第141章

tly fair. Lady Catherine's unjustifiable endeavours to separate us were the means of removing all my doubts. I am not indebted for my present happiness to your eager desire of expressing your gratitude.I was not in a humour to wait for any opening of yours. My aunt's intelligence had given me hope,and I was determined at once to know every thing.”

    “Lady Catherine has been of infinite use,which ought to make her happy, for she loves to be of use.But tell me,what did you come down to Netherfield for?Was it merely to ride to Longbourn and be embarrassed? or had you intended any more serious consequence?”

    “My real purpose was to see you, and to judge, if I could, whether I might ever hope to make you love me.My avowed one, or what I avowed to myself,was to see whether your sister were still partial to Bingley,and if she were,to make the confession to him which I have since made.”

    “Shall you ever have courage to announce to Lady Catherine what is to befall her?”

    “I am more likely to want more time than courage,Elizabeth. But it ought to be done,and if you will give me a sheet of paper,it shall be done directly.”

    “And if I had not a letter to write myself,I might sit by you and admire the evenness of your writing,as another young lady once did.But I have an aunt,too,who must not be longer neglected.”

    From an unwillingness to confess how much her intimacy with Mr.Darcy had been over-rated,Elizabeth had never yet answered Mrs.Gardiner's long letter;but now,having that to communicate which she knew would be most welcome,she was almost ashamed to find that her uncle and aunt had already lost three days of happiness,and immediately wrote as follows:

    “I would have thanked you before,my dear aunt,as I ought to have done,for your long,kind,satisfactory,detail of particulars;but to say the truth,I was too cross to write.You supposed more than really existed. But now suppose as much as you choose;give a loose rein to your fancy,indulge your imagination in every possible flight which the subject will afford,and unless you believe me actually married,you cannot greatly err.You must write again very soon,and praise him a great deal more than you did in your last. I thank you, again and again, for not going to the Lakes. How could I be so silly as to wish it!Your idea of the ponies is delightful.We will go round the Park every day.I am the happiest creature in the world.Perhaps other people have said so before, but no one with such justice. I am happier even than Jane; she only smiles,I laugh.Mr.Darcy sends you all the love in the world that he can spare from me.You are all to come to Pemberley at Christmas.Yours,etc.”

    Mr. Darcy's letter to Lady Catherine was in a different style;and still different from either was what Mr.Bennet sent to Mr. Collins,in reply to his last.

    “Dear Sir,

    “I must trouble you once more for congratulations. Elizabeth will soon be the wife of Mr. Darcy. Console Lady Catherine as well as you can.But,if I were you,I would stand by the nephew. He has more to give.

    “Yours sincerely,etc.”