 than he liked - and Miss Bingley was uncivil
to her, and more teazing than usual to himself. He wisely resolved to be
particularly careful that no sign of admiration should now escape him, nothing
that could elevate her with the hope of influencing his felicity; sensible that
if such an idea had been suggested, his behaviour during the last day must have
material weight in confirming or crushing it. Steady to his purpose, he scarcely
spoke ten words to her through the whole of Saturday, and though they were at
one time left by themselves for half an hour, he adhered most conscientiously to
his book, and would not even look at her.
    On Sunday, after morning service, the separation, so agreeable to almost
all, took place. Miss Bingley's civility to Elizabeth increased at last very
rapidly, as well as her affection for Jane; and when they parted, after assuring
the latter of the pleasure it would always give her to see her either at
Longbourn or Netherfield, and embracing her most tenderly, she even shook hands
with the former. - Elizabeth took leave of the whole party in the liveliest
spirits.
    They were not welcomed home very cordially by their mother. Mrs. Bennet
wondered at their coming, and thought them very wrong to give so much trouble,
and was sure Jane would have caught cold again. - But their father, though very
laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see them; he had felt
their importance in the family circle. The evening conversation, when they were
all assembled, had lost much of its animation, and almost all its sense, by the
absence of Jane and Elizabeth.
    They found Mary, as usual, deep in the study of thorough bass and human
nature; and had some new extracts to admire, and some new observations of
thread-bare morality to listen to. Catherine and Lydia had information for them
of a different sort. Much had been done, and much had been said in the regiment
since the preceding Wednesday; several of the officers had dined lately with
their uncle, a private had been flogged, and it had actually been hinted that
Colonel Forster was going to be married.
 

                                  Chapter XIII

»I hope, my dear,« said Mr. Bennet to his wife, as they were at breakfast the
next morning, »that you have ordered a good dinner to-day, because I have reason
to expect an addition to our family party.«
    »Who do you mean, my dear? I know of nobody that is coming I am sure, unless
Charlotte Lucas should happen to
