"But above all, above respect and esteem, there was a motive within her of goodwill which could not be overlooked. It was gratitude. Gratitude not merely for having once loved her, but for loving her still well enough to forgive all the petulance and acrimony of her manner in rejecting him, and all the unjust accusations accompanying her rejection."
~ chapter forty-four, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

mmm...i'm in such a mushy mood. i don't know why, but that's my absolute favorite quote/passage in the novel. i even highlighted it in the book. it makes me sigh every time i read it. :)