Nodiver d.o.o. · Pride & Prejudice · page 391 of 640

Pride & Prejudice – page 391

Pride and Prejudice

His pride, in that direction, may be of service, if not to

himself, to many others, for it must only deter him from

such foul misconduct as I have suffered by. I only fear

that the sort of cautiousness to which you, I imagine,

have been alluding, is merely adopted on his visits to his

aunt, of whose good opinion and judgement he stands

much in awe. His fear of her has always operated, I

know, when they were together; and a good deal is to

be imputed to his wish of forwarding the match with

Miss de Bourgh, which I am certain he has very much

at heart.”

Elizabeth could not repress a smile at this, but she

answered only by a slight inclination of the head.

She saw that he wanted to engage her on the old

subject of his grievances, and she was in no humour

to indulge him. The rest of the evening passed with

the appearance, on his side, of usual cheerfulness, but

with no further attempt to distinguish Elizabeth; and

they parted at last with mutual civility, and possibly a

mutual desire of never meeting again.

When the party broke up, Lydia returned with

Mrs. Forster to Meryton, from whence they were to set

out early the next morning. The separation between

her and her family was rather noisy than pathetic. Kitty

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