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duty. Pardon me for neglecting to profit by your advice,

which on every other subject shall be my constant guide,

though in the case before us I consider myself more fitted by

education and habitual study to decide on what is right than

a young lady like yourself;' and with a low bow he left her

to attack Mr. Darcy, whose reception of his advances she

eagerly watched, and whose astonishment at being so ad-

dressed was very evident. Her cousin prefaced his speech

with a solemn bow, and though she could not hear a word

of it, she felt as if hearing it all, and saw in the motion of

his lips the words 'apology,' 'Hunsford,' and 'Lady Catherine

de Bourgh.' It vexed her to see him expose himself to such

a man. Mr. Darcy was eyeing him with unrestrained won-

der; and when at last Mr. Collins allowed him to speak, re-

plied with an air of distant civility. Mr. Collins, however,

was not discouraged from speaking again, and Mr. Darcy's

contempt seemed abundantly increasing with the length of his

second speech; and at the end of it he only made him a slight

bow, and moved another way: Mr. Collins then returned to

Elizabeth.

'I have no reason, I assure you,' said he, 'to be dissatisfied

with my reception. Mr. Darcy seemed much pleased with

the attention. He answered me with the utmost civility, and

even paid me the compliment of saying that he was so well

convinced of Lady Catherine's discernment as to be certain

she could never bestow a favour unworthily. It was really

a very handsome thought. Upon the whole, I am much

pleased with him.'

As Elizabeth had no longer any interest of her own to pur-

sue, she turned her attention almost entirely on her sister and

Mr. Bingley; and the train of agreeable reflections which her

observations gave birth to made her perhaps almost as happy

as Jane. She saw her in idea settled in that very house, in

all the felicity which a marriage of true affection could be-

stow; and she felt capable, under such circumstances, of en-

deavouring even to like Bingley's two sisters. Her mother's

thoughts she plainly saw were bent the same way, and she

determined not to venture near her, lest she might hear too

much. When they sat down to supper, therefore, she con-

sidered it a most unlucky perverseness which placed them

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