My point was not the degree to which Bingley thought Jane returned his feelings, but that he believed she did, as the quotation from the letter indicates. In addition to that, he was apparently growing close to a proposal of marriage, and that also seems to me to make it likely that he believed she returned his feelings. (Diane Margaret, you yourself have argued in the past that Bingley would not have been happy married to someone who did not love him. Have you changed that position?)

My point was that since he loved her and believed that his sentiments were returned, in kind if not in degree (I was thinking of adding that caveat to the previous message, but I didn't because it seemed irrelevant), then it would likely take more than subtle hints to change his mind. Therefore, I do not think Darcy engaged in subtle hints that perhaps Jane might be indifferent. I think, for that and other reasons, that his description of what he said can be taken at face value -- he assured Bingley of Jane's indifference.