“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 events 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 deion 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.”
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!”