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his own ball he offended two or three young ladies by not asking

them to dance; and I spoke to him twice myself, without receiving

an answer. Could there be finer symptoms; Is not general

incivility the very essence of love;'

'Oh, yes! -- of that kind of love which I suppose him to have

felt. Poor Jane! I am sorry for her, because, with her disposition,

she may not get over it immediately. It had better have happened

to yon, Lizzy; you would have laughed yourself out of it sooner.

But do you think she would be prevailed on to go back with us?

Change of scene might be of service -- and perhaps a litrle relief

from home may be as useful as anything.'

Elizabeth was exceedingly pleased with this proposal, and felt

persuaded of her sister's ready acquiescence.

'I hope,' added Mrs. Gardiner, 'that no consideration with

regard to this young man will influence her. We live in so

different a pan of town, all our connections are so different,

and, as you well know, we go out so little, that it is very im^

probable that they should meet at all, unless he really comes to

see her.'

'And that is quite impossible; for he is now in the custody of

his friend, and Mr. Darcy would no more suffer him to call on

Jane in such a part of London! -- My dear aunt, how could you

think of it; -- Mr. Darcy may perhaps have beard of such a place

as Gracechurch Street, but he would hardly think a month's

ablution enough to cleanse him from its impurities, were he once

to enter it; and depend upon it Mr. Bingley never stirs

without him.'

'So much the better. I hope they will not meet at all. But

does not Jane correspond with his sister? She will not be able

to help calling.'

'She will drop the acquaintance entirely.'

But in spite of the certainty in which Elizabeth affected to

place this point, as well as the still more interesting one of

Bingtey's being withheld from seeing Jane, she felt a solicitude

on the subject which convinced her, on examination, that she

did not consider it entirely hopeless. It was possible, and

sometimes she thought it probable, that his affection might be

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