Chapter 55 Chapter Fifty-Four

As soon as they were gone, Elizabeth went to stay outside the house, in order to refresh her spirits, or, in other words, to dwell on thoughts which might have dulled her spirits.Mr. Darcy's conduct surprised her as much as it annoyed her. She thought: If he came this time to be silent and solemn, why should he come? When he was in the city, he was still kind and likable to my aunt and uncle, but why did he treat me differently?If he doesn't care about me anymore, why doesn't he say anything?What a man who is used to making fun of others!I will never miss him again. The approach of her sister forced her to put the thought aside for a while.As soon as she saw her sister's happy expression, she knew that although these two honored guests disappointed her, her sister was more proud.

My sister said: The first meeting has finally passed, and I feel very at ease.Since I can handle it this time, I won't be embarrassed when he comes next time.I'm glad he can dine here on Tuesday, because then everyone will see that he and I are just casual friends. Elizabeth smiled and said: What a friend who doesn't care!Jane, you'd better be careful! Dear Liz, don't think I'm so weak that I'm still in danger. I see you in great danger of making him fall in love with you. It was not until Tuesday that they saw the two distinguished guests again.As Mrs. Bennet had last seen Mr. Bingley in high spirits and good manners during his short half-hour interview, she had been preoccupied for the past few days.

Let's say that many guests came to Longbourne that day; the two most desired guests of the host's family arrived on time, and the hunting family really kept the time and lived up to its reputation.As soon as they entered the dining-room, Elizabeth looked quickly to Mr. Bingley to see if he had taken the seat beside Jane, as he had formerly occupied that seat at every party.Her shrewd mother felt the same way, and did not invite him to sit beside her.When he first entered the dining-room, he seemed to hesitate, but by chance Jane turned her head and smiled, and he made up his mind to sit down beside her.Elizabeth was very complacent, and couldn't help but glanced at his friend, only to see Darcy's self-possession, as if nothing had happened.If she had not happened to catch Mr. Bingley looking also at Mr. Darcy, with mixed surprise and delight, she would have thought that Mr. Darcy's permission had been given to his favor this time.

At dinner, Mr. Bingley did express his admiration for her sister.and though the affection was less open than before, Elizabeth felt that Jane's happiness, and his own, must be at once certain, if only he could leave him entirely in his own hands.Although she didn't dare to have extravagant hopes, seeing his attitude really made her happy.Although she was not in a very happy mood at the time, it gave her a great spiritual encouragement.Mr. Darcy's seat was so far from hers that he sat with her mother.She found it disinteresting and inconvenient, both to Darcy and to her mother.The seats were so far apart that, of course, she could not hear what Darcy was talking to her mother, but she could see that they spoke very little, and that they spoke very formally and coldly.Seeing his mother's perfunctory treatment of him, and thinking of his deep affection for their family, she certainly felt very uncomfortable.There were times when she wished she could tell him that it wasn't that nobody in her family knew his good, and that it wasn't that the whole family was ungrateful to him.

She hoped that this afternoon they could get closer to each other and talk more, not to let him down this visit, not to let him just hear her greeting as usual when he entered the door, and then get nothing.She felt so anxious and restless that she was almost on the verge of losing her temper with boredom before the two distinguished guests entered the drawing room.She wished with all her heart that they would come in, for that was the whole interest of the afternoon. She thought: If he still doesn't come to me at that time, I have no choice but to give him up forever. The two distinguished guests came in; and from the way he looked, she felt that he would live up to her wishes.But my God!Miss Bennet poured tea and Elizabeth poured coffee, but the ladies crowded the table so crowded that there was not room for a chair.After they had come in, one of the girls drew nearer to Elizabeth, and whispered to her, "I will never let such a man come and separate us."No matter which man, let's not let him come, okay?

Darcy had to go away.Elizabeth kept her eyes fixed on him, and she felt jealous of anyone talking to him.She was hardly in the mood to serve coffee to the guests.After a while, she complained that she shouldn't be so infatuated. He is a man I have rejected!How could I be so stupid as to expect him to fall in love with me again?What kind of man would be so spineless to propose a second marriage to a woman?They don't bother to do such a shameful thing! She was a little happier now that he had returned the coffee cup himself, and immediately seized the opportunity to speak to him: Is your sister still at Pemberley?

Still, she's going to be there until Christmas. Is she alone?Are all her friends gone? Mrs. Agnesley was with her.The others had all gone to Scarborough three weeks ago. She couldn't think of anything else to say; but, if he would talk to her, he had his way.He stood beside her in silence for some minutes, and then the young lady began to whisper to Elizabeth again, and he was obliged to go away again. When the tea things were removed and the card tables were all set, and the ladies stood up, Elizabeth wished that he would come to her at once, but it was difficult for him to see her mother go around beating Whistle by force. However, in an instant, she sat down at the card table with all the guests, and all her hopes were dashed.All the excitement that filled her was gone.She was hopeless tonight.The two had to sit at a poker table each, and Darcy looked her way frequently, and they both lost the game.

Mrs. Bennet had intended to dine with these two distinguished guests at Reunion Fields, but unfortunately they ordered the servants to harness the carriage before anyone else, so she had no chance of retaining them. As soon as the guests had gone, Mrs. Bennet said, "Have you had a good day, children?"Let me tell you, I think everything is going very well.The food has never been so well cooked.The venison was cooked just right, and it was said that such a fat loin had never been seen.Speaking of soup, it's much better than what we had at Lucas's last week.Even Mr. Darcy admits that the partridge cooks so beautifully that I think he used at least three French cooks himself.Besides, dear Jane, I never saw you more beautiful than you are today.Mrs. Lange said the same, because I asked you in her presence if you were beautiful.What else do you think she said?She said: Ugh!Mrs. Bennet, she must marry at Netherfield.She really said so.I think Mrs. Lange is a very nice person; her nieces are all good-looking girls, but they are not at all good-looking.I really like them.

All in all, Mrs. Bennet had a very happy day indeed.She saw Bingley's behavior towards Jane, and therefore believed that Jane would get him.When she was happy for a while, she couldn't help dreaming, and only hoped that this marriage would bring some benefits to her family. When he didn't come to propose marriage the next day, she was very disappointed. Miss Bennet said to Elizabeth: It's really interesting to have a day today. The guests who come to dinner are so well selected, and everyone is very speculative.I hope we can meet more often in the future. Elizabeth smiled.

Liz, please don't laugh, don't suspect me.This will make me sick.I tell you, I just admire the conversation of such a bright and kind young man, and I don't think it's wrong.One aspect of his whole demeanour, which I am entirely satisfied with, is that he made absolutely no attempt to please me.It's just that his conversation is really better than others, and he is more easy-going than others. I only heard my sister say: You are so cruel, you don't want me to laugh, but you want to make me laugh all the time. How hard some things are to be believed! And some things are simply impossible to believe!

But why do you force me to think that I haven't told the whole truth? I can't answer this question.We all like to give advice to others, but when others give advice, they don't appreciate it.Count me sorry for you.If you keep saying you don't mean anything to him, don't convince me.