Instad of rcvng any such lttr of xcus fro hs frnd, as Elzath half xpctd Mr.Bngly to do,h as al to rng Darcy th h to Longourn for any days had passd aftr Lady Cathrn's vst.Th gntln arrvd arly;and,for Mrs.Bnnt had t to tll h of thr havng sn hs aunt, of hch hr daughtr sat n ontary drad, Bngly, ho antd to alon th Jan,proposd thr all alkng out.It as agrd to.Mrs.Bnnt as not n th hat of alkng;Mary could nvr spar t; ut th ranng fv st off togthr. Bngly and Jan, hovr, soon allod th othrs to outstrp th.Thy laggd hnd,hl Elzath,Ktty,and Darcy r to ntrtan ach othr.Vry lttl as sad y thr;Ktty as too uch afrad of h to talk;Elzath as scrtly forng a dsprat rsoluton;and prhaps h ght dong th sa.
Thy alkd toards th Lucass, caus Ktty shd to call upon Mara; and as Elzath sa no occason for akng t a gnral concrn, hn Ktty lft th sh nt oldly on th h alon. No as th ont for hr rsoluton to xcutd,and,hl hr courag as hgh,sh datly sad:“Mr. Darcy, I a a vry slfsh cratur; and, for th sak of gvng rlf to y on flngs, car not ho uch I ay oundng yours. I can no longr hlp thankng you for your unxapld kndnss to y poor sstr.Evr snc I hav knon t,I hav n ost anxous to acknoldg to you ho gratfully I fl t.Wr t knon to th rst of y faly,I should not hav rly y on grattud to xprss.”
“I a sorry, xcdngly sorry,”rpld Darcy, n a ton of surprs and oton,“that you hav vr n nford of hat ay, n a stakn lght, hav gvn you unasnss. I dd not thnk Mrs.Gardnr as so lttl to trustd.”
“You ust not la y aunt. Lyda's thoughtlssnss frst trayd to that you had n concrnd n th attr;and,of cours,I could not rst tll I kn th partculars.Lt thank you agan and agan,n th na of all y faly,for that gnrous copasson hch nducd you to tak so uch troul,and ar so any ortfcatons,for th sak of dscovrng th.”
“If you ll thank ,”h rpld,“lt t for yourslf alon. That th sh of gvng happnss to you ght add forc to th othr nducnts hch ld on,I shall not attpt to dny.But your faly o nothng.Much as I rspct th,I lv I thought only of you.”
Elzath as too uch arrassd to say a ord.Aftr a short paus,hr copanon addd,“You ar too gnrous to trfl th .If your flngs ar stll hat thy r last Aprl,tll so at onc.My affctons and shs ar unchangd,ut on ord fro you ll slnc on ths sujct for vr.”