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Гордость и предубеждение
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Глава 8
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Pride and Prejudice
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“And I wish my collection were larger for your benefit and my own credit;
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but I am an idle fellow,
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and though I have not many,
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I have more than I ever looked into.”
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Elizabeth assured him that she could suit herself perfectly with those in the room.
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“I am astonished,”
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said Miss Bingley,
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“that my father should have left so small a collection of books.
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What a delightful library you have at Pemberley,
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Mr. Darcy!”
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“It ought to be good,”
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he replied,
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“it has been the work of many generations.”
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“And then you have added so much to it yourself,
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you are always buying books.”
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“I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these.”
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“Neglect!
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I am sure you neglect nothing that can add to the beauties of that noble place.
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Charles,
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when you build your house,
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I wish it may be half as delightful as Pemberley.”
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“I wish it may.”
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“But I would really advise you to make your purchase in that neighbourhood,
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and take Pemberley for a kind of model.
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There is not a finer county in England than Derbyshire.”
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“With all my heart;
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I will buy Pemberley itself if Darcy will sell it.”
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“I am talking of possibilities,
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Charles.”
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“Upon my word,
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Caroline,
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I should think it more possible to get Pemberley by purchase than by imitation.”
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Elizabeth was so much caught with what passed,
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as to leave her very little attention for her book;
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and soon laying it wholly aside,
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she drew near the card-table,
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and stationed herself between Mr. Bingley and his eldest sister,
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to observe the game.
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“Is Miss Darcy much grown since the spring?”
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said Miss Bingley;
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“will she be as tall as I am?”
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“I think she will.
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She is now about Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s height,
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or rather taller.”
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“How I long to see her again!
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I never met with anybody who delighted me so much.
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Such a countenance,
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such manners!
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And so extremely accomplished for her age!
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Her performance on the pianoforte is exquisite.”
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“It is amazing to me,”
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said Bingley,
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“how young ladies can have patience to be so very accomplished as they all are.”
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“All young ladies accomplished!
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My dear Charles,
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what do you mean?”
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“Yes,
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all of them,
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I think.
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They all paint tables,
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cover screens,
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and net purses.
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I scarcely know anyone who cannot do all this,
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and I am sure I never heard a young lady spoken of for the first time,
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without being informed that she was very accomplished.”
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“Your list of the common extent of accomplishments,”
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said Darcy,
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“has too much truth.
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The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse or covering a screen.
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But I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general.
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I cannot boast of knowing more than half-a-dozen,
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in the whole range of my acquaintance,
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that are really accomplished.”
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“Nor I,
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I am sure,”
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said Miss Bingley.
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“Then,”
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observed Elizabeth,
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“you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished woman.”
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“Yes,
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I do comprehend a great deal in it.”
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“Oh!
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certainly,”
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cried his faithful assistant,
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“no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with.
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A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music,
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singing,
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drawing,
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dancing,
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and the modern languages,
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to deserve the word;
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and besides all this,
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she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking,
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the tone of her voice,
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her address and expressions,
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or the word will be but half-deserved.”
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“All this she must possess,”
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added Darcy,
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“and to all this she must yet add something more substantial,
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in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.”
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“I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women.
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I rather wonder now at your knowing any.”
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“Are you so severe upon your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all this?”
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“I never saw such a woman.
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I never saw such capacity,
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and taste,
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and application,
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and elegance,
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as you describe united.”
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Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley both cried out against the injustice of her implied doubt,
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and were both protesting that they knew many women who answered this description,
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when Mr. Hurst called them to order,
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with bitter complaints of their inattention to what was going forward.
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As all conversation was thereby at an end,
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Elizabeth soon afterwards left the room.
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“Elizabeth Bennet,”
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said Miss Bingley,
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when the door was closed on her,
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“is one of those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing their own;
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and with many men,
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I dare say,
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it succeeds.
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But,
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in my opinion,
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it is a paltry device,
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a very mean art.”
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“Undoubtedly,”
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replied Darcy,
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to whom this remark was chiefly addressed,
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“there is a meanness in all the arts which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation.
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Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable.”
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Miss Bingley was not so entirely satisfied with this reply as to continue the subject.
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Elizabeth joined them again only to say that her sister was worse,
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and that she could not leave her.
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Bingley urged Mr. Jones being sent for immediately;
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while his sisters,
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convinced that no country advice could be of any service,
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recommended an express to town for one of the most eminent physicians.
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This she would not hear of;
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but she was not so unwilling to comply with their brother’s proposal;
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and it was settled that Mr. Jones should be sent for early in the morning,
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if Miss Bennet were not decidedly better.
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Bingley was quite uncomfortable;
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his sisters declared that they were miserable.
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They solaced their wretchedness,
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however,
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by duets after supper,
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while he could find no better relief to his feelings than by giving his housekeeper directions that every attention might be paid to the sick lady and her sister.
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End of chapter 8.
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