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regard, no matter how insultingly given?
    With these realizations came the painful knowledge that he was not in-vulnerable to elizabeth’s distress; her injury injured him as well. Although he could not admit complete dissatisfaction with the fact that, her words 28

    By FoRce oF InstInct
    that night notwithstanding, she at least thought enough of his opinion to be affected by it, the vision of her tear-filled eyes left him with a pain in his chest and the beginnings of a self-loathing for the behaviour that had caused it. yet, at other moments his anger with her would once again overtake him, and he would remind himself that he had said nothing to her that was not true.
    to these feelings was added yet one more kind—those generated by his knowledge that she would be leaving Kent in a few days, and that this dinner might well be the last time he was ever to lay eyes upon her. For every part of him that applauded the chance to flee the humiliation of her refusal and the pain of seeing her while knowing she would never be his, there were other parts which fought desperately against allowing her to slip completely out of his world. The thought of never seeing her again—her laughter, her liveliness, her natural grace and vivacity—left him with a profound feeling of emptiness.
    The moment he had alternately been dreading and longing for finally came with the arrival of the Hunsford party. It was immediately obvious to him that elizabeth was quite subdued; this was the first time he had seen her in company when she was not at least making an effort toward displaying her usual vivacity. He caught her stealing a glance at him—was there a trace of warmth in that look, or was it only his wishes speaking? He felt a surprising wave of tenderness as she dropped her eyes again, allowing himself the pleasure of it for a moment before berating himself for falling into her wiles once again.
    He took his old accustomed seat slightly away from her, from which he could see her clearly; he had avoided it since that night at Hunsford.
    colonel Fitzwilliam as usual sat beside her, attempting to engage her in conversation. Darcy was too far away to hear her quiet responses, but was not displeased to see that she did not enter into the exchange in the animated manner she typically used with his cousin. He did not think he could bear to see her smiling at another man at the moment, and colonel Fitzwilliam’s open admiration of her had always been something of a thorn in his side. As if able to hear his thoughts, she glanced up at him again, looking away almost immediately.
    Lady catherine observed after dinner that Miss Bennet seemed out of spirits, and immediately accounting for it herself by supposing that she did 29

    Abigail Reynolds
    not like to go home again so soon, she added, “But if that is the case, you must write to your mother to beg that you may stay a little longer. Mrs.
    collins will be very glad of your company, I am sure.”
    “I am much obliged to your ladyship for your kind invitation,” replied elizabeth, thinking that staying any longer was beyond question the last thing she would desire, “but it is not in my power to accept it. I must be in town next saturday.”
    “Why, at that rate, you will have been here only six weeks. I expected you to stay two months. I told Mrs. collins so before you came. There can be no occasion for your going so soon. Mrs. Bennet could certainly spare you for another fortnight.”
    “But my father cannot.—He wrote last week to hurry my return.”
    “oh! your father of course may spare you if your mother can.—Daughters are never of so much consequence to a father. And if you will stay another month complete, it will be in my power to take you as far as London, for I am going there early in June, for a week; and as Dawson does not object to the Barouche box, there will be very good room for you.”
    “oh, please do stay a little longer, Miss Bennet!” exclaimed Miss Darcy.
    “I