Mr. Bennet (25:37)
One great difference between us. Compliments always take you by surprise, and me never. What could be more natural than his asking you again? He could not help seeing that you were about five times as pretty as every other woman in the room. No thanks to his gallantry for that. Well, he certainly is very agreeable. And I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person, dear Lizzie. Oh, you are a great deal too apt, you know, to like people in general, said Lizzie. You never see a fault in anybody. All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life. I would wish not to be hasty in censuring anyone, replied Jane. But I always speak what I think I know you do, and it is that which makes the wonder with your good sense, to be so honestly blind to the follies and nonsense of others. Affectation of candor is common enough. One meets with it everywhere. But to be candid, without ostentation or design, to take the good of everybody's character and make it still better and say nothing of the bad, belongs to you alone. And so you like this man's sisters too, do you? Their manners are not equal to his? Well, certainly not at first, but. But they are very pleasing women when you converse with them, said Jane. Miss Bingley is to live with her brother and keep his house, and I'm much mistaken if we shall not find a very charming neighbor in her. Elizabeth listened in silence, but was not convinced. Their behavior at the assembly had not been calculated to please in general, and with more quickness of observation and less pliancy of temper than her sister, and with the judgment too unassailed by any attention to herself, she was very little disposed to approve them. They were, in fact, very fine ladies, not deficient in good humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of being agreeable where they chose it. But proud and conceited, they were rather handsome, had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town, had a fortune of £20,000, were in the habit of spending more than they ought, and of associating with people of rank, and were therefore in every respect entitled to think well of themselves and meanly of others. They were of a respectable family in the north of England, and a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother's fortune and their own had been acquired by trade, Mr. Bingley inherited property to the amount of nearly £100,000 from his father, who had intended to purchase an estate, but did not live to do it. Mr. Bingley intended it likewise, and sometimes made choice of his county. But as he was now provided with a good house and the liberty of a manor, and it was doubtful to many of those who best knew the easiness of his temper whether he might not spend the remainder of his days at Netherfield and leave the next generation to purchase. His sisters were very anxious for his having an estate of his own. But though he was now established only as a tenant, his youngest sister, Miss Bingley, was by no means unwilling to preside at his table. Nor was his eldest sister, Mrs. Hurst, who had married a man of more fashion than fortune, less disposed to consider his house as her home when it suited her. Mr. Bingley had not been of age two years when he was tempted by an accidental recommendation to look at Neverfield House. He did look at it, and into it for half an hour. Was pleased with the situation and the principal rooms, satisfied with what the owner said in its praise, and took it immediately. Between him and Darcy there was a very steady friendship. In spite of a great opposition of character, Bingley was endeared to Darcy by the easiness, openness, and ductility of his temper, though no disposition could offer a greater contrast to his own, and though with his own, he never appeared dissatisfied. On the strength of Darcy's regard, Bingley had the firmest reliance, and of his judgment the highest opinion. In understanding, Darcy was the superior. Bingley was by no means deficient. But Darcy was clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well bred, were not inviting. In that respect, his friend had greatly the advantage. Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared. Darcy was continually giving offence. The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently characteristic. Bingley had never met with pleasanter people or prettier girls in his life. Everybody had been murdered kind and attentive to him. There had been no formality, no stiffness. He had soon felt acquainted with all the room, and as to Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful. Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and from none received either attention or pleasure. Miss Bennet, he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much. Mrs. Hurst and her sister allowed it to be so, but still they admired her and liked her, and pronounced her to be a sweet girl, and one whom they should not object to know more of. Miss Bennet was therefore established as a sweet girl, and their brother felt authorized by such commendation to think of her as he chose. Chapter five Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Bennets were particularly intimate. Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune and risen to the honor of knighthood by an address to the king while he was mayor. The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business and to his residence in a small market town, and quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely with in being civil to all the world. For though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious. On the contrary, he was all attention to everybody, by nature inoffensive, friendly and obliging. His presentation at St James had made him courteous. Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever to be a valuable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet. They had several children. The eldest of them, a sensible, intelligent young woman, about 27, was Elizabeth's intimate friend. That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennetts should meet to talk over a ball was absolutely necessary, and the morning after the assembly brought the former to Longbourn to hear and to communicate. You began the evening well, Charlotte, said Mrs. Bennet, with civil self command to Miss Lucas. You were Mr. Bingley's first choice. Yes, but he seemed to like his second better. Oh, you mean Jane, I suppose, because he danced with her twice. To be sure, that did seem as if he admired her. Indeed, I rather believe he did. I heard something about it, but I hardly know What. Something about Mr. Robinson, perhaps? You mean what I overheard between him and Mr. Robinson. Did not I mention it to you? Mr. Robinson's asking him how he liked our Meryton assemblies, and whether he did not think there were a great many pretty women in the room, and which he thought the prettiest. And his answering immediately to the last question. Oh, the eldest Miss Bennet? Beyond a doubt, there cannot be two opinions on that point. Upon my word. Well, that was very decided. Indeed, that does seem as if. But however, it may all come to nothing. You know my overhearings were more to the purpose than yours, Lizzie, said Charlotte, Mr. Darcy is not so well worth listening to as his friend, is he?
