Pride and Prejudice / Гордость и предубеждение. Джейн Остин

you must not have it taken, for what painter could do justice to those beautiful eyes?”

      “It would not be easy, indeed, to catch their expression, but their colour and shape, and the eyelashes, so remarkably fine, might be copied.”

      At that moment they were met from another walk by Mrs. Hurst and Elizabeth herself.

      “I did not know that you intended to walk,” said Miss Bingley, in some confusion.

      “You ran away without telling us that you were coming out,” answered Mrs. Hurst.

      Then taking the disengaged arm of Mr. Darcy, she left Elizabeth to walk by herself. The path just admitted three. Mr. Darcy felt their rudeness, and immediately said:

      “This walk is not wide enough for our party. We had better go into the avenue.”

      But Elizabeth, who had not the least inclination to remain with them, laughingly answered:

      “No, no; stay where you are. You are charmingly grouped. The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth. Good-bye.”

      She then ran gaily off.

      Chapter 11

      When the ladies removed after dinner, Elizabeth ran up to her sister, and seeing her well guarded from cold, attended her into the drawing-room, where she was welcomed by her two friends with pleasure; and Elizabeth had never seen them so agreeable as they were during the hour which passed before the gentlemen appeared.

      But when the gentlemen entered, Jane was no longer the first object; Miss Bingley's eyes were instantly turned toward Darcy. He addressed himself to Miss Bennet, with a polite congratulation; Mr. Hurst also made her a slight bow, and said he was “very glad.” Bingley was full of joy and attention. She removed at his desire to the other side of the fireplace, that she might be further from the door. He then sat down by her, and talked scarcely to anyone else. Elizabeth, at work in the opposite corner, saw it all with great delight.

      When tea was over, Mr. Hurst stretched himself on one of the sofas and went to sleep. Darcy took up a book; Miss Bingley did the same; and Mrs. Hurst, principally occupied in playing with her bracelets and rings, joined now and then in her brother's conversation with Miss Bennet.

      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 was perpetually either making some inquiry, or looking at his page. She could not win him, however, to any conversation; he merely answered her question, and read on. At length, quite exhausted by the attempt to be amused with her own book, which she had only chosen because it was the second volume of his, she gave a great yawn and said, “How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I will be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”

      No one made any reply. She then yawned again, threw aside her book, and cast her eyes round the room in quest for some amusement. She got up and walked about the room. Her figure was elegant, and she walked well; but Darcy, at whom it was all aimed, was still inflexibly studious. In the desperation of her feelings, she resolved on one effort more, and, turning to Elizabeth, said:

      “Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my example, and take a turn about the room. I assure you it is very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude.”

      Elizabeth was surprised, but agreed to it immediately. Miss Bingley succeeded in the real object of her politeness; Mr. Darcy looked up, and unconsciously closed his book. He was directly invited to join their party, but he declined it, observing that he could imagine but two motives for their choosing to walk up and down the room together, with either of which motives his joining them would interfere. “What could he mean? She was dying to know what could be his meaning?” – and asked Elizabeth whether she could at all understand him?

      “Not at all,” was her answer; “but he means to be severe on us, and our surest way of disappointing him will be to ask nothing about it.”

      Miss Bingley, however, was incapable of disappointing Mr. Darcy in anything, and persevered therefore in requiring an explanation of his two motives.

      “I have not the smallest objection to explaining them,” said he, as soon as she allowed him to speak. “You either choose this method of passing the evening because you have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking; if the first, I would be completely in your way, and if the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire.”

      “Oh! Shocking!” cried Miss Bingley. “I never heard anything so offensive. How shall we punish him for such a speech?”

      “Nothing so easy, if you have but the inclination,” said Elizabeth. “We can all punish one another. Tease him – laugh at him. Intimate as you are, you must know how it is to be done.”

      “But upon my honour,[61] I do not. I assure you that my intimacy has not yet taught me that. Tease calmness of manner and presence of mind! No, no. And as to laughter, we will not expose ourselves, if you please, by attempting to laugh without a subject.”

      “Mr. Darcy is not to be laughed at!” cried Elizabeth. “That is an uncommon advantage, and uncommon I hope it will continue, for it would be a great loss to me to have many such acquaintances. I dearly love a laugh.”

      “Miss Bingley,” said he, “has given me more credit than can be. The wisest and the best of men – no, the wisest and best of their actions – may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke.”

      “Certainly,” replied Elizabeth —”there are such people, but I hope I am not one of them. I hope I never ridicule what is wise and good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies, do divert me, I admit, and I laugh at them whenever I can. But these, I suppose, are precisely what you are without.”

      “Perhaps that is not possible for anyone. But it has been the study of my life to avoid those weaknesses which often expose a strong understanding to ridicule.”

      “Such as vanity and pride.”

      “Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride – where there is a real superiority 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 Miss Bingley; “and pray what is the result?”

      “I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect. He admits it himself 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 vouch for. I cannot forget the follies and vices of others so soon as I ought, nor their offenses against myself. My temper would perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost, is lost forever.”

      “That is a failing indeed!” cried Elizabeth. “Cruel resentment is a shade in a character. But you have chosen your fault well. I really cannot laugh at it. You are safe from me.”

      “There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil – a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.”

      “And your defect is to hate everybody.”

      “And yours,” he replied with a smile, “is willfully to misunderstand them.”

      “Let us have a little music,” cried Miss Bingley, tired of a conversation in which she had no share. “Louisa, you will not mind my waking Mr. Hurst?”

      Her sister had not the smallest objection, and the pianoforte was opened; and Darcy was not sorry for it. He began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention.

      Chapter 12

      The next morning Elizabeth wrote to their mother, to beg that the carriage might be sent for them

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