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much of your time, and accept my best wishes for your health

and happiness.'

And with these words he hastily left the room, and Eliza-

beth heard him the next moment open the front door and quit

the house. The tumult of her mind was now painfully great.

She knew not how to support herself, and, from actual weak-

ness, sat down and cried for half an hour. Her astonishment,

as she reflected on what had passed, was increased by every

review of it. That she should receive an offer of marriage

from Mr. Darcy! that he should have been in love with her

for so many months! so much in love as to wish to marry

her in spite of all the objections which had made him pre-

vent his friend's marrying her sister, and which must appear

at least with equal force in his own case, was almost in-

credible! it was gratifying to have inspired unconsciously so

strong an affection. But his pride, his abominable pride, his

shameless avowal of what he had done with respect to Jane,

his unpardonable assurance in acknowledging, though he

could not justify it, and the unfeeling manner in which he

had mentioned Mr. Wickham, his cruelty towards whom he

had not attempted to deny, soon overcame the pity which the

consideration of his attachment had for a moment excited.

She continued in very agitating reflections till the sound

of Lady Catherine's carriage made her feel how unequal she

was to encounter Charlotte's observation, and hurried her

away to her room.

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