第128章

    “i must go instantly to my mother;”she cried“i would not on any account trifle with her affectionate solicitude;or allow her to hear it from anyone but myselfhe is gone to my father already oh!lizzy,to know that what i have to relate will give such pleasure to all my dear family!how shall i bear so much happiness!”

    she then hastened away to her mother, who had purposely broken up the card party,and was sitting up stairs with kitty

    elizabeth, who was left by herself, now smiled at the rapidity and ease with which an affair was finally settled,that had given them so many previous months of suspense and vexation

    “and this,”said she,“is the end of all his friend"s anxious circumspection!of all his sister"s falsehood and contrivance!the happiest,wisest,most reasonable end!”

    in a few minutes she was joined by bingley,whose conference with her father had been short and to the purpose

    “where is your sister”said he hastily,as he opened the door

    “with my mother upstairs she will be down in a moment, i dare say”

    he then shut the door,and,ing up to her,claimed the good wishes and affection of a sister elizabeth honestly and heartily expressed her delight in the prospect of their relationship they shook hands with great cordiality;and then,till her sister came down, she had to listen to all he had to say of his own happiness, and of jane"s perfections; and in spite of his being a lover,elizabeth really believed all his expectations of felicity to be rationally founded, because they had for basis the excellent understanding, and super-excellent disposition of jane, and a general similarity of feeling and taste between her and himself

    it was an evening of no mon delight to them all; the satisfaction of miss ben"s mind gave a glow of such sweet animation to her face, as made her look handsomer than ever kitty simpered and smiled,and hoped her turn was ing soon mrsben could not give her consent or speak her approbation in terms warm enough to satisfy her feelings,though she talked to bingley of nothing else for half an hour;and when mrben joined them at supper,his voice and manner plainly showed how really happy he was

    not a word,however,passed his lips in allusion to it,till their visitor took his leave for the night;but as soon as he was gone,he turned to his daughter,and said:

    “jane,i congratulate youyou will be a very happy woman”

    jane went to him instantly,kissed him,and thanked him for his goodness

    “you are a good girl;”he replied,“and i have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settledi have not a doubt of your doing very well togetheryour tempers are by no means unlikeyou are each of you so plying,that nothing will ever be resolved on;so easy,that every servant will cheat you;and so generous,that you will always exceed your ine”

    “i hope not so imprudence or thoughtlessness in money matters would be unpardonable in me”