Elizabeth’s impatience to acquaint Jane with what had happened could no
longer be overcome; and at length, resolving to suppress every particular
in which her sister was concerned, and preparing her to be surprised, she
related to her the next morning the chief of the scene between Mr. Darcy
and herself.🔗
Miss Bennet’s astonishment was soon lessened by the strong sisterly
partiality which made any admiration of Elizabeth appear perfectly
natural; and all surprise was shortly lost in other feelings. She was
sorry that Mr. Darcy should have delivered his sentiments in a manner so
little suited to recommend them; but still more was she grieved for the
unhappiness which her sister’s refusal must have given him.🔗
“His being so sure of succeeding was wrong,” said she, “and certainly
ought not to have appeared; but consider how much it must increase his
disappointment!”🔗
“Indeed,” replied Elizabeth, “I am heartily sorry for him; but he has
other feelings, which will probably soon drive away his regard for me. You
do not blame me, however, for refusing him?”🔗
“Blame you! Oh, no.”🔗
“But you blame me for having spoken so warmly of Wickham?”🔗
“No—I do not know that you were wrong in saying what you did.”🔗
“But you will know it, when I tell you what happened the very next
day.”🔗
She then spoke of the letter, repeating the whole of its contents as far
as they concerned George Wickham. What a stroke was this for poor Jane!
who would willingly have gone through the world without believing that so
much wickedness existed in the whole race of mankind, as was here
collected in one individual. Nor was Darcy’s vindication, though grateful
to her feelings, capable of consoling her for such discovery. Most
earnestly did she labour to prove the probability of error, and seek to
clear the one without involving the other.🔗
“This will not do,” said Elizabeth; “you never will be able to make both
of them good for anything. Take your choice, but you must be satisfied
with only one. There is but such a quantity of merit between them; just
enough to make one good sort of man; and of late it has been shifting
about pretty much. For my part, I am inclined to believe it all Darcy’s;
but you shall do as you choose.”🔗
It was some time, however, before a smile could be extorted from Jane.🔗
“I do not know when I have been more shocked,” said she. “Wickham so very
bad! It is almost past belief. And poor Mr. Darcy! Dear Lizzy, only
consider what he must have suffered. Such a disappointment! and with the
knowledge of your ill opinion, too! and having to relate such a thing of
his sister! It is really too distressing. I am sure you must feel it so.”🔗
“Oh! no, my regret and compassion are all done away by seeing you so full
of both. I know you will do him such ample justice, that I am growing
every moment more unconcerned and indifferent. Your profusion makes me
saving; and if you lament over him much longer, my heart will be as light
as a feather.”🔗
“Poor Wickham! there is such an expression of goodness in his countenance!
such an openness and gentleness in his manner!”🔗
“There certainly was some great mismanagement in the education of those
two young men. One has got all the goodness, and the other all the
appearance of it.”🔗
“I never thought Mr. Darcy so deficient in the appearance of it as
you used to do.”🔗
“And yet I meant to be uncommonly clever in taking so decided a dislike to
him, without any reason. It is such a spur to one’s genius, such an
opening for wit, to have a dislike of that kind. One may be continually
abusive without saying anything just; but one cannot always be laughing at
a man without now and then stumbling on something witty.”🔗
“Lizzy, when you first read that letter, I am sure you could not treat the
matter as you do now.”🔗
“Indeed, I could not. I was uncomfortable enough, I may say unhappy. And
with no one to speak to about what I felt, no Jane to comfort me and say
that I had not been so very weak and vain and nonsensical as I knew I had!
Oh! how I wanted you!”🔗
“How unfortunate that you should have used such very strong expressions in
speaking of Wickham to Mr. Darcy, for now they do appear wholly
undeserved.”🔗
“Certainly. But the misfortune of speaking with bitterness is a most
natural consequence of the prejudices I had been encouraging. There is one
point on which I want your advice. I want to be told whether I ought, or
ought not, to make our acquaintances in general understand Wickham’s
character.”🔗
Miss Bennet paused a little, and then replied, “Surely there can be no
occasion for exposing him so dreadfully. What is your opinion?”🔗
“That it ought not to be attempted. Mr. Darcy has not authorised me to
make his communication public. On the contrary, every particular relative
to his sister was meant to be kept as much as possible to myself; and if I
endeavour to undeceive people as to the rest of his conduct, who will
believe me? The general prejudice against Mr. Darcy is so violent, that it
would be the death of half the good people in Meryton to attempt to place
him in an amiable light. I am not equal to it. Wickham will soon be gone;
and therefore it will not signify to anyone here what he really is. Some
time hence it will be all found out, and then we may laugh at their
stupidity in not knowing it before. At present I will say nothing about
it.”🔗
“You are quite right. To have his errors made public might ruin him for
ever. He is now, perhaps, sorry for what he has done, and anxious to
re-establish a character. We must not make him desperate.”🔗
The tumult of Elizabeth’s mind was allayed by this conversation. She had
got rid of two of the secrets which had weighed on her for a fortnight,
and was certain of a willing listener in Jane, whenever she might wish to
talk again of either. But there was still something lurking behind, of
which prudence forbade the disclosure. She dared not relate the other half
of Mr. Darcy’s letter, nor explain to her sister how sincerely she had
been valued by her friend. Here was knowledge in which no one could
partake; and she was sensible that nothing less than a perfect
understanding between the parties could justify her in throwing off this
last encumbrance of mystery. “And then,” said she, “if that very
improbable event should ever take place, I shall merely be able to tell
what Bingley may tell in a much more agreeable manner himself. The liberty
of communication cannot be mine till it has lost all its value!”🔗
She was now, on being settled at home, at leisure to observe the real
state of her sister’s spirits. Jane was not happy. She still cherished a
very tender affection for Bingley. Having never even fancied herself in
love before, her regard had all the warmth of first attachment, and, from
her age and disposition, greater steadiness than most first attachments
often boast; and so fervently did she value his remembrance, and prefer
him to every other man, that all her good sense, and all her attention to
the feelings of her friends, were requisite to check the indulgence of
those regrets which must have been injurious to her own health and their
tranquillity.🔗
“Well, Lizzy,” said Mrs. Bennet one day, “what is your opinion now
of this sad business of Jane’s? For my part, I am determined never to
speak of it again to anybody. I told my sister Phillips so the other day.
But I cannot find out that Jane saw anything of him in London. Well, he is
a very undeserving young man—and I do not suppose there’s the least
chance in the world of her ever getting him now. There is no talk of his
coming to Netherfield again in the summer; and I have enquired of
everybody, too, who is likely to know.”🔗
“I do not believe he will ever live at Netherfield any more.”🔗
“Oh well! it is just as he chooses. Nobody wants him to come. Though I
shall always say he used my daughter extremely ill; and if I was her, I
would not have put up with it. Well, my comfort is, I am sure Jane will
die of a broken heart; and then he will be sorry for what he has done.”🔗
But as Elizabeth could not receive comfort from any such expectation, she
made no answer.🔗
“Well, Lizzy,” continued her mother, soon afterwards, “and so the
Collinses live very comfortable, do they? Well, well, I only hope it will
last. And what sort of table do they keep? Charlotte is an excellent
manager, I dare say. If she is half as sharp as her mother, she is saving
enough. There is nothing extravagant in their housekeeping, I dare
say.”🔗
“No, nothing at all.”🔗
“A great deal of good management, depend upon it. Yes, yes. They
will take care not to outrun their income. They will never be
distressed for money. Well, much good may it do them! And so, I suppose,
they often talk of having Longbourn when your father is dead. They look
upon it as quite their own, I dare say, whenever that happens.”🔗
“It was a subject which they could not mention before me.”🔗
“No; it would have been strange if they had; but I make no doubt they
often talk of it between themselves. Well, if they can be easy with an
estate that is not lawfully their own, so much the better. I should be
ashamed of having one that was only entailed on me.”🔗