Nodiver d.o.o. · Pride & Prejudice · page 435 of 640

Pride & Prejudice – page 435

Pride and Prejudice

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 feeling; 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 goodwill 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

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