ELIZABETH had settled it that Mr. Darcy would bring his sister to visit her
the very day after her reaching Pemberley; and was consequently resolved not to
be out of sight of the inn the whole of that morning. But her conclusion was
false; for on the very morning after their own arrival at Lambton,
these
visitors came. They had been walking about the place with some of their new
friends,
and were just returned to the inn to dress themselves for dining
with the same family,
when the sound of a carriage drew them to a window,
and they saw a gentleman and lady in a curricle,
driving up the street.
Elizabeth,
immediately recognising the livery,
guessed what it meant,
and imparted no small degree of surprise to her relations by acquainting
them with the honour which she expected. Her uncle and aunt were all amazement;
and the embarrassment of her manner as she spoke,
joined to the circumstance
itself,
and many of the circumstances of the preceding day,
opened to
them a new idea on the business. Nothing had ever suggested it before,
but
they now felt that there was no other way of accounting for such attentions from
such a quarter than by supposing a partiality for their niece. While these
newly-born notions were passing in their heads,
the perturbation of
Elizabeth's feelings was every moment increasing. She was quite amazed at her
own discomposure; but amongst other causes of disquiet,
she dreaded lest the
partiality of the brother should have said too much in her favour; and more than
commonly anxious to please,
she naturally suspected that every power of
pleasing would fail her.
She retreated from the window,
fearful of being seen; and as she walked
up and down the room,
endeavouring to compose herself,
saw such looks of
enquiring surprise in her uncle and aunt as made every thing worse.
Miss Darcy and her brother appeared,
and this formidable introduction
took place. With astonishment did Elizabeth see that her new acquaintance was at
least as much embarrassed as herself. Since her being at Lambton,
she had
heard that Miss Darcy was exceedingly proud; but the observation of a very few
minutes convinced her that she was only exceedingly shy. She found it difficult
to obtain even a word from her beyond a monosyllable.
Miss Darcy was tall,
and on a larger scale than Elizabeth; and,
though little more than sixteen,
her figure was formed,
and her
appearance womanly and graceful. She was less handsome than her brother,
but
there was sense and good humour in her face,
and her manners were perfectly
unassuming and gentle. Elizabeth,
who had expected to find in her as acute
and unembarrassed an observer as ever Mr. Darcy had been,
was much relieved
by discerning such different feelings.
They had not been long together before Darcy told her that Bingley was also
coming to wait on her; and she had barely time to express her satisfaction,
and prepare for such a visitor,
when Bingley's quick step was heard on
the stairs,
and in a moment he entered the room. All Elizabeth's anger
against him had been long done away; but,
had she still felt any,
it
could hardly have stood its ground against the unaffected cordiality with which
he expressed himself on seeing her again. He enquired in a friendly,
though
general way,
after her family,
and looked and spoke with the same
good-humoured ease that he had ever done.