CHAPTER V.
Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Bennetswere particularly intimate. Sir William Lucas had been formerly in tradein Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune and risen to thehonour of knighthood by an address to the King, during his mayoralty.The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him adisgust to his business and to his residence in a small market town; andquitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about amile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge, where hecould think with pleasure of his own importance, and unshackled bybusiness, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world. Forthough elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on thecontrary, he was all attention to every body. By nature inoffensive,friendly and obliging, his presentation at St. James's had made himcourteous.
Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever to be avaluable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet.--They had several children. Theeldest of them, a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven,was Elizabeth's intimate friend.
That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to talk over aball was absolutely necessary; and the morning after the assemblybrought the former to Longbourn to hear and to communicate.
”_You_ began the evening well, Charlotte,” said Mrs. Bennet with civilself-command to Miss Lucas. ”_You_ were Mr. Bingley's first choice.”
”Yes;--but he seemed to like his second better.”
”Oh!--you mean Jane, I suppose--because he danced with her twice. To besure that _did_ seem as if he admired her--indeed I rather believe he_did_--I heard something about it--but I hardly know what--somethingabout Mr. Robinson.”
”Perhaps you mean what I overheard between him and Mr. Robinson; did notI mention it to you? Mr. Robinson's asking him how he liked our Merytonassemblies, and whether he did not think there were a great many prettywomen in the room, and _which_ he thought the prettiest? and hisanswering immediately to the last question--Oh! the eldest Miss Bennetbeyond a doubt, there cannot be two opinions on that point.”
”Upon my word!--Well, that was very decided indeed--that does seem asif----but however, it may all come to nothing you know.”
”_My_ overhearings were more to the purpose than _yours_, Eliza,” saidCharlotte. ”Mr. Darcy is not so well worth listening to as his friend,is he?--Poor Eliza!--to be only just _tolerable_.”
”I beg you would not put it into Lizzy's head to be vexed by hisill-treatment; for he is such a disagreeable man that it would be quitea misfortune to be liked by him. Mrs. Long told me last night that hesat close to her for half an hour without once opening his lips.”
”Are you quite sure, Ma'am?--is not there a little mistake?” saidJane.--”I certainly saw Mr. Darcy speaking to her.”
”Aye--because she asked him at last how he liked Netherfield, and hecould not help answering her;--but she said he seemed very angry atbeing spoke to.”
”Miss Bingley told me,” said Jane, ”that he never speaks much unlessamong his intimate acquaintance. With _them_ he is remarkablyagreeable.”
”I do not believe a word of it, my dear. If he had been so veryagreeable he would have talked to Mrs. Long. But I can guess how it was;every body says that he is ate up with pride, and I dare say he hadheard somehow that Mrs. Long does not keep a carriage, and had come tothe ball in a hack chaise.”
”I do not mind his not talking to Mrs. Long,” said Miss Lucas, ”but Iwish he had danced with Eliza.”
”Another time, Lizzy,” said her mother, ”I would not dance with _him_,if I were you.”
”I believe, Ma'am, I may safely promise you _never_ to dance with him.”
”His pride,” said Miss Lucas, ”does not offend _me_ so much as prideoften does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that sovery fine a young man, with family, fortune, every thing in his favour,should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a _right_to be proud.”
”That is very true,” replied Elizabeth, ”and I could easily forgive_his_ pride, if he had not mortified _mine_.”
”Pride,” observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity of herreflections, ”is a very common failing I believe. By all that I haveever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed, that humannature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of uswho do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of somequality or other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are differentthings, though the words are often used synonimously. A person may beproud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion ofourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”
”If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy,” cried a young Lucas who came with hissisters, ”I should not care how proud I was. I would keep a pack offoxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine every day.”
”Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought,” said Mrs.Bennet; ”and if I were to see you at it I should take away your bottledirectly.”
The boy protested that she should not; she continued to declare that shewould, and the argument ended only with the visit.