Elizabeth related to Jane the next day what had passed between Mr. Wickham
and herself. Jane listened with astonishment and concern; she knew not how
to believe that Mr. Darcy could be so unworthy of Mr. Bingley’s regard;
and yet, it was not in her nature to question the veracity of a young man
of such amiable appearance as Wickham. The possibility of his having
endured such unkindness, was enough to interest all her tender feelings;
and nothing remained therefore to be done, but to think well of them both,
to defend the conduct of each, and throw into the account of accident or
mistake whatever could not be otherwise explained.🔗
“They have both,” said she, “been deceived, I dare say, in some way or
other, of which we can form no idea. Interested people have perhaps
misrepresented each to the other. It is, in short, impossible for us to
conjecture the causes or circumstances which may have alienated them,
without actual blame on either side.”🔗
“Very true, indeed; and now, my dear Jane, what have you got to say on
behalf of the interested people who have probably been concerned in the
business? Do clear them too, or we shall be obliged to think ill of
somebody.”🔗
“Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion.
My dearest Lizzy, do but consider in what a disgraceful light it places
Mr. Darcy, to be treating his father’s favourite in such a manner, one
whom his father had promised to provide for. It is impossible. No man of
common humanity, no man who had any value for his character, could be
capable of it. Can his most intimate friends be so excessively deceived in
him? Oh! no.”🔗
“I can much more easily believe Mr. Bingley’s being imposed on, than that
Mr. Wickham should invent such a history of himself as he gave me last
night; names, facts, everything mentioned without ceremony. If it be not
so, let Mr. Darcy contradict it. Besides, there was truth in his looks.”🔗
“It is difficult indeed—it is distressing. One does not know what to
think.”🔗
“I beg your pardon; one knows exactly what to think.”🔗
But Jane could think with certainty on only one point—that Mr.
Bingley, if he had been imposed on, would have much to suffer when
the affair became public.🔗
The two young ladies were summoned from the shrubbery, where this
conversation passed, by the arrival of the very persons of whom they had
been speaking; Mr. Bingley and his sisters came to give their personal
invitation for the long-expected ball at Netherfield, which was fixed for
the following Tuesday. The two ladies were delighted to see their dear
friend again, called it an age since they had met, and repeatedly asked
what she had been doing with herself since their separation. To the rest
of the family they paid little attention; avoiding Mrs. Bennet as much as
possible, saying not much to Elizabeth, and nothing at all to the others.
They were soon gone again, rising from their seats with an activity which
took their brother by surprise, and hurrying off as if eager to escape
from Mrs. Bennet’s civilities.🔗
The prospect of the Netherfield ball was extremely agreeable to every
female of the family. Mrs. Bennet chose to consider it as given in
compliment to her eldest daughter, and was particularly flattered by
receiving the invitation from Mr. Bingley himself, instead of a
ceremonious card. Jane pictured to herself a happy evening in the society
of her two friends, and the attentions of their brother; and Elizabeth
thought with pleasure of dancing a great deal with Mr. Wickham, and of
seeing a confirmation of everything in Mr. Darcy’s look and behaviour. The
happiness anticipated by Catherine and Lydia depended less on any single
event, or any particular person, for though they each, like Elizabeth,
meant to dance half the evening with Mr. Wickham, he was by no means the
only partner who could satisfy them, and a ball was, at any rate, a ball.
And even Mary could assure her family that she had no disinclination for
it.🔗
“While I can have my mornings to myself,” said she, “it is enough—I
think it is no sacrifice to join occasionally in evening engagements.
Society has claims on us all; and I profess myself one of those who
consider intervals of recreation and amusement as desirable for
everybody.”🔗
Elizabeth’s spirits were so high on this occasion, that though she did not
often speak unnecessarily to Mr. Collins, she could not help asking him
whether he intended to accept Mr. Bingley’s invitation, and if he did,
whether he would think it proper to join in the evening’s amusement; and
she was rather surprised to find that he entertained no scruple whatever
on that head, and was very far from dreading a rebuke either from the
Archbishop, or Lady Catherine de Bourgh, by venturing to dance.🔗
“I am by no means of the opinion, I assure you,” said he, “that a ball of
this kind, given by a young man of character, to respectable people, can
have any evil tendency; and I am so far from objecting to dancing myself,
that I shall hope to be honoured with the hands of all my fair cousins in
the course of the evening; and I take this opportunity of soliciting
yours, Miss Elizabeth, for the two first dances especially, a preference
which I trust my cousin Jane will attribute to the right cause, and not to
any disrespect for her.”🔗
Elizabeth felt herself completely taken in. She had fully proposed being
engaged by Mr. Wickham for those very dances; and to have Mr. Collins
instead! her liveliness had never been worse timed. There was no help for
it, however. Mr. Wickham’s happiness and her own were perforce delayed a
little longer, and Mr. Collins’s proposal accepted with as good a grace as
she could. She was not the better pleased with his gallantry from the idea
it suggested of something more. It now first struck her, that she
was selected from among her sisters as worthy of being mistress of
Hunsford Parsonage, and of assisting to form a quadrille table at Rosings,
in the absence of more eligible visitors. The idea soon reached to
conviction, as she observed his increasing civilities toward herself, and
heard his frequent attempt at a compliment on her wit and vivacity; and
though more astonished than gratified herself by this effect of her
charms, it was not long before her mother gave her to understand that the
probability of their marriage was extremely agreeable to her.
Elizabeth, however, did not choose to take the hint, being well aware that
a serious dispute must be the consequence of any reply. Mr. Collins might
never make the offer, and till he did, it was useless to quarrel about
him.🔗
If there had not been a Netherfield ball to prepare for and talk of, the
younger Miss Bennets would have been in a very pitiable state at this
time, for from the day of the invitation, to the day of the ball, there
was such a succession of rain as prevented their walking to Meryton once.
No aunt, no officers, no news could be sought after—the very
shoe-roses for Netherfield were got by proxy. Even Elizabeth might have
found some trial of her patience in weather which totally suspended the
improvement of her acquaintance with Mr. Wickham; and nothing less than a
dance on Tuesday, could have made such a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and
Monday endurable to Kitty and Lydia.🔗