But on returning to the drawing room,when her letter was finished,she saw,to her infinite surprize,there was reason to fear that her mother had been too ingenious for her.On opening the door,she perceived her sister and Bingley standing together over the hearth,as if engaged in earnest conversation;and had this led to no suspicion,the faces of both,as they hastily turned round and moved away from each other,would have told it all.Their situation was awkward enough;but hers she thought was still worse.Not a syllable was uttered by either;and Elizabeth was on the point of going away again,when Bingley,who as well as the other had sat down,suddenly rose,and whispering a few words to her sister,ran out of the room.
Jane could have no reserves from Elizabeth,where confidence would give pleasure;and instantly embracing her,acknowledged,with the liveliest emotion,that she was the happiest creature in the world.
‘'Tis too much!’she added,‘by far too much.I do not deserve it.Oh!why is not every body as happy?’
Elizabeth's congratulations were given with a sincerity,a warmth,a delight,which words could but poorly express.Every sentence of kindness was a fresh source of happiness to Jane.But she would not allow herself to stay with her sister,or say half that remained to be said for the present.
‘I must go instantly to my mother;’she cried.‘I would not on any account trifle with her affectionate solicitude;or allow her to hear it from any one but myself.He is gone to my father already.Oh!Lizzy,to know that what I have to relate will give such pleasure to all my dear family!how shall I bear so much happiness!’
She then hastened away to her mother,who had purposely broken up the card party,and was sitting up stairs with Kitty.
Elizabeth,who was left by herself,now smiled at the rapidity and ease with which an affair was finally settled,that had given them so many previous months of suspense and vexation.
‘And this,’said she,‘is the end of all his friend's anxious circumspection!of all his sister's falsehood and contrivance!the happiest,wisest,most reasonable end!’
In a few minutes she was joined by Bingley,whose conference with her father had been short and to the purpose.
‘Where is your sister?’said he hastily,as he opened the door.
‘With my mother up stairs.She will be down in a moment,I dare say.’
He then shut the door,and,coming up to her,claimed the good wishes and affection of a sister.Elizabeth honestly and heartily expressed her delight in the prospect of their relationship.They shook hands with great cordiality;and then,till her sister came down,she had to listen to all he had to say of his own happiness,and of Jane's perfections;and in spite of his being a lover,Elizabeth really believed all his expectations of felicity to be rationally founded,because they had for basis the excellent understanding,and super excellent disposition of Jane,and a general similarity of feeling and taste between her and himself.
It was an evening of no common delight to them all;the satisfaction of Miss Bennet's mind gave a glow of such sweet animation to her face,as made her look handsomer than ever.Kitty simpered and smiled,and hoped her turn was coming soon.Mrs Bennet could not give her consent or speak her approbation in terms warm enough to satisfy her feelings,though she talked to Bingley of nothing else for half an hour;and when Mr Bennet joined them at supper,his voice and manner plainly showed how really happy he was.
Not a word,however,passed his lips in allusion to it,till their visitor took his leave for the night;but as soon as he was gone,he turned to his daughter,and said:
‘Jane,I congratulate you.You will be a very happy woman.’
Jane went to him instantly,kissed him,and thanked him for his goodness.
‘You are a good girl;’he replied,‘and I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled.I have not a doubt of your doing very well together.Your tempers are by no means unlike.You are each of you so complying,that nothing will ever be resolved on;so easy,that every servant will cheat you;and so generous,that you will always exceed your income.’
‘I hope not so.Imprudence or thoughtlessness in money matters would be unpardonable in me.’
‘Exceed their income!My dear Mr Bennet,’cried his wife,‘what are you talking of?Why,he has four or five thousand a year,and very likely more.’Then addressing her daughter,‘Oh!my dear,dear Jane,I am so happy!I am sure I shan't get a wink of sleep all night.I knew how it would be.I always said it must be so,at last.I was sure you could not be so beautiful for nothing!I remember,as soon as ever I saw him,when he first came into Hertfordshire last year,I thought how likely it was that you should come together.Oh!he is the handsomest young man that ever was seen!’
Wickham,Lydia,were all forgotten.Jane was beyond competition her favourite child.At that moment,she cared for no other.Her younger sisters soon began to make interest with her for objects of happiness which she might in future be able to dispense.
Mary petitioned for the use of the library at Netherfield;and Kitty begged very hard for a few balls there every winter.
Bingley,from this time,was of course a daily visitor at Longbourn;coming frequently before breakfast,and always remaining till after supper;unless when some barbarous neighbour,who could not be enough detested,had given him an invitation to dinner which he thought himself obliged to accept.
Elizabeth had now but little time for conversation with her sister;for while he was present,Jane had no attention to bestow on any one else;but she found herself considerably useful to both of them in those hours of separation that must sometimes occur.In the absence of Jane,he always attached himself to Elizabeth,for the pleasure of talking of her;and when Bingley was gone,Jane constantly sought the same means of relief.
