colour. It was many months since she had mentioned his name to

Elizabeth; but now, as soon as they were alone together, she said,—
“I saw you look at me to-day, Lizzy, when my aunt told us of the present

report; and I know I appeared{407} distressed; but don’t imagine it was from

any silly cause. I was only confused for the moment, because I felt that

I should be looked at. I do assure you that the news does not affect

me either with pleasure or pain. I am glad of one thing, that he comes

alone; because we shall see the less of him. Not that I am afraid of

myself, but I dread other people’s remarks.”
Elizabeth did not know what to make of it. Had she not seen him in

Derbyshire, she might have supposed him capable of coming there with no

other view than what was acknowledged; but she still thought him partial

to Jane, and she wavered as to the greater probability of his coming

there with his friend’s permission, or being bold enough to come

without it.
“Yet it is hard,” she sometimes thought, “that this poor man cannot come

to a house, which he has legally hired, without raising all this

speculation! I will leave him to himself.”
In spite of what her sister declared, and really believed to be her

feelings, in the expectation of his arrival, Elizabeth could easily

perceive that her spirits were affected by it. They were more disturbed,

more unequal, than she had often seen them.
The subject which had been so warmly canvassed between their parents,

about a twelvemonth ago, was now brought forward again.
“As soon as ever Mr. Bingley comes, my dear,” said Mrs. Bennet, “you

will wait on him, of course.”
“No, no. You forced me into visiting him last year, and promised, if I

went to see him, he should marry one of my daughters. But it ended in

nothing, and I will not be sent on a fool’s errand again.”
His wife represented to him how absolutely necessary{408} such an attention

would be from all the neighbouring gentlemen, on his returning to