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did not hate him. No; hatred had vanished long ago, and

she had almost as long been ashamed of ever feeling a dis-

like against him that could be so called. The respect created

by the conviction of his valuable qualities, though at first un-

willingly admitted, had for some time ceased to be repugnant

to her feelings; and it was now heightened into somewhat

of a friendlier nature by the testimony so highly in his

favour, and bringing forward his disposition in so amiable a

light, which yesterday had produced. But above all, above

respect and esteem, there was a motive within her of good-

will which could not be overlooked. It was gratitude; --

gratitude, not merely for having once loved her, but for

loving her still well enough to forgive all the petulance and

acrimony of her manner in rejecting him, and all the unjust

accusations accompanying her rejection. He who, she had

been persuaded, would avoid her as his greatest enemy,

seemed, on this accidental meeting, most eager to preserve

the acquaintance, and without any indelicate display of re-

gard, or any peculiarity of manner, where their two selves

only were concerned, was soliciting the good opinion of her

friends, and bent on making her known to his sister. Such a

change in a man of so much pride excited not only astonish-

ment but gratitude -- for to love, ardent love, it must be at-

tributed; and, as such, its impression on her was of a sort to

be encouraged, as by no means unpleasing, though it could

not be exactly defined. She respected, she esteemed, she was

grateful to him, she felt a real interest in his welfare; and

she only wanted to know how far she wished that welfare

to depend upon herself, and how far it would be for the hap-

piness of both that she should employ the power, which her

fancy told her she still possessed, of bringing on the renewal

of his addresses.

It had been settled in the evening, between the aunt and

niece, that such a striking civility as Miss Darcy's in coming

to them on the very day of her arrival at Pemberley, for she

had reached it only to a late breakfast, ought to be imitated,

though it could not be equalled, by some exertion of polite-

ness on their side; and, consequently, that it would be highly

expedient to wait on her at Pemberley the following morning.

They were, therefore, to go. Elizabeth was pleased; though

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