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Chapter XXVII

With no greater events than these in the Longbourn family, and

otherwise diversified by little beyond the walks to Meryton,

sometimes dirty and sometimes cold, did January and February

pass away. March was to take Elizabeth to Hunsford. She

had not at first thought very seriously of going thither; but

Charlotte, she soon found, was depending on the plan, and she

gradually learned to consider it herself with greater pleasure as

well as greater certainty. Absence had increased her desire of

seeing Charlotte again, and weakened her disgust of Mr. Collins.

There was novelty in the scheme, and as, with such a mother and

such uncompanionable sisters, home could not be faultless, a

little change was not unwelcome for its own sake. The journey

would moreover give her a peep at Jane; and, in short, as the

time drew near, she would have been very sorry for any delay.

Every thing, however, went on smoothly, and was finally settled

according to Charlotte's first sketch. She was to accompany Sir

William and his second daughter. The improvement of spending

a night in London was added in time, and the plan became

perfect as plan could be.

The only pain was in leaving her father, who would certainly

miss her, and who, when it came to the point, so little liked her

going, that he told her to write to him, and almost promised to

answer her letter.

The farewell between herself and Mr. Wickham was perfectly

friendly; on his side even more. His present pursuit could not

make him forget that Elizabeth had been the first to excite and to

deserve his attention, the first to listen and to pity, the first to be

admired; and in his manner of bidding her adieu, wishing her

every enjoyment, reminding her of what she was to expect in

Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and trusting their opinion of her --

their opinion of everybody -- would always coincide, there was

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