In consequence of an agreement between the sisters, Elizabeth wrote thenext morning to her mother, to beg that the carriage might be sent forthem in the course of the day. But Mrs. Bennet, who had calculated onher daughters remaining at Netherfield till the following Tuesday, whichwould exactly finish Jane's week, could not bring herself to receivethem with pleasure before. Her answer, therefore, was not propitious, atleast not to Elizabeth's wishes, for she was impatient to get home. Mrs.Bennet sent them word that they could not possibly have the carriagebefore Tuesday; and in her postscript it was added, that if Mr. Bingleyand his sister pressed them to stay longer, she could spare them verywell.--Against staying longer, however, Elizabeth was positivelyresolved--nor did she much expect it would be asked; and fearful, on thecontrary, as being considered as intruding themselves needlessly long,she urged Jane to borrow Mr. Bingley's carriage immediately, and atlength it was settled that their original design of leaving Netherfieldthat morning should be mentioned, and the request made.
The communication excited many professions of concern; and enough wassaid of wishing them to stay at least till the following day to work onJane; and till the morrow, their going was deferred. Miss Bingley wasthen sorry that she had proposed the delay, for her jealousy and dislikeof one sister much exceeded her affection for the other.
The master of the house heard with real sorrow that they were to go sosoon, and repeatedly tried to persuade Miss Bennet that it would not besafe for her--that she was not enough recovered; but Jane was firm whereshe felt herself to be right.
To Mr. Darcy it was welcome intelligence--Elizabeth had been atNetherfield long enough. She attracted him more than he liked--and MissBingley was uncivil to _her_, and more teazing than usual to himself.He wisely resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admirationshould _now_ escape him, nothing that could elevate her with the hope ofinfluencing his felicity; sensible that if such an idea had beensuggested, his behaviour during the last day must have material weightin confirming or crushing it. Steady to his purpose, he scarcely spoketen words to her through the whole of Saturday, and though they were atone time left by themselves for half an hour, he adhered mostconscientiously to his book, and would not even look at her.
On Sunday, after morning service, the separation, so agreeable to almostall, took place. Miss Bingley's civility to Elizabeth increased at lastvery rapidly, as well as her affection for Jane; and when they parted,after assuring the latter of the pleasure it would always give her tosee her either at Longbourn or Netherfield, and embracing her mosttenderly, she even shook hands with the former.--Elizabeth took leave ofthe whole party in the liveliest spirits.
They were not welcomed home very cordially by their mother. Mrs. Bennetwondered at their coming, and thought them very wrong to give so muchtrouble, and was sure Jane would have caught cold again.--But theirfather, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was reallyglad to see them; he had felt their importance in the family circle. Theevening conversation, when they were all assembled, had lost much of itsanimation, and almost all its sense, by the absence of Jane andElizabeth.
They found Mary, as usual, deep in the study of thorough bass and humannature; and had some new extracts to admire, and some new observationsof thread-bare morality to listen to. Catherine and Lydia hadinformation for them of a different sort. Much had been done, and muchhad been said in the regiment since the preceding Wednesday; several ofthe officers had dined lately with their uncle, a private had beenflogged, and it had actually been hinted that Colonel Forster was goingto be married.