“With the officers!” cried Lydia.
“Dining out,” said Mrs. Bennet, “that is very unlucky.”
“Can I have the carriage?” said Jane.
“No, my dear, you had better go on horseback, because it seems likely to rain; and then you must stay all night.”
So Jane was therefore obliged to go on horseback, and her mother attended her to the door. Soon it rained hard. Her sisters were worried about her, but her mother was delighted. The rain continued the whole evening; Jane certainly could not come back.
“This was a lucky idea of mine, indeed!” said Mrs. Bennet. But the next morning a servant from Netherfield brought the following note for Elizabeth:
“My dearest Lizzy, —
“I find myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is due to my getting wet through yesterday. My kind friends invited me to stay here. The doctor will come in a while, so do not worry. I have a sore throat and headache.
– Your Jane.”“Well, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note aloud, “if your daughter should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley.”
“Oh! I am not afraid, people do not die of colds. She will be taken good care of. As long as she stays there, it is all very well. I would go and see her if I could have the carriage.”
Elizabeth decided to go with her, but she could not ride the horse, so she decided to walk. She declared her resolution.
“How can you be so silly,” cried her mother, “in all this dirt!”
“But I shall see Jane – that is all I want. The distance is nothing when one has a motive; only three miles. I shall be back by dinner.”
Elizabeth’s appearance made a great surprise. She was walking three miles so early, in such dirty weather. It was incredible to everybody. She was received, however, very politely by them; and in their brother’s manners there was something better than politeness; there was good humour and kindness. Mr. Darcy said very little, he was thinking of her beauty.
Miss Bennet was not well enough to leave her room. Elizabeth was glad to see her immediately.
When breakfast was over Mr. Bingley’s sisters came; and Elizabeth began to like them, when she saw how much affection they showed for Jane. The doctor came, and examined his patient. He said that she had caught a violent cold; advised her to return to bed. The advice was followed readily. Elizabeth did not quit her room for a moment.
Chapter 8
At five o’clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at half-past six Elizabeth was called to dinner.
Jane was not better. The sisters, on hearing this, repeated three or four times how much they were grieved, how shocking it was to have a bad cold, and how they disliked being ill themselves.
When dinner was over, she returned directly to Jane, and Miss Bingley began to abuse Elizabeth as soon as she was out of the room. Her manners were considered very bad indeed, a mixture of pride and impertinence; she had no conversation[17], no style, no beauty.
“She has nothing, in short, to recommend her. Of course, she is an excellent walker. I shall never forget her appearance this morning.”
“Why did she come here, because her sister had a cold? Her hair, so untidy!”
“I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked remarkably well, Louisa,” said Bingley; “when she came into the room this morning.”
“To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, above her ankles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! What could she mean by it?”
A short pause followed this speech, and the sisters began again:
“I like Miss Jane Bennet very much, she is really a very sweet girl. But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance for her in the life.”
To this speech Bingley made no answer.
Jane was still very poorly, and Elizabeth would not quit her at all, till late in the evening. On entering the drawing-room she found the whole party playing cards, and was immediately invited to join them. But she declined it, and said she would read a book instead.
“Do you prefer reading to cards? That is very strange.”
“Miss Eliza Bennet,” said Miss Bingley, “despises cards. She is a great reader.”
“Not at all, I am not a great reader,” cried Elizabeth; “and I have pleasure in many things.”
Elizabeth walked towards the table where a few books were lying. “I am astonished,” said Miss Bingley, “that my father has such a small collection of books. What a delightful library you have, Mr. Darcy!”
“It is good,” he replied, “I am always buying books.”
“It is amazing to me,” said Bingley, “how young ladies can have patience to be so educated as they all are.”
“All young ladies educated! My dear Charles, what do you mean?”
“Yes, all of them, I think. They all paint pictures, and net purses. I scarcely know anyone who cannot do all this.”
“ I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation[18] of ladies in general,” said Darcy, “I cannot name five women, that are really educated.”
“Nor I, I am sure,” said Miss Bingley.
“Then,” observed Elizabeth, “in your opinion, who is an educated woman?”
“Oh! No one can be really educated who does not know necessary things. A woman must know music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air[19] and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions.”
“All this she must possess,” added Darcy, “and the most important thing, she must read a lot.”
The conversation was over, and Elizabeth soon afterwards left the room.
“Elizabeth Bennet,” said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed, “is one of those young ladies who try recommend themselves to the men; and with many men it succeeds.”
Elizabeth joined them again only to say that her sister was worse, and that she could not leave her. Bingley was quite uncomfortable; his sisters declared that they were miserable.
Chapter 9
Elizabeth passed the night in her sister’s room. Suddenly Mrs. Bennet, accompanied by her two youngest girls, came to Netherfield soon after the family breakfast.
If she found Jane in a danger, Mrs. Bennet would have been very miserable. But she was satisfied that her illness was not dangerous. She would not listen, therefore, to her daughter’s proposal of coming home. After sitting a little while with Jane, the mother and three daughters came into the breakfast parlour. Bingley met them with hopes that Mrs. Bennet had not found Miss Bennet worse than she expected.
“Indeed I have, sir,” was her answer. “She is too ill to be moved. We must use your kindness a little longer. You have a sweet room here, Mr. Bingley. I do not know a place in the country that is equal to Netherfield. You will not think of quitting it in a hurry.”
“Whatever I do is done in a hurry,” replied he; “But at present, however, I consider myself as quite fixed here.[20]”
“That is exactly what I should have supposed of you,” said Elizabeth.
“You begin to comprehend me, do you?” cried he.
“Oh! yes—I understand you perfectly.”
“Lizzy,” cried her mother, “remember where you are, and do not continue in the wild manner that you use at home.”
“I did not know before,” continued Bingley immediately, “that you were a studier of character. It must be an amusing study.”
“The country,” said Darcy, “can in general supply a few subjects for such a study.”
“Yes, indeed,” cried Mrs. Bennet, offended by his manner of mentioning a country neighbourhood. “I cannot see that London has any great advantage over the country, except the shops and public places. The country is far more pleasant, is it not, Mr. Bingley?”
“When I am in the country,” he replied, “I never wish to leave it; and when I am in town it is the same. They have each their advantages.”
“That is because you have the right disposition. But that gentleman,” looking at Darcy, “seemed to think the country was nothing at all.”