wisely resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration

should now escape him—nothing that could elevate her with the hope of

influencing his felicity; sensible that, if such an idea had been

suggested, his behaviour during the last day must have material weight

in confirming or crushing it. Steady to his purpose, he scarcely spoke

ten words to her through the whole of Saturday: and though they were at

one time left by themselves for half an hour, he adhered most

conscientiously to his book, and would not even look at her.{77}
On Sunday, after morning service, the separation, so agreeable to almost

all, took place. Miss Bingley’s civility to Elizabeth increased at last

very rapidly, as well as her affection for Jane; and when they parted,

after assuring the latter of the pleasure it would always give her to

see her either at Longbourn or Netherfield, and embracing her most

tenderly, she even shook hands with the former. Elizabeth took leave of

the whole party in the liveliest spirits.
They were not welcomed home very cordially by their mother. Mrs. Bennet

wondered at their coming, and thought them very wrong to give so much

trouble, and was sure Jane would have caught cold again. But their

father, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really

glad to see them; he had felt their importance in the family circle. The

evening conversation, when they were all assembled, had lost much of its

animation, and almost all its sense, by the absence of Jane and

Elizabeth.
They found Mary, as usual, deep in the study of thorough bass and human

nature; and had some new extracts to admire and some new observations of

threadbare morality to listen to. Catherine and Lydia had information

for them of a different sort. Much had been done, and much had been said

in the regiment since the preceding Wednesday; several of the officers

had dined lately with their uncle; a private had been flogged; and it