tillelizabethenteredthedrawing-roomatnetherfieldandlookedinvainformr.wickhamamongtheclusterofredcoatsthereassembled,adoubtofhisbeingpresenthadneveroccurredtoher.thecertaintyofmeetinghimhadnotbeencheckedbyanyofthoserecollectionsthatmightnotunreasonablyhavealarmedher.shehaddressedwithmorethanusualcare,andpreparedinthehighestspiritsfortheconquestofallthatremainedunsubduedofhisheart,trustingthatitwasnotmorethanmightbewoninthecourseoftheevening.butinaninstantarosethedreadfulsuspicionofhisbeingpurposelyomittedformr.darcy'spleasureinthebingleys'invitationtotheofficers;andthoughthiswasnotexactlythecase,theabsolutefactofhisabsencewaspronouncedbyhisfriendmr.denny,towhomlydiaeagerlyapplied,andwhotoldthemthatwickhamhadbeenobligedtogototownonbusinessthedaybefore,andwasnotyetreturned;adding,withasignificantsmile,"idonotimaginehisbusinesswouldhavecalledhimawayjustnow,ifhehadnotwishedtoavoidacertaingentlemanhere."

thispartofhisintelligence,thoughunheardbylydia,wascaughtbyelizabeth,andasitassuredherthatdarcywasnotlessanswerableforwickham'sabsencethanifherfirstsurmisehadbeenjust,everyfeelingofdispleasureagainsttheformerwassosharpenedbyimmediatedisappointment,thatshecouldhardlyreplywithtolerablecivilitytothepoliteinquirieswhichhedirectlyafterwardsapproachedtomake.—attention,forbearance,patiencewithdarcy,wasinjurytowickham.shewasresolvedagainstanysortofconversationwithhim,andturnedawaywithadegreeofillhumour,whichshecouldnotwhollysurmounteveninspeakingtomr.bingley,whoseblindpartialityprovokedher.

butelizabethwasnotformedforill-humour;andthougheveryprospectofherownwasdestroyedfortheevening,itcouldnotdwelllongonherspirits;andhavingtoldallhergriefstocharlottelucas,whomshehadnotseenforaweek,shewassoonabletomakeavoluntarytransitiontotheodditiesofhercousin,andtopointhimouttoherparticularnotice.thetwofirstdances,however,broughtareturnofdistress;theyweredancesofmortification.mr.collins,awkwardandsolemn,apologisinginsteadofattending,andoftenmovingwrongwithoutbeingawareofit,gaveheralltheshameandmiserywhichadisagreeablepartnerforacoupleofdancescangive.themomentofherreleasefromhimwasecstacy.

shedancednextwithanofficer,andhadtherefreshmentoftalkingofwickham,andofhearingthathewasuniversallyliked.whenthosedanceswereovershereturnedtocharlottelucas,andwasinconversationwithher,whenshefoundherselfsuddenlyaddressedbymr.darcy,whotookhersomuchbysurpriseinhisapplicationforherhand,that,withoutknowingwhatshedid,sheacceptedhim.hewalkedawayagainimmediately,andshewaslefttofretoverherownwantofpresenceofmind;charlottetriedtoconsoleher.

"idaresayyouwillfindhimveryagreeable."

"heavenforbid!—thatwouldbethegreatestmisfortuneofall!—tofindamanagreeablewhomoneisdeterminedtohate!—donotwishmesuchanevil."

whenthedancingrecommenced,however,anddarcyapproachedtoclaimherhand,charlottecouldnothelpcautioningher,inawhisper,nottobeasimpleton,andallowherfancyforwickhamtomakeherappearunpleasantintheeyesofamanoftentimeshisconsequence.elizabethmadenoanswer,andtookherplaceintheset,amazedatthedignitytowhichshewasarrivedinbeingallowedtostandoppositetomr.darcy,andreadinginherneighbours'lookstheirequalamazementinbeholdingit.theystoodforsometimewithoutspeakingaword;andshebegantoimaginethattheirsilencewastolastthroughthetwodances,andatfirstwasresolvednottobreakit;tillsuddenlyfancyingthatitwouldbethegreaterpunishmenttoherpartnertoobligehimtotalk,shemadesomeslightobservationonthedance.hereplied,andwasagainsilent.afterapauseofsomeminutes,sheaddressedhimasecondtimewith:

"itisyourturntosaysomethingnow,mr.darcy.—italkedaboutthedance,andyououghttomakesomekindofremarkonthesizeoftheroom,orthenumberofcouples."

hesmiled,andassuredherthatwhatevershewishedhimtosayshouldbesaid.

"verywell.—thatreplywilldoforthepresent.—perhapsbyandbyimayobservethatprivateballsaremuchpleasanterthanpublicones.—butnowwemaybesilent."

"doyoutalkbyrulethen,whileyouaredancing?"

"sometimes.onemustspeakalittle,youknow.itwouldlookoddtobeentirelysilentforhalfanhourtogether,andyetfortheadvantageofsome,conversationoughttobesoarrangedasthattheymayhavethetroubleofsayingaslittleasaspossible."

"areyouconsultingyourownfeelingsinthepresentcase,ordoyouimaginethatyouaregratifyingmine?"

"both,"repliedelizabetharchly;"forihavealwaysseenagreatsimilarityintheturnofourminds.—weareeachofanunsocial,taciturndisposition,unwillingtospeak,unlessweexpecttosaysomethingthatwillamazethewholeroom,andbehandeddowntoposteritywithalltheeclatofaproverb."

"thisisnoverystrikingresemblanceofyourowncharacter,iamsure,"saidhe."hownearitmaybetomine,icannotpretendtosay.—youthinkitafaithfulportraitundoubtedly."

"imustnotdecideonmyownperformance."

hemadenoanswer,andtheywereagainsilenttilltheyhadgonedownthedance,whenheaskedherifsheandhersistersdidnotveryoftenwalktomeryton.sheansweredintheaffirmative,and,unabletoresistthetemptation,added,"whenyoumetustheretheotherday,wehadjustbeenforminganewacquaintance."

theeffectwasimmediate.adeepershadeofhauteuroverspreadhisfeatures,buthesaidnotaword,andelizabeth,thoughblamingherselfforherownweakness,couldnotgoon.atlengthdarcyspoke,andinaconstrainedmannersaid,

"mr.wickhamisblessedwithsuchhappymannersasmayensurehismakingfriends—whetherhemaybeequallycapableofretainingthem,islesscertain."

"hehasbeensounluckyastoloseyourfriendship,"repliedelizabethwithemphasis,"andinamannerwhichheislikelytosufferfromallhislife."

darcymadenoanswer,andseemeddesirousofchangingthesubject.atthatmomentsirwilliamlucasappearedclosetothem,meaningtopassthroughthesettotheothersideoftheroom;butonperceivingmr.darcyhestoptwithabowofsuperiorcourtesy,tocomplimenthimonhisdancingandhispartner.

"ihavebeenmosthighlygratifiedindeed,mydearsir.suchverysuperiordancingisnotoftenseen.itisevidentthatyoubelongtothefirstcircles.allowmetosay,however,thatyourfairpartnerdoesnotdisgraceyou,andthatimusthopetohavethispleasureoftenrepeated,especiallywhenacertaindesirableevent,mydearmisseliza(glancingathersisterandbingley),shalltakeplace.whatcongratulationswillthenflowin!iappealtomr.darcy:—butletmenotinterruptyou,sir.—youwillnotthankmefordetainingyoufromthebewitchingconverseofthatyounglady,whosebrighteyesarealsoupbraidingme."

thelatterpartofthisaddresswasscarcely,heardbydarcy;butsirwilliam'sallusiontohisfriendseemedtostrikehimforcibly,andhiseyesweredirectedwithaveryseriousexpressiontowardsbingleyandjane,whoweredancingtogether.recoveringhimself,however,shortly,heturnedtohispartner,andsaid,"sirwilliam'sinterruptionhasmademeforgetwhatweweretalkingof."

"idonotthinkwewerespeakingatall.sirwilliamcouldnothaveinterruptedanytwopeopleintheroomwhohadlesstosayforthemselves.—wehavetriedtwoorthreesubjectsalreadywithoutsuccess,andwhatwearetotalkofnexticannotimagine."

"whatthinkyouofbooks?"saidhe,smiling.

"books—oh!—no.—iamsureweneverreadthesame,ornotwiththesamefeelings."

"iamsorryyouthinkso;butifthatbethecase,therecanatleastbenowantofsubject.—wemaycompareourdifferentopinions."

"no—icannottalkofbooksinaball-room;myheadisalwaysfullofsomethingelse."

"thepresentalwaysoccupiesyouinsuchscenes—doesit?"saidhe,withalookofdoubt.

"yes,always,"shereplied,withoutknowingwhatshesaid,forherthoughtshadwanderedfarfromthesubject,assoonafterwardsappearedbyhersuddenlyexclaiming,

"irememberhearingyouoncesay,mr.darcy,thatyouhardlyeverforgave,thatyourresentmentoncecreatedwasunappeasable.youareverycautious,isuppose,astoitsbeingcreated."

"iam,"saidhe,withafirmvoice.

"andneverallowyourselftobeblindedbyprejudice?"

"ihopenot."

"itisparticularlyincumbentonthosewhoneverchangetheiropinion,tobesecureofjudgingproperlyatfirst."

"mayiasktowhatthesequestionstend?"

"merelytotheillustrationofyourcharacter,"saidshe,endeavouringtoshakeoffhergravity."iamtryingtomakeitout."