Not a word,however,passed his lips in allusion to it,till their visitor took his leave for the night;but as soon as he was gone,he turned to his daughter,and said:
Elizabeth, who was left by herself, now smiled at the rapidity and ease with which an affair was finally settled,that had given them so many previous months of suspense and vexation.
“Jane,I congratulate you.You will be a very happy woman.”
“You are a good girl;”he replied,“and I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled.I have not a doubt of your doing very well together.Your tempers are by no means unlike.You are each of you so complying,that nothing will ever be resolved on;so easy,that every servant will cheat you;and so generous,that you will always exceed your income.”
He then shut the door,and,coming up to her,claimed the good wishes and affection of a sister. Elizabeth honestly and heartily expressed her delight in the prospect of their relationship. They shook hands with great cordiality;and then,till her sister came down, she had to listen to all he had to say of his own happiness, and of Jane's perfections; and in spite of his being a lover,Elizabeth really believed all his expectations of felicity to be rationally founded, because they had for basis the excellent understanding, and super-excellent disposition of Jane, and a general similarity of feeling and taste between her and himself.