第104章[第1页/共4页]

She had never perceived,while the regiment was in Hertfordshire, that Lydia had any partiality for him; but she was convinced that Lydia wanted only encouragement to attach herself to anybody. Sometimes one officer, sometimes another, had been her favourite,as their attentions raised them in her opinion.Her affections had continually been fluctuating but never without an object.The mischief of neglect and mistaken indulgence towards such a girl―oh!how acutely did she now feel it!

But wishes were vain,or at best could only serve to amuse her in the hurry and confusion of the following hour.Had Elizabeth been at leisure to be idle,she would have remained certain that all employment was impossible to one so wretched as herself;but she had her share of business as well as her aunt,and amongst the rest there were notes to be written to all their friends at Lambton, with false excuses for their sudden departure.An hour,however, saw the whole completed; and Mr. Gardiner meanwhile having settled his account at the inn,nothing remained to be done but to go;and Elizabeth,after all the misery of the morning,found herself,in a shorter space of time than she could have supposed, seated in the carriage,and on the road to Longbourn.

“What is all settled?”repeated the other, as she ran into her room to prepare.“And are they upon such terms as for her to disclose the real truth?Oh,that I knew how it was!”