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Mrs. Gardiner, to whom the chief of this news had been given

before, in the course of Jane and Elizabeth's correspondence with

her, made her sister a slight answer, and, in compassion to her

nieces, turned the conversation.

When alone with Elizabeth afterwards, she spoke more on the

subject. "It seems likely to have been a desirable match for

Jane," said she. "I am sorry it went off. But these things happen

so often! A young man, such as you describe Mr. Bingley, so

easily falls in love with a pretty girl for a few weeks, and,

when accident separates them, so easily forgets her, that these

sort of inconstancies are very frequent."

]

"An excellent consolation in its way," said Elizabeth; "but it

will not do for us. We do not suffer by accident. It does not

often happen that the interference of friends will persuade a

young man of independent fortune to think no more of a girl whom

he was violently in love with only a few days before."