are certain it cannot be so, and at the same time convinced that when

Charles gets to town he will be in no hurry to leave it again, we have

determined on following him thither, that he may not be obliged to spend

his vacant hours in a comfortless hotel. Many of my acquaintance are

already there for the winter: I wish I could hear that you, my dearest

friend, had any intention of making one in the crowd, but of that I

despair. I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound in

the gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beaux

will be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three of

whom we shall deprive you.’
“It is evident by this,” added Jane, “that he comes back no more this

winter.”
“It is only evident that Miss Bingley does not mean he should.”
“Why will you think so? It must be his own doing; he is his own master.

But you do not know all. I will read you the passage which

particularly hurts me. I will have no reserves from you. ‘Mr. Darcy is

impatient to see his sister; and to confess the truth, we are scarcely

less eager to meet her again. I really do not think Georgiana Darcy has

her equal for beauty, elegance, and accomplishments; and the affection

she inspires in Louisa and myself is heightened into something still

more interesting from the hope we dare to entertain of her being

hereafter our sister. I do not know whether I ever before mentioned to

you my feelings on this subject, but I will not leave the country

without confiding them, and I trust you will not esteem them{151}

unreasonable. My brother admires her greatly already; he will have

frequent opportunity now of seeing her on the most intimate footing; her

relations all wish the connection as much as his own; and a sister’s

partiality is not misleading me, I think, when I call Charles most

capable of engaging any woman’s heart. With all these circumstances to