remember, Miss Bennet, that the friend who is supposed to desire his return to the house, and the delay of his plan, has merely desired it, asked it without offering one argument in favour of its propriety.”
“To yield readily—easily—to the persuasion of a friend is no merit with you.” She looked at Darcy thoughtfully.
“To yield without conviction is no compliment to the understanding of either,” he replied to her.
“You appear to me, Mr. Darcy, to allow nothing for the influence of friendship and affection. A regard for the requester would often make one readily yield to a request, without waiting for arguments to reason one into it. I am not particularly speaking of such a case as you have supposed about Mr. Bingley.”
She paused as though to consider the matter further, and then went on, “We may as well wait, perhaps, till the circumstance occurs, before we discuss the discretion of his behaviour thereupon.”
He was about to reply, but then she turned to him with renewed inspiration.
“But in general and ordinary cases between friend and friend, where one of them is desired by the other to change a resolution of no very great moment, should you think ill of that person for complying with the desire, without waiting to be argued into it?”
“Will it not be advisable, before we proceed on this subject,” said Darcy, “to arrange with rather more precision the degree of importance which is to appertain to this request, as well as the degree of intimacy subsisting between the parties?”
“By all means,” interrupted Bingley; “let us hear all the particulars, not forgetting their comparative height and size; for that will have more weight in the argument, Miss Bennet, than you may be aware of. I assure you that if Darcy were not such a great tall fellow, in comparison with myself, I should not pay him half so much deference.”
Darcy was amused and was ready to respond with some humour. However, Bingley forestalled him.
“I declare, Miss Elizabeth, I do not know a more aweful object than Darcy, on particular occasions, and in particular places; at his own house especially, and of a Sunday evening when he has nothing to do.”
Darcy knew himself to be looking affronted at this, and smiled rather wanly.
Miss Bingley intervened to join the conversation, in an expostulation with her brother for talking such nonsense.
“I see your design, Bingley,” said his friend. “You dislike an argument, and want to silence this.”
“Perhaps I do. Arguments are too much like disputes. If you and Miss Bennet will defer yours till I am out of the room, I shall be very thankful; and then you may say whatever you like of me.”
“What you ask,” said Miss Elizabeth Bennet, “is no sacrifice on my side; and Mr. Darcy had much better finish his letter.”
Darcy took her advice, and did finish his letter.
With that over, he applied to Miss Bingley and Miss Elizabeth Bennet for the indulgence of some music.
Miss Bingley moved with alacrity to the piano-forte, and after a polite request that Miss Elizabeth Bennet would lead the way, which the other as politely and more earnestly resisted, she seated herself and sang with Mrs. Hurst.
Whilst they were thus employed, Darcy regarded Miss Elizabeth Bennet with a steady gaze.
Once or twice she looked up and caught his expression, and as quickly looked away again as she turned over some music books that lay on the instrument. As the music continued, he was taken with what for him was a novel and irrational thought. He almost wished, yes indeed he did wish, to take a turn around the floor with her.
As though aware of his thoughts, after finishing some Italian songs, Miss Bingley changed the style of her music, and began to play a Scottish air.
Emboldened by this happy coincidence, Darcy said, “Do not you feel a great inclination, Miss Bennet, to seize such an opportunity of dancing a reel?”
She made no answer. He repeated the question, with some surprise at her silence.
“Oh!” said she, “I heard you before; but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply.”
She gave him again that lively smile as she went on, “You wanted me, I know, to say ‘Yes,’ that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. I have therefore made up my mind to tell you, that I do not want to dance a reel at all and now despise me if you dare.”
He replied civilly, although he was disappointed out of proportion to the request.
“Indeed,” said Darcy, “I do not dare.”
Yet he did not resent the answer as he might have done, for there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner that made it difficult for her to affront him. Had Darcy been able to consider the matter dispassionately, he would have realised that he had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. But for the inferiority of her connections, he was of the opinion that he should be in some danger.
9
Miss Bingley was not unaware of Darcy’s interest in her guest. She was not of a disposition to overlook such a slight, and frequently sought to provoke Darcy by talking of their supposed marriage, and planning his happiness in such an alliance.
“I hope,” said she, as they were walking together in the shrubbery the next day, “you will give your mother- in-law a few hints, when this desirable event takes place, as to the advantage of holding her tongue; and if you can compass it, do cure the younger girls of running after the officers. And, if I may mention so delicate a subject, endeavour to check that little something, bordering on conceit and impertinence, which your lady possesses.”
Darcy was not one to allow himself to be upset unless he particularly valued the opinion of the speaker. He took this attempt to challenge him calmly, as he did Miss Bingley’s next comment that Mrs. Bennet was a woman of mean understanding and uncertain temper, who might prove less than a worthy addition to his acquaintance.
“Have you anything else to propose for my domestic felicity?” he said.
“Oh! yes. Do let the portraits of your uncle and aunt Philips be placed in the gallery at Pemberley. Put them next to your great uncle the judge. They are in the same profession, you know; only in different lines. As for your Elizabeth’s picture, you must not attempt to have it taken, for what painter could do justice to those beautiful eyes?”
“It would not be easy, indeed, to catch their expression, but their colour and shape, and the eye-lashes, so remarkably fine, might be copied.”
At that moment they were met from another walk, by Mrs. Hurst and Miss Elizabeth Bennet herself.
“I did not know that you intended to walk,” said Miss Bingley, in some confusion, lest they had been overheard.
“You used us abominably ill,” answered Mrs. Hurst, “in running away without telling us that you were coming out.”
Then taking the disengaged arm of Mr. Darcy, she left Miss Elizabeth to walk by herself, as the path just admitted three.
Darcy resented this affront on her behalf and, not wishing to lose her company, said, “This walk is not wide enough for our party. We had better go into the avenue.”
And he waited for Miss Bennet to join them.
But she answered, with a smile,
“No, no; stay where you are. You are charmingly grouped, and appear to uncommon advantage. The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth. Good bye.”
Contrary to Darcy’s preference, she then went off, and he was left to wish that he had different company from Miss Bingley, whose wit was so repetitive and often seemed to be at his own expense.
Miss Jane Bennet was already recovered enough to leave her room for a couple of hours that evening after dinner. Her sister attended her, well guarded from cold, into the drawing-room.
When the gentlemen entered, Darcy addressed himself directly to Miss Bennet, with a polite congratulation;
