{{prxprp159.jpg}} || PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 159 ||

In her kind schemes for Elizabeth, she sometimes planned her

marrying Colonel Fitzwilliam. He was beyond comparison

the pleasantest man; he certainly admired her, and his situation

in life was most eligible; but, to counterbalance these advantages,

Mr. Darcy had considerable patronage in the church, and his

cousin could have none at all.

Chapter XXXIII

More than once did Elizabeth in her ramble within the park,

unexpectedly meet Mr. Darcy. She felt all the perverseness of

the mischance that should bring him where no one else was

brought; and, to prevent its ever happening again, took care to

inform him at first, that it was a favourite haunt of hers. -- How it

could occur a second time, therefore, was very odd! Yet it did,

and even the third. It seemed like wilful ill^nature, or a voluntary

penance, for on these occasions it was not merely a few formal

inquiries and an awkward pause and then away, but he actually

thought it necessary to turn back and walk with her. He never

said a great deal, nor did she give herself the trouble of talking or

of listening much; but it struck her in the course of their third

rencontre that he was asking some odd unconnected questions --

about her pleasure in being at Hunsford, her love of solitary

walks, and her opinion of Mr. and Mrs. Collins's happiness;

and that in speaking of Rosings and her not perfectly under'

standing the house, he seemed to expect that whenever she came

into Kent again she would be staying there too. His words

seemed to imply it. Could he have Colonel Fitzwilliam in his

thoughts? She supposed, if he meant anything, he must mean

an allusion to what might arise in that quarter. It distressed her

a little, and she was quite glad to find herself at the gate in the

pales opposite the Parsonage.

She was engaged one day as she walked in rcperusing Jane's

last letter, and dwelling on some passage which proved that

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