CHAPTER V

Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom

the Bennets were particularly intimate. Sir William Lucas

had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a

tolerable fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an

address to the king during his mayoralty. The distinction had

perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust

to his business, and to his residence in a small market town;

and, in quitting them both, he had removed with his family

to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that

period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his

own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself

solely in being civil to all the world. For, though elated by his

rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was

all attention to everybody. By nature inoffensive, friendly, and

obliging, his presentation at St. James's had made him courteous.

Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever to

be a valuable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet. They had several

children. The eldest of them, a sensible, intelligent young

woman, about twenty-seven, was Elizabeth's intimate friend.

That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to

talk over a ball was absolutely necessary; and the morning after

the assembly brought the former to Longbourn to hear and to

communicate.

"YOU began the evening well, Charlotte," said Mrs. Bennet with

civil self-command to Miss Lucas. "YOU were Mr. Bingley's

first choice."

"Yes; but he seemed to like his second better."

"Oh! you mean Jane, I suppose, because he danced with her

twice. To be sure that DID seem as if he admired her--indeed

I rather believe he DID--I heard something about it--but I

hardly know what--something about Mr. Robinson."

"Perhaps you mean what I overheard between him and Mr. Robinson;

did not I mention it to you? Mr. Robinson's asking him how he

liked our Meryton assemblies, and whether he did not think there

were a great many pretty women in the room, and WHICH he thought

the prettiest? and his answering immediately to the last

question: 'Oh! the eldest Miss Bennet, beyond a doubt; there

cannot be two opinions on that point.'"

"Upon my word! Well, that is very decided indeed--that does

seem as if--but, however, it may all come to nothing, you know."

"MY overhearings were more to the purpose than YOURS, Eliza,"

said Charlotte. "Mr. Darcy is not so well worth listening to

as his friend, is he?--poor Eliza!--to be only just TOLERABLE."

"I beg you would not put it into Lizzy's head to be vexed by

his ill-treatment, for he is such a disagreeable man, that it

would be quite a misfortune to be liked by him. Mrs. Long

told me last night that he sat close to her for half-an-hour

without once opening his lips."

"Are you quite sure, ma'am?--is not there a little mistake?"

said Jane. "I certainly saw Mr. Darcy speaking to her."

"Aye--because she asked him at last how he liked Netherfield,

and he could not help answering her; but she said he seemed

quite angry at being spoke to."

"Miss Bingley told me," said Jane, "that he never speaks much,

unless among his intimate acquaintances. With THEM he is

remarkably agreeable."

"I do not believe a word of it, my dear. If he had been so very

agreeable, he would have talked to Mrs. Long. But I can guess

how it was; everybody says that he is eat up with pride, and I

dare say he had heard somehow that Mrs. Long does not keep

a carriage, and had come to the ball in a hack chaise."

"I do not mind his not talking to Mrs. Long," said Miss Lucas,

"but I wish he had danced with Eliza."

"Another time, Lizzy," said her mother, "I would not dance

with HIM, if I were you."

"I believe, ma'am, I may safely promise you NEVER to dance

with him."

"His pride," said Miss Lucas, "does not offend ME so much as

pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot

wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune,

everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I

may so express it, he has a RIGHT to be proud."

"That is very true," replied Elizabeth, "and I could easily

forgive HIS pride, if he had not mortified MINE."

"Pride," observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity

of her reflections, "is a very common failing, I believe. By

all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common

indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and

that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of

self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real

or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though

the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud

without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of

ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."

"If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy," cried a young Lucas, who

came with his sisters, "I should not care how proud I was. I

would keep a pack of foxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine a

day."

"Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought," said

Mrs. Bennet; "and if I were to see you at it, I should take away

your bottle directly."

The boy protested that she should not; she continued to declare

that she would, and the argument ended only with the visit.

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