took place. Miss Bingley's civility

to Elizabeth increased at last very rapidly, as well as her

affection for Jane; and when they parted, after assuring the

latter of the pleasure it would always give her to see her

either at Longbourn or Netherfield, and embracing her most

tenderly, she even shook hands with the former. Elizabeth

took leave of the whole party in the liveliest spirits.

They were not welcomed home very cordially by their

mother. Mrs. Bennet wondered at their coming, and thought

them very wrong to give so much trouble, and was sure Jane

would have caught cold again. But their father, though very

laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see

them; he had felt their importance in the family circle. The

evening conversation, when they were all assembled, had lost

much of its animation, and almost all its sense, by the absence

of Jane and Elizabeth.

They found Mary, as usual, deep in the study of thorough

bass and human nature; and had some new extracts to ad-

mire, and some new observations of threadbare morality to

listen to. Catherine and Lydia had information for them of a

different sort. Much had been done, and much had been

said in the regiment since the preceding Wednesday; several

of the officers had dined lately with their uncle; a private had

been flogged, and it had actually been hinted that Colonel

Forster was going to be married.

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