"youexpectmetoaccountforopinionswhichyouchusetocallmine,butwhichihaveneveracknowledged.allowingthecase,however,tostandaccordingtoyourrepresentation,youmustremember,missbennet,thatthefriendwhoissupposedtodesirehisreturntothehouse,andthedelayofhisplan,hasmerelydesiredit,askeditwithoutofferingoneargumentinfavourofitspropriety."

"toyieldreadily—easily—tothepersuasionofafriendisnomeritwithyou."

"toyieldwithoutconvictionisnocomplimenttotheunderstandingofeither."

"youappeartome,mr.darcy,toallownothingfortheinfluenceoffriendshipandaffection.aregardfortherequesterwouldoftenmakeonereadilyyieldtoarequestwithoutwaitingforargumentstoreasononeintoit.iamnotparticularlyspeakingofsuchacaseasyouhavesupposedaboutmr.bingley.wemayaswellwait,perhaps,tillthecircumstanceoccurs,beforewediscussthediscretionofhisbehaviourthereupon.butingeneralandordinarycasesbetweenfriendandfriend,whereoneofthemisdesiredbytheothertochangearesolutionofnoverygreatmoment,shouldyouthinkillofthatpersonforcomplyingwiththedesire,withoutwaitingtobearguedintoit?"

"willitnotbeadvisable,beforeweproceedonthissubject,toarrangewithrathermoreprecisionthedegreeofimportancewhichistoappertaintothisrequest,aswellasthedegreeofintimacysubsistingbetweentheparties?"

"byallmeans,"criedbingley;"letushearalltheparticulars,notforgettingtheircomparativeheightandsize;forthatwillhavemoreweightintheargument,missbennet,thanyoumaybeawareof.iassureyouthatifdarcywerenotsuchagreattallfellow,incomparisonwithmyself,ishouldnotpayhimhalfsomuchdeference.ideclareidonotknowamoreawefulobjectthandarcy,onparticularoccasions,andinparticularplaces;athisownhouseespecially,andofasundayeveningwhenhehasnothingtodo."

mr.darcysmiled;butelizabeththoughtshecouldperceivethathewasratheroffended;andthereforecheckedhelaugh.missbingleywarmlyresentedtheindignityhehadreceivedinanexpostulationwithherbrotherfortalkingsuchnonsense.

"iseeyourdesign,bingley,"saidhisfriend.—"youdislikeanargument,andwanttosilencethis."

"perhapsido.argumentsaretoomuchlikedisputes.ifyouandmissbennetwilldeferyourstilliamoutoftheroom,ishallbeverythankful;andthenyoumaysaywhateveryoulikeofme."

"whatyouask,"saidelizabeth,"isnosacrificeonmyside;andmr.darcyhadmuchbetterfinishhisletter,

mr.darcytookheradvice,anddidfinishhisletter.

whenthatbusinesswasover,heappliedtomissbingleyandelizabethfortheindulgenceofsomemusic.missbingleymovedwithalacritytothepiano-forte,andafterapoliterequestthatelizabethwouldleadtheway,whichtheotheraspolitelyandmoreearnestlynegatived,sheseatedherself.

mrs.hurstsangwithhersister,andwhiletheywerethusemployed,elizabethcouldnothelpobserving,assheturnedoversomemusicbooksthatlayontheinstrument,howfrequentlymr.darcy'seyeswerefixedonher.shehardlyknewhowtosupposethatshecouldbeanobjectofadmirationtosogreatman;andyetthatheshouldlookatherbecausehedislikedherwasstillmorestrange.shecouldonlyimaginehowever,atlast,thatshedrewhisnoticebecausetherewasasomethingabouthermorewrongandreprehensible,accordingtohisideasofright,thaninanyotherpersonpresent.thesuppositiondidnotpainher.shelikedhimtoolittletocareforhisapprobation.

afterplayingsomeitaliansongs,missbingleyvariedthecharmbyalivelyscotchair;andsoonafterwardsmr.darcy,drawingnearelizabeth,saidtoher—

"donotyoufeelagreatinclination,missbennet,toseizesuchanopportunityofdancingareel?"

shesmiled,butmadenoanswer.herepeatedthequestion,withsomesurpriseathersilence.

"oh!"saidshe,"iheardyoubefore;buticouldnotimmediatelydeterminewhattosayinreply.youwantedme,iknow,tosay'yes',thatyoumighthavethepleasureofdespisingmytaste;butialwaysdelightinoverthrowingthosekindofschemes,andcheatingapersonoftheirpremeditatedcontempt.ihavethereforemadeupmymindtotellyouthatidonotwanttodanceareelatall—andnowdespisemeifyoudare."

"indeedidonotdare."

elizabeth,havingratherexpectedtoaffronthim,wasamazedathisgallantry;buttherewasamixtureofsweetnessandarchnessinhermannerwhichmadeitdifficultforhertoaffrontanybody;anddarcyhadneverbeensobewitchedbyanywomanashewasbyher.hereallybelieved,thatwereitnotfortheinferiorityofherconnections,heshouldbeinsomedanger.

missbingleysaw,orsuspected,enoughtobejealous;andhergreatanxietyfortherecoveryofherdearfriendjanereceivedsomeassistancefromherdesireofgettingridofelizabeth.

sheoftentriedtoprovokedarcyintodislikingherguest,bytalkingoftheirsupposedmarriage,andplanninghishappinessinsuchanalliance.

"ihope,"saidshe,astheywerewalkingtogetherintheshrubberythenextday,"youwillgiveyourmother-in-lawafewhints,whenthisdesirableeventtakesplace,astotheadvantageofholdinghertongue;andifyoucancompassit,docuretheyoungergirlsofrunningaftertheofficers.—and,ifimaymentionsodelicateasubject,endeavourtocheckthatlittlesomething,borderingonconceitandimpertinence,whichyourladypossesses."

"haveyouanythingelsetoproposeformydomesticfelicity?"

"oh!yes.—dolettheportraitsofyouruncleandauntphilipsbeplacedinthegalleryatpemberley.putthemnexttoyourgreatuncle,thejudge.theyareinthesameprofession,youknow;onlyindifferentlines.asforyourelizabeth'spicture,youmustnotattempttohaveittaken,forwhatpaintercoulddojusticetothosebeautifuleyes?"

"itwouldnotbeeasy,indeed,tocatchtheirexpression,buttheircolourandshape,andtheeyelashes,soremarkablyfine,mightbecopied."

atthatmomenttheyweremetfromanotherwalk,bymrs.hurstandelizabethherself.

"ididnotknowthatyouintendedtowalk,"saidmissbingley,insomeconfusion,lesttheyhadbeenoverheard.

"youusedusabominablyill,"answeredmrs.hurst,"inrunningawaywithouttellingusthatyouwerecomingout."thentakingthedisengagedarmofmr.darcy,sheleftelizabethtowalkbyherself.thepathjustadmittedthree.

mr.darcyfelttheirrudenessandimmediatelysaid,—

"thiswalkisnotwideenoughforourparty.wehadbettergointotheavenue."

butelizabeth,whohadnottheleastinclinationtoremainwiththem,laughinglyanswered,"no,no;staywhereyouare.—youarecharminglygroup'd,andappeartouncommonadvantage.thepicturesquewouldbespoiltbyadmittingafourth.goodbye."

shethenrangailyoff,rejoicing,assherambledabout,inthehopeofbeingathomeagaininadayortwo.janewasalreadysomuchrecoveredastointendleavingherroomforacoupleofhoursthatevening.