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against his enemies, and everything else, gave way before the

hope of Jane's being in the fairest way for happiness.

'I want to know,' said she, with a countenance no less

smiling than her sister's, 'what you have learnt about Mr.

Wickham. But perhaps you have been too pleasantly en-

gaged to think of any third person, in which case you may

be sure of my pardon.'

'No,' replied Jane, 'I have not forgotten him; but I have

nothing satisfactory to tell you. Mr. Bingley does not know

the whole of his history, and is quite ignorant of the circum-

stances which have principally offended Mr. Darcy; but he

will vouch for the good conduct, the probity and honour, of

his friend, and is perfectly convinced that Mr. Wickham has

deserved much less attention from Mr. Darcy than he has

received; and I am sorry to say that by his account, as well

as his sister's, Mr. Wickham is by no means a respectable

young man. I am afraid he has been very imprudent, and

has deserved to lose Mr. Darcy's regard.'

'Mr. Bingley does not know Mr. Wickham himself.'

'No; he never saw him till the other morning at Meryton.'

'This account then is what he has received from Mr.

Darcy. I am perfectly satisfied. But what does he say of the

living?'

'He does not exactly recollect the circumstances, though

he has heard them from Mr. Darcy more than once, but he

believes that it was left to him _conditionally_ only.'

'I have not a doubt of Mr. Bingley's sincerity,' said Eliz-

abeth warmly, 'but you must excuse my not being convinced

by assurances only. Mr. Bingley's defence of his friend was

a very able one, I daresay; but since he is unacquainted

with several parts of the story, and has learnt the rest from

that friend himself, I shall venture still to think of both gen-

tlemen as I did before.'

She then changed the discourse to one more gratifying to

each, and on which there could be no difference of sentiment.

Elizabeth listened with delight to the happy though modest

hopes which Jane entertained of Bingley's regard, and said all

in her power to heighten her confidence in it. On their being

joined by Mr. Bingley himself, Elizabeth withdrew to Miss

Lucas; to whose inquiry after the pleasantness of her last

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