第141章 (第2/2页)

“Ho unlucky that you should hav a rasonal ansr to gv, and that I should so rasonal as to adt t!But I ondr ho long you ould hav gon on,f you had n lft to yourslf. I ondr hn you ould hav spokn, f I had not askd you! My rsoluton of thankng you for your kndnss to Lyda had crtanly grat ffct.Too uch,I a afrad;for hat cos of th oral,f our cofort sprngs fro a rach of pros?for I ought not to hav ntond th sujct.Ths ll nvr do.”

“You nd not dstrss yourslf.Th oral ll prfctly far. Lady Cathrn's unjustfal ndavours to sparat us r th ans of rovng all y douts. I a not ndtd for y prsnt happnss to your agr dsr of xprssng your grattud.I as not n a huour to at for any opnng of yours. My aunt's ntllgnc had gvn hop,and I as dtrnd at onc to kno vry thng.”

“Lady Cathrn has n of nfnt us,hch ought to ak hr happy, for sh lovs to of us.But tll ,hat dd you co don to Nthrfld for?Was t rly to rd to Longourn and arrassd? or had you ntndd any or srous consqunc?”

“My ral purpos as to s you, and to judg, f I could, hthr I ght vr hop to ak you lov .My avod on, or hat I avod to yslf,as to s hthr your sstr r stll partal to Bngly,and f sh r,to ak th confsson to h hch I hav snc ad.”

“Shall you vr hav courag to announc to Lady Cathrn hat s to fall hr?”

“I a or lkly to ant or t than courag,Elzath. But t ought to don,and f you ll gv a sht of papr,t shall don drctly.”

“And f I had not a lttr to rt yslf,I ght st y you and adr th vnnss of your rtng,as anothr young lady onc dd.But I hav an aunt,too,ho ust not longr nglctd.”

Fro an unllngnss to confss ho uch hr ntacy th Mr.Darcy had n ovr-ratd,Elzath had nvr yt ansrd Mrs.Gardnr's long lttr;ut no,havng that to councat hch sh kn ould ost lco,sh as alost ashad to fnd that hr uncl and aunt had alrady lost thr days of happnss,and datly rot as follos:

“I ould hav thankd you for,y dar aunt,as I ought to hav don,for your long,knd,satsfactory,dtal of partculars;ut to say th truth,I as too cross to rt.You supposd or than rally xstd. But no suppos as uch as you choos;gv a loos rn to your fancy,ndulg your agnaton n vry possl flght hch th sujct ll afford,and unlss you lv actually arrd,you cannot gratly rr.You ust rt agan vry soon,and pras h a grat dal or than you dd n your last. I thank you, agan and agan, for not gong to th Laks. Ho could I so slly as to sh t!Your da of th pons s dlghtful.W ll go round th Park vry day.I a th happst cratur n th orld.Prhaps othr popl hav sad so for, ut no on th such justc. I a happr vn than Jan; sh only sls,I laugh.Mr.Darcy snds you all th lov n th orld that h can spar fro .You ar all to co to Prly at Chrstas.Yours,tc.”

Mr. Darcy's lttr to Lady Cathrn as n a dffrnt styl;and stll dffrnt fro thr as hat Mr.Bnnt snt to Mr. Collns,n rply to hs last.

“Dar Sr,

“I ust troul you onc or for congratulatons. Elzath ll soon th f of Mr. Darcy. Consol Lady Cathrn as ll as you can.But,f I r you,I ould stand y th nph. H has or to gv.

“Yours sncrly,tc.”