Pride and Prejudice / Гордость и предубеждение. Джейн Остин

to be in town the following day, and, consequently, unable to accept the honour of their invitation, etc. Mrs. Bennet was quite upset. She could not imagine what business he could have in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire; and she began to fear that he might be always flying about from one place to another, and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be. Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little saying that he had gone to London only to get a large party for the ball; and a report soon followed that Mr. Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly. The girls grieved over such a number of ladies, but were comforted the day before the ball by hearing, that instead of twelve he brought only six with him from London – his five sisters and a cousin. And when the party entered the assembly room it consisted of only five altogether – Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man.

      Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had easy manners. His sisters were fine women. His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble appearance, and five minutes after his entrance it was known that he had ten thousand a year. He was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening. Then he was discovered to be proud; to be above his company[11]; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from being unworthy to be compared with his friend.

      Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room; he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, and was angry that the ball closed so early. Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves. What a contrast between him and his friend! Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, didn't want to be introduced to any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party. His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never come there again.

      Elizabeth Bennet had been obliged, by the lack of gentlemen, to sit down for two dances; and during part of that time, Mr. Darcy had been standing near enough for her to hear a conversation between him and Mr. Bingley, who came from the dance for a few minutes, to press his friend to join it.

      “Come, Darcy,” said he, “I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. Please dance.”

      “I certainly will not. You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with.”

      “I would not be so fastidious as you are,” cried Mr. Bingley. “I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening; and there are several of them you see uncommonly pretty.”

      “You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room,” said Mr. Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.

      “Oh! She is the most beautiful creature I ever seen! But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty, and I dare say very agreeable. Let me ask my partner to introduce you.”

      “Which do you mean?” and turning round he looked for a moment at Elizabeth. Then he coldly said: “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me. 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[12] among her friends; for she had a lively, playful disposition.

      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. He wanted to know of the events of an evening which had raised such splendid expectations.

      “Oh! my dear Mr. Bennet,” as she entered the room, “we have had a very delightful evening, a very 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! 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! Then he danced with Miss King, and then with Maria Lucas, and then with Jane again, and then with Lizzy, and —”

      “If he had had any compassion for me,” cried her husband impatiently, “he would not have danced so much! For God's sake,[13] say no more of his partners.”

      “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. Mrs. Hurst's gown —”

      Here she was interrupted again. Mr. Bennet protested against any description of finery. So she related, with 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. He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great! Not handsome enough to dance with! I quite detest the man.”

      Chapter 4

      When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, Jane expressed to her sister 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!”

      “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? Well, he certainly is very agreeable, and I allow you to like him. You have liked many stupider men.”

      “Dear Lizzy!”

      “Oh! You never see a fault in anybody. All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in your life.”

      “I would not wish to be hasty in censuring anyone; but I always speak what I think.”

      “I know you do; and it is that which makes the wonder. With your good sense, to be so honestly blind to the follies and nonsense of others! To take the good of everybody's character and make it still better, and say nothing of the bad – belongs to you alone. And so you like this man's sisters, too, do you? Their manners are not equal to his.”

      “Certainly not – at first. But they are very pleasing women when you converse with them. Miss Bingley is going to live with her brother, and keep his house; and I am much mistaken if we will not find a very charming neighbour in her.”

      Elizabeth listened in silence, but was not convinced; their behaviour at the assembly had not been calculated to please in general; and with more quickness of observation and less softness of temper than her sister, and with a judgement unaffected by any attention to herself, she was very little disposed to approve them. They were in fact very fine ladies; not lacking in good humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of making themselves agreeable when they chose it, but proud and arrogant. They were rather handsome, had been educated

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