His behaviour to her sister was such during dinnertime as showed an

admiration of her, which, though more guarded than formerly, persuaded

Elizabeth, that, if left wholly to himself, Jane’s happiness, and his

own, would be speedily secured. Though she dared not depend upon the

consequence, she yet received pleasure from observing his behaviour. It

gave her all the animation that her spirits could boast; for she was in

no cheerful humour. Mr. Darcy was almost as far from her as the table

could divide them. He was on one side of her mother. She knew how little

such a situation would give pleasure to either, or make either appear to

advantage. She was not near enough to hear any of their discourse; but

she could see how seldom they spoke to each other, and how formal and

cold was their manner whenever they did. Her mother’s ungraciousness

made the sense of what they owed him more painful to Elizabeth’s mind;

and she would, at times, have given anything to be privileged to tell

him, that his kindness was neither unknown nor unfelt by the whole of

the family.
She was in hopes that the evening would afford some opportunity of

bringing them together; that the whole of the visit would not pass away

without enabling them{418} to enter into something more of conversation,

than the mere ceremonious salutation attending his entrance. Anxious and

uneasy, the period which passed in the drawing-room before the gentlemen

came, was wearisome and dull to a degree that almost made her uncivil.

She looked forward to their entrance as the point on which all her

chance of pleasure for the evening must depend.
“If he does not come to me, then,” said she, “I shall give him up for

ever.”
The gentlemen came; and she thought he looked as if he would have

answered her hopes; but, alas! the ladies had crowded round the table,

where Miss Bennet was making tea, and Elizabeth pouring out the coffee,