Austen Said:

On Saturday morning Elizabeth and Mr. Collins met for breakfast a few minutes before the others appeared; and he took the opportunity of paying the parting civilities which he deemed indispensably necessary.

said he,

Elizabeth was eager with her thanks and assurances of happiness.

Mr. Collins was gratified, and with a more smiling solemnity replied:

Words were insufficient for the elevation of his feelings; and he was obliged to walk about the room, while Elizabeth tried to unite civility and truth in a few short sentences.

Elizabeth could safely say that

and

with equal sincerity could add, that

She was not sorry, however, to have the recital of them interrupted by the entrance of the lady from whom they sprang.

At length the chaise arrived, the trunks were fastened on, the parcels placed within, and it was pronounced to be ready. After an affectionate parting between the friends, Elizabeth was attended to the carriage by Mr. Collins, and as they walked down the garden

he was commissioning her with

not forgetting

He then handed her in, Maria followed, and the door was on the point of being closed, when

he suddenly reminded them, with some consternation, that

he added,

Elizabeth made no objection; the door was then allowed to be shut, and the carriage drove off.

cried Maria, after a few minutes' silence,

said her companion with a sigh.

Elizabeth added privately,

Their journey was performed without much conversation, or any alarm; and within four hours of their leaving Hunsford they reached Mr. Gardiner's house, where they were to remain a few days.

Jane looked well, and Elizabeth had little opportunity of studying her spirits, amidst the various engagements which the kindness of her aunt had reserved for them.

It was not without an effort, meanwhile, that she could wait even for Longbourn, before she told her sister of Mr. Darcy's proposals. To know that she had the power of revealing what would so exceedingly astonish Jane, and must, at the same time, so highly gratify whatever of her own vanity she had not yet been able to reason away, was such a temptation to openness as nothing could have conquered but

the state of indecision in which she remained

her fear,

It was the second week in May, in which the three young ladies set out together from Gracechurch Street, for the town of —— in Hertfordshire; and, as they drew near the appointed inn where Mr. Bennet's carriage was to meet them, they quickly perceived, in token of the coachman's punctuality, both Kitty and Lydia looking out of a dining-room upstairs. These two girls had been above an hour in the place, happily employed in visiting an opposite milliner, watching the sentinel on guard, and dressing a salad and cucumber.

After welcoming their sisters, they triumphantly displayed a table set out with such cold meat as an inn larder usually affords, exclaiming,

added Lydia,

And when

her sisters abused it

she added, with perfect unconcern,

cried Elizabeth, with the greatest satisfaction.

thought Elizabeth,

said Lydia, as they sat down at table.

Jane and Elizabeth looked at each other, and

the waiter was told that

Lydia laughed, and said:

added Elizabeth;

said Jane.

Elizabeth was shocked to think that,

As soon as all had ate, and the elder ones paid, the carriage was ordered; and after some contrivance, the whole party, with all their boxes, work-bags, and parcels, and the unwelcome addition of Kitty's and Lydia's purchases, were seated in it.

cried Lydia.

With such kinds of histories of their parties and good jokes, did Lydia, assisted by Kitty's hints and additions, endeavour to amuse her companions all the way to Longbourn. Elizabeth listened as little as she could, but there was no escaping the frequent mention of Wickham's name.

Their reception at home was most kind. Mrs. Bennet rejoiced to see Jane in undiminished beauty; and more than once during dinner did Mr. Bennet say voluntarily to Elizabeth:

Their party in the dining-room was large, for almost all the Lucases came to meet Maria and hear the news; and various were the subjects that occupied them; Lady Lucas was inquiring of Maria across the table, after the welfare and poultry of her eldest daughter; Mrs. Bennet was doubly engaged, on one hand collecting an account of the present fashions from Jane, who sat some way below her, and, on the other, retailing them all to the younger Lucases; and Lydia, in a voice rather louder than any other person's, was enumerating the various pleasures of the morning to anybody who would hear her.

said she,

To this Mary very gravely replied,

But of this answer Lydia heard not a word. She seldom listened to anybody for more than half a minute, and never attended to Mary at all.

In the afternoon Lydia was urgent with the rest of the girls to walk to Meryton, and to see how everybody went on; but Elizabeth steadily opposed the scheme.

There was another reason too for her opposition. She dreaded seeing Mr. Wickham again, and

was resolved