Jane Austin - Pride and Prejudice

“Aye—because she asked him at last how he liked Netherfield, and

he could not help answering her; but she said he seemed quite

angry at being spoke to.”

“Miss Bingley told me,” said Jane, “that he never speaks much,

unless among his intimate acquaintances. With _them_ he is

remarkably agreeable.”

“I do not believe a word of it, my dear. If he had been so very

agreeable, he would have talked to Mrs. Long. But I can guess how

it was; everybody says that he is eat up with pride, and I dare

say he had heard somehow that Mrs. Long does not keep a carriage,

and had come to the ball in a hack chaise.”

“I do not mind his not talking to Mrs. Long,” said Miss Lucas,

“but I wish he had danced with Eliza.”

“Another time, Lizzy,” said her mother, “I would not dance with

_him_, if I were you.”

“I believe, ma’am, I may safely promise you _never_ to dance with

him.”

“His pride,” said Miss Lucas, “does not offend _me_ so much as

pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot

wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune,

everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I

may so express it, he has a _right_ to be proud.”

“That is very true,” replied Elizabeth, “and I could easily

forgive _his_ pride, if he had not mortified _mine_.”

“Pride,” observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity of

her reflections, “is a very common failing, I believe. By all

that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common

indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that

there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of

self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or

imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the

words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without

being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves,

vanity to what we would have others think of us.”

“If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy,” cried a young Lucas, who came

with his sisters, “I should not care how proud I was. I would

keep a pack of foxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine a day.”

“Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought,” said

Mrs. Bennet; “and if I were to see you at it, I should take away

your bottle directly.”

The boy protested that she should not; she continued to declare

that she would, and the argument ended only with the visit.

The ladies of Longbourn soon waited on those of Netherfield. The

visit was soon returned in due form. Miss Bennet’s pleasing

manners grew on the goodwill of Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; and

though the mother was found to be intolerable, and the younger

sisters not worth speaking to, a wish of being better acquainted

with _them_ was expressed towards the two eldest. By Jane, this

attention was received with the greatest pleasure, but Elizabeth

still saw superciliousness in their treatment of everybody,

hardly excepting even her sister, and could not like them; though

their kindness to Jane, such as it was, had a value as arising in

all probability from the influence of their brother’s admiration.

It was generally evident whenever they met, that he _did_ admire

her and to _her_ it was equally evident that Jane was yielding to

the preference which she had begun to entertain for him from the

first, and was in a way to be very much in love; but she

considered with pleasure that it was not likely to be discovered

by the world in general, since Jane united, with great strength

of feeling, a composure of temper and a uniform cheerfulness of

manner which would guard her from the suspicions of the

impertinent. She mentioned this to her friend Miss Lucas.

“It may perhaps be pleasant,” replied Charlotte, “to be able to

impose on the public in such a case; but it is sometimes a

disadvantage to be so very guarded. If a woman conceals her

affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose

the opportunity of fixing him; and it will then be but poor

consolation to believe the world equally in the dark. There is so

much of gratitude or vanity in almost every attachment, that it

is not safe to leave any to itself. We can all _begin_ freely—a

slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of us

who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement.

In nine cases out of ten a woman had better show _more_ affection

than she feels. Bingley likes your sister undoubtedly; but he may

never do more than like her, if she does not help him on.”

“But she does help him on, as much as her nature will allow. If

_I_ can perceive her regard for him, he must be a simpleton,

indeed, not to discover it too.”

“Remember, Eliza, that he does not know Jane’s disposition as you

do.”

“But if a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to

conceal it, he must find it out.”

“Perhaps he must, if he sees enough of her. But, though Bingley

and Jane meet tolerably often, it is never for many hours

together; and, as they always see each other in large mixed

parties, it is impossible that every moment should be employed in

conversing together. Jane should therefore make the most of every

half-hour in which she can command his attention. When she is

secure of him, there will be more leisure for falling in love as

much as she chooses.”

“Your plan is a good one,” replied Elizabeth, “where nothing is

in question but the desire of being well married, and if I were

determined to get a rich husband, or any husband, I dare say I

should adopt it. But these are not Jane’s feelings; she is not

acting by design. As yet, she cannot even be certain of the

degree of her own regard nor of its reasonableness. She has known

him only a fortnight. She danced four dances with him at Meryton;

she saw him one morning at his own house, and has since dined

with him in company four times. This is not quite enough to make

her understand his character.”

“Not as you represent it. Had she merely _dined_ with him, she

might only have discovered whether he had a good appetite; but

you must remember that four evenings have also been spent

together—and four evenings may do a great deal.”

“Yes; these four evenings have enabled them to ascertain that

they both like Vingt-un better than Commerce; but with respect to

any other leading characteristic, I do not imagine that much has

been unfolded.”

“Well,” said Charlotte, “I wish Jane success with all my heart;

and if she were married to him to-morrow, I should think she had

as good a chance of happiness as if she were to be studying his

character for a twelvemonth. Happiness in marriage is entirely a

matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so

well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does

not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to

grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of

vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the

defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.”

“You make me laugh, Charlotte; but it is not sound. You know it

is not sound, and that you would never act in this way yourself.”

Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley’s attentions to her sister,