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Chapter　X　of　Volume　II　（Chap。　33）
　MORE　than　once　did　Elizabeth　in　her　ramble　within　the　Park；　unexpectedly　meet　Mr。　Darcy。　　She　felt　all　the　perverseness　of　the　mischance　that　should　bring　him　where　no　one　else　was　brought；　and　to　prevent　its　ever　happening　again；　took　care　to　inform　him　at　first　that　it　was　a　favourite　haunt　of　hers。　　How　it　could　occur　a　second　time；　therefore；　was　very　odd！　　Yet　it　did；　and　even　a　third。　It　seemed　like　wilful　ill…nature；　or　a　voluntary　penance；　for　on　these　occasions　it　was　not　merely　a　few　formal　enquiries　and　an　awkward　pause　and　then　away；　but　he　actually　thought　it　necessary　to　turn　back　and　walk　with　her。　He　never　said　a　great　deal；　nor　did　she　give　herself　the　trouble　of　talking　or　of　listening　much；　but　it　struck　her　in　the　course　of　their　third　rencontre　that　he　was　asking　some　odd　unconnected　questions　　about　her　pleasure　in　being　at　Hunsford；　her　love　of　solitary　walks；　and　her　opinion　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Collins's　happiness；　and　that　in　speaking　of　Rosings；　and　her　not　perfectly　understanding　the　house；　he　seemed　to　expect　that　whenever　she　came　into　Kent　again　she　would　be　staying　there　too。　His　words　seemed　to　imply　it。　Could　he　have　Colonel　Fitzwilliam　in　his　thoughts？　She　supposed；　if　he　meant　any　thing；　he　must　mean　an　allusion　to　what　might　arise　in　that　quarter。　It　distressed　her　a　little；　and　she　was　quite　glad　to　find　herself　at　the　gate　in　the　pales　opposite　the　Parsonage。
She　was　engaged　one　day；　as　she　walked；　in　re…perusing　Jane's　last　letter；　and　dwelling　on　some　passages　which　proved　that　Jane　had　not　written　in　spirits；　when；　instead　of　being　again　surprised　by　Mr。　Darcy；　she　saw　on　looking　up；　that　Colonel　Fitzwilliam　was　meeting　her。　Putting　away　the　letter　immediately　and　forcing　a　smile；　she　said；
‘‘I　did　not　know　before　that　you　ever　walked　this　way。''
‘‘I　have　been　making　the　tour　of　the　Park；''　he　replied；　‘‘as　I　generally　do　every　year；　and　intend　to　close　it　with　a　call　at　the　Parsonage。　Are　you　going　much　farther？''
‘‘No；　I　should　have　turned　in　a　moment。''
And　accordingly　she　did　turn；　and　they　walked　towards　the　Parsonage　together。
‘‘Do　you　certainly　leave　Kent　on　Saturday？''　said　she。
‘‘Yes　　if　Darcy　does　not　put　it　off　again。　But　I　am　at　his　disposal。　He　arranges　the　business　just　as　he　pleases。''
‘‘And　if　not　able　to　please　himself　in　the　arrangement；　he　has　at　least　great　pleasure　in　the　power　of　choice。　I　do　not　know　any　body　who　seems　more　to　enjoy　the　power　of　doing　what　he　likes　than　Mr。　Darcy。''
‘‘He　likes　to　have　his　own　way　very　well；''　replied　Colonel　Fitzwilliam。　‘‘But　so　we　all　do。　It　is　only　that　he　has　better　means　of　having　it　than　many　others；　because　he　is　rich；　and　many　others　are　poor。　I　speak　feelingly。　A　younger　son；　you　know；　must　be　inured　to　self…denial　and　dependence。''
‘‘In　my　opinion；　the　younger　son　of　an　Earl　can　know　very　little　of　either。　Now；　seriously；　what　have　you　ever　known　of　self…denial　and　dependence？　When　have　you　been　prevented　by　want　of　money　from　going　wherever　you　chose；　or　procuring　any　thing　you　had　a　fancy　for？''
‘‘These　are　home　questions　　and　perhaps　I　cannot　say　that　I　have　experienced　many　hardships　of　that　nature。　But　in　matters　of　greater　weight；　I　may　suffer　from　the　want　of　money。　Younger　sons　cannot　marry　where　they　like。''
‘‘Unless　where　they　like　women　of　fortune；　which　I　think　they　very　often　do。''
‘‘Our　habits　of　expence　make　us　too　dependant；　and　there　are　not　many　in　my　rank　of　life　who　can　afford　to　marry　without　some　attention　to　money。''
‘‘Is　this；''　thought　Elizabeth；　‘‘meant　for　me？''　and　she　coloured　at　the　idea；　but；　recovering　herself；　said　in　a　lively　tone；　‘‘And　pray；　what　is　the　usual　price　of　an　Earl's　younger　son？　Unless　the　elder　brother　is　very　sickly；　I　suppose　you　would　not　ask　above　fifty　thousand　pounds。''
He　answered　her　in　the　same　style；　and　the　subject　dropped。　To　interrupt　a　silence　which　might　make　him　fancy　her　affected　with　what　had　passed；　she　soon　afterwards　said；
‘‘I　imagine　your　cousin　brought　you　down　with　him　chiefly　for　the　sake　of　having　somebody　at　his　disposal。　I　wonder　he　does　not　marry；　to　secure　a　lasting　convenience　of　that　kind。　But；　perhaps　his　sister　does　as　well　for　the　present；　and；　as　she　is　under　his　sole　care；　he　may　do　what　he　likes　with　her。''
‘‘No；''　said　Colonel　Fitzwilliam；　‘‘that　is　an　advantage　which　he　must　divide　with　me。　I　am　joined　with　him　in　the　guardianship　of　Miss　Darcy。''
‘‘Are　you；　indeed？　And　pray　what　sort　of　guardians　do　you　make？　Does　your　charge　give　you　much　trouble？　Young　ladies　of　her　age　are　sometimes　a　little　difficult　to　manage；　and　if　she　has　the　true　Darcy　spirit；　she　may　like　to　have　her　own　way。''
As　she　spoke；　she　observed　him　looking　at　her　earnestly；　and　the　manner　in　which　he　immediately　asked　her　why　she　supposed　Miss　Darcy　likely　to　give　them　any　uneasiness；　convinced　her　that　she　had　somehow　or　other　got　pretty　near　the　truth。　She　directly　replied；
‘‘You　need　not　be　frightened。　I　never　heard　any　harm　of　her；　and　I　dare　say　she　is　one　of　the　most　tractable　creatures　in　the　world。　She　is　a　very　great　favourite　with　some　ladies　of　my　acquaintance；　Mrs。　Hurst　and　Miss　Bingley。　I　think　I　have　heard　you　say　that　you　know　them。''
‘‘I　know　them　a　little。　Their　brother　is　a　pleasant　gentleman…like　man　　he　is　a　great　friend　of　Darcy's。''
‘‘Oh！　yes；''　said　Elizabeth　drily　　‘‘Mr。　Darcy　is　uncommonly　kind　to　Mr。　Bingley；　and　takes　a　prodigious　deal　of　care　of　him。''
‘‘Care　of　him！　　Yes；　I　really　believe　Darcy　does　take　care　of　him　in　those　points　where　he　most　wants　care。　From　something　that　he　told　me　in　our　journey　hither；　I　have　reason　to　think　Bingley　very　much　indebted　to　him。　But　I　ought　to　beg　his　pardon；　for　I　have　no　right　to　suppose　that　Bingley　was　the　person　meant。　It　was　all　conjecture。''
‘‘What　is　it　you　mean？''
‘‘It　is　a　circumstance　which　Darcy；　of　course；　would　not　wish　to　be　generally　known；　because　if　it　were　to　get　round　to　the　lady's　family；　it　would　be　an　unpleasant　thing。''
‘‘You　may　depend　upon　my　not　mentioning　it。''
‘‘And　remember　that　I　have　not　much　reason　for　supposing　it　to　be　Bingley。　What　he　told　me　was　merely　this；　that　he　congratulated　himself　on　having　lately　saved　a　friend　from　the　inconveniences　of　a　most　imprudent　marriage；　but　without　mentioning　names　or　any　other　particulars；　and　I　only　suspected　it　to　be　Bingley　from　believing　him　the　kind　of　young　man　to　get　into　a　scrape　of　that　sort；　and　from　knowing　them　to　have　been　together　the　whole　of　last　summer。''
‘‘Did　Mr。　Darcy　give　you　his　reasons　for　this　interference？''
‘‘I　understood　that　there　were　some　very　strong　objections　against　the　lady。''
‘‘And　what　arts　did　he　use　to　separate　them？''
‘‘He　did　not　talk　to　me　of　his　own　arts；''　said　Fitzwilliam　smiling。　‘‘He　only　told　me　what　I　have　now　told　you。''
Elizabeth　made　no　answer；　and　walked　on；　her　heart　swelling　with　indignation。　After　watching　her　a　little；　Fitzwilliam　asked　her　why　she　was　so　thoughtful。
‘‘I　am　thinking　of　what　you　have　been　telling　me；''　said　she。　‘‘Your　cousin's　conduct　does　not　suit　my　feelings。　Why　was　he　to　be　the　judge？''
‘‘You　are　rather　disposed　to　call　his　interference　officious？''
‘‘I　do　not　see　what　right　Mr。　Darcy　had　to　decide　on　the　propriety　of　his　friend's　inclination；　or　why；　upon　his　own　judgment　alone；　he　was　to　determine　and　direct　in　what　manner　that　friend　was　to　be　happy。''　‘‘But；''　she　continued；　recollecting　herself；　‘‘as　we　know　none　of　the　particulars；　it　is　not　fair　to　condemn　him。　It　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　there　was　much　affection　in　the　case。''
‘‘That　is　not　an　unnatural　surmise；''　said　Fitzwilliam；　‘‘but　it　is　lessening　the　honour　of　my　cousin's　triumph　very　sadly。''
This　was　spoken　jestingly；　but　it　appeared　to　her　so　just　a　picture　of　Mr。　Darcy　that　she　would　not　trust　herself　with　an　answer；　and；　therefore；　abruptly　changing　the　conversation；　talked　on　indifferent　matters　till　they　reached　the　parsonage。　There；　shut　into　her　own　room　as　soon　as　their　visitor　left　them；　she　could　think　without　interruption　of　all　that　she　had　heard。　It　was　not　to　be　supposed　that　any　other　people　could　be　meant　than　those　with　whom　she　was　connected。　There　could　not　exist　in　the　world　two　men　over　whom　Mr。　Darcy　could　have　such　boundless　influence。　That　he　had　been　concerned　in　the　measures　taken　to　separate　Mr。　Bingley　and　Jane；　she　had　never　doubted；　but　she　had　always　attributed　to　Miss　Bingley　the　principal　design　and　arrangement　of　them。　If　his　own　vanity；　however；　did　not　mislead　him；　he　was　the　cause；　his　pride　and　caprice　were　the　cause；　of　all　that　Jane　had　suffered；　and　still　continued　to　suffer。　He　had　ruined　for　a　while　every　hope　of　happiness　for　the　most　affectionate；　generous　heart　in　the　world；　and　no　one　could　say　how　lasting　an　evil　he　might　have　inflicted。
‘‘There　were　some　very　strong　objections　against　the　lady；''　were　Colonel　Fitzwilliam's　words；　and　these　strong　objections　probably　were；　her　having　one　uncle　who　was　a　country　attorney；　and　another　who　was　in　business　in　London。
‘‘To　Jane　herself；''　she　exclaimed；　‘‘there　could　be　no　possibility　of　objection。　All　loveliness　and　goodness　as　she　is！　Her　understanding　excellent；　her　mind　improved；　and　her　manners　captivating。　Neither　could　an