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duced themselves I can hardly tell, but I believe in about

half an hour after I had seen you.'

He then told her of Georgiana's delight in her acquaint-

ance, and of her disappointment at its sudden interruption;

which naturally leading to the cause of that interruption,

she soon learnt that his resolution of following her from

Derbyshire in quest of her sister had been formed before

he quitted the inn, and that his gravity and thoughtfulness

there had arisen from no other struggles than what such a

purpose must comprehend.

She expressed her gratitude again, but it was too painful

a subject for each to be dwelt on farther.

After walking several miles in a leisurely manner, and too

busy to know anything about it, they found at last, on ex-

amining their watches, that it was time to be at home.

'What could have become of Mr. Bingley and Jane!' was

a wonder which introduced the discussion of _their_ affairs.

Darcy was delighted with their engagement; his friend had

given him the earliest information of it.

'I must ask whether you were surprised?' said Elizabeth.

'Not at all. When I went away, I felt that it would soon

happen.'

'That is to say, you had given your permission. I

guessed as much.' And though he exclaimed at the term,

she found that it had been pretty much the case.

'On the evening before my going to London,' said he,

'I made a confession to him, which I believe I ought to

have made long ago. I told him of all that had occurred

to make my former interference in his affairs absurd and

impertinent. His surprise was great. He had never had

the slightest suspicion. I told him, moreover, that I believed

myself mistaken in supposing, as I had done, that your

sister was indifferent to him; and as I could easily perceive

that his attachment to her was unabated, I felt no doubt of

their happiness together.'

Elizabeth could not help smiling at his easy manner of

directing his friend.

'Did you speak from your own observation,' said she,

'when you told him that my sister loved him, or merely

from my information last spring?'

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