continued her mother; “but at the same time, Mr. Bingley, it is very

hard to have her taken away from me. They are gone down to Newcastle, a

place quite northward it seems, and there they are to stay, I do not

know how long. His regiment is there; for I suppose you have heard of

his leaving the ——shire, and of his being gone into the Regulars.

Thank heaven!{413} he has some friends, though, perhaps, not so many as he

deserves.”
Elizabeth, who knew this to be levelled at Mr. Darcy, was in such misery

of shame that she could hardly keep her seat. It drew from her, however,

the exertion of speaking, which nothing else had so effectually done

before; and she asked Bingley whether he meant to make any stay in the

country at present. A few weeks, he believed.
“When you have killed all your own birds, Mr. Bingley,” said her mother,

“I beg you will come here and shoot as many as you please on Mr.

Bennet’s manor. I am sure he will be vastly happy to oblige you, and

will save all the best of the coveys for you.”
Elizabeth’s misery increased at such unnecessary, such officious

attention! Were the same fair prospect to arise at present, as had

flattered them a year ago, everything, she was persuaded, would be

hastening to the same vexatious conclusion. At that instant she felt,

that years of happiness could not make Jane or herself amends for

moments of such painful confusion.
“The first wish of my heart,” said she to herself, “is never more to be

in company with either of them. Their society can afford no pleasure

that will atone for such wretchedness as this! Let me never see either

one or the other again!”
Yet the misery, for which years of happiness were to offer no

compensation, received soon afterwards material relief, from observing

how much the beauty of her sister rekindled the admiration of her former

lover. When first he came in, he had spoken to her but little, but every