Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 58

Instead of receiving any such letter of excuse from his friend,

as Elizabeth half expected Mr. Bingley to do, he was able to

bring Darcy with him to Longbourn before many days had passed

after Lady Catherine's visit. The gentlemen arrived early;

and, before Mrs. Bennet had time to tell him of their having

seen his aunt, of which her daughter sat in momentary dread,

Bingley, who wanted to be alone with Jane, proposed their

all walking out. It was agreed to. Mrs. Bennet was not in

the habit of walking; Mary could never spare time; but the

remaining five set off together. Bingley and Jane, however,

soon allowed the others to outstrip them. They lagged behind,

while Elizabeth, Kitty, and Darcy were to entertain each other.

Very little was said by either; Kitty was too much afraid of

him to talk; Elizabeth was secretly forming a desperate

resolution; and perhaps he might be doing the same.

They walked towards the Lucases, because Kitty wished to call

upon Maria; and as Elizabeth saw no occasion for making it a

general concern, when Kitty left them she went boldly on with

him alone. Now was the moment for her resolution to be

executed, and, while her courage was high, she immediately

said:

"Mr. Darcy, I am a very selfish creature; and, for the sake of

giving relief to my own feelings, care not how much I may be

wounding your's. I can no longer help thanking you for your

unexampled kindness to my poor sister. Ever since I have

known it, I have been most anxious to acknowledge to you how

gratefully I feel it. Were it known to the rest of my family,

I should not have merely my own gratitude to express."

"I am sorry, exceedingly sorry," replied Darcy, in a tone of

surprise and emotion, "that you have ever been informed of what

may, in a mistaken light, have given you uneasiness. I did not

think Mrs. Gardiner was so little to be trusted."

"You must not blame my aunt. Lydia's thoughtlessness first

betrayed to me that you had been concerned in the matter; and,

of course, I could not rest till I knew the particulars. Let

me thank you again and again, in the name of all my family,

for that generous compassion which induced you to take so much

trouble, and bear so many mortifications, for the sake of

discovering them."

"If you _will_ thank me," he replied, "let it be for yourself

alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add

force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not