and the Hursts have no horses to theirs.”
“I had much rather go in the coach.”
“But, my dear, your father cannot spare the horses, I am sure. They are

wanted in the farm, Mr. Bennet, are not they?”

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Cheerful prognostics

“They are wanted in the farm much oftener than I can get them.”
“But if you have got them to-day,” said Elizabeth, “my mother’s purpose

will be answered.{41}”
She did at last extort from her father an acknowledgment that the horses

were engaged; Jane was therefore obliged to go on horseback, and her

mother attended her to the door with many cheerful prognostics of a bad

day. Her hopes were answered; Jane had not been gone long before it

rained hard. Her sisters were uneasy for her, but her mother was

delighted. The rain continued the whole evening without intermission;

Jane certainly could not come back.
“This was a lucky idea of mine, indeed!” said Mrs. Bennet, more than

once, as if the credit of making it rain were all her own. Till the next

morning, however, she was not aware of all the felicity of her

contrivance. Breakfast was scarcely over when a servant from Netherfield

brought the following note for Elizabeth:—
“My dearest Lizzie,
“I find myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be

imputed to my getting wet through yesterday. My kind friends will

not hear of my returning home till I am better. They insist also on

my seeing Mr. Jones—therefore do not be alarmed if you should hear

of his having been to me—and, excepting a sore throat and a

headache, there is not much the matter with me.


“Yours, etc.”

“Well, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note

aloud, “if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness—if she

should die—it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of

Mr. Bingley, and under your orders.”
“Oh, I am not at all afraid of her dying. People do{42} not die of little