“There certainly was some great mismanagement in the education of those two young men.One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it.”
It was some time, however, before a smile could be extorted from Jane.
“His being so sure of succeeding was wrong,”said she,“and certainly ought not to have appeared;but consider how much it must increase his disappointment!”
“Indeed,”replied Elizabeth,“I am heartily sorry for him;but he has other feelings,which will probably soon drive away his regard for me.You do not blame me,however,for refusing him?”
“And yet I meant to be uncommonly clever in taking so decided a dislike to him, without any reason. It is such a spur to one's genius, such an opening for wit, to have a dislike of that kind. One may be continually abusive without saying anything just;but one cannot always be laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty.”
She then spoke of the letter,repeating the whole of its contents as far as they concerned George Wickham.What a stroke was this for poor Jane,who would willingly have gone through the world without believing that so much wickedness existed in the whole race of mankind,as was here collected in one individual.Nor was Darcy's vindication, though grateful to her feelings, capable of consoling her for such discovery.Most earnestly did she labour to prove the probability of error,and seek to clear the one without involving the other.