Chapter 44 247
Miss Darcy was tall , and on a larger scale than Elizabeth ; and , though little more than sixteen , her figure was formed , and her appearance womanly and graceful . She was less handsome than her brother ; but there was sense and good humour in her face , and her manners were perfectly unassuming and gentle . Elizabeth , who had expected to find in her as acute and unembarrassed an observer as ever Mr . Darcy had been , was much relieved by discerning such different feelings .
They had not long been together before Mr . Darcy told her that Bingley was also coming to wait on her ; and she had barely time to express her satisfaction , and prepare for such a visitor , when Bingley ' s quick step was heard on the stairs , and in a moment he entered the room . All Elizabeth ' s anger against him had been long done away ; but had she still felt any , it could hardly have stood its ground against the unaffected cordiality with which he expressed himself on seeing her again . He inquired in a friendly , though general way , after her family , and looked and spoke with the same good-humoured ease that he had ever done .
To Mr . and Mrs . Gardiner he was scarcely a less interesting personage than to herself . They had long wished to see him . The whole party before them , indeed , excited a lively attention . The suspicions which had just arisen of Mr . Darcy and their niece directed their observation towards each with an earnest though guarded inquiry ; and they soon drew from those inquiries the full conviction that one of them at least knew what it was to love . Of the lady ' s sensations they remained a little in doubt ; but that the gentleman was overflowing with admiration was evident enough .
Elizabeth , on her side , had much to do . She wanted to ascertain the feelings of each of her visitors ; she wanted to compose her own , and to make herself agreeable to all ; and in the latter object , where she feared most to fail , she was most sure of success , for those to whom she endeavoured to give pleasure were prepossessed in her favour . Bingley was ready , Georgiana was eager , and Darcy determined , to be pleased .
In seeing Bingley , her thoughts naturally flew to her sister ; and , oh ! how ardently did she long to know whether any of his were directed in a like