Pagina 371 van 817

"I do not mean to say that a woman may not be settled too near

her family. The far and the near must be relative, and depend on

many varying circumstances. Where there is fortune to make the

expense of travelling unimportant, distance becomes no evil. But

that is not the case here. Mr. and Mrs. Collins have a

comfortable income, but not such a one as will allow of frequent

journeys--and I am persuaded my friend would not call herself

near her family under less than half the present distance."

Mr. Darcy drew his chair a little towards her, and said, "You

cannot have a right to such very strong local attachment. You

cannot have been always at Longbourn."

Elizabeth looked surprised. The gentleman experienced some change

of feeling; he drew back his chair, took a newspaper from the

table, and, glancing over it, said, in a colder voice,--

"Are you pleased with Kent?"