Читать книгу Pride and Prejudice / Гордость и предубеждение - Джейн Остин, Сет Грэм-Смит - Страница 26

Miss Bingley’s letter arrived, and put an end to doubt. The very first sentence said that all settled in London for the winter, and concluded that her brother was regretting because he did not have time to pay his respects to his friends in Hertfordshire before he left the country.

Hope was over, entirely over. Miss Darcy’s praise occupied the main part of the letter.

Elizabeth’s heart was divided between concern for her sister, and resentment against all others. To Caroline’s assertion of her brother’s affection to Miss Darcy she paid no attention. That he was really fond of Jane, she doubted no more.

A day or two passed before Jane had courage to speak of her feelings to Elizabeth:

“Oh, I wish my dear mother had more command over herself! She can have no idea of the pain she gives me by her continual reflections on Mr. Bingley. But I hope it cannot last long. He will be forgotten, and we shall all be as we were before.”

Elizabeth looked at her sister with incredulous solicitude, but said nothing.

“You do not believe me,” cried Jane, slightly colouring; “indeed, you have no reason. He may live in my memory as the most amiable man of my acquaintance, but that is all. Thank God! I have not that pain.”

“My dear Jane!” exclaimed Elizabeth, “you are too good. Your sweetness and disinterestedness are really angelic; I do not know what to say to you. His sisters influence him.”

“I cannot believe it,” replied Jane; “Why should they try to influence him? They can only wish his happiness; and if he is attached to me, no other woman can secure it. Beyond a doubt, they do wish him to choose Miss Darcy. If they believed him attached to me, they would not try to part us; if he were so, they could not succeed. Let me take everything in the best light, in the light in which it may be understood.”

From this time Mr. Bingley’s name was scarcely ever mentioned between them.

Mrs. Bennet still continued to wonder. Elizabeth tried to convince her of what she did not believe herself, that his attentions to Jane had been merely the effect of a common and transient liking. Mrs. Bennet’s best comfort was that Mr. Bingley must come again in the summer.

Mr. Wickham’s society dispelled the gloom of the Longbourn family. They saw him often, and to his other recommendations was now added that of general unreserve. What Elizabeth had already heard, his claims on Mr. Darcy, and all that he had suffered from him, was now openly acknowledged; and everybody was pleased to know how much they had always disliked Mr. Darcy before they had known anything.

Miss Bennet was the only person who could admit there might be any excuse for Mr. Darcy, unknown to the society of Hertfordshire – but by everybody else Mr. Darcy was condemned as the worst of men.