{{prxprp191.jpg}} || PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 191 ||

cared three straws about her. Who could about such a nasty little

freckled thing?'

Elizabeth was shocked to think that, however incapable of

such coarseness of expression herself, the coarseness of the sentiment

was little other than her own breast had formerly harboured and

fancied liberal!

As soon as all had ate, and the elder ones paid, the carriage

was ordered; and after some contrivance, the whole party, with

all their boxes, work bags, and parcels, and the unwelcome

addition of Kitty's and Lydia's purchases, were seated in it.

'How nicely we are crammed in!' cried Lydia. 'I am glad

I bought my bonnet, if it is only for the fun of having another

bandbox! Well, now let us be quite comfortable and snug,

and talk and laugh all the way home. And in the first place,

let us hear what has happened to you all, since you went away.

Have you seen any pleasant men? Have you had any flirting?

I was in great hopes that one of you would have got a husband

before you came back. Jane will be quite an old maid soon,

I declare. She is almost three^-and^twenty! Lord, how ashamed

I should be of not being married before three and twenty! My

aunt Philips wants you so to get husbands, you can't think. She

says Lizzy had better have taken Mr. Collins; but I do not think

there would have been any fun in it. Lord! how I should like

to be married before any of you! and then I would chaperon you

about to all the balls. Dear me! we had such a good piece of

fun the other day at Colonel Forster 's. Kitty and me were to

spend the day there, and Mrs. Forster promised to have a little

dance in the evening (by the bye, Mrs. Forster and me are such

friends!); and so she asked the two Harringtons to come, but

Harriet was ill, and so Pen was forced to come by herself; and

then, what do you think we did? We dressed up Chamberlayne

in woman's clothes, on purpose to pass for a lady -- only think

what fun! Not a soul knew of it, but Colonel and Mrs. Forster,

and Kitty and me, except my aunt, for we were forced to borrow

one of her gowns; and you cannot imagine how well he looked!

When Denny, and Wickham, and Pratt, and two or three more

of the men came in, they did not know him in the least. Lord!

 [[191]]