Pride and Prejudice

as soon as she allowed him to speak.  "You either choose this
method of passing the evening because you are in each other's
confidence, and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are
conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in
walking; if the first, I would be completely in your way, and if
the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire."

"Oh! shocking!" cried Miss Bingley.  "I never heard anything so
abominable.  How shall we punish him for such a speech?"

"Nothing so easy, if you have but the inclination," said Elizabeth.
"We can all plague and punish one another.  Tease him--laugh
at him.  Intimate as you are, you must know how it is to be
done."

"But upon my honour, I do _not_.  I do assure you that my
intimacy has not yet taught me _that_.  Tease calmness of
manner and presence of mind!  No, no--feel he may defy us
there.  And as to laughter, we will not expose ourselves, if you
please, by attempting to laugh without a subject.  Mr. Darcy may
hug himself."

"Mr. Darcy is not to be laughed at!" cried Elizabeth.  "That is
an uncommon advantage, and uncommon I hope it will continue, for
it would be a great loss to _me_ to have many such acquaintances.
I dearly love a laugh."

"Miss Bingley," said he, "has given me more credit than can be.
The wisest and the best of men--nay, the wisest and best of their
actions--may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first
object in life is a joke."

"Certainly," replied Elizabeth--"there are such people, but I
hope I am not one of _them_.  I hope I never ridicule what is
wise and good.  Follies and nonsense, whims and
inconsistencies, _do_ divert me, I own, and I laugh at them
whenever I can.  But these, I suppose, are precisely what you
are without."

"Perhaps that is not possible for anyone.  But it has been the
study of my life to avoid those weaknesses which often expose a
strong understanding to ridicule."

"Such as vanity and pride."

"Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed.  But pride--where there is a
real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good
regulation."

Elizabeth turned away to hide a smile.

"Your examination of Mr. Darcy is over, I presume," said Miss
Bingley; "and pray what is the result?"

"I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect.
He owns it himself without disguise."

"No," said Darcy, "I have made no such pretension.  I have
faults enough, but they are not, I hope, of understanding.
My temper I dare not vouch for.  It is, I believe, too little
yielding--certainly too little for the convenience of the world.
I cannot forget the follies and vices of other so soon as I ought,
nor their offenses against myself.  My feelings are not puffed
about with every attempt to move them.  My temper would perhaps be
called resentful.  My good opinion once lost, is lost forever."

"_That_ is a failing indeed!" cried Elizabeth.  "Implacable
resentment _is_ a shade in a character.  But you have chosen your
fault well.  I really cannot _laugh_ at it.  You are safe from me."

"There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some
particular evil--a natural defect, which not even the best
education can overcome."

"And _your_ defect is to hate everybody."

"And yours," he replied with a smile, "is willfully to
misunderstand them."

"Do let us have a little music," cried Miss Bingley, tired of a
conversation in which she had no share.  "Louisa, you will not
mind my waking Mr. Hurst?"

Her sister had not the smallest objection, and the pianoforte was
opened; and Darcy, after a few moments' recollection, was not
sorry for it.  He began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too
much attention.



Chapter 12


In consequence of an agreement between the sisters, Elizabeth
wrote the next morning to their mother, to beg that the carriage
might be sent for them in the course of the day.  But Mrs.
Bennet, who had calculated on her daughters remaining at
Netherfield till the following Tuesday, which would exactly
finish Jane's week, could not bring herself to receive them with
pleasure before.  Her answer, therefore, was not propitious, at