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'Not yet,' replied Jane. 'But now that my dear uncle is

come, I hope everything will be well.'

'Is my father in town?'

'Yes, he went on Tuesday, as I wrote you word.'

'And have you heard from him often?'

'We have heard only once. He wrote me a few lines on

Wednesday, to say that he had arrived in safety, and to give

me his directions, which I particularly begged him to do. He

merely added, that he should not write again, till he had

something of importance to mention.'

'And my mother -- how is she? How are you all?'

'My mother is tolerably well, I trust; though her spirits

are greatly shaken. She is upstairs, and will have great

satisfaction in seeing you all. She does not yet leave her

dressing-room. Mary and Kitty, thank Heaven! are quite

well.'

'But you -- how are you?' cried Elizabeth. 'You look pale.

How much you must have gone through!'

Her sister, however, assured her of her being perfectly

well; and their conversation, which had been passing while

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were engaged with their children,

was now put an end to by the approach of the whole party.

Jane ran to her uncle and aunt, and welcomed and thanked

them both, with alternate smiles and tears.

When they were all in the drawing-room, the questions

which Elizabeth had already asked were of course repeated

by the others, and they soon found that Jane had no in-

telligence to give. The sanguine hope of good, however,

which the benevolence of her heart suggested, had not yet

deserted her; she still expected that it would all end well,

and that every morning would bring some letter, either

from Lydia or her father, to explain their proceedings, and,

perhaps, announce the marriage.

Mrs. Bennet, to whose apartment they all repaired, after a

few minutes conversation together, received them exactly

as might be expected; with tears and lamentations of re-

gret, invectives against the villainous conduct of Wickham,

and complaints of her own sufferings and ill-usage. Blaming

everybody but the person to whose ill-judging indulgence

the errors of her daughter must be principally owing.

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