Elizabeth silently attended
her
When breakfast was over, they were joined by the sisters; and Elizabeth
began to like them herself, when she saw how much affection and
solicitude they showed for Jane
The advice
was followed readily, for the feverish symptoms increased, and her head
ached acutely
Elizabeth did not quit her room for a moment, nor were
the other ladies often absent; the gentlemen being out, they had in fact
nothing to do elsewhere
When the clock struck three, Elizabeth felt that she must go, and very
unwillingly said so
Elizabeth most thankfully consented, and a servant was
despatched to Longbourn, to acquaint the family with her stay, and bring
back a supply of clothes
[Illustration:

“The Apothecary came”
]




[Illustration:

“covering a screen”
]




CHAPTER VIII
[Illustration]

At five o’clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at half-past six
Elizabeth was summoned to dinner
To the civil inquiries which then
poured in, and amongst which she had the pleasure of distinguishing the
much superior solicitude of Mr
Bingley, she could not make a very
favourable answer
Their brother, indeed, was the only one of the party whom she could
regard with any complacency
His anxiety for Jane was evident, and his
attentions to herself most pleasing; and they prevented her feeling
herself so much an intruder as she believed she was considered by the
others
She had very little notice from any but him
Miss Bingley was
engrossed by Mr
Darcy, her sister scarcely less so; and as for Mr
Hurst, by whom Elizabeth sat, he was an indolent man, who lived only to
eat, drink, and play at cards, who, when he found her prefer a plain
dish to a ragout, had nothing to say to her
When dinner was over, she returned directly to Jane, and Miss Bingley
began abusing her as soon as she was out of the room
Her manners were
pronounced to be very bad indeed,--a mixture of pride and impertinence:
she had no conversation, no style, no taste, no beauty
Hurst
thought the same, and added,--

“She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being an excellent
walker
I shall never forget her appearance this morning
She really
looked almost wild.”

“She did indeed, Louisa
I could hardly keep my countenance
Very
nonsensical to come at all
Why must _she_ be scampering about the
country, because her sister had a cold
I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked remarkably well
when she came into the room this morning
Her dirty petticoat quite
escaped my notice.”

“_You_ observed it, Mr
It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence,
a most country-town indifference to decorum.”

“It shows an affection for her sister that is very pleasing,” said
Bingley
Hurst began again,--

“I have an excessive regard for Jane Bennet,--she is really a very sweet
girl,--and I wish with all my heart she were well settled
To this speech Bingley made no answer; but his sisters gave it their
hearty assent, and indulged their mirth for some time at the expense of
their dear friend’s vulgar relations
With a renewal of tenderness, however, they repaired to her room on
leaving the dining-parlour, and sat with her till summoned to coffee
Hurst looked at her with astonishment
“Do you prefer reading to cards?” said he; “that is rather singular.”

“Miss Eliza Bennet,” said Miss Bingley, “despises cards
He immediately offered to fetch her
others; all that his library afforded
“I am astonished,” said Miss Bingley, “that my father should have left
so small a collection of books
What a delightful library you have at
Pemberley, Mr
I am sure you neglect nothing that can add to the beauties of
that noble place
Bingley and his eldest
sister, to observe the game
“Is Miss Darcy much grown since the spring?” said Miss Bingley: “will
she be as tall as I am?”

“I think she will
She is now about Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s height, or
rather taller.”

“How I long to see her again
I never met with anybody who delighted me
so much
Such a countenance, such manners, and so extremely accomplished
for her age
Her performance on the pianoforte is exquisite.”

“It is amazing to me,” said Bingley, “how young ladies can have patience
to be so very accomplished as they all are.”

“All young ladies accomplished
My dear Charles, what do you mean?”

“Yes, all of them, I think
They all paint tables, cover screens, and
net purses
The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no
otherwise than by netting a purse or covering a screen; but I am very
far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general
I
cannot boast of knowing more than half-a-dozen in the whole range of my
acquaintance that are really accomplished.”

“Nor I, I am sure,” said Miss Bingley
I rather wonder now at your knowing _any_.”

“Are you so severe upon your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all
this?”

“_I_ never saw such a woman
_I_ never saw such capacity, and taste, and
application, and elegance, as you describe, united.”

Mrs
Hurst and Miss Bingley both cried out against the injustice of her
implied doubt, and were both protesting that they knew many women who
answered this description, when Mr
Hurst called them to order, with
bitter complaints of their inattention to what was going forward