Chapter 49 284
Chapter 49
Two days after Mr . Bennet ' s return , as Jane and Elizabeth were walking together in the shrubbery behind the house , they saw the housekeeper coming towards them , and , concluding that she came to call them to their mother , went forward to meet her ; but , instead of the expected summons , when they approached her , she said to Miss Bennet , " I beg your pardon , madam , for interrupting you , but I was in hopes you might have got some good news from town , so I took the liberty of coming to ask ."
" What do you mean , Hill ? We have heard nothing from town ."
" Dear madam ," cried Mrs . Hill , in great astonishment , " don ' t you know there is an express come for master from Mr . Gardiner ? He has been here this half-hour , and master has had a letter ."
Away ran the girls , too eager to get in to have time for speech . They ran through the vestibule into the breakfast-room ; from thence to the library ; their father was in neither ; and they were on the point of seeking him upstairs with their mother , when they were met by the butler , who said :
" If you are looking for my master , ma ' am , he is walking towards the little copse ."
Upon this information , they instantly passed through the hall once more , and ran across the lawn after their father , who was deliberately pursuing his way towards a small wood on one side of the paddock .
Jane , who was not so light nor so much in the habit of running as Elizabeth , soon lagged behind , while her sister , panting for breath , came up with him , and eagerly cried out :
" Oh , papa , what news--what news ? Have you heard from my uncle ?" " Yes I have had a letter from him by express ."