Nodiver d.o.o. · Pride & Prejudice · page 331 of 640

Pride & Prejudice – page 331

Pride and Prejudice

their marriage. He spoke of it as a certain event, of

which the time alone could be undecided. From that

moment I observed my friend’s behaviour attentively;

and I could then perceive that his partiality for Miss

Bennet was beyond what I had ever witnessed in him.

Your sister I also watched. Her look and manners were

open, cheerful, and engaging as ever, but without any

symptom of peculiar regard, and I remained convinced

from the evening’s scrutiny, that though she received

his attentions with pleasure, she did not invite them

by any participation of sentiment. If you have not

been mistaken here, I must have been in error. Your

superior knowledge of your sister must make the latter

probable. If it be so, if I have been misled by such

error to inflict pain on her, your resentment has not

been unreasonable. But I shall not scruple to assert,

that the serenity of your sister’s countenance and air

was such as might have given the most acute observer

a conviction that, however amiable her temper, her

heart was not likely to be easily touched. That I was

desirous of believing her indifferent is certainbut I

will venture to say that my investigation and decisions

are not usually influenced by my hopes or fears. I

did not believe her to be indifferent because I wished

it; I believed it on impartial conviction, as truly as

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