Elizabeth jumped out;and, after giving each of them a hasty kiss,hurried into the vestibule,where Jane,who came running down from her mother's apartment,immediately met her.
“Oh, yes!―that, that is the worst of all.Till I was in Kent, and saw so much both of Mr. Darcy and his relation Colonel Fitzwilliam, I was ignorant of the truth myself. And when I returned home, the―shire was to leave Meryton in a week or fortnight's time.As that was the case, neither Jane, to whom I related the whole, nor I, thought it necessary to make our knowledge public;for of what use could it apparently be to any one,that the good opinion which all the neighbourhood had of him should then be overthrown?And even when it was settled that Lydia should go with Mrs.Forster,the necessity of opening her eyes to his character never occurred to me.That she could be in any danger from the deception never entered my head.That such a consequence as this could ensue, you may easily believe, was far enough from my thoughts.”