Chapter 45

           ConvincedasElizabethnowwasthatMissBingley’sdislikeofherhadoriginatedinjealousy,shecouldnothelpfeelinghowunwelcomeherappearanceatPemberleymustbetoher,andwascurioustoknowwithhowmuchcivilityonthatlady’ssidetheacquaintancewouldnowberenewed. 

           Onreachingthehouse,theywereshownthroughthehallintothesaloon,whosenorthernaspectrendereditdelightfulforsummer. Itswindowsopeningtotheground,admittedamostrefreshingviewofthehighwoodyhillsbehindthehouse,andofthebeautifuloaksandSpanishchestnutswhichwerescatteredovertheintermediatelawn. 

           InthishousetheywerereceivedbyMissDarcy,whowassittingtherewithMrs.HurstandMissBingley,andtheladywithwhomshelivedinLondon. Georgiana’sreceptionofthemwasverycivil, butattendedwithalltheembarrassmentwhich,thoughproceedingfromshynessandthefearofdoingwrong,wouldeasilygivetothosewhofeltthemselvesinferiorthebeliefofherbeingproudandreserved. Mrs.Gardinerandherniece,however,didherjustice,andpitiedher. 

           ByMrs.HurstandMissBingleytheywerenoticedonlybyacurtsey; and,ontheirbeingseated,apause,awkwardassuchpausesmustalwaysbe,succeededforafewmoments. ItwasfirstbrokenbyMrs.Annesley,agenteel,agreeable-lookingwoman,whoseendeavourtointroducesomekindofdiscourseprovedhertobemoretrulywell-bredthaneitheroftheothers;andbetweenherandMrs.Gardiner,withoccasionalhelpfromElizabeth,theconversationwascarriedon. MissDarcylookedasifshewishedforcourageenoughtojoininit; andsometimesdidventureashortsentencewhentherewasleastdangerofitsbeingheard.