Chapter 2

ELIZABETH had settled it that Mr. Darcy would bring his
sister to visit her, the very day after her reaching Pemberley;
and was consequently resolved not to be out of sight of the
inn the whole of that morning.  But her conclusion was false;
for on the very morning after their own arrival at Lambton,
these visiters came, They had been walking about the place
with some of their new friends, and were just returned to the
inn to dress themselves for dining with the same family, when
the sound of a carriage drew them to a window, and they saw
a gentleman and lady in a curricle driving up the street.
Elizabeth immediately recognising the livery, guessed what
it meant, and imparted no small degree of surprise to her
relations, by acquainting them with the honour which
she expected.  Her uncle and aunt were all amazement; and
the embarrassment of her manner as she spoke, joined to
the circumstance itself, and many of the circumstances of the
preceding day, opened to them a new idea on the business.
Nothing had ever suggested it before, but they now felt that
there was no other way of accounting for such attentions from
such a quarter, than by supposing a partiality for their niece.
While these newly-born notions were passing in their heads,
the perturbation of Elizabeth's feelings was every moment
increasing.  She was quite amazed at her own discomposure;
but amongst other causes of disquiet, she dreaded lest the
partiality of the brother should have said too much in her
favour; and more than commonly anxious to please, she
naturally suspected that every power of pleasing would
fail her.
She retreated from the window, fearful of being seen; and
as she walked up and down the room, endeavouring to compose herself, saw such looks of enquiring surprise in her uncle
and aunt, as made every thing worse.
Miss Darcy and her brother appeared, and this formidable
introduction took place.  With astonishment did Elizabeth see,
that her new acquaintance was at least as much embarrassed
as herself.  Since her being at Lambton, she had heard that
Miss Darcy was exceedingly proud; but the observation of a
very few minutes convinced her, that she was only exceedingly 
shy.  She found it difficult to obtain even a word from
her beyond a monosyllable.
Miss Darcy was tall, and on a larger scale than Elizabeth;
and, though little more than sixteen, her figure was formed,
and her appearance womanly and graceful.  She was less 
handsome than her brother, but there was sense and good humour
in her face, and her manners were perfectly unassuming and
gentle.  Elizabeth, who had expected to find in her as acute
and unembarrassed an observer as ever Mr. Darcy had been,
was much relieved by discerning such different feelings.
They had not been long together, before Darcy told her that
Bingley was also coming to wait on her; and she had barely
time to express her satisfaction, and prepare for such a visitor,
when Bingley's quick step was heard on the stairs, and in a
moment he entered the room.  All Elizabeth's anger against
him had been long done away; but, had she still felt any, it
could hardly have stood its ground against the unaffected
cordiality with which he expressed himself, on seeing her
again.  He enquired in a friendly, though general way, after
her family, and looked and spoke with the same good-humoured
ease that he had ever done.
To Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner he was scarcely a less interesting personage than to herself.  They had long wished to see
him.  The whole party before them, indeed, excited a lively
attention.  The suspicions which had just arisen of Mr. Darcy
and their niece, directed their observation towards each with
an earnest, though guarded, enquiry; and they soon drew
from those enquiries the full conviction that one of them at
least knew what it was to love.  Of the lady's sensations they
remained a little in doubt; but that the gentleman was overflowing with admiration was evident enough.
Elizabeth, on her side, had much to do.  She wanted to
ascertain the feelings of each of her visitors, she wanted to
compose her own, and to make herself agreeable to all; and
in the latter object, where she feared most to fail, she was most
sure of success, for those to whom she endeavoured to give
pleasure were prepossessed in her favour.  Bingley was ready,
Georgiana was eager, and Darcy determined, to be pleased.
 In seeing Bingley, her thoughts naturally flew to her sister;
and oh!  how ardently did she long to know, whether any of
his were directed in a like manner.  Sometimes she could fancy,
that he talked less than on former occasions, and once or twice
pleased herself with the notion that as he looked at her, he was
trying to trace a resemblance.  But, though this might be
imaginary, she could not be deceived as to his behaviour to
Miss Darcy, who had been set up as a rival of Jane.  No look
appeared on either side that spoke particular regard.  Nothing
occurred between them that could justify the hopes of his
sister.  On this point she was soon satisfied; and two or three
little circumstances occurred ere they parted, which, in her
anxious interpretation, denoted a recollection of Jane, not
untinctured by tenderness, and a wish of saying more that
might lead to the mention of her, had he dared.  He observed
to her, at a moment when the others were talking together,
and in a tone which had something of real regret, that it "was
a very long time since he had had the pleasure of seeing her,"
and, before she could reply, he added, "It is above eight
months.  We have not met since the 26th of November, when
we were all dancing together at Netherfield."
Elizabeth was pleased to find his memory so exact; and he
afterwards took occasion to ask her, when unattended to by
any of the rest, whether all her sisters were at Longbourn.
There was not much in the question, nor in the preceding
remark, but there was a look and manner which gave them
meaning.
It was not often that she could turn her eyes on Mr. Darcy
himself; but, whenever she did catch a glimpse, she saw an
expression of general complaisance, and in all that he said,
she heard an accent so far removed from hauteur or disdain of
his companions, as convinced her that the improvement of
manners which she had yesterday witnessed, however, temporary its existence might prove, had at least outlived one day.
When she saw him thus seeking the acquaintance, and courting 
the good opinion of people, with whom any intercourse
a few months ago would have been a disgrace; when she saw
him thus civil, not only to herself, but to the very relations
whom he had openly disdained, and recollected their last
lively scene in Hunsford Parsonage, the difference, the change
was so great, and struck so forcibly on her mind, that she could
hardly restrain her astonishment from being visible.  Never,
even in the company of his dear friends at Netherfield, or his
dignified relations at Rosings, had she seen him so desirous
to please, so free from self-consequence, or unbending reserve
as now, when no importance could result from the success of
his endeavours, and when even the acquaintance of those to
whom his attentions were addressed, would draw down the
ridicule and censure of the ladies both of Netherfield and
Rosings.
Their visitors staid with them above half an hour, and when
they arose to depart, Mr. Darcy called on his sister to join him
in expressing their wish of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner,
and Miss Bennet, to dinner at Pemberley, before they left the
country.  Miss Darcy, though with a diffidence which marked
her little in the habit of giving invitations, readily obeyed.
Mrs. Gardiner looked at her niece, desirous of knowing how
she, whom the invitation most concerned, felt disposed as to
its acceptance, but Elizabeth had turned away her head.  
Presuming, however, that this studied avoidance spoke rather a
momentary embarrassment, than any dislike of the proposal,
and seeing in her husband, who was fond of society, a perfect
willingness to accept it, she ventured to engage for her attendance, and the day after the next was fixed on.
Bingley expressed great pleasure in the certainty of seeing
Elizabeth again, having still a great deal to say to her, and
many enquiries to make after all their Hertfordshire friends.
Elizabeth, construing all this into a wish of hearing her speak
of her sister, was pleased; and on this account, as well as some
others, found herself, when their visitors left them, capable
of considering the last half hour with some satisfaction, though
while it was passing, the enjoyment of it had been little.  Eager
to be alone, and fearful of enquiries or hints from her uncle
and aunt, she staid with them only long enough to hear their
favourable opinion of Bingley, and then hurried away to dress.
But she had no reason to fear Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner's
curiosity; it was not their wish to force her communication.
It was evident that she was much better acquainted with Mr. 
Darcy than they had before any idea of; it was evident that
he was very much in love with her.  They saw much to interest,
but nothing to justify enquiry.
Of Mr. Darcy it was now a matter of anxiety to think well;
and, as far as their acquaintance reached, there was no fault
to find.  They could not be untouched by his politeness, and
had they drawn his character from their own feelings, and his
servant's report, without any reference to any other account,
the circle in Hertfordshire to which he was known, would not
have recognised it for Mr. Darcy.  There was now an interest,
however, in believing the housekeeper; and they soon became
sensible, that the authority of a servant who had known him
since he was four years old, and whose own manners indicated
respectability, was not to be hastily rejected.  Neither had any
thing occurred in the intelligence of their Lambton friends,
that could materially lessen its weight.  They had nothing to
accuse him of but pride; pride he probably had, and if not,
it would certainly be imputed by the inhabitants of a small
market-town, where the family did not visit.  It was acknowledged, however, that he was a liberal man, and did much
good among the poor.
With respect to Wickham, the travellers soon found that
he was not held there in much estimation; for though the chief
of his concerns, with the son of his patron, were imperfectly
understood, it was yet a well known fact that, on his quitting
Derbyshire, he had left many debts behind him, which Mr. 
Darcy afterwards discharged.
As for Elizabeth, her thoughts were at Pemberley this evening 
more than the last; and the evening, though as it passed it
seemed long, was not long enough to determine her feelings
towards one in that mansion; and she lay awake two whole
hours, endeavouring to make them out.  She certainly did not
hate him.  No; hatred had vanished long ago, and she had
almost as long been ashamed of ever feeling a dislike against
him, that could be so called.  The respect created by the 
conviction of his valuable qualities, though at first unwillingly
admitted, had for some time ceased to be repugnant to her
feelings; and it was now heightened into somewhat of a
friendlier nature, by the testimony so highly in his favour, and
bringing forward his disposition in so amiable a light, which
yesterday had produced.  But above all, above respect and
esteem, there was a motive within her of good will which
could not be overlooked.  It was gratitude. -- Gratitude, not
merely for having once loved her, but for loving her still well
enough, to forgive all the petulance and acrimony of her
manner in rejecting him, and all the unjust accusations
accompanying her rejection.  He who, she had been persuaded,
would avoid her as his greatest enemy, seemed, on this accidental meeting, most eager to preserve the acquaintance, and
without any indelicate display of regard, or any peculiarity of
manner, where their two selves only were concerned, was
soliciting the good opinion of her friends, and bent on making
her known to his sister.  Such a change in a man of so much
pride, excited not only astonishment but gratitude -- for to
love, ardent love, it must be attributed; and as such its impression 
on her was of a sort to be encouraged, as by no means
unpleasing, though it could not be exactly defined.  She
respected, she esteemed, she was grateful to him, she felt a
real interest in his welfare; and she only wanted to know how
far she wished that welfare to depend upon herself, and how
far it would be for the happiness of both that she should
employ the power, which her fancy told her she still possessed,
of bringing on the renewal of his addresses.
It had been settled in the evening, between the aunt and
niece, that such a striking civility as Miss Darcy's, in coming
to them on the very day of her arrival at Pemberley, for
she had reached it only to a late breakfast, ought to be
imitated, though it could not be equalled, by some exertion
of politeness on their side; and, consequently, that it would
be highly expedient to wait on her at Pemberley the following morning.  They were, therefore, to go. -- Elizabeth was
pleased, though, when she asked herself the reason, she had
very little to say in reply.
Mr. Gardiner left them soon after breakfast.  The fishing
scheme had been renewed the day before, and a positive
engagement made of his meeting some of the gentlemen at
Pemberley by noon.