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Not that I am afraid of _myself,_ but I dread other people's

remarks.'

Elizabeth did not know what to make of it. Had she not

seen him in Derbyshire, she might have supposed him

capable of coming there with no other view than what was

acknowledged; but she still thought him partial to Jane,

and she wavered as to the greater probability of his com-

ing there _with_ his friend's permission, or being bold enough

to come without it.

'Yet it is hard,' she sometimes thought, 'that this poor

man cannot come to a house, which he has legally hired,

without raising all this speculation! I _will_ leave him to him-

self.'

In spite of what her sister declared, and really believed

to be her feelings, in the expectation of his arrival, Elizabeth

could easily perceive that her spirits were affected by it.

They were more disturbed, more unequal, than she had often

seen them.

The subject which had been so warmly canvassed between

their parents, about a twelvemonth ago, was now brought

forward again.

'As soon as ever Mr. Bingley comes, my dear,' said Mrs.

Bennet, 'you will wait on him of course.'

'No, no. You forced me into visiting him last year, and

promised, if I went to see him, he should marry one of my

daughters. But it ended in nothing, and I will not be sent

on a fool's errand again.'

His wife represented to him how absolutely necessary such

an attention would be from all the neighbouring gentle-

men, on his returning to Netherfield.

'Tis an _etiquette_ I despise,' said he. 'If he wants our

society, let him seek it. He knows where we live. I will

not spend _my_ hours in running after my neighbours every

time they go away and come back again.'

'Well, all I know is, that it will be abominably rude if you

do not wait on him. But, however, that shan't prevent my

asking him to dine here, I am determined. We must have

Mrs. Long and the Gouldings soon. That will make thirteen

with ourselves, so there will be just room at the table for

him.'

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