theladiesoflongbournsoonwaitedonthoseofnetherfield.thevisitwasreturnedindueform.missbennet'spleasingmannersgrewonthegoodwillofmrs.hurstandmissbingley;andthoughthemotherwasfoundtobeintolerableandtheyoungersistersnotworthspeakingto,awishofbeingbetteracquaintedwiththemwasexpressedtowardsthetwoeldest.byjanethisattentionwasreceivedwiththegreatestpleasure;butelizabethstillsawsuperciliousnessintheirtreatmentofeverybody,hardlyexceptingevenhersister,andcouldnotlikethem;thoughtheirkindnesstojane,suchasitwas,hadavalue,asarisinginallprobabilityfromtheinfluenceoftheirbrother'sadmiration.itwasgenerallyevidentwhenevertheymet,thathedidadmireher;andtoheritwasequallyevidentthatjanewasyieldingtothepreferencewhichshehadbeguntoentertainforhimfromthefirst,andwasinawaytobeverymuchinlove;butsheconsideredwithpleasurethatitwasnotlikelytobediscoveredbytheworldingeneral,sincejaneunitedwithgreatstrengthoffeelingacomposureoftemperandauniformcheerfulnessofmanner,whichwouldguardherfromthesuspicionsoftheimpertinent.shementionedthistoherfriendmisslucas.

"itmayperhapsbepleasant,"repliedcharlotte,"tobeabletoimposeonthepublicinsuchacase;butitissometimesadisadvantagetobesoveryguarded.ifawomanconcealsheraffectionwiththesameskillfromtheobjectofit,shemaylosetheopportunityoffixinghim;anditwillthenbebutpoorconsolationtobelievetheworldequallyinthedark.thereissomuchofgratitudeorvanityinalmosteveryattachment,thatitisnotsafetoleaveanytoitself.wecanallbeginfreely—aslightpreferenceisnaturalenough;butthereareveryfewofuswhohaveheartenoughtobereallyinlovewithoutencouragement.inninecasesoutoften,awomanhadbettershewmoreaffectionthanshefeels.bingleylikesyoursisterundoubtedly;buthemayneverdomorethanlikeher,ifshedoesnothelphimon."

"butshedoeshelphimon,asmuchashernaturewillallow.ificanperceiveherregardforhim,hemustbeasimpletonindeednottodiscoverittoo."

"remember,eliza,thathedoesnotknowjane'sdispositionasyoudo."

"butifawomanispartialtoaman,anddoesnotendeavourtoconcealit,hemustfinditout."

"perhapshemust,ifheseesenoughofher.butthoughbingleyandjanemeettolerablyoften,itisneverformanyhourstogether;andastheyalwaysseeeachotherinlargemixedparties,itisimpossiblethateverymomentshouldbeemployedinconversingtogether.janeshouldthereforemakethemostofeveryhalfhourinwhichshecancommandhisattention.whensheissecureofhim,therewillbeleisureforfallinginloveasmuchasshechuses."

"yourplanisagoodone,"repliedelizabeth,"wherenothingisinquestionbutthedesireofbeingwellmarried;andifiweredeterminedtogetarichhusband,oranyhusband,idaresayishouldadoptit.butthesearenotjane'sfeelings;sheisnotactingbydesign.asyet,shecannotevenbecertainofthedegreeofherownregard,norofitsreasonableness.shehasknownhimonlyafortnight.shedancedfourdanceswithhimatmeryton;shesawhimonemorningathisownhouse,andhassincedinedincompanywithhimfourtimes.thisisnotquiteenoughtomakeherunderstandhischaracter."

"notasyourepresentit.hadshemerelydinedwithhim,shemightonlyhavediscoveredwhetherhehadagoodappetite;butyoumustrememberthatfoureveningshavebeenalsospenttogether—andfoureveningsmaydoagreatdeal."

"yes;thesefoureveningshaveenabledthemtoascertainthattheybothlikevingtunbetterthancommerce;butwithrespecttoanyotherleadingcharacteristic,idonotimaginethatmuchhasbeenunfolded."

"well,"saidcharlotte,"iwishjanesuccesswithallmyheart;andifsheweremarriedtohimtomorrow,ishouldthinkshehadasgoodachanceofhappinessasifsheweretobestudyinghischaracterforatwelvemonth.happinessinmarriageisentirelyamatterofchance.ifthedispositionsofthepartiesareeversowellknowntoeachother,oreversosimilarbefore-hand,itdoesnotadvancetheirfelicityintheleast.theyalwayscontrivetogrowsufficientlyunlikeafterwardstohavetheirshareofvexation;anditisbettertoknowaslittleaspossibleofthedefectsofthepersonwithwhomyouaretopassyourlife."

"youmakemelaugh,charlotte;butitisnotsound.youknowitisnotsound,andthatyouwouldneveractinthiswayyourself."

occupiedinobservingmr.bingley'sattentionstohersister,elizabethwasfarfromsuspectingthatshewasherselfbecominganobjectofsomeinterestintheeyesofhisfriend.mr.darcyhadatfirstscarcelyallowedhertobepretty;hehadlookedatherwithoutadmirationattheball;andwhentheynextmet,helookedatheronlytocriticise.butnosoonerhadhemadeitcleartohimselfandhisfriendsthatshehadhardlyagoodfeatureinherface,thanhebegantofinditwasrendereduncommonlyintelligentbythebeautifulexpressionofherdarkeyes.tothisdiscoverysucceededsomeothersequallymortifying.thoughhehaddetectedwithacriticaleyemorethanonefailureofperfectsymmetryinherform,hewasforcedtoacknowledgeherfiguretobelightandpleasing;andinspiteofhisassertingthathermannerswerenotthoseofthefashionableworld,hewascaughtbytheireasyplayfulness.ofthisshewasperfectlyunaware;—toherhewasonlythemanwhomadehimselfagreeablenowhere,andwhohadnotthoughtherhandsomeenoughtodancewith.

hebegantowishtoknowmoreofher,andasasteptowardsconversingwithherhimself,attendedtoherconversationwithothers.hisdoingsodrewhernotice.itwasatsirwilliamlucas's,wherealargepartywereassembled."whatdoesmr.darcymean,"saidshetocharlotte,"bylisteningtomyconversationwithcolonelforster?"

"thatisaquestionwhichmr.darcyonlycananswer."

"butifhedoesitanymore,ishallcertainlylethimknowthatiseewhatheisabout.hehasaverysatiricaleye,andifidonotbeginbybeingimpertinentmyself,ishallsoongrowafraidofhim."

onhisapproachingthemsoonafterwards,thoughwithoutseemingtohaveanyintentionofspeaking,misslucasdefiedherfriendtomentionsuchasubjecttohim,whichimmediatelyprovokingelizabethtodoit,sheturnedtohimandsaid,

"didnotyouthink,mr.darcy,thatiexpressedmyselfuncommonlywelljustnow,wheniwasteazingcolonelforstertogiveusaballatmeryton?"

"withgreatenergy;—butitisasubjectwhichalwaysmakesaladyenergetic."

"youaresevereonus."

"itwillbeherturnsoontobeteazed,"saidmisslucas."iamgoingtoopentheinstrument,eliza,andyouknowwhatfollows."

"youareaverystrangecreaturebywayofafriend!—alwayswantingmetoplayandsingbeforeanybodyandeverybody!—ifmyvanityhadtakenamusicalturn,youwouldhavebeeninvaluable,butasitis,iwouldreallyrathernotsitdownbeforethosewhomustbeinthehabitofhearingtheverybestperformers."onmisslucas'spersevering,however,sheadded,"verywell;ifitmustbeso,itmust."andgravelyglancingatmr.darcy,"thereisafineoldsaying,whicheverybodyhereisofcoursefamiliarwith—'keepyourbreathtocoolyourporridge,'—andishallkeepminetoswellmysong."

herperformancewaspleasing,thoughbynomeanscapital.afterasongortwo,andbeforeshecouldreplytotheentreatiesofseveralthatshewouldsingagain,shewaseagerlysucceededattheinstrumentbyhersistermary,whohaving,inconsequenceofbeingtheonlyplainoneinthefamily,workedhardforknowledgeandaccomplishments,wasalwaysimpatientfordisplay.

maryhadneithergeniusnortaste;andthoughvanityhadgivenherapplication,ithadgivenherlikewiseapedanticairandconceitedmanner,whichwouldhaveinjuredahigherdegreeofexcellencethanshehadreached.elizabeth,easyandunaffected,hadbeenlistenedtowithmuchmorepleasure,thoughnotplayinghalfsowell;andmary,attheendofalongconcerto,wasgladtopurchasepraiseandgratitudebyscotchandirishairs,attherequestofheryoungersisters,who,withsomeofthelucasesandtwoorthreeofficers,joinedeagerlyindancingatoneendoftheroom.

mr.darcystoodneartheminsilentindignationatsuchamodeofpassingtheevening,totheexclusionofallconversation,andwastoomuchengrossedbyhisownthoughtstoperceivethatsirwilliamlucaswashisneighbour,tillsirwilliamthusbegan.

"whatacharmingamusementforyoungpeoplethisis,mr.darcy!—thereisnothinglikedancingafterall.—iconsideritasoneofthefirstrefinementsofpolishedsocieties."

"certainly,sir;—andithastheadvantagealsoofbeinginvogueamongstthelesspolishedsocietiesoftheworld.—everysavagecandance."

sirwilliamonlysmiled."yourfriendperformsdelightfully;"hecontinuedafterapause,onseeingbingleyjointhegroup;—"andidoubtnotthatyouareanadeptinthescienceyourself,mr.darcy."