CHAPTER LIV.

1AS soon as they were gone, Elizabeth walked out to recover her spirits; or, in other words, to dwell without interruption on those subjects which must deaden them more. 2Mr. Darcy’s behaviour astonished and vexed her.

3“Why, if he came only to be silent, grave, and indifferent,” said she, “did he come at all?”

4She could settle it in no way that gave her pleasure.

5“He could be still amiable, still pleasing to my uncle and aunt, when he was in town; and why not to me? 6If he fears me, why come hither? 7If he no longer cares for me, why silent? 8Teasing, teasing man! 9I will think no more about him.”

10Her resolution was for a short time involuntarily kept by the approach of her sister, who joined her with a cheerful look which showed her better satisfied with their visitors than Elizabeth.

11“Now,” said she, “that this first meeting is over, I feel perfectly easy. 12I know my own strength, and I shall never be embarrassed again by his coming. 13I am glad he dines here on Tuesday. 14It will then be publicly seen, that on both sides we meet only as common and indifferent acquaintance.”

15“Yes, very indifferent, indeed,” said Elizabeth, laughingly. 16“Oh, Jane! take care.”

17“My dear Lizzy, you cannot think me so weak as to be in danger now.”

18“I think you are in very great danger of making him as much in love with you as ever.”

19They did not see the gentlemen again till Tuesday; and Mrs. Bennet, in the meanwhile, was giving way to all the happy schemes which the good-humour and common politeness of Bingley, in half an hour’s visit, had revived.

20On Tuesday there was a large party assembled at Longbourn; and the two who were most anxiously expected, to the credit of their punctuality as sportsmen, were in very good time. 21When they repaired to the dining-room, Elizabeth eagerly watched to see whether Bingley would take the place which, in all their former parties, had belonged to him, by her sister. 22Her prudent mother, occupied by the same ideas, forbore to invite him to sit by herself. 23On entering the room, he seemed to hesitate; but Jane happened to look round, and happened to smile: it was decided. 24He placed himself by her.

25Elizabeth, with a triumphant sensation, looked towards his friend. 26He bore it with noble indifference; and she would have imagined that Bingley had received his sanction to be happy, had she not seen his eyes likewise turned towards Mr. Darcy, with an expression of half-laughing alarm.

27His behaviour to her sister was such during dinnertime as showed an admiration of her, which, though more guarded than formerly, persuaded Elizabeth, that, if left wholly to himself, Jane’s happiness, and his own, would be speedily secured. 28Though she dared not depend upon the consequence, she yet received pleasure from observing his behaviour. 29It gave her all the animation that her spirits could boast; for she was in no cheerful humour. 30Mr. Darcy was almost as far from her as the table could divide them. 31He was on one side of her mother. 32She knew how little such a situation would give pleasure to either, or make either appear to advantage. 33She was not near enough to hear any of their discourse; but she could see how seldom they spoke to each other, and how formal and cold was their manner whenever they did. 34Her mother’s ungraciousness made the sense of what they owed him more painful to Elizabeth’s mind; and she would, at times, have given anything to be privileged to tell him, that his kindness was neither unknown nor unfelt by the whole of the family.

35She was in hopes that the evening would afford some opportunity of bringing them together; that the whole of the visit would not pass away without enabling them to enter into something more of conversation, than the mere ceremonious salutation attending his entrance. 36Anxious and uneasy, the period which passed in the drawing-room before the gentlemen came, was wearisome and dull to a degree that almost made her uncivil. 37She looked forward to their entrance as the point on which all her chance of pleasure for the evening must depend.

38“If he does not come to me, then,” said she, “I shall give him up for ever.”

39The gentlemen came; and she thought he looked as if he would have answered her hopes; but, alas! 40the ladies had crowded round the table, where Miss Bennet was making tea, and Elizabeth pouring out the coffee, in so close a confederacy, that there was not a single vacancy near her which would admit of a chair. 41And on the gentlemen’s approaching, one of the girls moved closer to her than ever, and said, in a whisper,—

42“The men shan’t come and part us, I am determined. 43We want none of them; do we?”

44Darcy had walked away to another part of the room. 45She followed him with her eyes, envied everyone to whom he spoke, had scarcely patience enough to help anybody to coffee, and then was enraged against herself for being so silly!

46“A man who has once been refused! 47How could I ever be foolish enough to expect a renewal of his love? 48Is there one among the sex who would not protest against such a weakness as a second proposal to the same woman? 49There is no indignity so abhorrent to their feelings.”

50She was a little revived, however, by his bringing back his coffee-cup himself; and she seized the opportunity of saying,—

51“Is your sister at Pemberley still?”

52“Yes; she will remain there till Christmas.”

53“And quite alone? 54Have all her friends left her?”

55“Mrs. Annesley is with her. 56The others have been gone on to Scarborough these three weeks.”

57She could think of nothing more to say; but if he wished to converse with her, he might have better success. 58He stood by her, however, for some minutes, in silence; and, at last, on the young lady’s whispering to Elizabeth again, he walked away.

59When the tea things were removed, and the card tables placed, the ladies all rose; and Elizabeth was then hoping to be soon joined by him, when all her views were overthrown, by seeing him fall a victim to her mother’s rapacity for whist players, and in a few moments after seated with the rest of the party. 60She now lost every expectation of pleasure. 61They were confined for the evening at different tables; and she had nothing to hope, but that his eyes were so often turned towards her side of the room, as to make him play as unsuccessfully as herself.

62Mrs. Bennet had designed to keep the two Netherfield gentlemen to supper; but their carriage was, unluckily, ordered before any of the others, and she had no opportunity of detaining them.

63“Well, girls,” said she, as soon as they were left to themselves, “what say you to the day? 64I think everything has passed off uncommonly well, I assure you. 65The dinner was as well dressed as any I ever saw. 66The venison was roasted to a turn—and everybody said, they never saw so fat a haunch. 67The soup was fifty times better than what we had at the Lucases’ last week; and even Mr. Darcy acknowledged that the partridges were remarkably well done; and I suppose he has two or three French cooks at least. 68And, my dear Jane, I never saw you look in greater beauty. 69Mrs. Long said so too, for I asked her whether you did not. 70And what do you think she said besides? 71‘Ah! 72Mrs. Bennet, we shall have her at Netherfield at last!’ 73She did, indeed. 74I do think Mrs. Long is as good a creature as ever lived—and her nieces are very pretty behaved girls, and not at all handsome: I like them prodigiously.”

75Mrs. Bennet, in short, was in very great spirits: she had seen enough of Bingley’s behaviour to Jane to be convinced that she would get him at last; and her expectations of advantage to her family, when in a happy humour, were so far beyond reason, that she was quite disappointed at not seeing him there again the next day, to make his proposals.

76“It has been a very agreeable day,” said Miss Bennet to Elizabeth. 77“The party seemed so well selected, so suitable one with the other. 78I hope we may often meet again.”

79Elizabeth smiled.

80“Lizzy, you must not do so. 81You must not suspect me. 82It mortifies me. 83I assure you that I have now learnt to enjoy his conversation as an agreeable and sensible young man without having a wish beyond it. 84I am perfectly satisfied, from what his manners now are, that he never had any design of engaging my affection. 85It is only that he is blessed with greater sweetness of address, and a stronger desire of generally pleasing, than any other man.”

86“You are very cruel,” said her sister, “you will not let me smile, and are provoking me to it every moment.”

87“How hard it is in some cases to be believed! 88And how impossible in others! 89But why should you wish to persuade me that I feel more than I acknowledge?”

90“That is a question which I hardly know how to answer. 91We all love to instruct, though we can teach only what is not worth knowing. 92Forgive me; and if you persist in indifference, do not make me your confidante.”