Pride and Prejudice: Chapter Eight

At five o'clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at half past six Elizabeth was summoned to dinner.

Jane was by no means better.  Mr Bingley's anxiety for Jane was evident, and his attention for her most pleasing, and they prevented her feeling herself so much an intruder, as she believed she was considered by others.

Miss Bingley was engrossed by Darcy.  Mr Hurst, by whom Elizabeth sat, was an indolent man, who lived only to eat, drink, and play at cards.

When dinner was over, Elizabeth returned directly to Jane, and Miss Bingley began abusing her as soon as she was out of room. Her manners were pronounced to be very bad indeed, a mixture of pride and impertinence; she had no conversation, no style, no beauty. Mrs Hurst thought the same and added: 

"She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being an excellent walker.  I shall never forget her appearance this morning.  She really looked almost wild."

"She did indeed, Louisa.  I could hardly keep my countenance.  Very nonsensical to come at all!.  Why she must be scampering about the country, because her sister had a cold?  Her hair, so untidy, so blowzy!"

"Yes, and her petticoat; I hope you saw her petticoat, six inches deep in mud, I am absolutely certain; and the gown which had been let down to hide it."

"Your picture may be very exact, Louisa," said Bingley, "but this was all lost upon me.  I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked remarkably well when she came in to the room this morning.  Her dirty petticoat quite escaped my notice.''

"You observed it, Mr Darcy, I am sure," said Miss Bingley; and I think that you would not wish to see your sister make such an exhibition."

"Certainly not."

"To walk three miles, four miles or five miles, or whatever it is, her ankles in dirt, and alone, quite alone!  What could she mean by it? It seems to me to show an amobinable sort of of conceited independence, a most country-town indifference to decorum."

"It shows an affection for her sister, that is very pleasing," said Bingley.

"I am afraid, Mr Darcy," observed Mr Bingley, in a half whisper, "that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes."

"Not at all," he replied, "they were brightened by the exercise."

Mrs Hurst began after a pause:

"I have an excessive regard for Miss Jane Bennet.  She is really a very sweet girl, and I wish with all my heart she were well settled.  But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid, there is no chance of it."

"I think, I have heard you say that their uncle is an attorney on Meryton."

"Yes; they have another, who lives somewhere near Cheapside."

"That is capital," added her sister and they both loved heartily laughed.

"If they had uncles enough to fill on all Cheapside," cried Bingley, "it would not make them one jot less agreeable."

"But it must materially lessen their chance of marrying men of any consideration consideration in the world," replied Darcy.

To this speech Bingley made no answer; but his sisters gave it their hearty assent, and indulged in their mirth for some time at the expense of their dear friend's vulgur relations.

With a renewal of tenderness, however, they returned to her room on leaving the dining parlour, and sat with her till summoned to coffee.  She was still very poorly, and Elizabeth would not quit her at all, till late evening, when she had the comfort of seeing her sleep, and when it seemed to her rather right than pleasant that she should go downstairs herself.  On entering the drawing she found the whole party at loo, and was immediately invited to join them; but suspecting them to be playing high she declined it, and making her sister the excuse, said she would amuse herself for the short time she could stay below, with a book.  Mr Hurst looked at her with astonishment.

"Do you prefer reading to cards?" said he; "that is rather singular."

"Miss Eliza Bennet," said Miss Bingley, despises cards.  She is a great reader, and has no pleasure in anything else."

"I deserve neither such praise nor such censure," cried Elizabeth; "I am not a great reader, and I have pleasure in many things."

"In nursing your sister I am sure you have pleasure," said Bingley; "and I hope it will be soon increased by seeing her quite well."

Elizabeth thanked him from her heart, and then walked towards the table where some books are lying.  He immediately offered to fetch her others - all that his library afforded.

"And I wish my collection were larger for your benifit and my own credit; but I am an idle fellow, and though I have not many I have more than I ever looked into."

Elizabeth assured him that she could suit herself with those in the room.

"I am astonished," said Miss Bingley, "that my father should have left so small a collection of books. What a delightful library you have at Pemberly Mr Darcy!"

"It ought to be good," he replied, "it has been the work of many generations."

"And then you have added so much to it yourself.  You are always buying books."

"I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these." 

"Neglect! I am sure you neglect nothing that can add to the beauties of that noble place.  Charles, when you build your house, I wish it may be half delightful as Pemberly."

"I wish it may."

"But I would really advise you to make your purchase in that neighborhood, and take Pemberly for a kind model.  There is not a finer county in England than Derbyshire.

"With all my heart; I will buy Pemberly itself if Darcy will sell it."

"I am talking of possibilities, Charles."

"Upon my word, Caroline, I should think it more possible to get Pemberly by purchase than by imitation."

Elizabeth was so much caught with what passed, as to leave her very little attention for her book, and soon laying it wholly aside, she drew near the card-table, and stationed herself between Mr Bingley and her eldest sister, to observe the game.

"Is Miss Darcy much grown since the spring?" said Miss Bingley; "Will she be as tall as I am?"

"I think she will.  She is now about Miss Elizabeth Bennet's height, or rather taller."

"How I long to see her again!  I never met with anybody who delighted me so much.  Such countenance, such manners!  And so extremely accomplished for her age!  Her performance on the pianoforte is so exquisite."

"It is amazing to me," said Bingley, "how young ladies can have patience to be so very accomplished as they are all."

"All young ladies accomplished!  My dear Charles, what do you mean?"

"Yes, all of them, I think.  They all paint tables, cover screens, and net purses.  I scarcely know anyone who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard a young lady spoken of for the first time, without being informed that she was very accomplished."

"Your list of the common extent of accomplishments," said Darcy, "had too much truth.  The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse or covering a screen.  But I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general.  I cannot boast of knowing more than half a dozen in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished."

"Not I, I am sure," said Miss Bingley.

"Then," observed Elizabeth, "you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished woman." 

"Yes, I do comprehend a great deal in it."

"Oh! Certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with.  A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages to deserve the word, and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her sir and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved."

"All this she must possess," added Darcy, "and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.''

"I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women.  I rather wonder now at your knowing any.''

''Are you so severe upon your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all this?"

"I never saw such a woman.  I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance as you describe united."

Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley both cried out against the injustice of her implied doubt, and were both protesting that they knew many women who answered this description, when Mr Hurst called them to order, with bitter complaints of their inattention to what was going forward.  As all conversation was there by at an end, Elizabeth soon afterwards left the room.

"Elizabeth Bennet," said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed on her, "is one of those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing their own; and with many men, I dare say it succeeds.  But, in my opinion, it is a paltry device, a very mean art."

"Undoubtedly," replied Darcy, to whom this remark was chiefly addressed, "there is a meanness in all the arts which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation.  Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable."

Miss Bingley was not entirely satisfied with this reply as to continue the subject.

Elizabeth joined them again only to say that her sister was worse, and that she could not leave her. Bingley urged Mr Jones being sent for immediately; while his sisters, convinced that no country advice could be of any service, recommended an express to town for one of the most eminent physicians.  This she would not hear of; but she was not so unwilling to comply with their brother's proposal; and it was settled that Mr Jones should be sent for early in the morning, if Miss Bennet were not decidedly better.  Bingley was quite uncomfortable; his sisters declared that they were miserable.  They solaced their wretchedness, however, by duets after supper, while he could find no better relief to his feelings than by giving his housekeeper directions that every attention might be paid to sick lady and her sister.

THE END