Chapter 52 303
Chapter 52
Elizabeth had the satisfaction of receiving an answer to her letter as soon as she possibly could . She was no sooner in possession of it than , hurrying into the little copse , where she was least likely to be interrupted , she sat down on one of the benches and prepared to be happy ; for the length of the letter convinced her that it did not contain a denial .
" Gracechurch street , Sept . 6 . " MY DEAR NIECE ,
" I have just received your letter , and shall devote this whole morning to answering it , as I foresee that a little writing will not comprise what I have to tell you . I must confess myself surprised by your application ; I did not expect it from you . Don ' t think me angry , however , for I only mean to let you know that I had not imagined such inquiries to be necessary on your side . If you do not choose to understand me , forgive my impertinence . Your uncle is as much surprised as I am--and nothing but the belief of your being a party concerned would have allowed him to act as he has done . But if you are really innocent and ignorant , I must be more explicit .
" On the very day of my coming home from Longbourn , your uncle had a most unexpected visitor . Mr . Darcy called , and was shut up with him several hours . It was all over before I arrived ; so my curiosity was not so dreadfully racked as yours seems to have been . He came to tell Mr . Gardiner that he had found out where your sister and Mr . Wickham were , and that he had seen and talked with them both ; Wickham repeatedly , Lydia once . From what I can collect , he left Derbyshire only one day after ourselves , and came to town with the resolution of hunting for them . The motive professed was his conviction of its being owing to himself that Wickham ' s worthlessness had not been so well known as to make it impossible for any young woman of character to love or confide in him . He generously imputed the whole to his mistaken pride , and confessed that he had before thought it beneath him to lay his private actions open to the world . His character was to speak for itself . He called it , therefore , his duty