{{prhprp496.jpg}}

Chapter LIX

'My dear Lizzy, where can you have been walking

to?' was a question which Elizabeth received from

Jane as soon as she entered the room, and from

all the others when they sat down to table. She had only

to say in reply, that they had wandered about till she was

beyond her own knowledge. She coloured as she spoke; but

neither that, nor anything else, awakened a suspicion of

the truth.

The evening passed quietly, unmarked by anything ex-

traordinary. The acknowledged lovers talked and laughed;

the unacknowledged were silent. Darcy was not of a dis-

position in which happiness overflows in mirth: and Eliz-

abeth, agitated and confused, rather _knew_ that she was

happy than _felt_ herself to be so; for, besides the immediate

embarrassment, there were other evils before her. She

anticipated what would be felt in the family when her situ-

ation became known: she was aware that no one liked him

but Jane; and even feared that with the others it was a

_dislike_ which not all his fortune and consequence might do

away.

At night she opened her heart to Jane. Though suspicion

was very far from Miss Bennet's general habits, she was

absolutely incredulous here.

'You are joking, Lizzy. This cannot be! Engaged to

Mr. Darcy! No, no, you shall not deceive me: I know it

to be impossible.'

'This is a wretched beginning, indeed! My sole depend-

ence was on you; and I am sure nobody else will believe me,

if you do not. Yet, indeed, I am in earnest. I speak noth-

ing but the truth. He still loves me, and we are engaged.'

Jane looked at her doubtingly. 'Oh, Lizzy, it cannot be.

I know how much you dislike him.'

'You know nothing of the matter. _That_ is all to be

forgot. Perhaps I did not always love him so well as I do

 [496]