第88章

On th vry last day of th rgnt's ranng at Mryton, h dnd,th othr of th offcrs,at Longourn;and so lttl as Elzath dsposd to part fro h n good huour,that on hs akng so nqury as to th annr n hch hr t had passd at Hunsford,sh ntond Colonl Ftzlla's and Mr. Darcy's havng oth spnt thr ks at Rosngs,and askd h, f h as acquantd th th forr.

H lookd surprsd,dsplasd,alard;ut th a ont's rcollcton and a rturnng sl,rpld,that h had forrly sn h oftn;and,aftr osrvng that h as a vry gntlanlk an,askd hr ho sh had lkd h.Hr ansr as arly n hs favour.Wth an ar of ndffrnc,h soon aftrards addd:

“Ho long dd you say h as at Rosngs?”

“Narly thr ks.”

“And you sa h frquntly?”

“Ys,alost vry day.”

“Hs annrs ar vry dffrnt fro hs cousn's.”

“Ys, vry dffrnt. But I thnk Mr. Darcy provs upon acquantanc.”

“Indd!”crd Mr.Wckha th a look hch dd not scap hr.“And pray,ay I ask?—”But chckng hslf,h addd,n a gayr ton,“Is t n addrss that h provs?Has h dgnd to add aught of cvlty to hs ordnary styl?—for I dar not hop,”h contnud n a lor and or srous ton,“that h s provd n ssntals.”

“Oh, no!”sad Elzath.“In ssntals, I lv, h s vry uch hat h vr as.”

Whl sh spok, Wckha lookd as f scarcly knong hthr to rjoc ovr hr ords,or to dstrust thr anng. Thr as a sothng n hr countnanc hch ad h lstn th an apprhnsv and anxous attnton,hl sh addd:

“Whn I sad that h provd on acquantanc,I dd not an that hs nd or hs annrs r n a stat of provnt, ut that, fro knong h ttr, hs dsposton as ttr undrstood.”

Wckha's alar no appard n a hghtnd coplxon and agtatd look;for a f nuts h as slnt,tll,shakng off hs arrassnt,h turnd to hr agan,and sad n th gntlst of accnts:

“You, ho so ll kno y flng toards Mr. Darcy, ll radly coprhnd ho sncrly I ust rjoc that h s s nough to assu vn th apparanc of hat s rght.Hs prd, n that drcton, ay of srvc, f not to hslf, to any othrs,for t ust only dtr h fro such foul sconduct as I hav suffrd y.I only far that th sort of cautousnss to hch you,I agn,hav n alludng,s rly adoptd on hs vsts to hs aunt, of hos good opnon and judgnt h stands uch n a.Hs far of hr has alays opratd,I kno,hn thy r togthr;and a good dal s to putd to hs sh of forardng th atch th Mss d Bourgh,hch I a crtan h has vry uch at hart.”

Elzath could not rprss a sl at ths, ut sh ansrd only y a slght nclnaton of th had.Sh sa that h antd to ngag hr on th old sujct of hs grvancs,and sh as n no huour to ndulg h.Th rst of th vnng passd th th apparanc, on hs sd, of usual chrfulnss, ut th no furthr attpt to dstngush Elzath;and thy partd at last th utual cvlty,and possly a utual dsr of nvr tng agan.

Whn th party rok up, Lyda rturnd th Mrs. Forstr to Mryton, fro hnc thy r to st out arly th nxt ornng.Th sparaton tn hr and hr faly as rathr nosy than pathtc.Ktty as th only on ho shd tars;ut sh dd p fro vxaton and nvy.Mrs.Bnnt as dffus n hr good shs for th flcty of hr daughtr,and prssv n hr njunctons that sh should not ss th opportunty of njoyng hrslf as uch as possl—advc hch thr as vry rason to lv ould attndd to; and n th claorous happnss of Lyda hrslf n ddng farll, th or gntl adus of hr sstrs r uttrd thout ng hard.