in his favour with an air of indifference he soon afterwards added how long did you say that he was at nearly three weeks and you saw him frequently yes almost every day his manners are very different from his cousin s and prejudice yes very different but i think mr on acquaintance indeed cried with a look which did not escape her and pray may i but checking himself he added in a tone is it in address that he has he to add aught of civility to his ordinary style for i dare not hope he continued in a lower and more serious tone that he is improved in oh no said elizabeth in i he is very much what he ever was while she spoke looked as if scarcely ing whether to over her words or to distrust their meaning there was a something in her countenance which made him listen with an apprehensive and anxious attention while she added � when i said that he improved on acquaintance i did not mean that either his mind or manners were in a state of improvement but that from knowing him better his disposition was better understood s alarm now appeared in a heightened complexion and agitated look for a few minutes he was silent till shaking off his embarrassment he turned to her again and said in the of accents � you who so well know my feelings towards mr will readily comprehend how sincerely i must rejoice that he is wise enough to assume even the appear ance of what is right his pride in that direction may he of service if not to himself to many others for it must him from such foul as i have suffered by i only fear that the sort of to which you i imagine have been alluding is merely adopted on his visits to his aunt of whose good opinion and judgment he stands much in awe his fear of her has always i know when they were together and a good deal is to be to his wish of the match with miss de which i am certain he has very much at heart elizabeth could not repress a smile at this but she answered only by a slight of the head she and prejudice � aw that he wanted to engage her on the old subject of his and she was in no humour to indulge him the rest of the evening passed with the appearance on his side of usual cheerfulness hut with no i attempt to i ti distinguish elizabeth and they parted at last with mutual i p civility and possibly a desire of never meeting j again when the party broke up returned with mrs to from whence they were to set out early the next morning the separation between her and f her family was rather noisy than pathetic was the l f only one who shed tears but she did weep from vexation � and envy mrs was in her good wishes j for the felicity of her daughter and impressive in her in that she would not miss the opportunity of enjoy ing herself as much as possible � advice which there was every reason to believe would be attended to and in the happiness of herself in bidding the more gentle of her sisters were uttered being heard i chapter ix had elizabeth s opinion been all drawn from her own family she could not have formed a very pleasing picture of felicity or domestic comfort her father by youth and beauty and that appearance of which youth and beauty generally give had married a woman whose weak understanding and mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real for her respect esteem and confidence had vanished for ever and all his views of domestic happiness were but mr was not of a disposition to seek comfort for the disappointment which his own had brought on in any of those plea which too often console the for their folly or their vice he was fond of the country and of books and from these tastes had arisen his principal e to his wife he was very little otherwise indebted than as her ignorance and folly had contributed to his amusement this is not the sort of happiness which a man would in general wish to owe to his wife but where other powers of entertainment are wanting the true philosopher will derive benefit from such as are given elizabeth however had never been blind to the of her father s behaviour as a husband she had always seen it with pain but respecting his abilities and grateful for his affectionate treatment of herself she endeavoured to forget what she could not overlook and to banish from her thoughts that continual breach of obligation and decorum which in exposing his wife to the contempt of her own children was so highly but she had never felt so strongly as now the which must attend the children of so a marriage nor ever so fully aware of the evils arising from so ill judged a direction of talents � talents which rightly used might at least have preserved the respectability of his daughters even if incapable of the mind of his wife when elizabeth had rejoiced over s departure she found little other cause for satisfaction in the loss of the regiment their parties abroad were less varied than before and at home she had a mother and sister whose constant at the of every thing them threw a real gloom over their domestic circle and though might in time regain her natural degree o� sense since the of her brain were removed her other sister from whose disposition greater evil might be apprehended was likely to be hardened in all her folly and assurance by a situation of such double danger as a watering place 