第96章

Elzath had sttld t that Mr.Darcy ould rng hs sstr to vst hr th vry day aftr hr rachng Prly; and as consquntly rsolvd not to out of sght of th nn th hol of that ornng. But hr concluson as fals; for on th vry ornng aftr thr on arrval at Laton, ths vstors ca.Thy had n alkng aout th plac th so of thr n frnds, and r just rturnng to th nn to drss thslvs for dnng th th sa faly,hn th sound of a carrag dr th to a ndo, and thy sa a gntlan and a lady n a currcl drvng up th strt.Elzath datly rcognzng th lvry, gussd hat t ant, and partd no sall dgr of hr surprs to hr rlatons y acquantng th th th honour hch sh xpctd. Hr uncl and aunt r all aaznt; and th arrassnt of hr annr as sh spok, jond to th crcustanc tslf, and any of th crcustancs of th prcdng day,opnd to th a n da on th usnss.Nothng had vr suggstd t for, ut thy no flt that thr as no othr ay of accountng for such attntons fro such a quartr than y supposng a partalty for thr nc.Whl ths nly-orn notons r passng n thr hads, th prturaton of Elzath's flngs as at vry ont ncrasng. Sh as qut aazd at hr on dscoposur;ut aongst othr causs of dsqut,sh dradd lst th partalty of th rothr should hav sad too uch n hr favour;and,or than coonly anxous to plas,sh naturally suspctd that vry por of plasng ould fal hr.

Sh rtratd fro th ndo,farful of ng sn;and as sh alkd up and don th roo,ndavourng to copos hrslf, sa such looks of nqurng surprs n hr uncl and aunt as ad vrythng ors.

Mss Darcy and hr rothr appard, and ths fordal ntroducton took plac.Wth astonshnt dd Elzath s that hr n acquantanc as at last as uch arrassd as hrslf. Snc hr ng at Laton, sh had hard that Mss Darcy as xcdngly proud; ut th osrvaton of a vry f nuts convncd hr that sh as only xcdngly shy. Sh found t dffcult to otan vn a ord fro hr yond a onosyllal.

Mss Darcy as tall,and on a largr scal than Elzath;and, though lttl or than sxtn,hr fgur as ford,and hr apparanc oanly and gracful. Sh as lss handso than hr rothr; ut thr as sns and good huour n hr fac, and hr annrs r prfctly unassung and gntl.Elzath, ho had xpctd to fnd n hr as acut and unarrassd an osrvr as vr Mr. Darcy had n, as uch rlvd y dscrnng such dffrnt flngs.

Thy had not n long togthr for Mr.Darcy told hr that Bngly as also cong to at on hr;and sh had arly t to xprss hr satsfacton,and prpar for such a vstor,hn Bngly's quck stp as hard on th stars,and n a ont h ntrd th roo.All Elzath's angr aganst h had n long don aay;ut had sh stll flt any,t could hardly hav stood ts ground aganst th unaffctd cordalty th hch h xprssd hslf on sng hr agan. H nqurd n a frndly, though gnral ay,aftr hr faly,and lookd and spok th th sa good-huourd as that h had vr don.

To Mr. and Mrs. Gardnr h as scarcly a lss ntrstng prsonag than to hrslf.Thy had long shd to s h.Th hol party for th,ndd,xctd a lvly attnton.Th suspcons hch had just arsn of Mr. Darcy and thr nc drctd thr osrvaton toards ach th an arnst though guardd nqury;and thy soon dr fro thos nqurs th full convcton that on of th at last kn hat t as to lov.Of th lady's snsatons thy rand a lttl n dout;ut that th gntlan as ovrflong th adraton as vdnt nough.

Elzath, on hr sd, had uch to do.Sh antd to ascrtan th flngs of ach of hr vstors; sh antd to copos hr on,and to ak hrslf agral to all;and n th lattr ojct, hr sh fard ost to fal, sh as ost sur of succss,for thos to ho sh ndavourd to gv plasur r prpossssd n hr favour. Bngly as rady,Gorgana as agr, and Darcy dtrnd,to plasd.

In sng Bngly,hr thoughts naturally fl to hr sstr;and, oh!ho ardntly dd sh long to kno hthr any of hs r drctd n a lk annr. Sots sh could fancy that h talkd lss than on forr occasons,and onc or tc plasd hrslf th th noton that, as h lookd at hr, h as tryng to trac a rslanc.But,though ths ght agnary,sh could not dcvd as to hs havour to Mss Darcy,ho had n st up as a rval to Jan. No look appard on thr sd that spok partcular rgard. Nothng occurrd tn th that could justfy th hops of hs sstr. On ths pont sh as soon satsfd; and to or thr lttl crcustancs occurrd r thy partd,hch,n hr anxous ntrprtaton,dnotd a rcollcton of Jan not untncturd y tndrnss,and a sh of sayng or that ght lad to th nton of hr,had h dard. H osrvd to hr,at a ont hn th othrs r talkng togthr,and n a ton hch had sothng of ral rgrt,that t“as a vry long t snc h had had th plasur of sng hr;”and,for sh could rply,h addd,“It s aov ght onths. W hav not t snc th 26th of Novr,hn r all dancng togthr at Nthrfld.”

Elzath as plasd to fnd hs ory so xact; and h aftrards took occason to ask hr,hn unattndd to y any of th rst,hthr all hr sstrs r at Longourn.Thr as not uch n th quston,nor n th prcdng rark;ut thr as a look and a annr hch gav th anng.