CHAPTER XI.
When the ladies removed after dinner, Elizabeth ran up to her sister,and seeing her well guarded from cold, attended her into thedrawing-room; where she was welcomed by her two friends with manyprofessions of pleasure; and Elizabeth had never seen them so agreeableas they were during the hour which passed before the gentlemen appeared.Their powers of conversation were considerable. They could describe anentertainment with accuracy, relate an anecdote with humour, and laughat their acquaintance with spirit.
But when the gentlemen entered, Jane was no longer the first object.Miss Bingley's eyes were instantly turned towards Darcy, and she hadsomething to say to him before he had advanced many steps. He addressedhimself directly to Miss Bennet, with a polite congratulation; Mr. Hurstalso made her a slight bow, and said he was ”very glad;” but diffusenessand warmth remained for Bingley's salutation. He was full of joy andattention. The first half hour was spent in piling up the fire, lest sheshould suffer from the change of room; and she removed at his desire tothe other side of the fire-place, that she might be farther from thedoor. He then sat down by her, and talked scarcely to any one else.Elizabeth, at work in the opposite corner, saw it all with greatdelight.
When tea was over, Mr. Hurst reminded his sister-in-law of thecard-table--but in vain. She had obtained private intelligence that Mr.Darcy did not wish for cards; and Mr. Hurst soon found even his openpetition rejected. She assured him that no one intended to play, and thesilence 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 thesophas and go to sleep. Darcy took up a book; Miss Bingley did the same;and Mrs. Hurst, principally occupied in playing with her bracelets andrings, joined now and then in her brother's conversation with MissBennet.
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 wasperpetually either making some inquiry, or looking at his page. Shecould not win him, however, to any conversation; he merely answered herquestion, and read on. At length, quite exhausted by the attempt to beamused with her own book, which she had only chosen because it was thesecond volume of his, she gave a great yawn and said, ”How pleasant itis to spend an evening in this way! I declare after all there is noenjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of abook!--When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have notan excellent library.”
No one made any reply. She then yawned again, threw aside her book, andcast her eyes round the room in quest of some amusement; when hearingher brother mentioning a ball to Miss Bennet, she turned suddenlytowards him and said,
”By the bye, Charles, are you really serious in meditating a dance atNetherfield?--I would advise you, before you determine on it, to consultthe wishes of the present party; I am much mistaken if there are notsome among us to whom a ball would be rather a punishment than apleasure.”
”If you mean Darcy,” cried her brother, ”he may go to bed, if he chuses,before it begins--but as for the ball, it is quite a settled thing; andas soon as Nicholls has made white soup enough I shall send round mycards.”
”I should like balls infinitely better,” she replied, ”if they werecarried on in a different manner; but there is something insufferablytedious in the usual process of such a meeting. It would surely be muchmore rational if conversation instead of dancing made the order of theday.”
”Much more rational, my dear Caroline, I dare say, but it would not benear so much like a ball.”
Miss Bingley made no answer; and soon afterwards got up and walked aboutthe room. Her figure was elegant, and she walked well;--but Darcy, atwhom it was all aimed, was still inflexibly studious. In the desperationof her feelings she resolved on one effort more; and, turning toElizabeth, said,
”Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my example, and take aturn about the room.--I assure you it is very refreshing after sittingso long in one attitude.”
Elizabeth was surprised, but agreed to it immediately. Miss Bingleysucceeded no less in the real object of her civility; Mr. Darcy lookedup. He was as much awake to the novelty of attention in that quarter asElizabeth herself could be, and unconsciously closed his book. He wasdirectly invited to join their party, but he declined it, observing,that he could imagine but two motives for their chusing to walk up anddown the room together, with either of which motives his joining themwould interfere. ”What could he mean? she was dying to know what couldbe his meaning”--and asked Elizabeth whether she could at all understandhim?
”Not at all,” was her answer; ”but depend upon it, he means to be severeon us, and our surest way of disappointing him, will be to ask nothingabout it.”
Miss Bingley, however, was incapable of disappointing Mr. Darcy in anything, and persevered therefore in requiring an explanation of his twomotives.
”I have not the smallest objection to explaining them,” said he, as soonas she allowed him to speak. ”You either chuse this method of passingthe evening because you are in each other's confidence and have secretaffairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figuresappear to the greatest advantage in walking;--if the first, I should becompletely in your way;--and if the second, I can admire you much betteras I sit by the fire.”
”Oh! shocking!” cried Miss Bingley. ”I never heard any thing soabominable. How shall we punish him for such a speech?”
”Nothing so easy, if you have but the inclination,” said Elizabeth. ”Wecan all plague and punish one another. Teaze him--laugh athim.--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 notyet taught me _that_. Teaze calmness of temper and presence of mind! No,no--I feel he may defy us there. And as to laughter, we will not exposeourselves, 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 anuncommon advantage, and uncommon I hope it will continue, for it wouldbe a great loss to _me_ to have many such acquaintance. I dearly love alaugh.”
”Miss Bingley,” said he, ”has given me credit for more than can be. Thewisest 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 ajoke.”
”Certainly,” replied Elizabeth--”there are such people, but I hope I amnot one of _them_. I hope I never ridicule what is wise or good. Folliesand nonsense, whims and inconsistencies _do_ divert me, I own, and Ilaugh at them whenever I can.--But these, I suppose, are precisely whatyou are without.”
”Perhaps that is not possible for any one. But it has been the study ofmy life to avoid those weaknesses which often expose a strongunderstanding to ridicule.”
”Such as vanity and pride.”
”Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride--where there is a realsuperiority 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 MissBingley;--”and pray what is the result?”
”I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns ithimself 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 vouchfor.--It is I believe too little yielding--certainly too little for theconvenience of the world. I cannot forget the follies and vices ofothers so soon as I ought, nor their offences against myself. Myfeelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them. My temperwould perhaps be called resentful.--My good opinion once lost is lostfor ever.”
”_That_ is a failing indeed!”--cried Elizabeth. ”Implacable resentment_is_ a shade in a character. But you have chosen your fault well.--Ireally cannot _laugh_ at it. You are safe from me.”
”There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particularevil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.”
”And _your_ defect is a propensity to hate every body.”
”And yours,” he replied with a smile, ”is wilfully to misunderstandthem.”
”Do let us have a little music,”--cried Miss Bingley, tired of aconversation in which she had no share.--”Louisa, you will not mind mywaking Mr. Hurst.”
Her sister made not the smallest objection, and the piano-forte wasopened, and Darcy, after a few moments recollection, was not sorry forit. He began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention.