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Pride and Prejudice
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Chapter 17
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Elizabeth related to Jane the next day what had passed between Mr. Wickham and herself.
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Jane listened with astonishment and concern;
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she knew not how to believe that Mr. Darcy could be so unworthy of Mr. Bingley’s regard;
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and yet,
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it was not in her nature to question the veracity of a young man of such amiable appearance as Wickham.
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The possibility of his having endured such unkindness,
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was enough to interest all her tender feelings;
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and nothing remained therefore to be done,
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but to think well of them both,
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to defend the conduct of each,
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and throw into the account of accident or mistake whatever could not be otherwise explained.
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“They have both,”
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said she,
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“been deceived,
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I dare say,
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in some way or other,
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of which we can form no idea.
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Interested people have perhaps misrepresented each to the other.
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It is,
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in short,
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impossible for us to conjecture the causes or circumstances which may have alienated them,
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without actual blame on either side.”
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“Very true,
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indeed;
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and now,
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my dear Jane,
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what have you got to say on behalf of the interested people who have probably been concerned in the business?
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Do clear them too,
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or we shall be obliged to think ill of somebody.”
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“Laugh as much as you choose,
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but you will not laugh me out of my opinion.
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My dearest Lizzy,
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do but consider in what a disgraceful light it places Mr. Darcy,
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to be treating his father’s favourite in such a manner,
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one whom his father had promised to provide for.
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It is impossible.
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No man of common humanity,
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no man who had any value for his character,
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could be capable of it.
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Can his most intimate friends be so excessively deceived in him?
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Oh!
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no.”
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“I can much more easily believe Mr. Bingley’s being imposed on,
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than that Mr. Wickham should invent such a history of himself as he gave me last night;
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names,
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facts,
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everything mentioned without ceremony.
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If it be not so,
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let Mr. Darcy contradict it.
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Besides,
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there was truth in his looks.”
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“It is difficult indeed—it is distressing.
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One does not know what to think.”
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“I beg your pardon;
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one knows exactly what to think.”
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But Jane could think with certainty on only one point—that Mr. Bingley,
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if he had been imposed on,
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would have much to suffer when the affair became public.
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The two young ladies were summoned from the shrubbery,
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where this conversation passed,
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by the arrival of the very persons of whom they had been speaking;
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Mr. Bingley and his sisters came to give their personal invitation for the long-expected ball at Netherfield,
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which was fixed for the following Tuesday.
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The two ladies were delighted to see their dear friend again,
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called it an age since they had met,
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and repeatedly asked what she had been doing with herself since their separation.
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To the rest of the family they paid little attention;
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avoiding Mrs. Bennet as much as possible,
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saying not much to Elizabeth,
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and nothing at all to the others.
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They were soon gone again,
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rising from their seats with an activity which took their brother by surprise,
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and hurrying off as if eager to escape from Mrs. Bennet’s civilities.
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The prospect of the Netherfield ball was extremely agreeable to every female of the family.
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Mrs. Bennet chose to consider it as given in compliment to her eldest daughter,
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and was particularly flattered by receiving the invitation from Mr. Bingley himself,
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instead of a ceremonious card.
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Jane pictured to herself a happy evening in the society of her two friends,
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and the attentions of their brother;
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and Elizabeth thought with pleasure of dancing a great deal with Mr. Wickham,
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and of seeing a confirmation of everything in Mr. Darcy’s look and behaviour.
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The happiness anticipated by Catherine and Lydia depended less on any single event,
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or any particular person,
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for though they each,
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like Elizabeth,
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meant to dance half the evening with Mr. Wickham,
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he was by no means the only partner who could satisfy them,
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and a ball was,
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at any rate,
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a ball.
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And even Mary could assure her family that she had no disinclination for it.
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“While I can have my mornings to myself,”
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said she,
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“it is enough—I think it is no sacrifice to join occasionally in evening engagements.
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Society has claims on us all;
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and I profess myself one of those who consider intervals of recreation and amusement as desirable for everybody.”
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Elizabeth’s spirits were so high on this occasion,
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that though she did not often speak unnecessarily to Mr. Collins,
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she could not help asking him whether he intended to accept Mr. Bingley’s invitation,
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and if he did,
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whether he would think it proper to join in the evening’s amusement;
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and she was rather surprised to find that he entertained no scruple whatever on that head,
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and was very far from dreading a rebuke either from the Archbishop,
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or Lady Catherine de Bourgh,
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by venturing to dance.
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“I am by no means of the opinion,
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I assure you,”
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said he,
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“that a ball of this kind,
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given by a young man of character,
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to respectable people,
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can have any evil tendency;
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and I am so far from objecting to dancing myself,
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that I shall hope to be honoured with the hands of all my fair cousins in the course of the evening;
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and I take this opportunity of soliciting yours,
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Miss Elizabeth,
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for the two first dances especially,
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a preference which I trust my cousin Jane will attribute to the right cause,
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and not to any disrespect for her.”
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Elizabeth felt herself completely taken in.
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She had fully proposed being engaged by Mr. Wickham for those very dances;
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and to have Mr. Collins instead!
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her liveliness had never been worse timed.
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There was no help for it,
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however.
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Mr. Wickham’s happiness and her own were perforce delayed a little longer,
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and Mr. Collins’s proposal accepted with as good a grace as she could.
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She was not the better pleased with his gallantry from the idea it suggested of something more.
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It now first struck her,
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that she was selected from among her sisters as worthy of being mistress of Hunsford Parsonage,
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and of assisting to form a quadrille table at Rosings,
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in the absence of more eligible visitors.
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The idea soon reached to conviction,
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as she observed his increasing civilities toward herself,
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and heard his frequent attempt at a compliment on her wit and vivacity;
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and though more astonished than gratified herself by this effect of her charms,
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it was not long before her mother gave her to understand that the probability of their marriage was extremely agreeable to her.
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Elizabeth,
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however,
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did not choose to take the hint,
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being well aware that a serious dispute must be the consequence of any reply.
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Mr. Collins might never make the offer,
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and till he did,
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it was useless to quarrel about him.
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If there had not been a Netherfield ball to prepare for and talk of,
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the younger Miss Bennets would have been in a very pitiable state at this time,
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for from the day of the invitation,
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to the day of the ball,
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there was such a succession of rain as prevented their walking to Meryton once.
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No aunt,
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no officers,
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no news could be sought after—the very shoe-roses for Netherfield were got by proxy.
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Even Elizabeth might have found some trial of her patience in weather which totally suspended the improvement of her acquaintance with Mr. Wickham;
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and nothing less than a dance on Tuesday,
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could have made such a Friday,
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Saturday,
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Sunday,
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and Monday endurable to Kitty and Lydia.
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End of chapter 17.
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