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“I am almost afraid of asking what you thought of me,when we met at Pemberley.You blamed me for coming?”

“No indeed;I felt nothing but surprise.”

“Your surprise could not be greater than mine in being noticed by you.My conscience told me that I deserved no extraordinary politeness, and I confess that I did not expect to receive more than my due.”

“My object then,”replied Darcy,“was to show you, by every civility in my power,that I was not so mean as to resent the past;and I hoped to obtain your forgiveness,to lessen your ill opinion, by letting you see that your reproofs had been attended to.How soon any other wishes introduced themselves I can hardly tell,but I believe in about half an hour after I had seen you.”

He then told her of Georgiana's delight in her acquaintance,and of her disappointment at its sudden interruption;which naturally leading to the cause of that interruption,she soon learnt that his resolution of following her from Derbyshire in quest of her sister had been formed before he quitted the inn,and that his gravity and thoughtfulness there had arisen from no other struggles than what such a purpose must comprehend.

She expressed her gratitude again, but it was too painful a subject to each,to be dwelt on farther.

After walking several miles in a leisurely manner,and too busy to know anything about it,they found at last,on examining their watches,that it was time to be at home.

“What could become of Mr. Bingley and Jane!”was a wonder which introduced the discussion of their affairs. Darcy was delighted with their engagement; his friend had given him the earliest information of it.

“I must ask whether you were surprised?”said Elizabeth.