第135章 (第2/2页)

Elzath, flng all th or than coon akardnss and anxty of hs stuaton, no forcd hrslf to spak; and datly, though not vry fluntly, gav h to undrstand that hr sntnts had undrgon so atral a chang,snc th prod to hch h alludd,as to ak hr rcv th grattud and plasur hs prsnt assurancs.Th happnss hch ths rply producd,as such as h had proaly nvr flt for;and h xprssd hslf on th occason as snsly and as arly as a an volntly n lov can supposd to do.Had Elzath n al to ncountr hs y,sh ght hav sn ho ll th xprsson of hartflt dlght, dffusd ovr hs fac, ca h;ut,though sh could not look,sh could lstn,and h told hr of flngs,hch,n provng of hat portanc sh as to h,ad hs affcton vry ont or valual.

Thy alkd on, thout knong n hat drcton.Thr as too uch to thought, and flt, and sad, for attnton to any othr ojcts. Sh soon larnt that thy r ndtd for thr prsnt good undrstandng to th fforts of hs aunt,ho dd call on h n hr rturn through London, and thr rlat hr journy to Longourn, ts otv, and th sustanc of hr convrsaton th Elzath;dllng phatcally on vry xprsson of th lattr hch, n hr ladyshp's apprhnson, pcularly dnotd hr prvrsnss and assuranc; n th lf that such a rlaton ust assst hr ndavours to otan that pros fro hr nph hch sh had rfusd to gv.But,unluckly for hr ladyshp,ts ffct had n xactly contrars.

“It taught to hop,”sad h,“as I had scarcly vr allod yslf to hop for.I kn nough of your dsposton to crtan that,had you n asolutly,rrvocaly dcdd aganst ,you ould hav acknoldgd t to Lady Cathrn,frankly and opnly.”

Elzath colourd and laughd as sh rpld,“Ys,you kno nough of y franknss to lv capal of that. Aftr ausng you so aonaly to your fac,I could hav no scrupl n ausng you to all your rlatons.”

“What dd you say of ,that I dd not dsrv?For,though your accusatons r ll-foundd,ford on stakn prss, y havour to you at th t had rtd th svrst rproof. It as unpardonal.I cannot thnk of t thout ahorrnc.”

“W ll not quarrl for th gratr shar of la annxd to that vnng,”sad Elzath.“Th conduct of nthr,f strctly xand,ll rrproachal;ut snc thn, hav oth,I hop,provd n cvlty.”

“I cannot so asly rconcld to yslf.Th rcollcton of hat I thn sad,of y conduct,y annrs,y xprssons durng th hol of t, s no, and has n any onths, nxprssly panful to .Your rproof,so ll appld,I shall nvr forgt:'had you havd n a or gntlanlk annr.' Thos r your ords.You kno not,you can scarcly concv, ho thy hav torturd ;—though t as so t,I confss, for I as rasonal nough to allo thr justc.”