“Write to me very often,my dear.”
“Yet it is hard,”she sometimes thought,“that this poor man cannot come to a house which he has legally hired,without raising all this speculation!I will leave him to himself.”
“I saw you look at me to-day, Lizzy, when my aunt told us of the present report;and I know I appeared distressed.But don't imagine it was from any silly cause.I was only confused for the moment,because I felt that I should be looked at.I do assure you that the news does not affect me either with pleasure or pain.I am glad of one thing,that he comes alone;because we shall see the less of him.Not that I am afraid of myself,but I dread other people's remarks.”
The day of his and Lydia's departure soon came,and Mrs.Bennet was forced to submit to a separation,which,as her husband by no means entered into her scheme of their all going to Newcastle,was likely to continue at least a twelvemonth.
Elizabeth did not know what to make of it.Had she not seen him in Derbyshire, she might have supposed him capable of coming there with no other view than what was acknowledged;but she still thought him partial to Jane, and she wavered as to the greater probability of his coming there with his friend's permission,or being bold enough to come without it.