Pride and Prejudice / Гордость и предубеждение. Джейн Остин

observed Elizabeth, “you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished woman.”

      “Yes, I do comprehend a great deal in it.”

      “Oh! certainly,” cried his faithful assistant. “A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something[47] in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice and her expressions.”

      “All this she must possess,” added Darcy, “and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.”

      “I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any.”

      “Are you so severe upon your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all this?”

      “I never saw such a woman. I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe, united.”

      Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley both cried out against the injustice of her implied doubt, and were both protesting that they knew many women who answered this description, when Mr. Hurst called them to order, with bitter complaints of their inattention to the game. As all conversation was thereby at an end, Elizabeth soon afterwards left the room.

      “Elizabeth Bennet,” said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed on her, “is one of those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing their own; and with many men, I dare say, it succeeds. But, in my opinion, it is a very mean art.”

      “Undoubtedly,” replied Darcy, to whom this remark was chiefly addressed, “there is a meanness in all the arts which ladies sometimes use for captivation. Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable.”[48]

      Miss Bingley was not so entirely satisfied with this reply as to continue the subject[49].

      Elizabeth joined them again only to say that her sister was worse, and that she could not leave her. Bingley insisted that Mr. Jones should be sent for immediately; while his sisters, convinced that no country advice could be of any service, recommended an express to town for one of the most eminent physicians. Then it was settled that Mr. Jones should be sent for early in the morning, if Miss Bennet were not decidedly better. Bingley was quite uncomfortable; his sisters declared that they were miserable. They solaced their misery, however, by duets after supper, while he could find no better relief to his feelings than by giving his housekeeper directions that every attention might be paid to the sick lady and her sister.

      Chapter 9

      Elizabeth passed the night in her sister's room, and in the morning had the pleasure of being able to send a tolerable answer to the inquiries which she very early received from Mr. Bingley by a housemaid. In spite of this, however, she requested to have a note sent to Longbourn, desiring her mother to visit Jane, and form her own judgement of her situation. The note was immediately sent, and Mrs. Bennet, accompanied by her two youngest girls, reached Netherfield soon after the family breakfast.

      If she had found Jane in any apparent danger, Mrs. Bennet would have been very miserable; but as her illness was not alarming, she had no wish of her recovering immediately, as her restoration to health would probably remove her from Netherfield. She did not want to listen, therefore, to her daughter's proposal of being carried home. Neither did the apothecary, who arrived about the same time, think it at all advisable. Soon the mother and three daughters were invited by Miss Bingley into the breakfast parlour. Mr. Bingley met them with hopes that Mrs. Bennet had not found Miss Bennet worse than she expected.

      “Indeed I have, sir,” was her answer. “She is too ill to be moved. Mr. Jones says we must not think of moving her. We must trespass a little longer on your kindness.”[50]

      “Removed!” cried Bingley. “It must not be thought of. My sister, I am sure, will not hear of her removal.”

      “You may depend upon it, Madam,” said Miss Bingley, with cold politeness, “that Miss Bennet will receive every possible attention while she remains with us.”

      “I am sure,” Mrs. Bennet said, “if it was not for such good friends I do not know what would become of her, for she is very ill indeed, and suffers a vast deal, though with the greatest patience in the world, for she has the sweetest temper I have 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 prospect over the gravel walk. I do not know a place in the country that is equal to Netherfield. You will not think of quitting it in a hurry, I hope, though you have a short lease.”

      “Whatever I do is done in a hurry,” replied he; “and therefore if I resolve to quit Netherfield, I would probably be off in five minutes. At present, however, I consider myself as quite fixed here.”

      “That is exactly what I 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 seen through I am afraid is pitiful.”

      “That is as it happens. It does not mean that a deep, complicated character is more or less admirable than such a one as yours.”

      “I did not know before,” said Bingley immediately, “that you were a studier of character. It must be an amusing study.”

      “Yes, but complicated characters are the most amusing. They have at least that advantage.”

      “The country,” said Darcy, “can in general supply not many subjects for such a study. In a country neighbourhood you move in a very confined and unvarying society.”

      “But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them all the time.”

      “Yes, indeed,” cried Mrs. Bennet, offended by his manner of mentioning a country neighbourhood. “I cannot see that London has any great advantage over the country, for my part, except the shops and public places. The country is a vast deal pleasanter, is it not, Mr. Bingley?”

      “When I am in the country,” he replied, “I never wish to leave it; and when I am in town it is pretty much the same. They have each their advantages, and I can be equally happy in either.”

      “That is because you have the right disposition. But that gentleman,” looking at Darcy, “seemed to think the country was nothing at all.”

      “Indeed, Mamma, you are mistaken,” said Elizabeth, blushing for her mother. “You quite mistook Mr. Darcy. He only meant that there was not such a variety of people to be met with in the country as in the town, which you must acknowledge to be true.”

      “Certainly, my dear, nobody said there were; but as to not meeting with many people in this neighbourhood, I believe there are few neighbourhoods larger. I know we dine with four-and-twenty families.”

      Nothing but concern for Elizabeth could enable Bingley to keep his countenance[51]. His sister was less delicate, and directed her eyes towards Mr. Darcy with a very expressive smile. Elizabeth, for the sake of saying something that might turn her mother's thoughts[52], now asked her if Charlotte Lucas had been at Longbourn since her coming away.

      “Yes, she called yesterday with her father. What an agreeable man Sir William is, Mr. Bingley, is not he? So much the man of fashion! So polite and easy! He had always something to say to everybody. That is my idea of good breeding; and those persons who fancy themselves very important, and never open their mouths, quite mistake the matter.”

      “Did Charlotte dine with you?”

      “No, she went

47

Нечто особенное

48

Всё, что имеет сродство с хитростью, достойно презрения.

49

чтобы продолжить эту тему

50

Придётся нам ещё некоторое время злоупотреблять вашей любезностью.

51

(зд.) удержаться от смеха

52

повернуть мысли матери в иное русло