“I must go instantly to my mother;”she cried.“I would not on any account trifle with her affectionate solicitude;or allow her to hear it from anyone but myself.He is gone to my father already. Oh!Lizzy,to know that what I have to relate will give such pleasure to all my dear family!how shall I bear so much happiness!”

“With my mother upstairs. She will be down in a moment, I dare say.”

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.

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: