Chapter 40

by Jane Austen

　　Elizabeth's impatience to acquaint Jane with what had happenedcould no longer be overcome; and at length, resolving tosuppress every particular in which her sister was concerned, andpreparing her to be surprised, she related to her the nextmorning the chief of the scene between Mr. Darcy and herself.Miss Bennet's astonishment was soon lessened by the strongsisterly partiality which made any admiration of Elizabeth appearperfectly natural; and all surprise was shortly lost in otherfeelings. She was sorry that Mr. Darcy should have delivered hissentiments in a manner so little suited to recommend them; butstill more was she grieved for the unhappiness which her sister'srefusal must have given him."His being so sure of succeeding was wrong," said she, "andcertainly ought not to have appeared; but consider how much itmust increase his disappointment!""Indeed," replied Elizabeth, "I am heartily sorry for him; but hehas other feelings, which will probably soon drive away hisregard for me. You do not blame me, however, for refusinghim?""Blame you! Oh, no.""But you blame me for having spoken so warmly of Wickham?""No-- I do not know that you were wrong in saying what youdid.""But you will know it, when I tell you what happened the verynext day."She then spoke of the letter, repeating the whole of its contentsas far as they concerned George Wickham. What a stroke wasthis for poor Jane! who would willingly have gone through theworld without believing that so much wickedness existed in thewhole race of mankind, as was here collected in one individual.Nor was Darcy's vindication, though grateful to her feelings,capable of consoling her for such discovery. Most earnestly didshe labour to prove the probability of error, and seek to clear theone without involving the other."This will not do," said Elizabeth; "you never will be able tomake both of them good for anything. Take your choice, butyou must be satisfied with only one. There is but such a quantityof merit between them; just enough to make one good sort ofman; and of late it has been shifting about pretty much. For mypart, I am inclined to believe it all Darcy's; but you shall do asyou choose."It was some time, however, before a smile could be extortedfrom Jane."I do not know when I have been more shocked," said she."Wickham so very bad! It is almost past belief. And poor Mr.Darcy! Dear Lizzy, only consider what he must have suffered.Such a disappointment! and with the knowledge of your illopinion, too! and having to relate such a thing of his sister! It isreally too distressing. I am sure you must feel it so.""Oh! no, my regret and compassion are all done away by seeingyou so full of both. I know you will do him such ample justice,that I am growing every moment more unconcerned andindifferent. Your profusion makes me saving; and if you lamentover him much longer, my heart will be as light as a feather.""Poor Wickham! there is such an expression of goodness in hiscountenance! such an openness and gentleness in his manner!""There certainly was some great mismanagement in theeducation of those two young men. One has got all thegoodness, and the other all the appearance of it.""I never thought Mr. Darcy so deficient in the appearanceof it as you used to do.""And yet I meant to be uncommonly clever in taking so decideda dislike to him, without any reason. It is such a spur to one'sgenius, such an opening for wit, to have a dislike of that kind.One may be continually abusive without saying anything just; butone cannot always be laughing at a man without now and thenstumbling on something witty.""Lizzy, when you first read that letter, I am sure you could nottreat the matter as you do now.""Indeed, I could not. I was uncomfortable enough, I may sayunhappy. And with no one to speak to about what I felt, noJane to comfort me and say that I had not been so very weak andvain and nonsensical as I knew I had! Oh! how I wanted you!""How unfortunate that you should have used such very strongexpressions in speaking of Wickham to Mr. Darcy, for now theydo appear wholly undeserved.""Certainly. But the misfortune of speaking with bitterness is amost natural consequence of the prejudices I had beenencouraging. There is one point on which I want your advice. Iwant to be told whether I ought, or ought not, to make ouracquaintances in general understand Wickham's character."Miss Bennet paused a little, and then replied, "Surely there canbe no occasion for exposing him so dreadfully. What is youropinion?""That it ought not to be attempted. Mr. Darcy has notauthorised me to make his communication public. On thecontrary, every particular relative to his sister was meant to bekept as much as possible to myself; and if I endeavour toundeceive people as to the rest of his conduct, who will believeme? The general prejudice against Mr. Darcy is so violent, thatit would be the death of half the good people in Meryton toattempt to place him in an amiable light. I am not equal to it.Wickham will soon be gone; and therefore it will not signify toanyone here what he really is. Some time hence it will be allfound out, and then we may laugh at their stupidity in notknowing it before. At present I will say nothing about it.""You are quite right. To have his errors made public might ruinhim for ever. He is now, perhaps, sorry for what he has done,and anxious to re-establish a character. We must not make himdesperate."The tumult of Elizabeth's mind was allayed by this conversation.She had got rid of two of the secrets which had weighed on herfor a fortnight, and was certain of a willing listener in Jane,whenever she might wish to talk again of either. But there wasstill something lurking behind, of which prudence forbade thedisclosure. She dared not relate the other half of Mr. Darcy'sletter, nor explain to her sister how sincerely she had beenvalued by her friend. Here was knowledge in which no onecould partake; and she was sensible that nothing less than aperfect understanding between the parties could justify her inthrowing off this last encumbrance of mystery. "And then," saidshe, "if that very improbable event should ever take place, I shallmerely be able to tell what Bingley may tell in a much moreagreeable manner himself. The liberty of communication cannotbe mine till it has lost all its value!"She was now, on being settled at home, at leisure to observe thereal state of her sister's spirits. Jane was not happy. She stillcherished a very tender affection for Bingley. Having never evenfancied herself in love before, her regard had all the warmth offirst attachment, and, from her age and disposition, greatersteadiness than most first attachments often boast; and sofervently did she value his remembrance, and prefer him to everyother man, that all her good sense, and all her attention to thefeelings of her friends, were requisite to check the indulgence ofthose regrets which must have been injurious to her own healthand their tranquillity."Well, Lizzy," said Mrs. Bennet one day, "what is your opinionnow of this sad business of Jane's? For my part, I amdetermined never to speak of it again to anybody. I told mysister Phillips so the other day. But I cannot find out that Janesaw anything of him in London. Well, he is a very undeservingyoung man-- and I do not suppose there's the least chance in theworld of her ever getting him now. There is no talk of hiscoming to Netherfield again in the summer; and I have inquiredof everybody, too, who is likely to know.""I do not believe he will ever live at Netherfield any more.""Oh well! it is just as he chooses. Nobody wants him to come.Though I shall always say he used my daughter extremely ill; andif I was her, I would not have put up with it. Well, my comfortis, I am sure Jane will die of a broken heart; and then he will besorry for what he has done."But as Elizabeth could not receive comfort from any suchexpectation, she made no answer."Well, Lizzy," continued her mother, soon afterwards, "and sothe Collinses live very comfortable, do they? Well, well, I onlyhope it will last. And what sort of table do they keep? Charlotteis an excellent manager, I dare say. If she is half as sharp as hermother, she is saving enough. There is nothing extravagant intheir housekeeping, I dare say.""No, nothing at all.""A great deal of good management, depend upon it. Yes, yes.They will take care not to outrun their income. They willnever be distressed for money. Well, much good may it dothem! And so, I suppose, they often talk of having Longbournwhen your father is dead. They look upon it as quite their own,I dare say, whenever that happens.""It was a subject which they could not mention before me.""No; it would have been strange if they had; but I make nodoubt they often talk of it between themselves. Well, if they canbe easy with an estate that is not lawfully their own, so much thebetter. I should be ashamed of having one that was onlyentailed on me."