"icannotseethatlondonhasanygreatadvantageoverthecountryformypart,excepttheshopsandpublicplaces.thecountryisavastdealpleasanter,isnotit,mr.bingley?"

"wheniaminthecountry,"hereplied,"ineverwishtoleaveit;andwheniamintownitisprettymuchthesame.theyhaveeachtheiradvantages,andicanbeequallyhappyineither."

"aye—thatisbecauseyouhavetherightdisposition.butthatgentleman,"lookingatdarcy,"seemedtothinkthecountrywasnothingatall."

"indeed,mama,youaremistaken,"saidelizabeth,blushingforhermother."youquitemistookmr.darcy.heonlymeantthattherewerenotsuchavarietyofpeopletobemetwithinthecountryasintown,whichyoumustacknowledgetobetrue."

"certainly,mydear,nobodysaidtherewere;butastonotmeetingwithmanypeopleinthisneighbourhood,ibelievetherearefewneighbourhoodslarger.iknowwedinewithfourandtwentyfamilies."

nothingbutconcernforelizabethcouldenablebingleytokeephiscountenance.hissisterwaslessdelicate,anddirectedhereyetowardsmr.darcywithaveryexpressivesmile.elizabeth,forthesakeofsayingsomethingthatmightturnhermother'sthoughts,nowaskedherifcharlottelucashadbeenatlongbournsincehercomingaway.

"yes,shecalledyesterdaywithherfather.whatanagreeablemansirwilliamis,mr.bingley—isnothe?somuchthemanoffashion!sogenteelandsoeasy!—hehasalwayssomethingtosaytoeverybody.—thatismyideaofgoodbreeding;andthosepersonswhofancythemselvesveryimportantandneveropentheirmouths,quitemistakethematter."

"didcharlottedinewithyou?"

"no,shewouldgohome.ifancyshewaswantedaboutthemincepies.formypart,mr.bingley,ialwayskeepservantsthatcandotheirownwork;mydaughtersarebroughtupdifferently.buteverybodyistojudgeforthemselves,andthelucasesareverygoodsortofgirls,iassureyou.itisapitytheyarenothandsome!notthatithinkcharlottesoveryplain—butthensheisourparticularfriend."

"sheseemsaverypleasantyoungwoman,"saidbingley.

"oh!dear,yes;—butyoumustownsheisveryplain.ladylucasherselfhasoftensaidso,andenviedmejane'sbeauty.idonotliketoboastofmyownchild,buttobesure,jane—onedoesnotoftenseeanybodybetterlooking.itiswhateverybodysays.idonottrustmyownpartiality.whenshewasonlyfifteen,therewasagentlemanatmybrothergardiner'sintown,somuchinlovewithher,thatmysister-in-lawwassurehewouldmakeheranofferbeforewecameaway.buthoweverhedidnot.perhapshethoughthertooyoung.however,hewrotesomeversesonher,andveryprettytheywere."

"andsoendedhisaffection,"saidelizabethimpatiently."therehasbeenmanyaone,ifancy,overcomeinthesameway.iwonderwhofirstdiscoveredtheefficacyofpoetryindrivingawaylove!"

"ihavebeenusedtoconsiderpoetryasthefoodoflove,"saiddarcy.

"ofafine,stout,healthyloveitmay.everythingnourisheswhatisstrongalready.butifitbeonlyaslight,thinsortofinclination,iamconvincedthatonegoodsonnetwillstarveitentirelyaway."

darcyonlysmiled,andthegeneralpausewhichensuedmadeelizabethtremblelesthermothershouldbeexposingherselfagain.shelongedtospeak,butcouldthinkofnothingtosay;andafterashortsilencemrs.bennetbeganrepeatingherthankstomr.bingleyforhiskindnesstojanewithanapologyfortroublinghimalsowithlizzy.mr.bingleywasunaffectedlycivilinhisanswer,andforcedhisyoungersistertobecivilalso,andsaywhattheoccasionrequired.sheperformedherpart,indeed,withoutmuchgraciousness,butmrs.bennetwassatisfied,andsoonafterwardsorderedhercarriage.uponthissignal,theyoungestofherdaughtersputherselfforward.thetwogirlshadbeenwhisperingtoeachotherduringthewholevisit,andtheresultofitwas,thattheyoungestshouldtaxmr.bingleywithhavingpromisedonhisfirstcomingintothecountrytogiveaballatnetherfield.

lydiawasastout,well-growngirloffifteen,withafinecomplexionandgood-humouredcountenance;afavouritewithhermother,whoseaffectionhadbroughtherintopublicatanearlyage.shehadhighanimalspirits,andasortofnaturalself-consequence,whichtheattentionsoftheofficers,towhomheruncle'sgooddinnersandherowneasymannersrecommendedher,hadincreasedintoassurance.shewasveryequal,therefore,toaddressmr.bingleyonthesubjectoftheball,andabruptlyremindedhimofhispromise;adding,thatitwouldbethemostshamefulthingintheworldifhedidnotkeepit.hisanswertothissuddenattackwasdelightfultotheirmother'sear.

"iamperfectlyready,iassureyou,tokeepmyengagement,andwhenyoursisterisrecovered,youshallifyouplease,nametheverydayoftheball.butyouwouldnotwishtobedancingwhilesheisill."

lydiadeclaredherselfsatisfied."oh!yes—itwouldbemuchbettertowaittilljanewaswell,andbythattimemostlikelycaptaincarterwouldbeatmerytonagain.andwhenyouhavegivenyourball,"sheadded,"ishallinsistontheirgivingonealso.ishalltellcolonelforsteritwillbequiteashameifhedoesnot."

mrs.bennetandherdaughtersthendeparted,andelizabethreturnedinstantlytojane,leavingherownandherrelations'behaviourtotheremarksofthetwoladiesandmr.darcy;thelatterofwhom,however,couldnotbeprevailedontojoinintheircensureofher,inspiteofallmissbingley'switticismsonfineeyes.