第141章[第2页/共5页]

“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.

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.

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:

“Dearest Jane! who could have done less for her? But make a virtue of it by all means. My good qualities are under your protection,and you are to exaggerate them as much as possible;and,in return,it belongs to me to find occasions for teasing and quarrelling with you as often as may be;and I shall begin directly by asking you what made you so unwilling to come to the point at last?What made you so shy of me,when you first called,and afterwards dined here?Why,especially,when you called,did you look as if you did not care about me?”