Elizabeth was forced to go.
After this day,Jane said no more of her indifference.Not a word passed between the sisters concerning Bingley;but Elizabeth went to bed in the happy belief that all must speedily be concluded, unless Mr. Darcy returned within the stated time. Seriously, however,she felt tolerably persuaded that all this must have taken place with that gentleman's concurrence.
“We will be down as soon as we can,”said Jane;“but I dare say Kitty is forwarder than either of us,for she went upstairs half an hour ago.”
Elizabeth's congratulations were given with a sincerity, a warmth,a delight,which words could but poorly express.Every sentence of kindness was a fresh source of happiness to Jane.But she would not allow herself to stay with her sister,or say half that remained to be said for the present.
Yes, he had no engagement at all for to-morrow; and her invitation was accepted with alacrity.
“Can you come to-morrow?”
But when her mother was gone,Jane would not be prevailed on to go down without one of her sisters.
But on returning to the drawing-room, when her letter was finished,she saw,to her infinite surprise,there was reason to fear that her mother had been too ingenious for her.On opening the door,she perceived her sister and Bingley standing together over the hearth,as if engaged in earnest conversation;and had this led to no suspicion, the faces of both, as they hastily turned round and moved away from each other, would have told it all. Their situation was awkward enough; but hers she thought was still worse.Not a syllable was uttered by either;and Elizabeth was on the point of going away again,when Bingley,who as well as the other had sat down,suddenly rose,and whispering a few words to her sister,ran out of the room.