Elizabeth had settled it that Mr. Darcy would bring his sister to visit her the
very day after her reaching Pemberley; and was consequently resolved not
to be out of sight of the inn the whole of that morning. But her conclusion
was false; for on the very morning after their arrival at Lambton, these visi-
tors came. They had been walking about the place with some of their new
friends, and were just returning to the inn to dress themselves for dining
with the same family, when the sound of a carriage drew them to a window,
and they saw a gentleman and a lady in a curricle driving up the street. Eliz-
abeth immediately recognizing the livery, guessed what it meant, and im-
parted no small degree of her surprise to her relations by acquainting them
with the honour which she expected. Her uncle and aunt were all amaze-
ment; and the embarrassment of her manner as she spoke, joined to the cir-
cumstance itself, and many of the circumstances of the preceding day,
opened to them a new idea on the business. Nothing had ever suggested it
before, but they felt that there was no other way of accounting for such at-
tentions from such a quarter than by supposing a partiality for their niece.
While these newly-born notions were passing in their heads, the perturba-
tion of Elizabeth's feelings was at every moment increasing. She was quite
amazed at her own discomposure; but amongst other causes of disquiet, she
dreaded lest the partiality of the brother should have said too much in her
favour; and, more than commonly anxious to please, she naturally suspect-
ed that every power of pleasing would fail her.
She retreated from the window, fearful of being seen; and as she walked
up and down the room, endeavouring to compose herself, saw such looks of
inquiring surprise in her uncle and aunt as made everything worse.
Miss Darcy and her brother appeared, and this formidable introduction
took place. With astonishment did Elizabeth see that her new acquaintance
was at least as much embarrassed as herself. Since her being at Lambton,
she had heard that Miss Darcy was exceedingly proud; but the observation
of a very few minutes convinced her that she was only exceedingly shy. She
found it difficult to obtain even a word from her beyond a monosyllable.
Miss Darcy was tall, and on a larger scale than Elizabeth; and, though lit-
tle more than sixteen, her figure was formed, and her appearance womanly
and graceful. She was less handsome than her brother; but there was sense
and good humour in her face, and her manners were perfectly unassuming
and gentle. Elizabeth, who had expected to find in her as acute and unem-
barrassed an observer as ever Mr. Darcy had been, was much relieved by
discerning such different feelings.
They had not long been together before Mr. Darcy told her that Bingley
was also coming to wait on her; and she had barely time to express her sat-
isfaction, and prepare for such a visitor, when Bingley's quick step was
heard on the stairs, and in a moment he entered the room. All Elizabeth's
anger against him had been long done away; but had she still felt any, it
could hardly have stood its ground against the unaffected cordiality with
which he expressed himself on seeing her again. He inquired in a friendly,
though general way, after her family, and looked and spoke with the same
good-humoured ease that he had ever done.
To Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner he was scarcely a less interesting personage
than to herself. They had long wished to see him. The whole party before
them, indeed, excited a lively attention. The suspicions which had just
arisen of Mr. Darcy and their niece directed their observation towards each
with an earnest though guarded inquiry; and they soon drew from those in-
quiries the full conviction that one of them at least knew what it was to
love. Of the lady's sensations they remained a little in doubt; but that the
gentleman was overflowing with admiration was evident enough.
Elizabeth, on her side, had much to do. She wanted to ascertain the feel-
ings of each of her visitors; she wanted to compose her own, and to make
herself agreeable to all; and in the latter object, where she feared most to
fail, she was most sure of success, for those to whom she endeavoured to
give pleasure were prepossessed in her favour. Bingley was ready, Geor-
giana was eager, and Darcy determined, to be pleased.
In seeing Bingley, her thoughts naturally flew to her sister; and, oh! how
ardently did she long to know whether any of his were directed in a like
manner. Sometimes she could fancy that he talked less than on former occa-
sions, and once or twice pleased herself with the notion that, as he looked at
her, he was trying to trace a resemblance. But, though this might be imagi-
nary, she could not be deceived as to his behaviour to Miss Darcy, who had
been set up as a rival to Jane. No look appeared on either side that spoke
particular regard. Nothing occurred between them that could justify the
hopes of his sister. On this point she was soon satisfied; and two or three
little circumstances occurred ere they parted, which, in her anxious interpre-
tation, denoted a recollection of Jane not untinctured by tenderness, and a
wish of saying more that might lead to the mention of her, had he dared. He
observed to her, at a moment when the others were talking together, and in a
tone which had something of real regret, that it "was a very long time since
he had had the pleasure of seeing her;" and, before she could reply, he
added, "It is above eight months. We have not met since the 26th of No-
vember, when we were all dancing together at Netherfield."
Elizabeth was pleased to find his memory so exact; and he afterwards
took occasion to ask her, when unattended to by any of the rest,
whether all her sisters were at Longbourn. There was not much in the ques-
tion, nor in the preceding remark; but there was a look and a manner which
gave them meaning.
It was not often that she could turn her eyes on Mr. Darcy himself; but,
whenever she did catch a glimpse, she saw an expression of general com-
plaisance, and in all that he said she heard an accent so removed from hau-
teur or disdain of his companions, as convinced her that the improvement of
manners which she had yesterday witnessed however temporary its exis-
tence might prove, had at least outlived one day. When she saw him thus
seeking the acquaintance and courting the good opinion of people with
whom any intercourse a few months ago would have been a disgrace—
when she saw him thus civil, not only to herself, but to the very relations
whom he had openly disdained, and recollected their last lively scene in
Hunsford Parsonage—the difference, the change was so great, and struck so
forcibly on her mind, that she could hardly restrain her astonishment from
being visible. Never, even in the company of his dear friends at Netherfield,
or his dignified relations at Rosings, had she seen him so desirous to please,
so free from self-consequence or unbending reserve, as now, when no im-
portance could result from the success of his endeavours, and when even
the acquaintance of those to whom his attentions were addressed would
draw down the ridicule and censure of the ladies both of Netherfield and
Rosings.
Their visitors stayed with them above half-an-hour; and when they arose
to depart, Mr. Darcy called on his sister to join him in expressing their wish
of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, and Miss Bennet, to dinner at Pemberley,
before they left the country. Miss Darcy, though with a diffidence which
marked her little in the habit of giving invitations, readily obeyed. Mrs.
Gardiner looked at her niece, desirous of knowing how she, whom the invi-
tation most concerned, felt disposed as to its acceptance, but Elizabeth had
turned away her head. Presuming however, that this studied avoidance
spoke rather a momentary embarrassment than any dislike of the proposal,
and seeing in her husband, who was fond of society, a perfect willingness to
accept it, she ventured to engage for her attendance, and the day after the
next was fixed on.
Bingley expressed great pleasure in the certainty of seeing Elizabeth
again, having still a great deal to say to her, and many inquiries to make af-
ter all their Hertfordshire friends. Elizabeth, construing all this into a wish
of hearing her speak of her sister, was pleased, and on this account, as well
as some others, found herself, when their visitors left them, capable of con-
sidering the last half-hour with some satisfaction, though while it was pass-
ing, the enjoyment of it had been little. Eager to be alone, and fearful of in-
quiries or hints from her uncle and aunt, she stayed with them only long
enough to hear their favourable opinion of Bingley, and then hurried away
to dress.
But she had no reason to fear Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner's curiosity; it was
not their wish to force her communication. It was evident that she was
much better acquainted with Mr. Darcy than they had before any idea of; it
was evident that he was very much in love with her. They saw much to in-
terest, but nothing to justify inquiry.
Of Mr. Darcy it was now a matter of anxiety to think well; and, as far as
their acquaintance reached, there was no fault to find. They could not be un-
touched by his politeness; and had they drawn his character from their own
feelings and his servant's report, without any reference to any other account,
the circle in Hertfordshire to which he was known would not have recog-
nized it for Mr. Darcy. There was now an interest, however, in believing the
housekeeper; and they soon became sensible that the authority of a servant
who had known him since he was four years old, and whose own manners
indicated respectability, was not to be hastily rejected. Neither had anything
occurred in the intelligence of their Lambton friends that could materially
lessen its weight. They had nothing to accuse him of but pride; pride he
probably had, and if not, it would certainly be imputed by the inhabitants of
a small market-town where the family did not visit. It was acknowledged,
however, that he was a liberal man, and did much good among the poor.
With respect to Wickham, the travellers soon found that he was not held
there in much estimation; for though the chief of his concerns with the son
of his patron were imperfectly understood, it was yet a well-known fact
that, on his quitting Derbyshire, he had left many debts behind him, which
Mr. Darcy afterwards discharged.
As for Elizabeth, her thoughts were at Pemberley this evening more than
the last; and the evening, though as it passed it seemed long, was not long
enough to determine her feelings towards one in that mansion; and she lay
awake two whole hours endeavouring to make them out. She certainly did
not hate him. No; hatred had vanished long ago, and she had almost as long
been ashamed of ever feeling a dislike against him, that could be so called.
The respect created by the conviction of his valuable qualities, though at
first unwillingly admitted, had for some time ceased to be repugnant to her
feeling; and it was now heightened into somewhat of a friendlier nature, by
the testimony so highly in his favour, and bringing forward his disposition
in so amiable a light, which yesterday had produced. But above all, above
respect and esteem, there was a motive within her of goodwill which could
not be overlooked. It was gratitude; gratitude, not merely for having once
loved her, but for loving her still well enough to forgive all the petulance
and acrimony of her manner in rejecting him, and all the unjust accusations
accompanying her rejection. He who, she had been persuaded, would avoid
her as his greatest enemy, seemed, on this accidental meeting, most eager to
preserve the acquaintance, and without any indelicate display of regard, or
any peculiarity of manner, where their two selves only were concerned, was
soliciting the good opinion of her friends, and bent on making her known to
his sister. Such a change in a man of so much pride exciting not only aston-
ishment but gratitude—for to love, ardent love, it must be attributed; and as
such its impression on her was of a sort to be encouraged, as by no means
unpleasing, though it could not be exactly defined. She respected, she es-
teemed, she was grateful to him, she felt a real interest in his welfare; and
she only wanted to know how far she wished that welfare to depend upon
herself, and how far it would be for the happiness of both that she should
employ the power, which her fancy told her she still possessed, of bringing
on her the renewal of his addresses.
It had been settled in the evening between the aunt and the niece, that
such a striking civility as Miss Darcy's in coming to see them on the very
day of her arrival at Pemberley, for she had reached it only to a late break-
fast, ought to be imitated, though it could not be equalled, by some exertion
of politeness on their side; and, consequently, that it would be highly expe-
dient to wait on her at Pemberley the following morning. They were, there-
fore, to go. Elizabeth was pleased; though when she asked herself the rea-
son, she had very little to say in reply.
Mr. Gardiner left them soon after breakfast. The fishing scheme had been
renewed the day before, and a positive engagement made of his meeting
some of the gentlemen at Pemberley before noon.
