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recurring. The united efforts of his two unfeeling sisters,

and of his overpowering friend, assisted by the attractions of

Miss Darcy and the amusements of London, might be too

much, she feared, for the strength of his attachment.

As for Jane, _her_ anxiety under this suspense was, of

course, more painful than Elizabeth's: but whatever she felt

she was desirous of concealing; and between herself and

Elizabeth, therefore, the subject was never alluded to. But

as no such delicacy restrained her mother, an hour seldom

passed in which she did not talk of Bingley, express her im-

patience for his arrival, or even require Jane to confess that

if he did not come back she should think herself very ill

used. It needed all Jane's steady mildness to bear these

attacks with tolerable tranquillity.

Mr. Collins returned most punctually on the Monday fort-

night, but his reception at Longbourn was not quite so gra-

cious as it had been on his first introduction. He was too

happy, however, to need much attention; and, luckily for the

others, the business of love-making relieved them from a

great deal of his company. The chief of every day was

spent by him at Lucas Lodge, and he sometimes returned to

Longbourn only in time to make an apology for his absence

before the family went to bed.

Mrs. Bennet was really in a most pitiable state. The very

mention of anything concerning the match threw her into an

agony of ill-humour, and wherever she went she was sure of

hearing it talked of. The sight of Miss Lucas was odious to

her. As her successor in that house, she regarded her with

jealous abhorrence.

Whenever Charlotte came to see them, she concluded her

to be anticipating the hour of possession; and whenever

she spoke in a low voice to Mr. Collins, was convinced

that they were talking of the Longbourn estate, and resolv-

ing to turn herself and her daughters out of the house

as soon as Mr. Bennet was dead. She complained bitterly

of all this to her husband.

'Indeed, Mr. Bennet,' said she, 'it is very hard to think

that Charlotte Lucas should ever be mistress of this house,

that _I_ should be forced to make way for _her,_ and live to see

her take my place in it!'

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