Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 34

When they were gone, Elizabeth, as if intending to exasperate

herself as much as possible against Mr. Darcy, chose for her

employment the examination of all the letters which Jane had

written to her since her being in Kent. They contained no actual

complaint, nor was there any revival of past occurrences, or any

communication of present suffering. But in all, and in almost

every line of each, there was a want of that cheerfulness which

had been used to characterise her style, and which, proceeding

from the serenity of a mind at ease with itself and kindly

disposed towards everyone, had been scarcely ever clouded.

Elizabeth noticed every sentence conveying the idea of uneasiness,

with an attention which it had hardly received on the first

perusal. Mr. Darcy's shameful boast of what misery he had been

able to inflict, gave her a keener sense of her sister's

sufferings. It was some consolation to think that his visit

to Rosings was to end on the day after the next--and, a still

greater, that in less than a fortnight she should herself be with

Jane again, and enabled to contribute to the recovery of her

spirits, by all that affection could do.

She could not think of Darcy's leaving Kent without remembering

that his cousin was to go with him; but Colonel Fitzwilliam had

made it clear that he had no intentions at all, and agreeable

as he was, she did not mean to be unhappy about him.

While settling this point, she was suddenly roused by the sound

of the door-bell, and her spirits were a little fluttered by the

idea of its being Colonel Fitzwilliam himself, who had once

before called late in the evening, and might now come to inquire

particularly after her. But this idea was soon banished, and

her spirits were very differently affected, when, to her utter

amazement, she saw Mr. Darcy walk into the room. In an

hurried manner he immediately began an inquiry after her health,

imputing his visit to a wish of hearing that she were better.

She answered him with cold civility. He sat down for a few

moments, and then getting up, walked about the room. Elizabeth

was surprised, but said not a word. After a silence of

several minutes, he came towards her in an agitated manner,

and thus began:

"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not

be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire

and love you."

Elizabeth's astonishment was beyond expression. She stared,

coloured, doubted, and was silent. This he considered sufficient