"butuponmyhonouridonot.idoassureyouthatmyintimacyhasnotyettaughtmethat.teazecalmnessoftemperandpresenceofmind!no,no—ifeelhemaydefyusthere.andastolaughter,wewillnotexposeourselves,ifyouplease,byattemptingtolaughwithoutasubject.mr.darcymayhughimself."

"mr.darcyisnottobelaughedat!"criedelizabeth."thatisanuncommonadvantage,anduncommonihopeitwillcontinue,foritwouldbeagreatlosstometohavemanysuchacquaintance.idearlylovealaugh."

"missbingley,"saidhe,"hasgivenmecreditformorethancanbe.thewisestandthebestofmen,nay,thewisestandbestoftheiractions,mayberenderedridiculousbyapersonwhosefirstobjectinlifeisajoke."

"certainly,"repliedelizabeth—"therearesuchpeople,butihopeiamnotoneofthem.ihopeineverridiculewhatiswiseorgood.folliesandnonsense,whimsandinconsistenciesdopertme,iown,andilaughatthemwheneverican.—butthese,isuppose,arepreciselywhatyouarewithout."

"perhapsthatisnotpossibleforanyone.butithasbeenthestudyofmylifetoavoidthoseweaknesseswhichoftenexposeastrongunderstandingtoridicule."

"suchasvanityandpride."

"yes,vanityisaweaknessindeed.butpride—wherethereisarealsuperiorityofmind,pridewillbealwaysundergoodregulation."

elizabethturnedawaytohideasmile.

"yourexaminationofmr.darcyisover,ipresume,"saidmissbingley;—"andpraywhatistheresult?"

"iamperfectlyconvincedbyitthatmr.darcyhasnodefect.heownsithimselfwithoutdisguise."

"no"—saiddarcy,"ihavemadenosuchpretension.ihavefaultsenough,buttheyarenot,ihope,ofunderstanding.mytemperidarenotvouchfor.—itisibelievetoolittleyielding—certainlytoolittlefortheconvenienceoftheworld.icannotforgetthefolliesandvicesofotherssosoonasiought,northeiroffencesagainstmyself.myfeelingsarenotpuffedaboutwitheveryattempttomovethem.mytemperwouldperhapsbecalledresentful.—mygoodopiniononcelostislostforever."

"thatisafailingindeed!"—criedelizabeth."implacableresentmentisashadeinacharacter.butyouhavechosenyourfaultwell.—ireallycannotlaughatit;youaresafefromme."

"thereis,ibelieve,ineverydispositionatendencytosomeparticularevil,anaturaldefect,whichnoteventhebesteducationcanovercome."

"andyourdefectisapropensitytohateeverybody."

"andyours,"herepliedwithasmile,"iswilfullytomisunderstandthem."

"doletushavealittlemusic,"—criedmissbingley,tiredofaconversationinwhichshehadnoshare.—"louisa,youwillnotmindmywakingmr.hurst."hersistermadenotthesmallestobjection,andthepiano-fortewasopened,anddarcy,afterafewmomentsrecollection,wasnotsorryforit.hebegantofeelthedangerofpayingelizabethtoomuchattention.