Chapter 19 Chapter Eighteen

When Elizabeth entered the drawing-room at Netherfield, and sought Mr. Wickham in vain among a group of people in red uniforms, she began to suspect that he might not be coming.She thought he would definitely come, and although she was worried by the memory of all the past events, her confidence was not affected by it. She dressed more carefully than usual, and happily prepared to take his She wants to conquer all the hearts that have not been conquered, and she believes that at today's party, she will definitely let her win his heart completely.But after a while a dreadful suspicion arose in her: Had Mr. Bingley not invited Wickham deliberately, in order to please Mr. Darcy, when he invited the officers?Although this was not the case, the reason for his absence was immediately announced by his friend Mr. Denny.This is because Lydia couldn't wait to ask Danny, and Danny told them that Wickham had gone to town the day before and hadn't come back, and added with a meaningful smile: I think he If it weren't for avoiding a certain gentleman here, it would never be such a coincidence that he was absent at this time due to business.

Elizabeth heard his news, though Lydia did not hear it.Elizabeth therefore concluded that Mr. Darcy was still responsible for Wickham's absence, though she had not guessed correctly at first.She felt so disappointed, and grew more and more disgusted with Darcy, that when he next came up to say hello to her, she could hardly answer him nicely.You know, being courteous, tolerant, and patient with Darcy is tantamount to hurting Wickham.She resolved not to say a word to him, and turned away disconsolately, and was not quite happy even in speaking to Mr. Bingley, who had aroused her anger by his blind preference for Darcy.

Eliza was not much of a loser during the day, and though she was a great disappointment to-night, she was not much in the mood.She first told Charlotte, who had not seen her for a week, all her sorrows.Miss Lucas, after a while, volunteered to tell her the curious case of her cousin, pointing him out to her in particular.The first two dances troubled her again, two painful dances.Mr. Collins is stupid and rigid, he only knows how to apologize, but he doesn't know how to be careful, and often makes mistakes in his steps without knowing it.He was a very repulsive partner, and she had been humiliated and tortured.So, to be free from him, she was ecstatic.

She then danced with an officer, and told him about Wickham.Hearing from him, Wickham was a man who liked everywhere, so she felt much better in spirit.After these few dances, she returned to Charlotte.Lucas was next to her, talking to her, when she suddenly heard Mr. Darcy calling her and asking her to dance unexpectedly, she was startled, and she agreed to him involuntarily.Darcy walked away immediately after jumping, and she kept blaming herself for being so clueless.Charlotte did her best to comfort her. You will surely find him likable in the future. God forbid!That's called bad luck!If you make up your mind to hate a person, you will fall in love with him all of a sudden!Don't curse me like that.

When the dance resumed and Darcy came up to her to ask her to dance again, Charlotte couldn't help biting her ear, reminding her not to be a fool, and not to offend a better than Wickham just to have a good impression of Wickham People whose worth is ten times higher.Elizabeth got off the dance floor without answering. She could not have expected such dignity to dance face to face with Mr. Darcy, and she saw the same surprised eyes from the people around her.The two of them danced for a while without exchanging a word.She imagined that the two dances would be silent until the end, and at first she decided not to break the silence, but then she suddenly had a fantasy, thinking that if her partner had to say a few words, it would make him suffer even more. So she said a few words about dancing.He answered her, and there was silence again.After a few minutes' rest, she spoke to him a second time:

Now is your turn to talk, Mr. Darcy.Now that I'm talking about dancing, you have to talk about the size of the dance floor and how many couples there are. He smiled and told her that he would say whatever she asked him to say. Very well; the answer is presently plausible.In a moment I may speak of private balls being better than public ones; but we shall now be silent. So, is it customary for you to talk when you dance? sometimes.You know, one has to say something.It was awkward enough to be together for half an hour in silence.However, there are some people who just want to talk as little as possible. For the sake of these people, we might as well arrange a little less talking.

Are you taking care of your own emotions in this situation, or are you trying to please me emotionally? Killing two birds with one stone, Elizabeth replied slickly.Because I always feel that we both have the same thoughts.Our personalities don't quite get along with others, and we don't want to talk too much, and we rarely speak unless we want to say a few blockbuster words that will be passed down through the ages as a proverb. He said: I don't think your personality is necessarily like this. Whether my personality is very similar in this respect, I dare not say.You must think you describe yourself very well.

Of course I can't draw my own conclusions. He made no answer, and they were silent again, until they went down to the pool again to dance, and then he asked her if she used to walk up Meryton with her sisters.She replied that she often goes.When she said this, she couldn't help it anymore, so she went on to say: When you met us there that day, we were making a new friend. The words had an immediate effect.A shadow of arrogance fell over his face, but he said nothing.Elizabeth could not go on, but in her heart she complained of her weakness.Then it was Darcy who reluctantly spoke first:

Mr. Wickham was born with a cheerful countenance, and was very good at making friends.As to whether he can get along with his friends for a long time, it is not very reliable. Elizabeth replied emphatically: "It is his misfortune to lose your friendship, and to make such an embarrassment that it may pain him all his life." Darcy made no answer, as if wishing to change the subject.Just then, William.Sir Lucas approached them, intending to cross the dance-floor to the other side of the room, but stopped at the sight of Mr. Darcy, bowed politely to him, and praised him for his excellent dance. Well, I found a good partner again.

I am so glad, my dear sir, that it is rare to dance so well.You are unquestionably a first-rate talent.Let me say again, you are worthy of your pretty partner, and I hope to see you often, especially when some good thing happens someday, my dear Miss Elizabeth. (He glances at her sister and at Bingley) What a lively scene of congratulations there will be then.I beseech Mr. Darcy: But let me leave you alone, sir.You're talking ecstatically with this lady, and you wouldn't be grateful if I delayed you, see her bright eyes reproaching me too. Darcy hardly heard the second half of the speech.But Sir William's mention of his friend was such a shock to his heart, that he looked gravely at Bingley and Jane, who were dancing.He regained his composure at once, turned to his own partner and said:

Sir William interrupted us, and I can hardly remember what we were talking about. I don't think we talked about anything at all.No two people in the room talked less than we did, so Sir William could not interrupt anything.We've changed the subject two or three times, and we've always been off the hook, and I can't think of anything else to talk about in the future. How about talking about books?he said with a smile. book!Oh no; I'm sure we don't read the same books and experience them differently. I'm sorry you think so; if that's the case, it's not necessarily out of the question.We can also compare different views. No, I can't talk about books in a dance hall; I've got other things on my mind. You're always preoccupied with the occasion, aren't you?he asked with hesitant eyes. Yes, always, she replied.In fact, she didn't know what she was talking about, and her thoughts had gone far away. Just listen to her suddenly say something like this: Mr. Darcy, I remember hearing you say once, You can never forgive others. Once you have a grievance with others, you can't get rid of it.I think you should always be very cautious when you say it, right? Exactly, he said firmly. Have you never been prejudiced and blinded? I don't think so. For some people who insist on their own opinions, when they decide on a proposition, they should think it over carefully at the beginning. May I ask you, what is the purpose of your asking me these words? She tried her best to put on a nonchalant air and said: It's just to explain your character, I want to understand your character. So have you figured it out? She shook her head.I can't figure it out at all.I've heard that people's views on you are so inconsistent that I don't know who to believe. He replied solemnly: People have very different opinions on me, and I believe there must be big differences among them.Miss Bennet, I hope you will refrain from characterizing me for the time being, for fear that it will do neither you nor me any good. However, if I don't get to know you now, I won't have a chance in the future. So he replied coldly: I will never interrupt your fun.She didn't say any more.The two of them danced again, and parted in silence.Both were unhappy, though in different degrees.Darcy felt so fond of her that he forgave her at once, and turned all his anger upon another. They parted a little while before Miss Bingley came up to Elizabeth, and said to her with an air of contempt and civility: Oh, Miss Eliza, I hear what you said to George.Wickham is very fond of it!Your sister just talked about him to me and asked me a lot of questions.I noticed that, though the young magistrate has told you everything, he forgot to mention that he was the son of old Wickham, old Mr. Darcy's accountant.He says that Mr. Darcy has treated him badly, which is sheer nonsense, and let me advise you, as a friend, not to take his word for it blindly.Mr. Darcy had been too kind to him, only George.Wickham treats Mr. Darcy with despicable means.I do not know the details, but I am well aware of the incident, and I am not in the least to blame Mr. Darcy.As soon as Darcy heard the mention of George.Wickham couldn't stand it.My brother had a banquet with the officers this time, and it was hard to pick him out. Finally, he got his own way and avoided it. My brother is very happy.It is so absurd for him to come to this village, I don't understand how he dared to do it.I am sorry, Miss Eliza, for exposing the fault of your sweetheart.But in fact, if you just look at his background, of course you can't expect him to do anything good. Elizabeth said angrily: "According to what you said, his fault and his origin seem to be the same thing. I didn't hear you say anything about him. I only heard him call him the son of Mr. Darcy's accountant, honestly." I tell you, he's already told me this himself. Excuse me, pardon my meddling; but I mean well.Miss Bingley sneered when she had said this, and went away. Disrespectful little girl!Elizabeth said to herself.You have turned your mind wrong. Do you think that such a despicable attack on others will affect my opinion of others?This attack of yours makes me see through your own obstinate ignorance and Mr. Darcy's insidiousness. She then went to her own sister, who had also asked Bingley about the matter.Jane's face was full of smiles and radiance, which showed how much she was satisfied with the scenes of the party that day.Elizabeth saw her mood at once; and instantly dismissed her own longing for Wickham, resentment against his enemies, and all other feelings, and only hoped that Jane would go smoothly to happiness. the way. She also said with a smile on her face like her sister: I want to ask you, have you heard anything about Mr. Wickham?Perhaps you are too happy to think of the third person; if that is the case, I can certainly forgive you. No, replied Jane, I have not forgotten him, but I have nothing satisfactory to tell you.Mr. Bingley did not know the whole story of him, and still less of the points in which he chiefly offended Mr. Darcy; but he could vouch for his own friend's good character, honesty, And thought that Mr. Darcy had treated Mr. Wickham too well in the past.It is a pity to say that Mr. Wickham was by no means a decent young man, judging from his and her sister's.I fear he is really very rash, and no wonder Mr. Darcy ignores him. Did Mr. Bingley not know Mr. Wickham himself? No, it was the first time he had seen him that morning at Meryton. He heard it, then, from Mr. Darcy.I couldn't be happier.What did he say about that pastor's office? He had only heard Mr. Darcy mention it a few times, and he could not remember the details, but he believed that, although the position was reserved for Mr. Wickham, it was conditional. Elizabeth said excitedly: "Of course Mr. Bingley is an honest gentleman, but please forgive me, I can't be convinced by just a few words."Mr. Bingley's words in defense of his own friend may have been forceful; but since he is confused about some parts of the matter, and others are told by his friend himself, I may as well I don't want to change my original opinion of these two gentlemen. She then changed the subject so that they could both talk more comfortably.The two of them were in complete agreement on this point.Elizabeth listened with pleasure to Jane's account of how much she had hoped for happiness in Mr. Bingley, though she dared not expect much;Presently Mr. Bingley came up to them, and Elizabeth withdrew to Miss Lucas.Miss Lucas asked her if she had enjoyed the dance with her partner, and before she could answer, Mr Collins stepped forward and told them, with great joy, that he had been lucky enough to have discovered something of great importance . He said: It was really beyond my expectation that I found that there was a close relative of my benefactor in this house.I happened to overhear a gentleman telling the lady of the owner's house that his own cousin, deMiss Power and his aunt, Lady Caitlin.What a coincidence!Who would have thought I would run into Caitlin at this dance.De.Mrs. Power's nephew!Thankfully, my discovery was just in time, and there was still time to greet him.I had no idea of ​​such a relationship at all, so there is room for an apology. Are you going to introduce yourself to Mr. Darcy? Of course I intend to.I must ask his forgiveness, and ask him not to blame me for not asking him earlier.I believe he is Lady Catelyn's nephew.I can tell him that I saw her old man last week and she is really healthy. Elizabeth urged him not to do so, saying that if he went to greet Mr. Darcy without being introduced, Mr. Darcy would think him intrusive, rather than flattering his aunt, and that there was no need for any dealings. , even if you want to deal with him, Mr. Darcy, who has a relatively high status, should wait on him.Mr. Collins listened to her with an air of resoluteness, expressing that he must do what he wanted, and when she had finished speaking he replied: Dear Miss Elizabeth, you have excellent opinions on all subjects.I admire it very much, but listen to me: Laity etiquette is very different from priest etiquette.Listen to me, I think that in respect of dignity the priesthood is equal to that of a prince, provided you can be quite modest at the same time.So, this time, you should let me do what I think I should do according to my own conscience.Forgive me for not taking your advice, which I must take as my maxim in any other subject, but in this present case, I feel, as I am a well-educated man, and have studied it a little during the day, It is better for me to decide than for a young lady like you. He bowed deeply, and left her to pester Mr. Darcy.So she couldn't wait to see how Mr. Darcy treated his impertinence. She expected Mr. Darcy's surprise at this way of greeting, but her cousin bowed respectfully to Darcy first. , and then speak to him again.Elizabeth did not hear a word of what he said, but she seemed to hear everything he said, because from the movement of his lips, it was clear that he was saying nothing more than apology, Hunsford, Caitlin.De.Mrs Bauer or something like that.Seeing her cousin make a fool of himself in front of such a person, she was very annoyed.Mr. Darcy squinted at him with undisguised surprise, and when Mr. Collins had had enough of his nagging, Darcy parried him with a respectful air.Mr. Collins was not discouraged by this, and kept talking.Mr. Darcy's air of contempt was more open when he began to babble a second time.When he had finished, Mr. Darcy stooped casually and walked away.Then Mr. Collins came back to Elizabeth, and said to Elizabeth: I tell you, I have no reason to be dissatisfied with the way he has treated me.Darcy seemed very pleased to hear my cordial greeting.He answered my questions politely and thoughtfully, and even complimented me by saying that he admired Mrs. Caitlin's vision very much and did not promote the wrong person.That's a smart idea indeed.Generally speaking, I am very satisfied with him. Elizabeth, seeing no interest in the ball any longer, turned almost all her attention to her sister and Mr. Bingley.She saw all the scene in her eyes, imagined so many happy things, and felt almost as happy as Jane herself.She imagined that her sister was the housewife in this house, and the couple was very loving and happy.She felt that if such a day came, she would try to be fond of Bingley's two sisters as much as possible.She saw that her mother was obviously thinking the same idea, and she decided not to risk going up to her mother, lest she have to listen to her nagging again.So when they all sat down to eat, it pained her to see her mother sitting so close to her.Elizabeth was still more irritated by her mother's constant chatter with Mrs. Lucas, without restraint, about her hopes that Jane would marry Mr. Bingley at once.They talked more and more about it, and Mrs. Bennet went on counting the advantages of the marriage.In the first place Mr. Bingley was such a handsome young man, so rich, and lived only three miles from them, that these conditions were satisfactory.Secondly, it was comforting that his two sisters were very fond of Jane, and must have wished as much for the marriage as she had.Secondly, since Jane's marriage was so satisfactory, there was hope for the younger daughters to meet other rich men.Finally, let’s talk about her unmarried daughters. From now on, their lifelong affairs can also be entrusted to the eldest daughter, and she does not need to socialize for them. It is a matter of reason and reason. Mrs. Bennet was never used to being at home.She also wished Mrs. Lucas the same good fortune soon, and she was obviously condescending to predict that she would not have this blessing. Elizabeth, intent on frustrating her mother's eloquence, persuaded her to keep her conversations of her pride in a low voice, for Mr. Darcy, sitting opposite them, evidently heard most of what was said.But persuasion was useless, her mother just scolded her nonsense, she was really indescribably annoyed. I ask you, what has Mr. Darcy to do with me, and why should I be afraid of him?I have no reason to be particularly polite in front of him, can't I say what he doesn't like to hear? For heaven's sake, mother, speak softly.What good is it to you to offend Mr. Darcy?If you do this, his friends will not think highly of you. However, no matter what she said, it was useless.Her mother just wanted to speak out.Elizabeth was flushed with shame and irritation.She could not help glancing at Mr. Darcy, and each glance confirmed her suspicions more, for, though Darcy was not always looking at her mother, he was still looking intently at Elizabeth.His face showed an expression of anger and disgust at first, and then gradually became calm, solemn and serious. After Mrs. Bennet finished speaking, Mrs. Lucas was so satisfied with her talk, and she had no place for herself, she had already yawned, and now she could finally enjoy some cold meat and chicken in peace.Elizabeth was relieved now.It's a pity that her ears were not quiet for long, because as soon as dinner was over, everyone talked about singing.Elizabeth found it difficult to see Manly agreeing to everyone's entreaties after a little prodding.She used to wink at Manli frequently, and silently advised her again and again, trying her best to tell her not to please others like this, but it was a pity that all her efforts were in vain.Manli paid no attention to her intentions.This chance of showing off was something she couldn't wait for, so she began to sing.Elizabeth fixed her eyes on her with the utmost anguish, and listened to her several verses with anxiety, which was not at all lessened when it was over, for Manly heard her thanks, and some vague promises of wanting her. She rewarded them again, and after a half-minute break, she sang another song.Mary's talents were unsuited for such an act, for she had a thin voice and an unnatural manner.Elizabeth was in a terrible hurry.She looked at Jane to see if she could bear it, and Jane was talking quietly with Mr. Bingley.She saw again the two Bingley sisters winking at each other, and gesturing to Darcy, who still had a hard face.She took one last look at her father and begged him to come and stop her, lest Manli sing all night.Father understood what she meant, and when Mary had finished singing the second song, he said aloud: That's enough for you, boy.You've kept us happy long enough.Leave some time for the other ladies to put on a show. Although Manli pretended not to hear, she felt somewhat uncomfortable.Elizabeth felt bad for her, and bad for what her father had said, and feared all her pains would be in vain.Fortunately, everyone invited others to sing at this moment. I only heard Mr. Collins say: If I could sing by chance, I would be happy to sing for everyone; I think music is a noble entertainment, which has nothing to do with the pastor's profession.But I'm not saying that we should spend too much time on music, because there are many other things to do.How many things does the presiding priest in charge of a parish have, first of all, to lay down the regulations of tithes, which shall be in his own interest, and which shall not infringe upon the interests of the landowners.He would have to write his own sermons, which would leave him with little time.He still had to use the time to arrange his parish affairs, and to look after and tidy up his own dwelling, and it was always necessary to make it as comfortable as possible.Another point I think is also very important; he has to be courteous and kind to everyone, especially those who promote him.I think it's his responsibility.Besides, when you meet the relatives and friends of the benefactor's family, you must show respect on any occasion where you should show respect, otherwise it is outrageous.Here he concluded his speech with a bow to Mr. Darcy.He spoke so loudly that half the room could hear him.Many people were dumbfounded, and many people laughed, but no one listened as funny as Mr. Bennet, but his wife praised Mr. Collins's words in a serious way. She approached Mrs. Lucas and said that he obviously He is a very smart and outstanding young man. It seemed to Elizabeth that her family had made a pact to come here to-night to make a fool of themselves as much as possible, and never quite so vigorously, never so successfully.She felt that her sister and Mr. Bingley were so lucky that they did not see some embarrassing scenes. Fortunately, even if Mr. Bingley saw some ridiculous plots, he would not easily feel bad.But it was embarrassing enough that his two sisters and Mr. Darcy should seize the opportunity to laugh at her family, and which was more serious, the silent contempt of the gentleman, or the impertinent jeers of the two ladies? Embarrassingly, she couldn't tell. The second half of the party didn't bring her much fun either.Mr. Collins still refused to leave her side, and made fun of her.Although he couldn't ask her to dance with him again, it made it impossible for her to dance with anyone else.She asked him to dance with someone else, and promised to introduce him to a lady, but he refused.He told her that, as far as dancing was concerned, he was not at all interested, and that his chief intention was to be careful and to please her, and that he made up his mind to remain with her the whole evening.No matter how you explain it to him, it's useless.She felt better, thanks to her friend, Miss Lucas, who often came to them, and chatted kindly with Mr. Collins. At least Mr. Darcy could stop pissing her off.Although he often stood very close to her and there was no one around, he never came over to talk to her.She felt that it might be because she had mentioned Mr. Wickham, and she could not help secretly delighting in it. Among all the guests, the Longbourne family left last, and Mrs. Bennet used her wrists to wait for the carriage on the pretext of waiting until everyone had left, and the family stayed a quarter of an hour longer.During this period of time, they saw that some people in the host's family were very much expecting them to leave quickly.Mrs. Hurst and the sisters hardly spoke, but complained of fatigue, and apparently gave orders to evict them.When Mrs. Bennet tried to start a conversation with them, they refused, which made everyone listless.Mr. Collins, in spite of his tirade, complimenting Mr. Bingley and his sisters on how fine their dinners were, and how courteous and courteous they were to their guests, did not add any animation to them.Darcy said not a word.Mr. Bennet was also silent, standing there watching.Bingley and Jane stood some distance away, and were talking intimately.Elizabeth, like Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, remained silent.Even Lydia felt so tired that she said nothing, except now and then to exclaim: "My God, how tired I am!"Then he yawned loudly. At last they got up to leave, and Mrs. Bennet said earnestly that she hoped that Mr. Bingley and his family would go to Longbourne in the shortest possible time, and especially said to Mr. Bingley himself that if he It would be a great honor for them to come to their home for a casual meal without formal invitations.Mr. Bingley was overjoyed, and hastened to say that he was leaving to-morrow for a short stay in London, and that when he returned he would call on her as soon as he could. Satisfied, Mrs. Bennet came out of the house, thinking all the way; and in three or four months she would see her daughter found a home at Netherfield, and she must prepare some property, Dowry and new carriages.She was equally sure that the other daughter would marry Mr. Collins, and was quite, if not quite, pleased with this marriage than she had been with the other.Of all the daughters, she disliked Elizabeth the least.Although my uncle's character and family were more than enough for her, they paled in comparison with Mr. Bingley and Netherfield Gardens.