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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 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 inquired 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.”