Pride and Prejudice | Page 9

it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly
had a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered
uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes.
To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though
he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect
symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be
light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were
not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy
playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; to her he was only the
man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought
her handsome enough to dance with.

He began to wish to know more of her, and as a step towards
conversing with her himself, attended to her conversation with others.
His doing so drew her notice. It was at Sir William Lucas's, where a
large party were assembled.
"What does Mr. Darcy mean," said she to Charlotte, "by listening to my
conversation with Colonel Forster?"
"That is a question which Mr. Darcy only can answer."
"But if he does it any more I shall certainly let him know that I see
what he is about. He has a very satirical eye, and if I do not begin by
being impertinent myself, I shall soon grow afraid of him."
On his approaching them soon afterwards, though without seeming to
have any intention of speaking, Miss Lucas defied her friend to
mention such a subject to him; which immediately provoking Elizabeth
to do it, she turned to him and said:
"Did you not think, Mr. Darcy, that I expressed myself uncommonly
well just now, when I was teasing Colonel Forster to give us a ball at
Meryton?"
"With great energy; but it is always a subject which makes a lady
energetic."
"You are severe on us."
"It will be HER turn soon to be teased," said Miss Lucas. "I am going
to open the instrument, Eliza, and you know what follows."
"You are a very strange creature by way of a friend!--always wanting
me to play and sing before anybody and everybody! If my vanity had
taken a musical turn, you would have been invaluable; but as it is, I
would really rather not sit down before those who must be in the habit
of hearing the very best performers." On Miss Lucas's persevering,
however, she added, "Very well, if it must be so, it must." And gravely
glancing at Mr. Darcy, "There is a fine old saying, which everybody

here is of course familiar with: 'Keep your breath to cool your porridge';
and I shall keep mine to swell my song."
Her performance was pleasing, though by no means capital. After a
song or two, and before she could reply to the entreaties of several that
she would sing again, she was eagerly succeeded at the instrument by
her sister Mary, who having, in consequence of being the only plain
one in the family, worked hard for knowledge and accomplishments,
was always impatient for display.
Mary had neither genius nor taste; and though vanity had given her
application, it had given her likewise a pedantic air and conceited
manner, which would have injured a higher degree of excellence than
she had reached. Elizabeth, easy and unaffected, had been listened to
with much more pleasure, though not playing half so well; and Mary, at
the end of a long concerto, was glad to purchase praise and gratitude by
Scotch and Irish airs, at the request of her younger sisters, who, with
some of the Lucases, and two or three officers, joined eagerly in
dancing at one end of the room.
Mr. Darcy stood near them in silent indignation at such a mode of
passing the evening, to the exclusion of all conversation, and was too
much engrossed by his thoughts to perceive that Sir William Lucas was
his neighbour, till Sir William thus began:
"What a charming amusement for young people this is, Mr. Darcy!
There is nothing like dancing after all. I consider it as one of the first
refinements of polished society."
"Certainly, sir; and it has the advantage also of being in vogue amongst
the less polished societies of the world. Every savage can dance."
Sir William only smiled. "Your friend performs delightfully," he
continued after a pause, on seeing Bingley join the group; "and I doubt
not that you are an adept in the science yourself, Mr. Darcy."
"You saw me dance at Meryton, I believe, sir."

"Yes, indeed, and received no inconsiderable pleasure from the sight.
Do you often dance at St. James's?"
"Never, sir."
"Do you not think it would be a proper compliment to the place?"
"It is a