CHAPTER IX.
Elizabeth passed the chief of the night in her sister's room, and in themorning had the pleasure of being able to send a tolerable answer to theenquiries which she very early received from Mr. Bingley by a housemaid,and some time afterwards from the two elegant ladies who waited on hissisters. In spite of this amendment, however, she requested to have anote sent to Longbourn, desiring her mother to visit Jane, and form herown judgment of her situation. The note was immediately dispatched, andits contents as quickly complied with. Mrs. Bennet, accompanied by hertwo youngest girls, reached Netherfield soon after the family breakfast.
Had she found Jane in any apparent danger, Mrs. Bennet would have beenvery miserable; but being satisfied on seeing her that her illness wasnot alarming, she had no wish of her recovering immediately, as herrestoration to health would probably remove her from Netherfield. Shewould not listen therefore to her daughter's proposal of being carriedhome; neither did the apothecary, who arrived about the same time, thinkit at all advisable. After sitting a little while with Jane, on MissBingley's appearance and invitation, the mother and three daughters allattended her into the breakfast parlour. Bingley met them with hopesthat Mrs. Bennet had not found Miss Bennet worse than she expected.
”Indeed I have, Sir,” was her answer. ”She is a great deal too ill to bemoved. Mr. Jones says we must not think of moving her. We must trespassa little longer on your kindness.”
”Removed!” cried Bingley. ”It must not be thought of. My sister, I amsure, will not hear of her removal.”
”You may depend upon it, Madam,” said Miss Bingley, with cold civility,”that Miss Bennet shall receive every possible attention while sheremains with us.”
Mrs. Bennet was profuse in her acknowledgments.
”I am sure,” she added, ”if it was not for such good friends I do notknow what would become of her, for she is very ill indeed, and suffers avast deal, though with the greatest patience in the world, which isalways the way with her, for she has, without exception, the sweetesttemper I ever met with. I often tell my other girls they are nothing to_her_. You have a sweet room here, Mr. Bingley, and a charming prospectover that gravel walk. I do not know a place in the country that isequal to Netherfield. You will not think of quitting it in a hurry Ihope, though you have but a short lease.”
”Whatever I do is done in a hurry,” replied he; ”and therefore if Ishould resolve to quit Netherfield, I should probably be off in fiveminutes. At present, however, I consider myself as quite fixed here.”
”That is exactly what I should have supposed of you,” said Elizabeth.
”You begin to comprehend me, do you?” cried he, turning towards her.
”Oh! yes--I understand you perfectly.”
”I wish I might take this for a compliment; but to be so easily seenthrough I am afraid is pitiful.”
”That is as it happens. It does not necessarily follow that a deep,intricate character is more or less estimable than such a one as yours.”
”Lizzy,” cried her mother, ”remember where you are, and do not run on inthe wild manner that you are suffered to do at home.”
”I did not know before,” continued Bingley immediately, ”that you were astudier of character. It must be an amusing study.”
”Yes; but intricate characters are the _most_ amusing. They have atleast that advantage.”
”The country,” said Darcy, ”can in general supply but few subjects forsuch a study. In a country neighbourhood you move in a very confinedand unvarying society.”
”But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to beobserved in them for ever.”
”Yes, indeed,” cried Mrs. Bennet, offended by his manner of mentioning acountry neighbourhood. ”I assure you there is quite as much of _that_going on in the country as in town.”
Every body was surprised; and Darcy, after looking at her for a moment,turned silently away. Mrs. Bennet, who fancied she had gained a completevictory over him, continued her triumph.
”I cannot see that London has any great advantage over the country formy part, except the shops and public places. The country is a vast dealpleasanter, is not it, Mr. Bingley?”
”When I am in the country,” he replied, ”I never wish to leave it; andwhen I am in town it is pretty much the same. They have each theiradvantages, and I can be equally happy in either.”
”Aye--that is because you have the right disposition. But thatgentleman,” looking at Darcy, ”seemed to think the country was nothingat all.”
”Indeed, Mama, you are mistaken,” said Elizabeth, blushing for hermother. ”You quite mistook Mr. Darcy. He only meant that there were notsuch a variety of people to be met with in the country as in town, whichyou must acknowledge to be true.”
”Certainly, my dear, nobody said there were; but as to not meeting withmany people in this neighbourhood, I believe there are fewneighbourhoods larger. I know we dine with four and twenty families.”
Nothing but concern for Elizabeth could enable Bingley to keep hiscountenance. His sister was less delicate, and directed her eye towardsMr. Darcy with a very expressive smile. Elizabeth, for the sake ofsaying something that might turn her mother's thoughts, now asked her ifCharlotte Lucas had been at Longbourn since _her_ coming away.
”Yes, she called yesterday with her father. What an agreeable man SirWilliam is, Mr. Bingley--is not he? so much the man of fashion! sogenteel and so easy!--He has always something to say to everybody.--_That_ is my idea of good breeding; and those persons who fancythemselves very important and never open their mouths, quite mistake thematter.”
”Did Charlotte dine with you?”
”No, she would go home. I fancy she was wanted about the mince pies. Formy part, Mr. Bingley, _I_ always keep servants that can do their ownwork; _my_ daughters are brought up differently. But every body is tojudge for themselves, and the Lucases are very good sort of girls, Iassure you. It is a pity they are not handsome! Not that _I_ thinkCharlotte so _very_ plain--but then she is our particular friend.”
”She seems a very pleasant young woman,” said Bingley.
”Oh! dear, yes;--but you must own she is very plain. Lady Lucas herselfhas often said so, and envied me Jane's beauty. I do not like to boastof my own child, but to be sure, Jane--one does not often see any bodybetter looking. It is what every body says. I do not trust my ownpartiality. When she was only fifteen, there was a gentleman at mybrother Gardiner's in town, so much in love with her, that mysister-in-law was sure he would make her an offer before we came away.But however he did not. Perhaps he thought her too young. However, hewrote some verses on her, and very pretty they were.”
”And so ended his affection,” said Elizabeth impatiently. ”There hasbeen many a one, I fancy, overcome in the same way. I wonder who firstdiscovered the efficacy of poetry in driving away love!”
”I have been used to consider poetry as the _food_ of love,” said Darcy.
”Of a fine, stout, healthy love it may. Every thing nourishes what isstrong already. But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, Iam convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away.”
Darcy only smiled; and the general pause which ensued made Elizabethtremble lest her mother should be exposing herself again. She longed tospeak, but could think of nothing to say; and after a short silence Mrs.Bennet began repeating her thanks to Mr. Bingley for his kindness toJane, with an apology for troubling him also with Lizzy. Mr. Bingley wasunaffectedly civil in his answer, and forced his younger sister to becivil also, and say what the occasion required. She performed her partindeed without much graciousness, but Mrs. Bennet was satisfied, andsoon afterwards ordered her carriage. Upon this signal, the youngest ofher daughters put herself forward. The two girls had been whispering toeach other during the whole visit, and the result of it was, that theyoungest should tax Mr. Bingley with having promised on his first cominginto the country to give a ball at Netherfield.
Lydia was a stout, well-grown girl of fifteen, with a fine complexionand good-humoured countenance; a favourite with her mother, whoseaffection had brought her into public at an early age. She had highanimal spirits, and a sort of natural self-consequence, which theattentions of the officers, to whom her uncle's good dinners and her owneasy manners recommended her, had increased into assurance. She was veryequal therefore to address Mr. Bingley on the subject of the ball, andabruptly reminded him of his promise; adding, that it would be the mostshameful thing in the world if he did not keep it. His answer to thissudden attack was delightful to their mother's ear.
”I am perfectly ready, I assure you, to keep my engagement; and whenyour sister is recovered, you shall if you please name the very day ofthe ball. But you would not wish to be dancing while she is ill.”
Lydia declared herself satisfied. ”Oh! yes--it would be much better towait till Jane was well, and by that time most likely Captain Carterwould be at Meryton again. And when you have given _your_ ball,” sheadded, ”I shall insist on their giving one also. I shall tell ColonelForster it will be quite a shame if he does not.”
Mrs. Bennet and her daughters then departed, and Elizabeth returnedinstantly to Jane, leaving her own and her relations' behaviour to theremarks of the two ladies and Mr. Darcy; the latter of whom, however,could not be prevailed on to join in their censure of _her_, in spite ofall Miss Bingley's witticisms on _fine eyes_.