صفحة 180 من 817

"I do not imagine his business would have called him away just

now, if he had not wished to avoid a certain gentleman here."

This part of his intelligence, though unheard by Lydia, was

caught by Elizabeth; and, as it assured her that Darcy was not

less answerable for Wickham's absence than if her first surmise

had been just, every feeling of displeasure against the former

was so sharpened by immediate disappointment, that she could

hardly reply with tolerable civility to the polite inquiries

which he directly afterwards approached to make. Attention,

forbearance, patience with Darcy, was injury to Wickham. She was

resolved against any sort of conversation with him, and turned

away with a degree of ill-humour which she could not wholly

surmount even in speaking to Mr. Bingley, whose blind partiality

provoked her.