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  • CHAPTER 1

  • It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good

  • fortune, must be in want of a wife.

  • However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering

  • a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding

  • families, that he is considered the

  • rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

  • "My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield

  • Park is let at last?"

  • Mr. Bennet replied that he had not. "But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long

  • has just been here, and she told me all about it."

  • Mr. Bennet made no answer.

  • "Do you not want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently.

  • "You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."

  • This was invitation enough.

  • "Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young

  • man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a

  • chaise and four to see the place, and was

  • so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to

  • take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by

  • the end of next week."

  • "What is his name?" "Bingley."

  • "Is he married or single?" "Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure!

  • A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year.

  • What a fine thing for our girls!" "How so?

  • How can it affect them?"

  • "My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome!

  • You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."

  • "Is that his design in settling here?"

  • "Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so!

  • But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you

  • must visit him as soon as he comes."

  • "I see no occasion for that.

  • You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be

  • still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley may like you the

  • best of the party."

  • "My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty,

  • but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now.

  • When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own

  • beauty." "In such cases, a woman has not often much

  • beauty to think of."

  • "But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the

  • neighbourhood." "It is more than I engage for, I assure

  • you."

  • "But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would

  • be for one of them.

  • Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in

  • general, you know, they visit no newcomers.

  • Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him if you do

  • not." "You are over-scrupulous, surely.

  • I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you

  • to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls;

  • though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy."

  • "I desire you will do no such thing.

  • Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome

  • as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia.

  • But you are always giving her the preference."

  • "They have none of them much to recommend them," replied he; "they are all silly and

  • ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her

  • sisters."

  • "Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way?

  • You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion for my poor nerves."

  • "You mistake me, my dear.

  • I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends.

  • I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at

  • least."

  • "Ah, you do not know what I suffer." "But I hope you will get over it, and live

  • to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood."

  • "It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come, since you will not visit

  • them." "Depend upon it, my dear, that when there

  • are twenty, I will visit them all."

  • Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and

  • caprice, that the experience of three-and- twenty years had been insufficient to make

  • his wife understand his character.

  • Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding,

  • little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she fancied

  • herself nervous.

  • The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting

  • and news.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 2

  • Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley.

  • He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that

  • he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid she had no

  • knowledge of it.

  • It was then disclosed in the following manner.

  • Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her

  • with:

  • "I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy." "We are not in a way to know what Mr.

  • Bingley likes," said her mother resentfully, "since we are not to visit."

  • "But you forget, mamma," said Elizabeth, "that we shall meet him at the assemblies,

  • and that Mrs. Long promised to introduce him."

  • "I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing.

  • She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I

  • have no opinion of her."

  • "No more have I," said Mr. Bennet; "and I am glad to find that you do not depend on

  • her serving you."

  • Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply, but, unable to contain herself, began

  • scolding one of her daughters. "Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for

  • Heaven's sake!

  • Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces."

  • "Kitty has no discretion in her coughs," said her father; "she times them ill."

  • "I do not cough for my own amusement," replied Kitty fretfully.

  • "When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?" "To-morrow fortnight."

  • "Aye, so it is," cried her mother, "and Mrs. Long does not come back till the day

  • before; so it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him

  • herself."

  • "Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley

  • to her."

  • "Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted with him myself; how can

  • you be so teasing?" "I honour your circumspection.

  • A fortnight's acquaintance is certainly very little.

  • One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a fortnight.

  • But if we do not venture somebody else will; and after all, Mrs. Long and her

  • daughters must stand their chance; and, therefore, as she will think it an act of

  • kindness, if you decline the office, I will take it on myself."

  • The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, "Nonsense,

  • nonsense!"

  • "What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation?" cried he.

  • "Do you consider the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on them, as

  • nonsense?

  • I cannot quite agree with you there. What say you, Mary?

  • For you are a young lady of deep reflection, I know, and read great books

  • and make extracts."

  • Mary wished to say something sensible, but knew not how.

  • "While Mary is adjusting her ideas," he continued, "let us return to Mr. Bingley."

  • "I am sick of Mr. Bingley," cried his wife.

  • "I am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tell me that before?

  • If I had known as much this morning I certainly would not have called on him.

  • It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the

  • acquaintance now."

  • The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps

  • surpassing the rest; though, when the first tumult of joy was over, she began to

  • declare that it was what she had expected all the while.

  • "How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet!

  • But I knew I should persuade you at last.

  • I was sure you loved your girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance.

  • Well, how pleased I am! and it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone

  • this morning and never said a word about it till now."

  • "Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose," said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke,

  • he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.

  • "What an excellent father you have, girls!" said she, when the door was shut.

  • "I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness; or me, either, for

  • that matter.

  • At our time of life it is not so pleasant, I can tell you, to be making new

  • acquaintances every day; but for your sakes, we would do anything.

  • Lydia, my love, though you are the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance

  • with you at the next ball."

  • "Oh!" said Lydia stoutly, "I am not afraid; for though I am the youngest, I'm the

  • tallest."

  • The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr.

  • Bennet's visit, and determining when they should ask him to dinner.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 3

  • Not all that Mrs. Bennet, however, with the assistance of her five daughters, could ask

  • on the subject, was sufficient to draw from her husband any satisfactory description of

  • Mr. Bingley.

  • They attacked him in various ways--with barefaced questions, ingenious

  • suppositions, and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all, and they were

  • at last obliged to accept the second-hand

  • intelligence of their neighbour, Lady Lucas.

  • Her report was highly favourable. Sir William had been delighted with him.

  • He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, extremely agreeable, and, to crown the

  • whole, he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party.

  • Nothing could be more delightful!

  • To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively

  • hopes of Mr. Bingley's heart were entertained.

  • "If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield," said Mrs.

  • Bennet to her husband, "and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing

  • to wish for."

  • In a few days Mr. Bingley returned Mr. Bennet's visit, and sat about ten minutes

  • with him in his library.

  • He had entertained hopes of being admitted to a sight of the young ladies, of whose

  • beauty he had heard much; but he saw only the father.

  • The ladies were somewhat more fortunate, for they had the advantage of ascertaining

  • from an upper window that he wore a blue coat, and rode a black horse.

  • An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched; and already had Mrs. Bennet

  • planned the courses that were to do credit to her housekeeping, when an answer arrived

  • which deferred it all.

  • Mr. Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day, and, consequently, unable to

  • accept the honour of their invitation, etc. Mrs. Bennet was quite disconcerted.

  • She could not imagine what business he could have in town so soon after his

  • arrival in Hertfordshire; and she began to fear that he might be always flying about

  • from one place to another, and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be.

  • Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by starting the idea of his being gone to

  • London only to get a large party for the ball; and a report soon followed that Mr.

  • Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly.

  • The girls grieved over such a number of ladies, but were comforted the day before

  • the ball by hearing, that instead of twelve he brought only six with him from London--

  • his five sisters and a cousin.

  • And when the party entered the assembly room it consisted of only five altogether--

  • Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man.

  • Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant

  • countenance, and easy, unaffected manners. His sisters were fine women, with an air of

  • decided fashion.

  • His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr.

  • Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome

  • features, noble mien, and the report which

  • was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having

  • ten thousand a year.

  • The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was

  • much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about

  • half the evening, till his manners gave a

  • disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be

  • proud; to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate

  • in Derbyshire could then save him from

  • having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be

  • compared with his friend.

  • Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in

  • the room; he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, was angry that the ball

  • closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield.

  • Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves.

  • What a contrast between him and his friend!

  • Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, declined being

  • introduced to any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the

  • room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party.

  • His character was decided.

  • He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he

  • would never come there again.

  • Amongst the most violent against him was Mrs. Bennet, whose dislike of his general

  • behaviour was sharpened into particular resentment by his having slighted one of

  • her daughters.

  • Elizabeth Bennet had been obliged, by the scarcity of gentlemen, to sit down for two

  • dances; and during part of that time, Mr. Darcy had been standing near enough for her

  • to hear a conversation between him and Mr.

  • Bingley, who came from the dance for a few minutes, to press his friend to join it.

  • "Come, Darcy," said he, "I must have you dance.

  • I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner.

  • You had much better dance." "I certainly shall not.

  • You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner.

  • At such an assembly as this it would be insupportable.

  • Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not

  • be a punishment to me to stand up with." "I would not be so fastidious as you are,"

  • cried Mr. Bingley, "for a kingdom!

  • Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this

  • evening; and there are several of them you see uncommonly pretty."

  • "You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room," said Mr. Darcy, looking

  • at the eldest Miss Bennet. "Oh! She is the most beautiful creature I

  • ever beheld!

  • But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty,

  • and I dare say very agreeable. Do let me ask my partner to introduce you."

  • "Which do you mean?" and turning round he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till

  • catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said: "She is tolerable, but not

  • handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no

  • humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.

  • You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your

  • time with me."

  • Mr. Bingley followed his advice. Mr. Darcy walked off; and Elizabeth

  • remained with no very cordial feelings toward him.

  • She told the story, however, with great spirit among her friends; for she had a

  • lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous.

  • The evening altogether passed off pleasantly to the whole family.

  • Mrs. Bennet had seen her eldest daughter much admired by the Netherfield party.

  • Mr. Bingley had danced with her twice, and she had been distinguished by his sisters.

  • Jane was as much gratified by this as her mother could be, though in a quieter way.

  • Elizabeth felt Jane's pleasure.

  • Mary had heard herself mentioned to Miss Bingley as the most accomplished girl in

  • the neighbourhood; and Catherine and Lydia had been fortunate enough never to be

  • without partners, which was all that they had yet learnt to care for at a ball.

  • They returned, therefore, in good spirits to Longbourn, the village where they lived,

  • and of which they were the principal inhabitants.

  • They found Mr. Bennet still up.

  • With a book he was regardless of time; and on the present occasion he had a good deal

  • of curiosity as to the event of an evening which had raised such splendid

  • expectations.

  • He had rather hoped that his wife's views on the stranger would be disappointed; but

  • he soon found out that he had a different story to hear.

  • "Oh! my dear Mr. Bennet," as she entered the room, "we have had a most delightful

  • evening, a most excellent ball. I wish you had been there.

  • Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it.

  • Everybody said how well she looked; and Mr. Bingley thought her quite beautiful, and

  • danced with her twice!

  • Only think of that, my dear; he actually danced with her twice! and she was the only

  • creature in the room that he asked a second time.

  • First of all, he asked Miss Lucas.

  • I was so vexed to see him stand up with her!

  • But, however, he did not admire her at all; indeed, nobody can, you know; and he seemed

  • quite struck with Jane as she was going down the dance.

  • So he inquired who she was, and got introduced, and asked her for the two next.

  • Then the two third he danced with Miss King, and the two fourth with Maria Lucas,

  • and the two fifth with Jane again, and the two sixth with Lizzy, and the Boulanger--"

  • "If he had had any compassion for me," cried her husband impatiently, "he would

  • not have danced half so much! For God's sake, say no more of his

  • partners.

  • O that he had sprained his ankle in the first dance!"

  • "Oh! my dear, I am quite delighted with him.

  • He is so excessively handsome!

  • And his sisters are charming women. I never in my life saw anything more

  • elegant than their dresses. I dare say the lace upon Mrs. Hurst's gown-

  • -"

  • Here she was interrupted again. Mr. Bennet protested against any

  • description of finery.

  • She was therefore obliged to seek another branch of the subject, and related, with

  • much bitterness of spirit and some exaggeration, the shocking rudeness of Mr.

  • Darcy.

  • "But I can assure you," she added, "that Lizzy does not lose much by not suiting his

  • fancy; for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing.

  • So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him!

  • He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great!

  • Not handsome enough to dance with!

  • I wish you had been there, my dear, to have given him one of your set-downs.

  • I quite detest the man."

  • >

  • CHAPTER 4

  • When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in her praise

  • of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister just how very much she admired him.

  • "He is just what a young man ought to be," said she, "sensible, good-humoured, lively;

  • and I never saw such happy manners!--so much ease, with such perfect good

  • breeding!"

  • "He is also handsome," replied Elizabeth, "which a young man ought likewise to be, if

  • he possibly can. His character is thereby complete."

  • "I was very much flattered by his asking me to dance a second time.

  • I did not expect such a compliment." "Did not you?

  • I did for you.

  • But that is one great difference between us.

  • Compliments always take you by surprise, and me never.

  • What could be more natural than his asking you again?

  • He could not help seeing that you were about five times as pretty as every other

  • woman in the room.

  • No thanks to his gallantry for that. Well, he certainly is very agreeable, and I

  • give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person."

  • "Dear Lizzy!"

  • "Oh! you are a great deal too apt, you know, to like people in general.

  • You never see a fault in anybody. All the world are good and agreeable in

  • your eyes.

  • I never heard you speak ill of a human being in your life."

  • "I would not wish to be hasty in censuring anyone; but I always speak what I think."

  • "I know you do; and it is that which makes the wonder.

  • With your good sense, to be so honestly blind to the follies and nonsense of

  • others!

  • Affectation of candour is common enough-- one meets with it everywhere.

  • But to be candid without ostentation or design--to take the good of everybody's

  • character and make it still better, and say nothing of the bad--belongs to you alone.

  • And so you like this man's sisters, too, do you?

  • Their manners are not equal to his." "Certainly not--at first.

  • But they are very pleasing women when you converse with them.

  • Miss Bingley is to live with her brother, and keep his house; and I am much mistaken

  • if we shall not find a very charming neighbour in her."

  • Elizabeth listened in silence, but was not convinced; their behaviour at the assembly

  • had not been calculated to please in general; and with more quickness of

  • observation and less pliancy of temper than

  • her sister, and with a judgement too unassailed by any attention to herself, she

  • was very little disposed to approve them.

  • They were in fact very fine ladies; not deficient in good humour when they were

  • pleased, nor in the power of making themselves agreeable when they chose it,

  • but proud and conceited.

  • They were rather handsome, had been educated in one of the first private

  • seminaries in town, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, were in the habit of

  • spending more than they ought, and of

  • associating with people of rank, and were therefore in every respect entitled to

  • think well of themselves, and meanly of others.

  • They were of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more

  • deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother's fortune and their own

  • had been acquired by trade.

  • Mr. Bingley inherited property to the amount of nearly a hundred thousand pounds

  • from his father, who had intended to purchase an estate, but did not live to do

  • it.

  • Mr. Bingley intended it likewise, and sometimes made choice of his county; but as

  • he was now provided with a good house and the liberty of a manor, it was doubtful to

  • many of those who best knew the easiness of

  • his temper, whether he might not spend the remainder of his days at Netherfield, and

  • leave the next generation to purchase.

  • His sisters were anxious for his having an estate of his own; but, though he was now

  • only established as a tenant, Miss Bingley was by no means unwilling to preside at his

  • table--nor was Mrs. Hurst, who had married

  • a man of more fashion than fortune, less disposed to consider his house as her home

  • when it suited her.

  • Mr. Bingley had not been of age two years, when he was tempted by an accidental

  • recommendation to look at Netherfield House.

  • He did look at it, and into it for half-an- hour--was pleased with the situation and

  • the principal rooms, satisfied with what the owner said in its praise, and took it

  • immediately.

  • Between him and Darcy there was a very steady friendship, in spite of great

  • opposition of character.

  • Bingley was endeared to Darcy by the easiness, openness, and ductility of his

  • temper, though no disposition could offer a greater contrast to his own, and though

  • with his own he never appeared dissatisfied.

  • On the strength of Darcy's regard, Bingley had the firmest reliance, and of his

  • judgement the highest opinion.

  • In understanding, Darcy was the superior. Bingley was by no means deficient, but

  • Darcy was clever.

  • He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though

  • well-bred, were not inviting. In that respect his friend had greatly the

  • advantage.

  • Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared, Darcy was continually giving

  • offense.

  • The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently

  • characteristic.

  • Bingley had never met with more pleasant people or prettier girls in his life;

  • everybody had been most kind and attentive to him; there had been no formality, no

  • stiffness; he had soon felt acquainted with

  • all the room; and, as to Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful.

  • Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was

  • little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and

  • from none received either attention or pleasure.

  • Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much.

  • Mrs. Hurst and her sister allowed it to be so--but still they admired her and liked

  • her, and pronounced her to be a sweet girl, and one whom they would not object to know

  • more of.

  • Miss Bennet was therefore established as a sweet girl, and their brother felt

  • authorized by such commendation to think of her as he chose.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 5

  • Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Bennets were

  • particularly intimate.

  • Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a

  • tolerable fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king

  • during his mayoralty.

  • The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly.

  • It had given him a disgust to his business, and to his residence in a small market

  • town; and, in quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a

  • mile from Meryton, denominated from that

  • period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and,

  • unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world.

  • For, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary,

  • he was all attention to everybody.

  • By nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging, his presentation at St. James's

  • had made him courteous.

  • Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever to be a valuable neighbour

  • to Mrs. Bennet. They had several children.

  • The eldest of them, a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven, was

  • Elizabeth's intimate friend.

  • That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to talk over a ball was

  • absolutely necessary; and the morning after the assembly brought the former to

  • Longbourn to hear and to communicate.

  • "You began the evening well, Charlotte," said Mrs. Bennet with civil self-command to

  • Miss Lucas. "You were Mr. Bingley's first choice."

  • "Yes; but he seemed to like his second better."

  • "Oh! you mean Jane, I suppose, because he danced with her twice.

  • To be sure that did seem as if he admired her--indeed I rather believe he did--I

  • heard something about it--but I hardly know what--something about Mr. Robinson."

  • "Perhaps you mean what I overheard between him and Mr. Robinson; did not I mention it

  • to you?

  • Mr. Robinson's asking him how he liked our Meryton assemblies, and whether he did not

  • think there were a great many pretty women in the room, and which he thought the

  • prettiest? and his answering immediately to

  • the last question: 'Oh! the eldest Miss Bennet, beyond a doubt; there cannot be two

  • opinions on that point.'" "Upon my word!

  • Well, that is very decided indeed--that does seem as if--but, however, it may all

  • come to nothing, you know." "My overhearings were more to the purpose

  • than yours, Eliza," said Charlotte.

  • "Mr. Darcy is not so well worth listening to as his friend, is he?--poor Eliza!--to

  • be only just tolerable."

  • "I beg you would not put it into Lizzy's head to be vexed by his ill-treatment, for

  • he is such a disagreeable man, that it would be quite a misfortune to be liked by

  • him.

  • Mrs. Long told me last night that he sat close to her for half-an-hour without once

  • opening his lips." "Are you quite sure, ma'am?--is not there a

  • little mistake?" said Jane.

  • "I certainly saw Mr. Darcy speaking to her."

  • "Aye--because she asked him at last how he liked Netherfield, and he could not help

  • answering her; but she said he seemed quite angry at being spoke to."

  • "Miss Bingley told me," said Jane, "that he never speaks much, unless among his

  • intimate acquaintances. With them he is remarkably agreeable."

  • "I do not believe a word of it, my dear.

  • If he had been so very agreeable, he would have talked to Mrs. Long.

  • But I can guess how it was; everybody says that he is eat up with pride, and I dare

  • say he had heard somehow that Mrs. Long does not keep a carriage, and had come to

  • the ball in a hack chaise."

  • "I do not mind his not talking to Mrs. Long," said Miss Lucas, "but I wish he had

  • danced with Eliza." "Another time, Lizzy," said her mother, "I

  • would not dance with him, if I were you."

  • "I believe, ma'am, I may safely promise you never to dance with him."

  • "His pride," said Miss Lucas, "does not offend me so much as pride often does,

  • because there is an excuse for it.

  • One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in

  • his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to

  • be proud."

  • "That is very true," replied Elizabeth, "and I could easily forgive his pride, if

  • he had not mortified mine."

  • "Pride," observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity of her reflections, "is a

  • very common failing, I believe.

  • By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed;

  • that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who

  • do not cherish a feeling of self-

  • complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary.

  • Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used

  • synonymously.

  • A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of

  • ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."

  • "If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy," cried a young Lucas, who came with his sisters, "I

  • should not care how proud I was. I would keep a pack of foxhounds, and drink

  • a bottle of wine a day."

  • "Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought," said Mrs. Bennet; "and if

  • I were to see you at it, I should take away your bottle directly."

  • The boy protested that she should not; she continued to declare that she would, and

  • the argument ended only with the visit.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 6

  • The ladies of Longbourn soon waited on those of Netherfield.

  • The visit was soon returned in due form.

  • Miss Bennet's pleasing manners grew on the goodwill of Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley;

  • and though the mother was found to be intolerable, and the younger sisters not

  • worth speaking to, a wish of being better

  • acquainted with them was expressed towards the two eldest.

  • By Jane, this attention was received with the greatest pleasure, but Elizabeth still

  • saw superciliousness in their treatment of everybody, hardly excepting even her

  • sister, and could not like them; though

  • their kindness to Jane, such as it was, had a value as arising in all probability from

  • the influence of their brother's admiration.

  • It was generally evident whenever they met, that he did admire her and to her it was

  • equally evident that Jane was yielding to the preference which she had begun to

  • entertain for him from the first, and was

  • in a way to be very much in love; but she considered with pleasure that it was not

  • likely to be discovered by the world in general, since Jane united, with great

  • strength of feeling, a composure of temper

  • and a uniform cheerfulness of manner which would guard her from the suspicions of the

  • impertinent. She mentioned this to her friend Miss

  • Lucas.

  • "It may perhaps be pleasant," replied Charlotte, "to be able to impose on the

  • public in such a case; but it is sometimes a disadvantage to be so very guarded.

  • If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may

  • lose the opportunity of fixing him; and it will then be but poor consolation to

  • believe the world equally in the dark.

  • There is so much of gratitude or vanity in almost every attachment, that it is not

  • safe to leave any to itself.

  • We can all begin freely--a slight preference is natural enough; but there are

  • very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement.

  • In nine cases out of ten a women had better show more affection than she feels.

  • Bingley likes your sister undoubtedly; but he may never do more than like her, if she

  • does not help him on."

  • "But she does help him on, as much as her nature will allow.

  • If I can perceive her regard for him, he must be a simpleton, indeed, not to

  • discover it too."

  • "Remember, Eliza, that he does not know Jane's disposition as you do."

  • "But if a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to conceal it, he must

  • find it out."

  • "Perhaps he must, if he sees enough of her.

  • But, though Bingley and Jane meet tolerably often, it is never for many hours together;

  • and, as they always see each other in large mixed parties, it is impossible that every

  • moment should be employed in conversing together.

  • Jane should therefore make the most of every half-hour in which she can command

  • his attention.

  • When she is secure of him, there will be more leisure for falling in love as much as

  • she chooses."

  • "Your plan is a good one," replied Elizabeth, "where nothing is in question

  • but the desire of being well married, and if I were determined to get a rich husband,

  • or any husband, I dare say I should adopt it.

  • But these are not Jane's feelings; she is not acting by design.

  • As yet, she cannot even be certain of the degree of her own regard nor of its

  • reasonableness. She has known him only a fortnight.

  • She danced four dances with him at Meryton; she saw him one morning at his own house,

  • and has since dined with him in company four times.

  • This is not quite enough to make her understand his character."

  • "Not as you represent it.

  • Had she merely dined with him, she might only have discovered whether he had a good

  • appetite; but you must remember that four evenings have also been spent together--and

  • four evenings may do a great deal."

  • "Yes; these four evenings have enabled them to ascertain that they both like Vingt-un

  • better than Commerce; but with respect to any other leading characteristic, I do not

  • imagine that much has been unfolded."

  • "Well," said Charlotte, "I wish Jane success with all my heart; and if she were

  • married to him to-morrow, I should think she had as good a chance of happiness as if

  • she were to be studying his character for a twelvemonth.

  • Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.

  • If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so

  • similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least.

  • They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of

  • vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the

  • person with whom you are to pass your life."

  • "You make me laugh, Charlotte; but it is not sound.

  • You know it is not sound, and that you would never act in this way yourself."

  • Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley's attentions to her sister, Elizabeth was far

  • from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of some interest in the

  • eyes of his friend.

  • Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without

  • admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise.

  • But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had

  • a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly

  • intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes.

  • To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying.

  • Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry

  • in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in

  • spite of his asserting that her manners

  • were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness.

  • Of this she was perfectly unaware; to her he was only the man who made himself

  • agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.

  • He began to wish to know more of her, and as a step towards conversing with her

  • himself, attended to her conversation with others.

  • His doing so drew her notice.

  • It was at Sir William Lucas's, where a large party were assembled.

  • "What does Mr. Darcy mean," said she to Charlotte, "by listening to my conversation

  • with Colonel Forster?"

  • "That is a question which Mr. Darcy only can answer."

  • "But if he does it any more I shall certainly let him know that I see what he

  • is about.

  • He has a very satirical eye, and if I do not begin by being impertinent myself, I

  • shall soon grow afraid of him."

  • On his approaching them soon afterwards, though without seeming to have any

  • intention of speaking, Miss Lucas defied her friend to mention such a subject to

  • him; which immediately provoking Elizabeth to do it, she turned to him and said:

  • "Did you not think, Mr. Darcy, that I expressed myself uncommonly well just now,

  • when I was teasing Colonel Forster to give us a ball at Meryton?"

  • "With great energy; but it is always a subject which makes a lady energetic."

  • "You are severe on us." "It will be her turn soon to be teased,"

  • said Miss Lucas.

  • "I am going to open the instrument, Eliza, and you know what follows."

  • "You are a very strange creature by way of a friend!--always wanting me to play and

  • sing before anybody and everybody!

  • If my vanity had taken a musical turn, you would have been invaluable; but as it is, I

  • would really rather not sit down before those who must be in the habit of hearing

  • the very best performers."

  • On Miss Lucas's persevering, however, she added, "Very well, if it must be so, it

  • must."

  • And gravely glancing at Mr. Darcy, "There is a fine old saying, which everybody here

  • is of course familiar with: 'Keep your breath to cool your porridge'; and I shall

  • keep mine to swell my song."

  • Her performance was pleasing, though by no means capital.

  • After a song or two, and before she could reply to the entreaties of several that she

  • would sing again, she was eagerly succeeded at the instrument by her sister Mary, who

  • having, in consequence of being the only

  • plain one in the family, worked hard for knowledge and accomplishments, was always

  • impatient for display.

  • Mary had neither genius nor taste; and though vanity had given her application, it

  • had given her likewise a pedantic air and conceited manner, which would have injured

  • a higher degree of excellence than she had reached.

  • Elizabeth, easy and unaffected, had been listened to with much more pleasure, though

  • not playing half so well; and Mary, at the end of a long concerto, was glad to

  • purchase praise and gratitude by Scotch and

  • Irish airs, at the request of her younger sisters, who, with some of the Lucases, and

  • two or three officers, joined eagerly in dancing at one end of the room.

  • Mr. Darcy stood near them in silent indignation at such a mode of passing the

  • evening, to the exclusion of all conversation, and was too much engrossed by

  • his thoughts to perceive that Sir William

  • Lucas was his neighbour, till Sir William thus began:

  • "What a charming amusement for young people this is, Mr. Darcy!

  • There is nothing like dancing after all.

  • I consider it as one of the first refinements of polished society."

  • "Certainly, sir; and it has the advantage also of being in vogue amongst the less

  • polished societies of the world.

  • Every savage can dance." Sir William only smiled.

  • "Your friend performs delightfully," he continued after a pause, on seeing Bingley

  • join the group; "and I doubt not that you are an adept in the science yourself, Mr.

  • Darcy."

  • "You saw me dance at Meryton, I believe, sir."

  • "Yes, indeed, and received no inconsiderable pleasure from the sight.

  • Do you often dance at St. James's?"

  • "Never, sir." "Do you not think it would be a proper

  • compliment to the place?" "It is a compliment which I never pay to

  • any place if I can avoid it."

  • "You have a house in town, I conclude?" Mr. Darcy bowed.

  • "I had once had some thought of fixing in town myself--for I am fond of superior

  • society; but I did not feel quite certain that the air of London would agree with

  • Lady Lucas."

  • He paused in hopes of an answer; but his companion was not disposed to make any; and

  • Elizabeth at that instant moving towards them, he was struck with the action of

  • doing a very gallant thing, and called out to her:

  • "My dear Miss Eliza, why are you not dancing?

  • Mr. Darcy, you must allow me to present this young lady to you as a very desirable

  • partner. You cannot refuse to dance, I am sure when

  • so much beauty is before you."

  • And, taking her hand, he would have given it to Mr. Darcy who, though extremely

  • surprised, was not unwilling to receive it, when she instantly drew back, and said with

  • some discomposure to Sir William:

  • "Indeed, sir, I have not the least intention of dancing.

  • I entreat you not to suppose that I moved this way in order to beg for a partner."

  • Mr. Darcy, with grave propriety, requested to be allowed the honour of her hand, but

  • in vain.

  • Elizabeth was determined; nor did Sir William at all shake her purpose by his

  • attempt at persuasion.

  • "You excel so much in the dance, Miss Eliza, that it is cruel to deny me the

  • happiness of seeing you; and though this gentleman dislikes the amusement in

  • general, he can have no objection, I am sure, to oblige us for one half-hour."

  • "Mr. Darcy is all politeness," said Elizabeth, smiling.

  • "He is, indeed; but, considering the inducement, my dear Miss Eliza, we cannot

  • wonder at his complaisance--for who would object to such a partner?"

  • Elizabeth looked archly, and turned away.

  • Her resistance had not injured her with the gentleman, and he was thinking of her with

  • some complacency, when thus accosted by Miss Bingley:

  • "I can guess the subject of your reverie."

  • "I should imagine not." "You are considering how insupportable it

  • would be to pass many evenings in this manner--in such society; and indeed I am

  • quite of your opinion.

  • I was never more annoyed! The insipidity, and yet the noise--the

  • nothingness, and yet the self-importance of all those people!

  • What would I give to hear your strictures on them!"

  • "Your conjecture is totally wrong, I assure you.

  • My mind was more agreeably engaged.

  • I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the

  • face of a pretty woman can bestow."

  • Miss Bingley immediately fixed her eyes on his face, and desired he would tell her

  • what lady had the credit of inspiring such reflections.

  • Mr. Darcy replied with great intrepidity:

  • "Miss Elizabeth Bennet." "Miss Elizabeth Bennet!" repeated Miss

  • Bingley. "I am all astonishment.

  • How long has she been such a favourite?-- and pray, when am I to wish you joy?"

  • "That is exactly the question which I expected you to ask.

  • A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to

  • matrimony, in a moment. I knew you would be wishing me joy."

  • "Nay, if you are serious about it, I shall consider the matter is absolutely settled.

  • You will be having a charming mother-in- law, indeed; and, of course, she will

  • always be at Pemberley with you."

  • He listened to her with perfect indifference while she chose to entertain

  • herself in this manner; and as his composure convinced her that all was safe,

  • her wit flowed long.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 7

  • Mr. Bennet's property consisted almost entirely in an estate of two thousand a

  • year, which, unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed, in default of

  • heirs male, on a distant relation; and

  • their mother's fortune, though ample for her situation in life, could but ill supply

  • the deficiency of his. Her father had been an attorney in Meryton,

  • and had left her four thousand pounds.

  • She had a sister married to a Mr. Phillips, who had been a clerk to their father and

  • succeeded him in the business, and a brother settled in London in a respectable

  • line of trade.

  • The village of Longbourn was only one mile from Meryton; a most convenient distance

  • for the young ladies, who were usually tempted thither three or four times a week,

  • to pay their duty to their aunt and to a milliner's shop just over the way.

  • The two youngest of the family, Catherine and Lydia, were particularly frequent in

  • these attentions; their minds were more vacant than their sisters', and when

  • nothing better offered, a walk to Meryton

  • was necessary to amuse their morning hours and furnish conversation for the evening;

  • and however bare of news the country in general might be, they always contrived to

  • learn some from their aunt.

  • At present, indeed, they were well supplied both with news and happiness by the recent

  • arrival of a militia regiment in the neighbourhood; it was to remain the whole

  • winter, and Meryton was the headquarters.

  • Their visits to Mrs. Phillips were now productive of the most interesting

  • intelligence.

  • Every day added something to their knowledge of the officers' names and

  • connections.

  • Their lodgings were not long a secret, and at length they began to know the officers

  • themselves.

  • Mr. Phillips visited them all, and this opened to his nieces a store of felicity

  • unknown before.

  • They could talk of nothing but officers; and Mr. Bingley's large fortune, the

  • mention of which gave animation to their mother, was worthless in their eyes when

  • opposed to the regimentals of an ensign.

  • After listening one morning to their effusions on this subject, Mr. Bennet

  • coolly observed:

  • "From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two of the silliest

  • girls in the country. I have suspected it some time, but I am now

  • convinced."

  • Catherine was disconcerted, and made no answer; but Lydia, with perfect

  • indifference, continued to express her admiration of Captain Carter, and her hope

  • of seeing him in the course of the day, as he was going the next morning to London.

  • "I am astonished, my dear," said Mrs. Bennet, "that you should be so ready to

  • think your own children silly.

  • If I wished to think slightingly of anybody's children, it should not be of my

  • own, however." "If my children are silly, I must hope to

  • be always sensible of it."

  • "Yes--but as it happens, they are all of them very clever."

  • "This is the only point, I flatter myself, on which we do not agree.

  • I had hoped that our sentiments coincided in every particular, but I must so far

  • differ from you as to think our two youngest daughters uncommonly foolish."

  • "My dear Mr. Bennet, you must not expect such girls to have the sense of their

  • father and mother.

  • When they get to our age, I dare say they will not think about officers any more than

  • we do.

  • I remember the time when I liked a red coat myself very well--and, indeed, so I do

  • still at my heart; and if a smart young colonel, with five or six thousand a year,

  • should want one of my girls I shall not say

  • nay to him; and I thought Colonel Forster looked very becoming the other night at Sir

  • William's in his regimentals."

  • "Mamma," cried Lydia, "my aunt says that Colonel Forster and Captain Carter do not

  • go so often to Miss Watson's as they did when they first came; she sees them now

  • very often standing in Clarke's library."

  • Mrs. Bennet was prevented replying by the entrance of the footman with a note for

  • Miss Bennet; it came from Netherfield, and the servant waited for an answer.

  • Mrs. Bennet's eyes sparkled with pleasure, and she was eagerly calling out, while her

  • daughter read, "Well, Jane, who is it from?

  • What is it about?

  • What does he say? Well, Jane, make haste and tell us; make

  • haste, my love." "It is from Miss Bingley," said Jane, and

  • then read it aloud.

  • "MY DEAR FRIEND,--

  • "If you are not so compassionate as to dine to-day with Louisa and me, we shall be in

  • danger of hating each other for the rest of our lives, for a whole day's tete-a-tete

  • between two women can never end without a quarrel.

  • Come as soon as you can on receipt of this. My brother and the gentlemen are to dine

  • with the officers.--Yours ever,

  • "CAROLINE BINGLEY" "With the officers!" cried Lydia.

  • "I wonder my aunt did not tell us of that." "Dining out," said Mrs. Bennet, "that is

  • very unlucky."

  • "Can I have the carriage?" said Jane. "No, my dear, you had better go on

  • horseback, because it seems likely to rain; and then you must stay all night."

  • "That would be a good scheme," said Elizabeth, "if you were sure that they

  • would not offer to send her home."

  • "Oh! but the gentlemen will have Mr. Bingley's chaise to go to Meryton, and the

  • Hursts have no horses to theirs." "I had much rather go in the coach."

  • "But, my dear, your father cannot spare the horses, I am sure.

  • They are wanted in the farm, Mr. Bennet, are they not?"

  • "They are wanted in the farm much oftener than I can get them."

  • "But if you have got them to-day," said Elizabeth, "my mother's purpose will be

  • answered."

  • She did at last extort from her father an acknowledgment that the horses were

  • engaged.

  • Jane was therefore obliged to go on horseback, and her mother attended her to

  • the door with many cheerful prognostics of a bad day.

  • Her hopes were answered; Jane had not been gone long before it rained hard.

  • Her sisters were uneasy for her, but her mother was delighted.

  • The rain continued the whole evening without intermission; Jane certainly could

  • not come back.

  • "This was a lucky idea of mine, indeed!" said Mrs. Bennet more than once, as if the

  • credit of making it rain were all her own.

  • Till the next morning, however, she was not aware of all the felicity of her

  • contrivance.

  • Breakfast was scarcely over when a servant from Netherfield brought the following note

  • for Elizabeth: "MY DEAREST LIZZY,--

  • "I find myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be imputed to my

  • getting wet through yesterday. My kind friends will not hear of my

  • returning till I am better.

  • They insist also on my seeing Mr. Jones-- therefore do not be alarmed if you should

  • hear of his having been to me--and, excepting a sore throat and headache, there

  • is not much the matter with me.--Yours, etc."

  • "Well, my dear," said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note aloud, "if your

  • daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness--if she should die, it would be a

  • comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley, and under your orders."

  • "Oh! I am not afraid of her dying. People do not die of little trifling colds.

  • She will be taken good care of.

  • As long as she stays there, it is all very well.

  • I would go and see her if I could have the carriage."

  • Elizabeth, feeling really anxious, was determined to go to her, though the

  • carriage was not to be had; and as she was no horsewoman, walking was her only

  • alternative.

  • She declared her resolution. "How can you be so silly," cried her

  • mother, "as to think of such a thing, in all this dirt!

  • You will not be fit to be seen when you get there."

  • "I shall be very fit to see Jane--which is all I want."

  • "Is this a hint to me, Lizzy," said her father, "to send for the horses?"

  • "No, indeed, I do not wish to avoid the walk.

  • The distance is nothing when one has a motive; only three miles.

  • I shall be back by dinner."

  • "I admire the activity of your benevolence," observed Mary, "but every

  • impulse of feeling should be guided by reason; and, in my opinion, exertion should

  • always be in proportion to what is required."

  • "We will go as far as Meryton with you," said Catherine and Lydia.

  • Elizabeth accepted their company, and the three young ladies set off together.

  • "If we make haste," said Lydia, as they walked along, "perhaps we may see something

  • of Captain Carter before he goes."

  • In Meryton they parted; the two youngest repaired to the lodgings of one of the

  • officers' wives, and Elizabeth continued her walk alone, crossing field after field

  • at a quick pace, jumping over stiles and

  • springing over puddles with impatient activity, and finding herself at last

  • within view of the house, with weary ankles, dirty stockings, and a face glowing

  • with the warmth of exercise.

  • She was shown into the breakfast-parlour, where all but Jane were assembled, and

  • where her appearance created a great deal of surprise.

  • That she should have walked three miles so early in the day, in such dirty weather,

  • and by herself, was almost incredible to Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; and Elizabeth

  • was convinced that they held her in contempt for it.

  • She was received, however, very politely by them; and in their brother's manners there

  • was something better than politeness; there was good humour and kindness.

  • Mr. Darcy said very little, and Mr. Hurst nothing at all.

  • The former was divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given

  • to her complexion, and doubt as to the occasion's justifying her coming so far

  • alone.

  • The latter was thinking only of his breakfast.

  • Her inquiries after her sister were not very favourably answered.

  • Miss Bennet had slept ill, and though up, was very feverish, and not well enough to

  • leave her room.

  • Elizabeth was glad to be taken to her immediately; and Jane, who had only been

  • withheld by the fear of giving alarm or inconvenience from expressing in her note

  • how much she longed for such a visit, was delighted at her entrance.

  • She was not equal, however, to much conversation, and when Miss Bingley left

  • them together, could attempt little besides expressions of gratitude for the

  • extraordinary kindness she was treated with.

  • Elizabeth silently attended her.

  • When breakfast was over they were joined by the sisters; and Elizabeth began to like

  • them herself, when she saw how much affection and solicitude they showed for

  • Jane.

  • The apothecary came, and having examined his patient, said, as might be supposed,

  • that she had caught a violent cold, and that they must endeavour to get the better

  • of it; advised her to return to bed, and promised her some draughts.

  • The advice was followed readily, for the feverish symptoms increased, and her head

  • ached acutely.

  • Elizabeth did not quit her room for a moment; nor were the other ladies often

  • absent; the gentlemen being out, they had, in fact, nothing to do elsewhere.

  • When the clock struck three, Elizabeth felt that she must go, and very unwillingly said

  • so.

  • Miss Bingley offered her the carriage, and she only wanted a little pressing to accept

  • it, when Jane testified such concern in parting with her, that Miss Bingley was

  • obliged to convert the offer of the chaise

  • to an invitation to remain at Netherfield for the present.

  • Elizabeth most thankfully consented, and a servant was dispatched to Longbourn to

  • acquaint the family with her stay and bring back a supply of clothes.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 8

  • At five o'clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at half-past six Elizabeth was

  • summoned to dinner.

  • To the civil inquiries which then poured in, and amongst which she had the pleasure

  • of distinguishing the much superior solicitude of Mr. Bingley's, she could not

  • make a very favourable answer.

  • Jane was by no means better.

  • The sisters, on hearing this, repeated three or four times how much they were

  • grieved, how shocking it was to have a bad cold, and how excessively they disliked

  • being ill themselves; and then thought no

  • more of the matter: and their indifference towards Jane when not immediately before

  • them restored Elizabeth to the enjoyment of all her former dislike.

  • Their brother, indeed, was the only one of the party whom she could regard with any

  • complacency.

  • His anxiety for Jane was evident, and his attentions to herself most pleasing, and

  • they prevented her feeling herself so much an intruder as she believed she was

  • considered by the others.

  • She had very little notice from any but him.

  • Miss Bingley was engrossed by Mr. Darcy, her sister scarcely less so; and as for Mr.

  • Hurst, by whom Elizabeth sat, he was an indolent man, who lived only to eat, drink,

  • and play at cards; who, when he found her

  • to prefer a plain dish to a ragout, had nothing to say to her.

  • When dinner was over, she returned directly to Jane, and Miss Bingley began abusing her

  • as soon as she was out of the room.

  • Her manners were pronounced to be very bad indeed, a mixture of pride and

  • impertinence; she had no conversation, no style, no beauty.

  • Mrs. Hurst thought the same, and added:

  • "She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being an excellent walker.

  • I shall never forget her appearance this morning.

  • She really looked almost wild."

  • "She did, indeed, Louisa. I could hardly keep my countenance.

  • Very nonsensical to come at all! Why must she be scampering about the

  • country, because her sister had a cold?

  • Her hair, so untidy, so blowsy!"

  • "Yes, and her petticoat; I hope you saw her petticoat, six inches deep in mud, I am

  • absolutely certain; and the gown which had been let down to hide it not doing its

  • office."

  • "Your picture may be very exact, Louisa," said Bingley; "but this was all lost upon

  • me.

  • I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked remarkably well when she came into the room

  • this morning. Her dirty petticoat quite escaped my

  • notice."

  • "You observed it, Mr. Darcy, I am sure," said Miss Bingley; "and I am inclined to

  • think that you would not wish to see your sister make such an exhibition."

  • "Certainly not."

  • "To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her

  • ankles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! What could she mean by it?

  • It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country-

  • town indifference to decorum." "It shows an affection for her sister that

  • is very pleasing," said Bingley.

  • "I am afraid, Mr. Darcy," observed Miss Bingley in a half whisper, "that this

  • adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes."

  • "Not at all," he replied; "they were brightened by the exercise."

  • A short pause followed this speech, and Mrs. Hurst began again:

  • "I have an excessive regard for Miss Jane Bennet, she is really a very sweet girl,

  • and I wish with all my heart she were well settled.

  • But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no

  • chance of it." "I think I have heard you say that their

  • uncle is an attorney on Meryton."

  • "Yes; and they have another, who lives somewhere near Cheapside."

  • "That is capital," added her sister, and they both laughed heartily.

  • "If they had uncles enough to fill all Cheapside," cried Bingley, "it would not

  • make them one jot less agreeable."

  • "But it must very materially lessen their chance of marrying men of any consideration

  • in the world," replied Darcy.

  • To this speech Bingley made no answer; but his sisters gave it their hearty assent,

  • and indulged their mirth for some time at the expense of their dear friend's vulgar

  • relations.

  • With a renewal of tenderness, however, they returned to her room on leaving the dining-

  • parlour, and sat with her till summoned to coffee.

  • She was still very poorly, and Elizabeth would not quit her at all, till late in the

  • evening, when she had the comfort of seeing her sleep, and when it seemed to her rather

  • right than pleasant that she should go downstairs herself.

  • On entering the drawing-room she found the whole party at loo, and was immediately

  • invited to join them; but suspecting them to be playing high she declined it, and

  • making her sister the excuse, said she

  • would amuse herself for the short time she could stay below, with a book.

  • Mr. Hurst looked at her with astonishment. "Do you prefer reading to cards?" said he;

  • "that is rather singular."

  • "Miss Eliza Bennet," said Miss Bingley, "despises cards.

  • She is a great reader, and has no pleasure in anything else."

  • "I deserve neither such praise nor such censure," cried Elizabeth; "I am not a

  • great reader, and I have pleasure in many things."

  • "In nursing your sister I am sure you have pleasure," said Bingley; "and I hope it

  • will be soon increased by seeing her quite well."

  • Elizabeth thanked him from her heart, and then walked towards the table where a few

  • books were lying. He immediately offered to fetch her others-

  • -all that his library afforded.

  • "And I wish my collection were larger for your benefit and my own credit; but I am an

  • idle fellow, and though I have not many, I have more than I ever looked into."

  • Elizabeth assured him that she could suit herself perfectly with those in the room.

  • "I am astonished," said Miss Bingley, "that my father should have left so small a

  • collection of books.

  • What a delightful library you have at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy!"

  • "It ought to be good," he replied, "it has been the work of many generations."

  • "And then you have added so much to it yourself, you are always buying books."

  • "I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these."

  • "Neglect!

  • I am sure you neglect nothing that can add to the beauties of that noble place.

  • Charles, when you build your house, I wish it may be half as delightful as Pemberley."

  • "I wish it may."

  • "But I would really advise you to make your purchase in that neighbourhood, and take

  • Pemberley for a kind of model. There is not a finer county in England than

  • Derbyshire."

  • "With all my heart; I will buy Pemberley itself if Darcy will sell it."

  • "I am talking of possibilities, Charles."

  • "Upon my word, Caroline, I should think it more possible to get Pemberley by purchase

  • than by imitation."

  • Elizabeth was so much caught with what passed, as to leave her very little

  • attention for her book; and soon laying it wholly aside, she drew near the card-table,

  • and stationed herself between Mr. Bingley and his eldest sister, to observe the game.

  • "Is Miss Darcy much grown since the spring?" said Miss Bingley; "will she be as

  • tall as I am?"

  • "I think she will. She is now about Miss Elizabeth Bennet's

  • height, or rather taller." "How I long to see her again!

  • I never met with anybody who delighted me so much.

  • Such a countenance, such manners! And so extremely accomplished for her age!

  • Her performance on the pianoforte is exquisite."

  • "It is amazing to me," said Bingley, "how young ladies can have patience to be so

  • very accomplished as they all are."

  • "All young ladies accomplished! My dear Charles, what do you mean?"

  • "Yes, all of them, I think. They all paint tables, cover screens, and

  • net purses.

  • I scarcely know anyone who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard a young

  • lady spoken of for the first time, without being informed that she was very

  • accomplished."

  • "Your list of the common extent of accomplishments," said Darcy, "has too much

  • truth.

  • The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a

  • purse or covering a screen. But I am very far from agreeing with you in

  • your estimation of ladies in general.

  • I cannot boast of knowing more than half-a- dozen, in the whole range of my

  • acquaintance, that are really accomplished."

  • "Nor I, I am sure," said Miss Bingley.

  • "Then," observed Elizabeth, "you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an

  • accomplished woman." "Yes, I do comprehend a great deal in it."

  • "Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed

  • accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with.

  • A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the

  • modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a

  • certain something in her air and manner of

  • walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but

  • half-deserved."

  • "All this she must possess," added Darcy, "and to all this she must yet add something

  • more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."

  • "I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women.

  • I rather wonder now at your knowing any." "Are you so severe upon your own sex as to

  • doubt the possibility of all this?"

  • "I never saw such a woman. I never saw such capacity, and taste, and

  • application, and elegance, as you describe united."

  • Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley both cried out against the injustice of her implied doubt,

  • and were both protesting that they knew many women who answered this description,

  • when Mr. Hurst called them to order, with

  • bitter complaints of their inattention to what was going forward.

  • As all conversation was thereby at an end, Elizabeth soon afterwards left the room.

  • "Elizabeth Bennet," said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed on her, "is one of

  • those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing

  • their own; and with many men, I dare say, it succeeds.

  • But, in my opinion, it is a paltry device, a very mean art."

  • "Undoubtedly," replied Darcy, to whom this remark was chiefly addressed, "there is a

  • meanness in all the arts which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for

  • captivation.

  • Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable."

  • Miss Bingley was not so entirely satisfied with this reply as to continue the subject.

  • Elizabeth joined them again only to say that her sister was worse, and that she

  • could not leave her.

  • Bingley urged Mr. Jones being sent for immediately; while his sisters, convinced

  • that no country advice could be of any service, recommended an express to town for

  • one of the most eminent physicians.

  • This she would not hear of; but she was not so unwilling to comply with their brother's

  • proposal; and it was settled that Mr. Jones should be sent for early in the morning, if

  • Miss Bennet were not decidedly better.

  • Bingley was quite uncomfortable; his sisters declared that they were miserable.

  • They solaced their wretchedness, however, by duets after supper, while he could find

  • no better relief to his feelings than by giving his housekeeper directions that

  • every attention might be paid to the sick lady and her sister.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 9

  • Elizabeth passed the chief of the night in her sister's room, and in the morning had

  • the pleasure of being able to send a tolerable answer to the inquiries which she

  • very early received from Mr. Bingley by a

  • housemaid, and some time afterwards from the two elegant ladies who waited on his

  • sisters.

  • In spite of this amendment, however, she requested to have a note sent to Longbourn,

  • desiring her mother to visit Jane, and form her own judgement of her situation.

  • The note was immediately dispatched, and its contents as quickly complied with.

  • Mrs. Bennet, accompanied by her two youngest girls, reached Netherfield soon

  • after the family breakfast.

  • Had she found Jane in any apparent danger, Mrs. Bennet would have been very miserable;

  • but being satisfied on seeing her that her illness was not alarming, she had no wish

  • of her recovering immediately, as her

  • restoration to health would probably remove her from Netherfield.

  • She would not listen, therefore, to her daughter's proposal of being carried home;

  • neither did the apothecary, who arrived about the same time, think it at all

  • advisable.

  • After sitting a little while with Jane, on Miss Bingley's appearance and invitation,

  • the mother and three daughters all attended her into the breakfast parlour.

  • Bingley met them with hopes that Mrs. Bennet had not found Miss Bennet worse than

  • she expected. "Indeed I have, sir," was her answer.

  • "She is a great deal too ill to be moved.

  • Mr. Jones says we must not think of moving her.

  • We must trespass a little longer on your kindness."

  • "Removed!" cried Bingley.

  • "It must not be thought of. My sister, I am sure, will not hear of her

  • removal."

  • "You may depend upon it, Madam," said Miss Bingley, with cold civility, "that Miss

  • Bennet will receive every possible attention while she remains with us."

  • Mrs. Bennet was profuse in her acknowledgments.

  • "I am sure," she added, "if it was not for such good friends I do not know what would

  • become of her, for she is very ill indeed, and suffers a vast deal, though with the

  • greatest patience in the world, which is

  • always the way with her, for she has, without exception, the sweetest temper I

  • have ever met with. I often tell my other girls they are

  • nothing to her.

  • You have a sweet room here, Mr. Bingley, and a charming prospect over the gravel

  • walk. I do not know a place in the country that

  • is equal to Netherfield.

  • You will not think of quitting it in a hurry, I hope, though you have but a short

  • lease."

  • "Whatever I do is done in a hurry," replied he; "and therefore if I should resolve to

  • quit Netherfield, I should probably be off in five minutes.

  • At present, however, I consider myself as quite fixed here."

  • "That is exactly what I should have supposed of you," said Elizabeth.

  • "You begin to comprehend me, do you?" cried he, turning towards her.

  • "Oh! yes--I understand you perfectly."

  • "I wish I might take this for a compliment; but to be so easily seen through I am

  • afraid is pitiful." "That is as it happens.

  • It does not follow that a deep, intricate character is more or less estimable than

  • such a one as yours."

  • "Lizzy," cried her mother, "remember where you are, and do not run on in the wild

  • manner that you are suffered to do at home."

  • "I did not know before," continued Bingley immediately, "that you were a studier of

  • character. It must be an amusing study."

  • "Yes, but intricate characters are the most amusing.

  • They have at least that advantage." "The country," said Darcy, "can in general

  • supply but a few subjects for such a study.

  • In a country neighbourhood you move in a very confined and unvarying society."

  • "But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in

  • them for ever."

  • "Yes, indeed," cried Mrs. Bennet, offended by his manner of mentioning a country

  • neighbourhood. "I assure you there is quite as much of

  • that going on in the country as in town."

  • Everybody was surprised, and Darcy, after looking at her for a moment, turned

  • silently away.

  • Mrs. Bennet, who fancied she had gained a complete victory over him, continued her

  • triumph.

  • "I cannot see that London has any great advantage over the country, for my part,

  • except the shops and public places. The country is a vast deal pleasanter, is

  • it not, Mr. Bingley?"

  • "When I am in the country," he replied, "I never wish to leave it; and when I am in

  • town it is pretty much the same. They have each their advantages, and I can

  • be equally happy in either."

  • "Aye--that is because you have the right disposition.

  • But that gentleman," looking at Darcy, "seemed to think the country was nothing at

  • all."

  • "Indeed, Mamma, you are mistaken," said Elizabeth, blushing for her mother.

  • "You quite mistook Mr. Darcy.

  • He only meant that there was not such a variety of people to be met with in the

  • country as in the town, which you must acknowledge to be true."

  • "Certainly, my dear, nobody said there were; but as to not meeting with many

  • people in this neighbourhood, I believe there are few neighbourhoods larger.

  • I know we dine with four-and-twenty families."

  • Nothing but concern for Elizabeth could enable Bingley to keep his countenance.

  • His sister was less delicate, and directed her eyes towards Mr. Darcy with a very

  • expressive smile.

  • Elizabeth, for the sake of saying something that might turn her mother's thoughts, now

  • asked her if Charlotte Lucas had been at Longbourn since her coming away.

  • "Yes, she called yesterday with her father.

  • What an agreeable man Sir William is, Mr. Bingley, is not he?

  • So much the man of fashion! So genteel and easy!

  • He had always something to say to everybody.

  • That is my idea of good breeding; and those persons who fancy themselves very

  • important, and never open their mouths, quite mistake the matter."

  • "Did Charlotte dine with you?"

  • "No, she would go home. I fancy she was wanted about the mince-

  • pies.

  • For my part, Mr. Bingley, I always keep servants that can do their own work; my

  • daughters are brought up very differently.

  • But everybody is to judge for themselves, and the Lucases are a very good sort of

  • girls, I assure you. It is a pity they are not handsome!

  • Not that I think Charlotte so very plain-- but then she is our particular friend."

  • "She seems a very pleasant young woman." "Oh! dear, yes; but you must own she is

  • very plain.

  • Lady Lucas herself has often said so, and envied me Jane's beauty.

  • I do not like to boast of my own child, but to be sure, Jane--one does not often see

  • anybody better looking.

  • It is what everybody says. I do not trust my own partiality.

  • When she was only fifteen, there was a man at my brother Gardiner's in town so much in

  • love with her that my sister-in-law was sure he would make her an offer before we

  • came away.

  • But, however, he did not. Perhaps he thought her too young.

  • However, he wrote some verses on her, and very pretty they were."

  • "And so ended his affection," said Elizabeth impatiently.

  • "There has been many a one, I fancy, overcome in the same way.

  • I wonder who first discovered the efficacy of poetry in driving away love!"

  • "I have been used to consider poetry as the food of love," said Darcy.

  • "Of a fine, stout, healthy love it may.

  • Everything nourishes what is strong already.

  • But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good

  • sonnet will starve it entirely away."

  • Darcy only smiled; and the general pause which ensued made Elizabeth tremble lest

  • her mother should be exposing herself again.

  • She longed to speak, but could think of nothing to say; and after a short silence

  • Mrs. Bennet began repeating her thanks to Mr. Bingley for his kindness to Jane, with

  • an apology for troubling him also with Lizzy.

  • Mr. Bingley was unaffectedly civil in his answer, and forced his younger sister to be

  • civil also, and say what the occasion required.

  • She performed her part indeed without much graciousness, but Mrs. Bennet was

  • satisfied, and soon afterwards ordered her carriage.

  • Upon this signal, the youngest of her daughters put herself forward.

  • The two girls had been whispering to each other during the whole visit, and the

  • result of it was, that the youngest should tax Mr. Bingley with having promised on his

  • first coming into the country to give a ball at Netherfield.

  • Lydia was a stout, well-grown girl of fifteen, with a fine complexion and good-

  • humoured countenance; a favourite with her mother, whose affection had brought her

  • into public at an early age.

  • She had high animal spirits, and a sort of natural self-consequence, which the

  • attention of the officers, to whom her uncle's good dinners, and her own easy

  • manners recommended her, had increased into assurance.

  • She was very equal, therefore, to address Mr. Bingley on the subject of the ball, and

  • abruptly reminded him of his promise; adding, that it would be the most shameful

  • thing in the world if he did not keep it.

  • His answer to this sudden attack was delightful to their mother's ear:

  • "I am perfectly ready, I assure you, to keep my engagement; and when your sister is

  • recovered, you shall, if you please, name the very day of the ball.

  • But you would not wish to be dancing when she is ill."

  • Lydia declared herself satisfied.

  • "Oh! yes--it would be much better to wait till Jane was well, and by that time most

  • likely Captain Carter would be at Meryton again.

  • And when you have given your ball," she added, "I shall insist on their giving one

  • also. I shall tell Colonel Forster it will be

  • quite a shame if he does not."

  • Mrs. Bennet and her daughters then departed, and Elizabeth returned instantly

  • to Jane, leaving her own and her relations' behaviour to the remarks of the two ladies

  • and Mr. Darcy; the latter of whom, however,

  • could not be prevailed on to join in their censure of her, in spite of all Miss

  • Bingley's witticisms on fine eyes.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 10

  • The day passed much as the day before had done.

  • Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley had spent some hours of the morning with the invalid, who

  • continued, though slowly, to mend; and in the evening Elizabeth joined their party in

  • the drawing-room.

  • The loo-table, however, did not appear. Mr. Darcy was writing, and Miss Bingley,

  • seated near him, was watching the progress of his letter and repeatedly calling off

  • his attention by messages to his sister.

  • Mr. Hurst and Mr. Bingley were at piquet, and Mrs. Hurst was observing their game.

  • Elizabeth took up some needlework, and was sufficiently amused in attending to what

  • passed between Darcy and his companion.

  • The perpetual commendations of the lady, either on his handwriting, or on the

  • evenness of his lines, or on the length of his letter, with the perfect unconcern with

  • which her praises were received, formed a

  • curious dialogue, and was exactly in union with her opinion of each.

  • "How delighted Miss Darcy will be to receive such a letter!"

  • He made no answer.

  • "You write uncommonly fast." "You are mistaken.

  • I write rather slowly." "How many letters you must have occasion to

  • write in the course of a year!

  • Letters of business, too! How odious I should think them!"

  • "It is fortunate, then, that they fall to my lot instead of yours."

  • "Pray tell your sister that I long to see her."

  • "I have already told her so once, by your desire."

  • "I am afraid you do not like your pen.

  • Let me mend it for you. I mend pens remarkably well."

  • "Thank you--but I always mend my own." "How can you contrive to write so even?"

  • He was silent.

  • "Tell your sister I am delighted to hear of her improvement on the harp; and pray let

  • her know that I am quite in raptures with her beautiful little design for a table,

  • and I think it infinitely superior to Miss Grantley's."

  • "Will you give me leave to defer your raptures till I write again?

  • At present I have not room to do them justice."

  • "Oh! it is of no consequence. I shall see her in January.

  • But do you always write such charming long letters to her, Mr. Darcy?"

  • "They are generally long; but whether always charming it is not for me to

  • determine."

  • "It is a rule with me, that a person who can write a long letter with ease, cannot

  • write ill."

  • "That will not do for a compliment to Darcy, Caroline," cried her brother,

  • "because he does not write with ease. He studies too much for words of four

  • syllables.

  • Do not you, Darcy?" "My style of writing is very different from

  • yours." "Oh!" cried Miss Bingley, "Charles writes

  • in the most careless way imaginable.

  • He leaves out half his words, and blots the rest."

  • "My ideas flow so rapidly that I have not time to express them--by which means my

  • letters sometimes convey no ideas at all to my correspondents."

  • "Your humility, Mr. Bingley," said Elizabeth, "must disarm reproof."

  • "Nothing is more deceitful," said Darcy, "than the appearance of humility.

  • It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast."

  • "And which of the two do you call my little recent piece of modesty?"

  • "The indirect boast; for you are really proud of your defects in writing, because

  • you consider them as proceeding from a rapidity of thought and carelessness of

  • execution, which, if not estimable, you think at least highly interesting.

  • The power of doing anything with quickness is always prized much by the possessor, and

  • often without any attention to the imperfection of the performance.

  • When you told Mrs. Bennet this morning that if you ever resolved upon quitting

  • Netherfield you should be gone in five minutes, you meant it to be a sort of

  • panegyric, of compliment to yourself--and

  • yet what is there so very laudable in a precipitance which must leave very

  • necessary business undone, and can be of no real advantage to yourself or anyone else?"

  • "Nay," cried Bingley, "this is too much, to remember at night all the foolish things

  • that were said in the morning.

  • And yet, upon my honour, I believe what I said of myself to be true, and I believe it

  • at this moment.

  • At least, therefore, I did not assume the character of needless precipitance merely

  • to show off before the ladies."

  • "I dare say you believed it; but I am by no means convinced that you would be gone with

  • such celerity.

  • Your conduct would be quite as dependent on chance as that of any man I know; and if,

  • as you were mounting your horse, a friend were to say, 'Bingley, you had better stay

  • till next week,' you would probably do it,

  • you would probably not go--and at another word, might stay a month."

  • "You have only proved by this," cried Elizabeth, "that Mr. Bingley did not do

  • justice to his own disposition.

  • You have shown him off now much more than he did himself."

  • "I am exceedingly gratified," said Bingley, "by your converting what my friend says

  • into a compliment on the sweetness of my temper.

  • But I am afraid you are giving it a turn which that gentleman did by no means

  • intend; for he would certainly think better of me, if under such a circumstance I were

  • to give a flat denial, and ride off as fast as I could."

  • "Would Mr. Darcy then consider the rashness of your original intentions as atoned for

  • by your obstinacy in adhering to it?"

  • "Upon my word, I cannot exactly explain the matter; Darcy must speak for himself."

  • "You expect me to account for opinions which you choose to call mine, but which I

  • have never acknowledged.

  • Allowing the case, however, to stand according to your representation, you must

  • remember, Miss Bennet, that the friend who is supposed to desire his return to the

  • house, and the delay of his plan, has

  • merely desired it, asked it without offering one argument in favour of its

  • propriety."

  • "To yield readily--easily--to the persuasion of a friend is no merit with

  • you." "To yield without conviction is no

  • compliment to the understanding of either."

  • "You appear to me, Mr. Darcy, to allow nothing for the influence of friendship and

  • affection.

  • A regard for the requester would often make one readily yield to a request, without

  • waiting for arguments to reason one into it.

  • I am not particularly speaking of such a case as you have supposed about Mr.

  • Bingley.

  • We may as well wait, perhaps, till the circumstance occurs before we discuss the

  • discretion of his behaviour thereupon.

  • But in general and ordinary cases between friend and friend, where one of them is

  • desired by the other to change a resolution of no very great moment, should you think

  • ill of that person for complying with the

  • desire, without waiting to be argued into it?"

  • "Will it not be advisable, before we proceed on this subject, to arrange with

  • rather more precision the degree of importance which is to appertain to this

  • request, as well as the degree of intimacy subsisting between the parties?"

  • "By all means," cried Bingley; "let us hear all the particulars, not forgetting their

  • comparative height and size; for that will have more weight in the argument, Miss

  • Bennet, than you may be aware of.

  • I assure you, that if Darcy were not such a great tall fellow, in comparison with

  • myself, I should not pay him half so much deference.

  • I declare I do not know a more awful object than Darcy, on particular occasions, and in

  • particular places; at his own house especially, and of a Sunday evening, when

  • he has nothing to do."

  • Mr. Darcy smiled; but Elizabeth thought she could perceive that he was rather offended,

  • and therefore checked her laugh.

  • Miss Bingley warmly resented the indignity he had received, in an expostulation with

  • her brother for talking such nonsense. "I see your design, Bingley," said his

  • friend.

  • "You dislike an argument, and want to silence this."

  • "Perhaps I do. Arguments are too much like disputes.

  • If you and Miss Bennet will defer yours till I am out of the room, I shall be very

  • thankful; and then you may say whatever you like of me."

  • "What you ask," said Elizabeth, "is no sacrifice on my side; and Mr. Darcy had

  • much better finish his letter." Mr. Darcy took her advice, and did finish

  • his letter.

  • When that business was over, he applied to Miss Bingley and Elizabeth for an

  • indulgence of some music.

  • Miss Bingley moved with some alacrity to the pianoforte; and, after a polite request

  • that Elizabeth would lead the way which the other as politely and more earnestly

  • negatived, she seated herself.

  • Mrs. Hurst sang with her sister, and while they were thus employed, Elizabeth could

  • not help observing, as she turned over some music-books that lay on the instrument, how

  • frequently Mr. Darcy's eyes were fixed on her.

  • She hardly knew how to suppose that she could be an object of admiration to so

  • great a man; and yet that he should look at her because he disliked her, was still more

  • strange.

  • She could only imagine, however, at last that she drew his notice because there was

  • something more wrong and reprehensible, according to his ideas of right, than in

  • any other person present.

  • The supposition did not pain her. She liked him too little to care for his

  • approbation.

  • After playing some Italian songs, Miss Bingley varied the charm by a lively Scotch

  • air; and soon afterwards Mr. Darcy, drawing near Elizabeth, said to her:

  • "Do not you feel a great inclination, Miss Bennet, to seize such an opportunity of

  • dancing a reel?" She smiled, but made no answer.

  • He repeated the question, with some surprise at her silence.

  • "Oh!" said she, "I heard you before, but I could not immediately determine what to say

  • in reply.

  • You wanted me, I know, to say 'Yes,' that you might have the pleasure of despising my

  • taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a

  • person of their premeditated contempt.

  • I have, therefore, made up my mind to tell you, that I do not want to dance a reel at

  • all--and now despise me if you dare." "Indeed I do not dare."

  • Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry;

  • but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it

  • difficult for her to affront anybody; and

  • Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her.

  • He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he

  • should be in some danger.

  • Miss Bingley saw, or suspected enough to be jealous; and her great anxiety for the

  • recovery of her dear friend Jane received some assistance from her desire of getting

  • rid of Elizabeth.

  • She often tried to provoke Darcy into disliking her guest, by talking of their

  • supposed marriage, and planning his happiness in such an alliance.

  • "I hope," said she, as they were walking together in the shrubbery the next day,

  • "you will give your mother-in-law a few hints, when this desirable event takes

  • place, as to the advantage of holding her

  • tongue; and if you can compass it, do cure the younger girls of running after

  • officers.

  • And, if I may mention so delicate a subject, endeavour to check that little

  • something, bordering on conceit and impertinence, which your lady possesses."

  • "Have you anything else to propose for my domestic felicity?"

  • "Oh! yes.

  • Do let the portraits of your uncle and aunt Phillips be placed in the gallery at

  • Pemberley. Put them next to your great-uncle the

  • judge.

  • They are in the same profession, you know, only in different lines.

  • As for your Elizabeth's picture, you must not have it taken, for what painter could

  • do justice to those beautiful eyes?"

  • "It would not be easy, indeed, to catch their expression, but their colour and

  • shape, and the eyelashes, so remarkably fine, might be copied."

  • At that moment they were met from another walk by Mrs. Hurst and Elizabeth herself.

  • "I did not know that you intended to walk," said Miss Bingley, in some confusion, lest

  • they had been overheard.

  • "You used us abominably ill," answered Mrs. Hurst, "running away without telling us

  • that you were coming out."

  • Then taking the disengaged arm of Mr. Darcy, she left Elizabeth to walk by

  • herself. The path just admitted three.

  • Mr. Darcy felt their rudeness, and immediately said:

  • "This walk is not wide enough for our party.

  • We had better go into the avenue."

  • But Elizabeth, who had not the least inclination to remain with them, laughingly

  • answered: "No, no; stay where you are.

  • You are charmingly grouped, and appear to uncommon advantage.

  • The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth.

  • Good-bye."

  • She then ran gaily off, rejoicing as she rambled about, in the hope of being at home

  • again in a day or two.

  • Jane was already so much recovered as to intend leaving her room for a couple of

  • hours that evening.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 11

  • When the ladies removed after dinner, Elizabeth ran up to her sister, and seeing

  • her well guarded from cold, attended her into the drawing-room, where she was

  • welcomed by her two friends with many

  • professions of pleasure; and Elizabeth had never seen them so agreeable as they were

  • during the hour which passed before the gentlemen appeared.

  • Their powers of conversation were considerable.

  • They could describe an entertainment with accuracy, relate an anecdote with humour,

  • and laugh at their acquaintance with spirit.

  • But when the gentlemen entered, Jane was no longer the first object; Miss Bingley's

  • eyes were instantly turned toward Darcy, and she had something to say to him before

  • he had advanced many steps.

  • He addressed himself to Miss Bennet, with a polite congratulation; Mr. Hurst also made

  • her a slight bow, and said he was "very glad;" but diffuseness and warmth remained

  • for Bingley's salutation.

  • He was full of joy and attention.

  • The first half-hour was spent in piling up the fire, lest she should suffer from the

  • change of room; and she removed at his desire to the other side of the fireplace,

  • that she might be further from the door.

  • He then sat down by her, and talked scarcely to anyone else.

  • Elizabeth, at work in the opposite corner, saw it all with great delight.

  • When tea was over, Mr. Hurst reminded his sister-in-law of the card-table--but in

  • vain.

  • She had obtained private intelligence that Mr. Darcy did not wish for cards; and Mr.

  • Hurst soon found even his open petition rejected.

  • She assured him that no one intended to play, and the silence of the whole party on

  • the subject seemed to justify her.

  • Mr. Hurst had therefore nothing to do, but to stretch himself on one of the sofas and

  • go to sleep.

  • Darcy took up a book; Miss Bingley did the same; and Mrs. Hurst, principally occupied

  • in playing with her bracelets and rings, joined now and then in her brother's

  • conversation with Miss Bennet.

  • Miss Bingley's attention was quite as much engaged in watching Mr. Darcy's progress

  • through his book, as in reading her own; and she was perpetually either making some

  • inquiry, or looking at his page.

  • She could not win him, however, to any conversation; he merely answered her

  • question, and read on.

  • At length, quite exhausted by the attempt to be amused with her own book, which she

  • had only chosen because it was the second volume of his, she gave a great yawn and

  • said, "How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way!

  • I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!

  • How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!

  • When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent

  • library."

  • No one made any reply.

  • She then yawned again, threw aside her book, and cast her eyes round the room in

  • quest for some amusement; when hearing her brother mentioning a ball to Miss Bennet,

  • she turned suddenly towards him and said:

  • "By the bye, Charles, are you really serious in meditating a dance at

  • Netherfield?

  • I would advise you, before you determine on it, to consult the wishes of the present

  • party; I am much mistaken if there are not some among us to whom a ball would be

  • rather a punishment than a pleasure."

  • "If you mean Darcy," cried her brother, "he may go to bed, if he chooses, before it

  • begins--but as for the ball, it is quite a settled thing; and as soon as Nicholls has

  • made white soup enough, I shall send round my cards."

  • "I should like balls infinitely better," she replied, "if they were carried on in a

  • different manner; but there is something insufferably tedious in the usual process

  • of such a meeting.

  • It would surely be much more rational if conversation instead of dancing were made

  • the order of the day."

  • "Much more rational, my dear Caroline, I dare say, but it would not be near so much

  • like a ball."

  • Miss Bingley made no answer, and soon afterwards she got up and walked about the

  • room.

  • Her figure was elegant, and she walked well; but Darcy, at whom it was all aimed,

  • was still inflexibly studious.

  • In the desperation of her feelings, she resolved on one effort more, and, turning

  • to Elizabeth, said:

  • "Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my example, and take a turn about

  • the room. I assure you it is very refreshing after

  • sitting so long in one attitude."

  • Elizabeth was surprised, but agreed to it immediately.

  • Miss Bingley succeeded no less in the real object of her civility; Mr. Darcy looked

  • up.

  • He was as much awake to the novelty of attention in that quarter as Elizabeth

  • herself could be, and unconsciously closed his book.

  • He was directly invited to join their party, but he declined it, observing that

  • he could imagine but two motives for their choosing to walk up and down the room

  • together, with either of which motives his joining them would interfere.

  • "What could he mean?

  • She was dying to know what could be his meaning?"--and asked Elizabeth whether she

  • could at all understand him?

  • "Not at all," was her answer; "but depend upon it, he means to be severe on us, and

  • our surest way of disappointing him will be to ask nothing about it."

  • Miss Bingley, however, was incapable of disappointing Mr. Darcy in anything, and

  • persevered therefore in requiring an explanation of his two motives.

  • "I have not the smallest objection to explaining them," said he, as soon as she

  • allowed him to speak.

  • "You either choose this method of passing the evening because you are in each other's

  • confidence, and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that

  • your figures appear to the greatest

  • advantage in walking; if the first, I would be completely in your way, and if the

  • second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire."

  • "Oh! shocking!" cried Miss Bingley.

  • "I never heard anything so abominable. How shall we punish him for such a speech?"

  • "Nothing so easy, if you have but the inclination," said Elizabeth.

  • "We can all plague and punish one another.

  • Tease him--laugh at him. Intimate as you are, you must know how it

  • is to be done." "But upon my honour, I do not.

  • I do assure you that my intimacy has not yet taught me that.

  • Tease calmness of manner and presence of mind!

  • No, no--feel he may defy us there.

  • And as to laughter, we will not expose ourselves, if you please, by attempting to

  • laugh without a subject. Mr. Darcy may hug himself."

  • "Mr. Darcy is not to be laughed at!" cried Elizabeth.

  • "That is an uncommon advantage, and uncommon I hope it will continue, for it

  • would be a great loss to me to have many such acquaintances.

  • I dearly love a laugh."

  • "Miss Bingley," said he, "has given me more credit than can be.

  • The wisest and the best of men--nay, the wisest and best of their actions--may be

  • rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke."

  • "Certainly," replied Elizabeth--"there are such people, but I hope I am not one of

  • them. I hope I never ridicule what is wise and

  • good.

  • Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies, do divert me, I own, and I

  • laugh at them whenever I can. But these, I suppose, are precisely what

  • you are without."

  • "Perhaps that is not possible for anyone. But it has been the study of my life to

  • avoid those weaknesses which often expose a strong understanding to ridicule."

  • "Such as vanity and pride."

  • "Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride--where there is a real

  • superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation."

  • Elizabeth turned away to hide a smile.

  • "Your examination of Mr. Darcy is over, I presume," said Miss Bingley; "and pray what

  • is the result?" "I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr.

  • Darcy has no defect.

  • He owns it himself without disguise." "No," said Darcy, "I have made no such

  • pretension. I have faults enough, but they are not, I

  • hope, of understanding.

  • My temper I dare not vouch for. It is, I believe, too little yielding--

  • certainly too little for the convenience of the world.

  • I cannot forget the follies and vices of others so soon as I ought, nor their

  • offenses against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every

  • attempt to move them.

  • My temper would perhaps be called resentful.

  • My good opinion once lost, is lost forever."

  • "That is a failing indeed!" cried Elizabeth.

  • "Implacable resentment is a shade in a character.

  • But you have chosen your fault well.

  • I really cannot laugh at it. You are safe from me."

  • "There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil--a

  • natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome."

  • "And your defect is to hate everybody."

  • "And yours," he replied with a smile, "is willfully to misunderstand them."

  • "Do let us have a little music," cried Miss Bingley, tired of a conversation in which

  • she had no share.

  • "Louisa, you will not mind my waking Mr. Hurst?"

  • Her sister had not the smallest objection, and the pianoforte was opened; and Darcy,

  • after a few moments' recollection, was not sorry for it.

  • He began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 12

  • In consequence of an agreement between the sisters, Elizabeth wrote the next morning

  • to their mother, to beg that the carriage might be sent for them in the course of the

  • day.

  • But Mrs. Bennet, who had calculated on her daughters remaining at Netherfield till the

  • following Tuesday, which would exactly finish Jane's week, could not bring herself

  • to receive them with pleasure before.

  • Her answer, therefore, was not propitious, at least not to Elizabeth's wishes, for she

  • was impatient to get home.

  • Mrs. Bennet sent them word that they could not possibly have the carriage before

  • Tuesday; and in her postscript it was added, that if Mr. Bingley and his sister

  • pressed them to stay longer, she could spare them very well.

  • Against staying longer, however, Elizabeth was positively resolved--nor did she much

  • expect it would be asked; and fearful, on the contrary, as being considered as

  • intruding themselves needlessly long, she

  • urged Jane to borrow Mr. Bingley's carriage immediately, and at length it was settled

  • that their original design of leaving Netherfield that morning should be

  • mentioned, and the request made.

  • The communication excited many professions of concern; and enough was said of wishing

  • them to stay at least till the following day to work on Jane; and till the morrow

  • their going was deferred.

  • Miss Bingley was then sorry that she had proposed the delay, for her jealousy and

  • dislike of one sister much exceeded her affection for the other.

  • The master of the house heard with real sorrow that they were to go so soon, and

  • repeatedly tried to persuade Miss Bennet that it would not be safe for her--that she

  • was not enough recovered; but Jane was firm where she felt herself to be right.

  • To Mr. Darcy it was welcome intelligence-- Elizabeth had been at Netherfield long

  • enough.

  • She attracted him more than he liked--and Miss Bingley was uncivil to her, and more

  • teasing than usual to himself.

  • He wisely resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration should

  • now escape him, nothing that could elevate her with the hope of influencing his

  • felicity; sensible that if such an idea had

  • been suggested, his behaviour during the last day must have material weight in

  • confirming or crushing it.

  • Steady to his purpose, he scarcely spoke ten words to her through the whole of

  • Saturday, and though they were at one time left by themselves for half-an-hour, he

  • adhered most conscientiously to his book, and would not even look at her.

  • On Sunday, after morning service, the separation, so agreeable to almost all,

  • took place.

  • Miss Bingley's civility to Elizabeth increased at last very rapidly, as well as

  • her affection for Jane; and when they parted, after assuring the latter of the

  • pleasure it would always give her to see

  • her either at Longbourn or Netherfield, and embracing her most tenderly, she even shook

  • hands with the former. Elizabeth took leave of the whole party in

  • the liveliest of spirits.

  • They were not welcomed home very cordially by their mother.

  • Mrs. Bennet wondered at their coming, and thought them very wrong to give so much

  • trouble, and was sure Jane would have caught cold again.

  • But their father, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really

  • glad to see them; he had felt their importance in the family circle.

  • The evening conversation, when they were all assembled, had lost much of its

  • animation, and almost all its sense by the absence of Jane and Elizabeth.

  • They found Mary, as usual, deep in the study of thorough-bass and human nature;

  • and had some extracts to admire, and some new observations of threadbare morality to

  • listen to.

  • Catherine and Lydia had information for them of a different sort.

  • Much had been done and much had been said in the regiment since the preceding

  • Wednesday; several of the officers had dined lately with their uncle, a private

  • had been flogged, and it had actually been

  • hinted that Colonel Forster was going to be married.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 13

  • "I hope, my dear," said Mr. Bennet to his wife, as they were at breakfast the next

  • morning, "that you have ordered a good dinner to-day, because I have reason to

  • expect an addition to our family party."

  • "Who do you mean, my dear? I know of nobody that is coming, I am sure,

  • unless Charlotte Lucas should happen to call in--and I hope my dinners are good

  • enough for her.

  • I do not believe she often sees such at home."

  • "The person of whom I speak is a gentleman, and a stranger."

  • Mrs. Bennet's eyes sparkled.

  • "A gentleman and a stranger! It is Mr. Bingley, I am sure!

  • Well, I am sure I shall be extremely glad to see Mr. Bingley.

  • But--good Lord! how unlucky!

  • There is not a bit of fish to be got to- day.

  • Lydia, my love, ring the bell--I must speak to Hill this moment."

  • "It is not Mr. Bingley," said her husband; "it is a person whom I never saw in the

  • whole course of my life."

  • This roused a general astonishment; and he had the pleasure of being eagerly

  • questioned by his wife and his five daughters at once.

  • After amusing himself some time with their curiosity, he thus explained:

  • "About a month ago I received this letter; and about a fortnight ago I answered it,

  • for I thought it a case of some delicacy, and requiring early attention.

  • It is from my cousin, Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of

  • this house as soon as he pleases." "Oh! my dear," cried his wife, "I cannot

  • bear to hear that mentioned.

  • Pray do not talk of that odious man.

  • I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed

  • away from your own children; and I am sure, if I had been you, I should have tried long

  • ago to do something or other about it."

  • Jane and Elizabeth tried to explain to her the nature of an entail.

  • They had often attempted to do it before, but it was a subject on which Mrs. Bennet

  • was beyond the reach of reason, and she continued to rail bitterly against the

  • cruelty of settling an estate away from a

  • family of five daughters, in favour of a man whom nobody cared anything about.

  • "It certainly is a most iniquitous affair," said Mr. Bennet, "and nothing can clear Mr.

  • Collins from the guilt of inheriting Longbourn.

  • But if you will listen to his letter, you may perhaps be a little softened by his

  • manner of expressing himself."

  • "No, that I am sure I shall not; and I think it is very impertinent of him to

  • write to you at all, and very hypocritical. I hate such false friends.

  • Why could he not keep on quarreling with you, as his father did before him?"

  • "Why, indeed; he does seem to have had some filial scruples on that head, as you will

  • hear."

  • "Hunsford, near Westerham, Kent, 15th October.

  • "Dear Sir,--

  • "The disagreement subsisting between yourself and my late honoured father always

  • gave me much uneasiness, and since I have had the misfortune to lose him, I have

  • frequently wished to heal the breach; but

  • for some time I was kept back by my own doubts, fearing lest it might seem

  • disrespectful to his memory for me to be on good terms with anyone with whom it had

  • always pleased him to be at variance.--

  • 'There, Mrs. Bennet.'--My mind, however, is now made up on the subject, for having

  • received ordination at Easter, I have been so fortunate as to be distinguished by the

  • patronage of the Right Honourable Lady

  • Catherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, whose bounty and beneficence has

  • preferred me to the valuable rectory of this parish, where it shall be my earnest

  • endeavour to demean myself with grateful

  • respect towards her ladyship, and be ever ready to perform those rites and ceremonies

  • which are instituted by the Church of England.

  • As a clergyman, moreover, I feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessing of

  • peace in all families within the reach of my influence; and on these grounds I

  • flatter myself that my present overtures

  • are highly commendable, and that the circumstance of my being next in the entail

  • of Longbourn estate will be kindly overlooked on your side, and not lead you

  • to reject the offered olive-branch.

  • I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable

  • daughters, and beg leave to apologise for it, as well as to assure you of my

  • readiness to make them every possible amends--but of this hereafter.

  • If you should have no objection to receive me into your house, I propose myself the

  • satisfaction of waiting on you and your family, Monday, November 18th, by four

  • o'clock, and shall probably trespass on

  • your hospitality till the Saturday se'ennight following, which I can do

  • without any inconvenience, as Lady Catherine is far from objecting to my

  • occasional absence on a Sunday, provided

  • that some other clergyman is engaged to do the duty of the day.--I remain, dear sir,

  • with respectful compliments to your lady and daughters, your well-wisher and friend,

  • "WILLIAM COLLINS"

  • "At four o'clock, therefore, we may expect this peace-making gentleman," said Mr.

  • Bennet, as he folded up the letter.

  • "He seems to be a most conscientious and polite young man, upon my word, and I doubt

  • not will prove a valuable acquaintance, especially if Lady Catherine should be so

  • indulgent as to let him come to us again."

  • "There is some sense in what he says about the girls, however, and if he is disposed

  • to make them any amends, I shall not be the person to discourage him."

  • "Though it is difficult," said Jane, "to guess in what way he can mean to make us

  • the atonement he thinks our due, the wish is certainly to his credit."

  • Elizabeth was chiefly struck by his extraordinary deference for Lady Catherine,

  • and his kind intention of christening, marrying, and burying his parishioners

  • whenever it were required.

  • "He must be an oddity, I think," said she.

  • "I cannot make him out.--There is something very pompous in his style.--And what can he

  • mean by apologising for being next in the entail?--We cannot suppose he would help it

  • if he could.--Could he be a sensible man, sir?"

  • "No, my dear, I think not. I have great hopes of finding him quite the

  • reverse.

  • There is a mixture of servility and self- importance in his letter, which promises

  • well. I am impatient to see him."

  • "In point of composition," said Mary, "the letter does not seem defective.

  • The idea of the olive-branch perhaps is not wholly new, yet I think it is well

  • expressed."

  • To Catherine and Lydia, neither the letter nor its writer were in any degree

  • interesting.

  • It was next to impossible that their cousin should come in a scarlet coat, and it was

  • now some weeks since they had received pleasure from the society of a man in any

  • other colour.

  • As for their mother, Mr. Collins's letter had done away much of her ill-will, and she

  • was preparing to see him with a degree of composure which astonished her husband and

  • daughters.

  • Mr. Collins was punctual to his time, and was received with great politeness by the

  • whole family.

  • Mr. Bennet indeed said little; but the ladies were ready enough to talk, and Mr.

  • Collins seemed neither in need of encouragement, nor inclined to be silent

  • himself.

  • He was a tall, heavy-looking young man of five-and-twenty.

  • His air was grave and stately, and his manners were very formal.

  • He had not been long seated before he complimented Mrs. Bennet on having so fine

  • a family of daughters; said he had heard much of their beauty, but that in this

  • instance fame had fallen short of the

  • truth; and added, that he did not doubt her seeing them all in due time disposed of in

  • marriage.

  • This gallantry was not much to the taste of some of his hearers; but Mrs. Bennet, who

  • quarreled with no compliments, answered most readily.

  • "You are very kind, I am sure; and I wish with all my heart it may prove so, for else

  • they will be destitute enough. Things are settled so oddly."

  • "You allude, perhaps, to the entail of this estate."

  • "Ah! sir, I do indeed. It is a grievous affair to my poor girls,

  • you must confess.

  • Not that I mean to find fault with you, for such things I know are all chance in this

  • world. There is no knowing how estates will go

  • when once they come to be entailed."

  • "I am very sensible, madam, of the hardship to my fair cousins, and could say much on

  • the subject, but that I am cautious of appearing forward and precipitate.

  • But I can assure the young ladies that I come prepared to admire them.

  • At present I will not say more; but, perhaps, when we are better acquainted--"

  • He was interrupted by a summons to dinner; and the girls smiled on each other.

  • They were not the only objects of Mr. Collins's admiration.

  • The hall, the dining-room, and all its furniture, were examined and praised; and

  • his commendation of everything would have touched Mrs. Bennet's heart, but for the

  • mortifying supposition of his viewing it all as his own future property.

  • The dinner too in its turn was highly admired; and he begged to know to which of

  • his fair cousins the excellency of its cooking was owing.

  • But he was set right there by Mrs. Bennet, who assured him with some asperity that

  • they were very well able to keep a good cook, and that her daughters had nothing to

  • do in the kitchen.

  • He begged pardon for having displeased her. In a softened tone she declared herself not

  • at all offended; but he continued to apologise for about a quarter of an hour.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 14

  • During dinner, Mr. Bennet scarcely spoke at all; but when the servants were withdrawn,

  • he thought it time to have some conversation with his guest, and therefore

  • started a subject in which he expected him

  • to shine, by observing that he seemed very fortunate in his patroness.

  • Lady Catherine de Bourgh's attention to his wishes, and consideration for his comfort,

  • appeared very remarkable.

  • Mr. Bennet could not have chosen better. Mr. Collins was eloquent in her praise.

  • The subject elevated him to more than usual solemnity of manner, and with a most

  • important aspect he protested that "he had never in his life witnessed such behaviour

  • in a person of rank--such affability and

  • condescension, as he had himself experienced from Lady Catherine.

  • She had been graciously pleased to approve of both of the discourses which he had

  • already had the honour of preaching before her.

  • She had also asked him twice to dine at Rosings, and had sent for him only the

  • Saturday before, to make up her pool of quadrille in the evening.

  • Lady Catherine was reckoned proud by many people he knew, but he had never seen

  • anything but affability in her.

  • She had always spoken to him as she would to any other gentleman; she made not the

  • smallest objection to his joining in the society of the neighbourhood nor to his

  • leaving the parish occasionally for a week or two, to visit his relations.

  • She had even condescended to advise him to marry as soon as he could, provided he

  • chose with discretion; and had once paid him a visit in his humble parsonage, where

  • she had perfectly approved all the

  • alterations he had been making, and had even vouchsafed to suggest some herself--

  • some shelves in the closet upstairs."

  • "That is all very proper and civil, I am sure," said Mrs. Bennet, "and I dare say

  • she is a very agreeable woman. It is a pity that great ladies in general

  • are not more like her.

  • Does she live near you, sir?" "The garden in which stands my humble abode

  • is separated only by a lane from Rosings Park, her ladyship's residence."

  • "I think you said she was a widow, sir?

  • Has she any family?" "She has only one daughter, the heiress of

  • Rosings, and of very extensive property." "Ah!" said Mrs. Bennet, shaking her head,

  • "then she is better off than many girls.

  • And what sort of young lady is she? Is she handsome?"

  • "She is a most charming young lady indeed.

  • Lady Catherine herself says that, in point of true beauty, Miss de Bourgh is far

  • superior to the handsomest of her sex, because there is that in her features which

  • marks the young lady of distinguished birth.

  • She is unfortunately of a sickly constitution, which has prevented her from

  • making that progress in many accomplishments which she could not have

  • otherwise failed of, as I am informed by

  • the lady who superintended her education, and who still resides with them.

  • But she is perfectly amiable, and often condescends to drive by my humble abode in

  • her little phaeton and ponies."

  • "Has she been presented? I do not remember her name among the ladies

  • at court."

  • "Her indifferent state of health unhappily prevents her being in town; and by that

  • means, as I told Lady Catherine one day, has deprived the British court of its

  • brightest ornaments.

  • Her ladyship seemed pleased with the idea; and you may imagine that I am happy on

  • every occasion to offer those little delicate compliments which are always

  • acceptable to ladies.

  • I have more than once observed to Lady Catherine, that her charming daughter

  • seemed born to be a duchess, and that the most elevated rank, instead of giving her

  • consequence, would be adorned by her.

  • These are the kind of little things which please her ladyship, and it is a sort of

  • attention which I conceive myself peculiarly bound to pay."

  • "You judge very properly," said Mr. Bennet, "and it is happy for you that you possess

  • the talent of flattering with delicacy.

  • May I ask whether these pleasing attentions proceed from the impulse of the moment, or

  • are the result of previous study?"

  • "They arise chiefly from what is passing at the time, and though I sometimes amuse

  • myself with suggesting and arranging such little elegant compliments as may be

  • adapted to ordinary occasions, I always

  • wish to give them as unstudied an air as possible."

  • Mr. Bennet's expectations were fully answered.

  • His cousin was as absurd as he had hoped, and he listened to him with the keenest

  • enjoyment, maintaining at the same time the most resolute composure of countenance,

  • and, except in an occasional glance at

  • Elizabeth, requiring no partner in his pleasure.

  • By tea-time, however, the dose had been enough, and Mr. Bennet was glad to take his

  • guest into the drawing-room again, and, when tea was over, glad to invite him to

  • read aloud to the ladies.

  • Mr. Collins readily assented, and a book was produced; but, on beholding it (for

  • everything announced it to be from a circulating library), he started back, and

  • begging pardon, protested that he never read novels.

  • Kitty stared at him, and Lydia exclaimed. Other books were produced, and after some

  • deliberation he chose Fordyce's Sermons.

  • Lydia gaped as he opened the volume, and before he had, with very monotonous

  • solemnity, read three pages, she interrupted him with:

  • "Do you know, mamma, that my uncle Phillips talks of turning away Richard; and if he

  • does, Colonel Forster will hire him. My aunt told me so herself on Saturday.

  • I shall walk to Meryton to-morrow to hear more about it, and to ask when Mr. Denny

  • comes back from town."

  • Lydia was bid by her two eldest sisters to hold her tongue; but Mr. Collins, much

  • offended, laid aside his book, and said:

  • "I have often observed how little young ladies are interested by books of a serious

  • stamp, though written solely for their benefit.

  • It amazes me, I confess; for, certainly, there can be nothing so advantageous to

  • them as instruction. But I will no longer importune my young

  • cousin."

  • Then turning to Mr. Bennet, he offered himself as his antagonist at backgammon.

  • Mr. Bennet accepted the challenge, observing that he acted very wisely in

  • leaving the girls to their own trifling amusements.

  • Mrs. Bennet and her daughters apologised most civilly for Lydia's interruption, and

  • promised that it should not occur again, if he would resume his book; but Mr. Collins,

  • after assuring them that he bore his young

  • cousin no ill-will, and should never resent her behaviour as any affront, seated

  • himself at another table with Mr. Bennet, and prepared for backgammon.

  • >

  • CHAPTER 15

  • Mr. Collins was not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little

  • assisted by education or society; the greatest part of his life having been spent

  • under the guidance of an illiterate and

  • miserly father; and though he belonged to one of the universities, he had merely kept

  • the necessary terms, without forming at it any useful acquaintance.

  • The subjection in which his father had brought him up had given him originally

  • great humility of manner; but it was now a good deal counteracted by the self-conceit

  • of a weak head, living in retirement, and

  • the consequential feelings of early and unexpected prosperity.

  • A fortunate chance had recommended him to Lady Catherine de Bourgh when the living of

  • Hunsford was vacant; and the respect which he felt for her high rank, and his

  • veneration for her as his patroness,

  • mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman,

  • and his right as a rector, made him altogether a mixture of pride and

  • obsequiousness, self-importance and humility.

  • Having now a good house and a very sufficient income, he intended to marry;

  • and in seeking a reconciliation with the Longbourn family he had a wife in view, as

  • he meant to choose one of the daughters, if

  • he found them as handsome and amiable as they were represented by common report.

  • This was his plan of amends--of atonement-- for inheriting their father's estate; and

  • he thought it an excellent one, full of eligibility and suitableness, and

  • excessively generous and disinterested on his own part.

  • His plan did not vary on seeing them.

  • Miss Bennet's lovely face confirmed his views, and established all his strictest

  • notions of what was due to seniority; and for the first evening she was his settled

  • choice.

  • The next morning, however, made an alteration; for in a quarter of an hour's

  • tete-a-tete with Mrs. Bennet before breakfast, a conversation beginning with

  • his parsonage-house, and leading naturally

  • to the avowal of his hopes, that a mistress might be found for it at Longbourn,

  • produced from her, amid very complaisant smiles and general encouragement, a caution

  • against the very Jane he had fixed on.

  • "As to her younger daughters, she could not take upon her to say--she could not

  • positively answer--but she did not know of any prepossession; her eldest daughter, she

  • must just mention--she felt it incumbent on

  • her to hint, was likely to be very soon engaged."

  • Mr. Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth--and it was soon done--done while

  • Mrs. Bennet was stirring the fire.

  • Elizabeth, equally next to Jane in birth and beauty, succeeded her of course.

  • Mrs. Bennet treasured up the hint, and trusted that she might soon have two

  • daughters married; and the man whom she could not bear to speak of the day before

  • was now high in her good graces.

  • Lydia's intention of walking to Meryton was not forgotten; every sister except Mary

  • agreed to go with her; and Mr. Collins was to attend them, at the request of Mr.

  • Bennet, who was most anxious to get rid of

  • him, and have his library to himself; for thither Mr. Collins had followed him after

  • breakfast; and there he would continue, nominally engaged with one of the largest

  • folios in the collection, but really

  • talking to Mr. Bennet, with little cessation, of his house and garden at

  • Hunsford. Such doings discomposed Mr. Bennet

  • exceedingly.

  • In his library he had been always sure of leisure and tranquillity; and though

  • prepared, as he told Elizabeth, to meet with folly and conceit in every other room

  • of the house, he was used to be free from

  • them there; his civility, therefore, was most prompt in inviting Mr. Collins to join

  • his daughters in their walk; and Mr. Collins, being in fact much better fitted

  • for a walker than a reader, was extremely pleased to close his large book, and go.

  • In pompous nothings on his side, and civil assents on that of his cousins, their time

  • passed till they entered Meryton.

  • The attention of the younger ones was then no longer to be gained by him.

  • Their eyes were immediately wandering up in the street in quest of the officers, and

  • nothing less than a very smart bonnet indeed, or a really new muslin in a shop

  • window, could recall them.

  • But the attention of every lady was soon caught by a young man, whom they had never

  • seen before, of most gentlemanlike appearance, walking with another officer on

  • the other side of the way.

  • The officer was the very Mr. Denny concerning whose return from London Lydia

  • came to inquire, and he bowed as they passed.

  • All were struck with the stranger's air, all wondered who he could be; and Kitty and

  • Lydia, determined if possible to find out, led the way across the street, under

  • pretense of wanting something in an

  • opposite shop, and fortunately had just gained the pavement when the two gentlemen,

  • turning back, had reached the same spot.

  • Mr. Denny addressed them directly, and entreated permission to introduce his

  • friend, Mr. Wickham, who had returned with him the day before from town, and he was

  • happy to say had accepted a commission in their corps.

  • This was exactly as it should be; for the young man wanted only regimentals to make

  • him completely charming.

  • His appearance was greatly in his favour; he had all the best part of beauty, a fine

  • countenance, a good figure, and very pleasing address.

  • The introduction was followed up on his side by a happy readiness of conversation--

  • a readiness at the same time perfectly correct and unassuming; and the whole party

  • were still standing and talking together

  • very agreeably, when the sound of horses drew their notice, and Darcy and Bingley

  • were seen riding down the street.

  • On distinguishing the ladies of the group, the two gentlemen came directly towards

  • them, and began the usual civilities. Bingley was the principal spokesman, and

  • Miss Bennet the principal object.

  • He was then, he said, on his way to Longbourn on purpose to inquire after her.

  • Mr. Darcy corroborated it with a bow, and was beginning to determine not to fix his

  • eyes on Elizabeth, when they were suddenly arrested by the sight of the stranger, and

  • Elizabeth happening to see the countenance

  • of both as they looked at each other, was all astonishment at the effect of the

  • meeting. Both changed colour, one looked white, the

  • other red.

  • Mr. Wickham, after a few moments, touched his hat--a salutation which Mr. Darcy just

  • deigned to return. What could be the meaning of it?

  • It was impossible to imagine; it was impossible not to long to know.

  • In another minute, Mr. Bingley, but without seeming to have noticed what passed, took

  • leave and rode on with his friend.

  • Mr. Denny and Mr. Wickham walked with the young ladies to the door of Mr. Phillip's

  • house, and then made their bows, in spite of Miss Lydia's pressing entreaties that

  • they should come in, and even in spite of

  • Mrs. Phillips's throwing up the parlour window and loudly seconding the invitation.

  • Mrs. Phillips was always glad to see her nieces; and the two eldest, from their

  • recent absence, were particularly welcome, and she was eagerly expressing her surprise

  • at their sudden return home, which, as

  • their own carriage had not fetched them, she should have known nothing about, if she

  • had not happened to see Mr. Jones's shop- boy in the street, who had told her that

  • they were not to send any more draughts to

  • Netherfield because the Miss Bennets were come away, when her civility was claimed

  • towards Mr. Collins by Jane's introduction of him.

  • She received him with her very best politeness, which he returned with as much

  • more, apologising for his intrusion, without any previous acquaintance with her,

  • which he could not help flattering himself,

  • however, might be justified by his relationship to the young ladies who

  • introduced him to her notice.

  • Mrs. Phillips was quite awed by such an excess of good breeding; but her

  • contemplation of one stranger was soon put to an end by exclamations and inquiries

  • about the other; of whom, however, she

  • could only tell her nieces what they already knew, that Mr. Denny had brought

  • him from London, and that he was to have a lieutenant's commission in the ----shire.

  • She had been watching him the last hour, she said, as he walked up and down the

  • street, and had Mr. Wickham appeared, Kitty and Lydia would certainly have continued

  • the occupation, but unluckily no one passed

  • windows now except a few of the officers, who, in comparison with the stranger, were

  • become "stupid, disagreeable fellows."

  • Some of them were to dine with the Phillipses the next day, and their aunt

  • promised to make her husband call on Mr. Wickham, and give him an invitation also,

  • if the family from Longbourn would come in the evening.

  • This was agreed to, and Mrs. Phillips protested that they would have a nice

  • comfortable noisy game of lottery tickets, and a little bit of hot supper afterwards.

  • The prospect of such delights was very cheering, and they parted in mutual good

  • spirits.

  • Mr. Collins repeated his apologies in quitting the room, and was assured with

  • unwearying civility that they were perfectly needless.

  • As they walked home, Elizabeth related to Jane what she had seen pass between the two

  • gentlemen; but though Jane would have defended either or both, had they appeared

  • to be in the wrong, she could no more explain such behaviour than her sister.

  • Mr. Collins on his return highly gratified Mrs. Bennet by admiring Mrs. Phillips's

  • manners and politeness.

  • He protested that, except Lady Catherine and her daughter, he had never seen a more

  • elegant woman; for she had not only received him with the utmost civility, but

  • even pointedly included him in her

  • invitation for the next evening, although utterly unknown to her before.

  • Something, he supposed, might be attributed to his connection with them, but yet he had

  • never met with so much attention in the whole course of his life.

  • >

CHAPTER 1

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