talking of? Why, he has four or five thousand a year, and very likely

more.” Then addressing her daughter, “Oh, my dear, dear Jane, I am so

happy! I am sure I shan’t get a wink of sleep all night. I knew how it

would be. I always said it must be so, at last. I was sure you could not

be so beautiful for nothing! I remember, as soon as ever I saw him, when

he first came into Hertfordshire last year, I thought how likely it was

that you should come together. Oh, he is the handsomest young man that

ever was seen!”
Wickham, Lydia, were all forgotten. Jane was beyond competition her

favourite child. At that moment she cared for no other. Her younger

sisters soon began to make interest with her for objects of happiness

which she might in future be able to dispense.
Mary petitioned for the use of the library at Netherfield; and Kitty

begged very hard for a few balls there every winter.
Bingley, from this time, was of course a daily visitor at Longbourn;

coming frequently before breakfast, and always remaining till after

supper; unless when some{429} barbarous neighbour, who could not be enough

detested, had given him an invitation to dinner, which he thought

himself obliged to accept.
Elizabeth had now but little time for conversation with her sister; for

while he was present Jane had no attention to bestow on anyone else: but

she found herself considerably useful to both of them, in those hours of

separation that must sometimes occur. In the absence of Jane, he always

attached himself to Elizabeth for the pleasure of talking of her; and

when Bingley was gone, Jane constantly sought the same means of relief.
“He has made me so happy,” said she, one evening, “by telling me that he

was totally ignorant of my being in town last spring! I had not believed

it possible.”
“I suspected as much,” replied Elizabeth. “But how did he account for

it?”
“It must have been his sisters’ doing. They were certainly no friends to