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 woman 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.🔗