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thrown by seeing him fall a victim to her mother's rapacity

for whist-players, and in a few moments after seated with the

rest of the party. She now lost every expectation of pleas-

ure. They were confined for the evening at different tables,

and she had nothing to hope, but that his eyes were so often

turned towards her side of the room as to make him play as

unsuccessfully as herself.

Mrs. Bennet had designed to keep the two Netherfield

gentlemen to supper: but their carriage was, unluckily,

ordered before any of the others, and she had no opportunity

of detaining them.

'Well, girls,' said she, as soon as they were left to them-

selves, 'what say you to the day? I think everything has

passed off uncommonly well, I assure you. The dinner was

as well dressed as any I ever saw. The venison was roasted

to a turn -- and everybody said they never saw so fat a

haunch. The soup was fifty times better than what we had

at the Lucases' last week; and even Mr. Darcy acknowledged

that the partridges were remarkably well done; and I suppose

he has two or three French cooks at least. And, my dear

Jane, I never saw you look in greater beauty. Mrs. Long

said so too, for I asked her whether you did not. And what

do you think she said besides? "Ah! Mrs. Bennet, we shall

have her at Netherfield at last!" She did, indeed. I do

think Mrs. Long is as good a creature as ever lived -- and her

nieces are very pretty behaved girls, and not at all handsome:

I like them prodigiously.'

Mrs. Bennet, in short, was in very great spirits: she had

seen enough of Bingley's behaviour to Jane to be convinced

that she would get him at last; and her expectations of

advantage to her family, when in a happy humour, were so

far beyond reason, that she was quite disappointed at not

seeing him there again the next day to make his proposals.

'It has been a very agreeable day,' said Miss Bennet to

Elizabeth. 'The party seemed so well selected, so suitable

one with the other. I hope we may often meet again.'

Elizabeth smiled.

'Lizzy, you must not do so. You must not suspect me.

It mortifies me. I assure you that I have now learnt to enjoy

his conversation as an agreeable and sensible young man

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