LITMIR.BIZ

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are not Jane's feelings; she is not acting by design. And I think that now she isn't even certain of how deep her own feeling is or how reasonable. She has known him only a fortnight. They danced and dined at a few parties in Meryton. This is not quite enough to make her understand his character».

      «Well», said Charlotte, «happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the characters of the parties are well known to each other or so similar beforehand, it does not help their happiness in the least. Later on, they always grow different enough to have their share of annoyance; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life».

      «It is funny, Charlotte; but you know it is not right, and you would never act in this way yourself».

      Elizabeth was so busy watching Mr. Bingley's attentions to her sister that she didn't notice his friend's growing interest to herself. Mr. Darcy had at first looked at her without admiration, criticized her features to his friends. And suddenly he saw that her face was made uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. Though his critical mind had found no perfect symmetry in her form, his eyes found her figure light and pleasing; and in spite of his saying that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was charmed by their easy playfulness. Elizabeth was perfectly unaware of all that; to her he was only the man who made himself pleasant nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.

      Wishing to know more of her, Mr. Darcy began listening to her conversation with others. At a large party at Sir William Lucas's she noticed that he was listening to her conversation with Colonel Forster. She said to her friend Charlotte that if he listened to her conversations again, she would let him know that she had noticed it.

      «He has a very satirical eye, and if I do not begin by being impolite myself, I shall soon grow afraid of him».

      So, when Mr. Darcy came near them, Miss Lucas provoked her to speak to him. Elizabeth turned to him and said:

      «Did you not think, Mr. Darcy, that I spoke uncommonly well just now, when I was jokingly persuading 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 stern to us».

      «It will be her turn soon to be persuaded», said Miss Lucas. «I am going to open the instrument, Eliza, and you know what follows».

      «You are a very strange friend! Always wanting me to play and sing before anybody and everybody! If my vanity had been to be praised for my musical talents, you would have been invaluable. In fact, I would prefer not to sing before those who must be used to hearing the very best performers». As Miss Lucas persisted, she agreed, «Very well, if it must be so, it must». And glancing at Mr. Darcy, she added, «There is a fine old saying, which is well known to everybody here, of course: „Keep your breath to cool your porridge“; and I shall keep mine to intensify my song».

      Her singing was pleasing, though by no means brilliant. Several guests asked her to sing more, but before she could reply, the instrument was eagerly occupied by her sister Mary, who, not being pretty, had worked hard for knowledge and accomplishments, and always liked to demonstrate them.

      Mary played rather well, but she had neither genius nor taste; her vanity had made her pedantic and conceited, and such manners would have spoilt even a higher degree of excellence than she had reached. Elizabeth, easy and natural, had been listened to with much more pleasure, though not playing half so well. At the end of a long concerto, her younger sisters asked her to play some Scotch and Irish melodies, and, with some of the Lucases, and two or three officers, joined eagerly in dancing at one end of the room.

      Mr. Darcy was annoyed by this way of passing the evening, just dancing and no conversation. He stood there silently and didn't see Sir William Lucas till he addressed him.

      «What a charming amusement for young people this is, Mr. Darcy! There is nothing like dancing after all. It is 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 tried to engage Mr. Darcy in conversation, but wasn't successful. He saw Elizabeth moving towards them, 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». Mr. Darcy though very much surprised, was not unwilling to dance with her, but Elizabeth suddenly stepped back and said to Sir William:

      «Really, sir, I have not the least desire of dancing. Please, don't think that I moved this way in order to ask for a partner».

      Mr. Darcy in a very proper manner asked her for the honour to dance with her.

      «Mr. Darcy is all politeness», said Elizabeth, smiling, and turned away.

      Her refusal had not offended the gentleman, and he was thinking of her with some good nature, when Miss Bingley interrupted his thoughts:

      «I can guess what you are thinking of».

      «I don't think so».

      «You are thinking how unbearable it would be to spend many evenings in such society; and indeed I am quite of your opinion. I was never more annoyed! Such tastelessness, the nothingness, and yet the self-importance of all those people! I would gladly hear your critical remarks on them!»

      «Your guess is quite wrong, I can assure you. My mind was more pleasingly engaged. I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can give».

      Miss Bingley looked at him sharply and asked what lady had inspired such thoughts. Mr. Darcy seriously replied:

      «Miss Elizabeth Bennet».

      «Miss Elizabeth Bennet!» exclaimed Miss Bingley. «I am all astonishment. Well, when am I to wish you happiness?»

      «I was absolutely sure you would ask this very question. A lady's imagination runs exactly this way: from admiration to love, from love to marriage».

      «Well, if you are serious about it, 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».

      His indifference to her remarks showed her that all was safe, and she continued to entertain herself in this manner for a long time.

      Chapter 7

      Mr. Bennet's estate brought him two thousand a year, and, unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed on a distant relative because he had no son of his own. Mrs. Bennet's father had been an attorney in Meryton, and had left her four thousand pounds. It was quite enough for her situation in life, but it couldn't help her husband's situation.

      She had a sister married to a Mr. Phillips, who had been a clerk to their father and continued his business, and a brother settled in London in a respectable line of trade.

      Meryton was only one mile from the village of Longbourn, and the young ladies usually walked there three or four times a week, to pay their duty to their aunt and to a milliner's shop just on the way. Catherine and Lydia, the youngest Bennet girls, visited Meryton most often. They were more vacant minded than their sisters, and their favourite occupation in the morning was to walk to Meryton and to learn some country news from their aunt, thus supplying conversation in the evening. At present, indeed, they were well supplied both with news and happiness by the arrival in the neighborhood of a militia regiment which was to stay the whole winter, and Meryton was the headquarters. They could talk of nothing but officers; and Mr. Bingley's large fortune, which occupied their mother's mind so much, was worthless in their eyes as compared to the regimentals of an ensign.

      After listening one morning to their enthusiastic talk on this subject, Mr. Bennet coolly remarked:

      «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

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