Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 52

Elizabeth had the satisfaction of receiving an answer to her

letter as soon as she possibly could. She was no sooner in

possession of it than, hurrying into the little copse, where

she was least likely to be interrupted, she sat down on one of

the benches and prepared to be happy; for the length of the

letter convinced her that it did not contain a denial.

"Gracechurch street, Sept. 6.

"MY DEAR NIECE,

"I have just received your letter, and shall devote this whole

morning to answering it, as I foresee that a _little_ writing

will not comprise what I have to tell you. I must confess

myself surprised by your application; I did not expect it from

_you_. Don't think me angry, however, for I only mean to let

you know that I had not imagined such inquiries to be necessary

on _your_ side. If you do not choose to understand me, forgive

my impertinence. Your uncle is as much surprised as I am--and

nothing but the belief of your being a party concerned would

have allowed him to act as he has done. But if you are really

innocent and ignorant, I must be more explicit.

"On the very day of my coming home from Longbourn, your uncle had a

most unexpected visitor. Mr. Darcy called, and was shut up with him

several hours. It was all over before I arrived; so my curiosity was

not so dreadfully racked as _your's_ seems to have been. He came to

tell Mr. Gardiner that he had found out where your sister and

Mr. Wickham were, and that he had seen and talked with them both;

Wickham repeatedly, Lydia once. From what I can collect, he left

Derbyshire only one day after ourselves, and came to town with the

resolution of hunting for them. The motive professed was his

conviction of its being owing to himself that Wickham's worthlessness

had not been so well known as to make it impossible for any young

woman of character to love or confide in him. He generously imputed

the whole to his mistaken pride, and confessed that he had before

thought it beneath him to lay his private actions open to the world.

His character was to speak for itself. He called it, therefore, his

duty to step forward, and endeavour to remedy an evil which had been

brought on by himself. If he _had another_ motive, I am sure it would

never disgrace him. He had been some days in town, before he was able

to discover them; but he had something to direct his search, which was

more than _we_ had; and the consciousness of this was another reason for