Elizabeth made no answer, and took her place in the set, amazed at the dignity to which she was arrived in being allowed to stand opposite to Mr Darcy, and reading in her neighbours’ looks their equal amazement in beholding it He replied, and was again silent After a pause of some minutes, she addressed him a second time, with-- “It is _your_ turn to say something now, Mr “Very well; that reply will do for the present Perhaps, by-and-by, I may observe that private balls are much pleasanter than public ones; but _now_ we may be silent.” “Do you talk by rule, then, while you are dancing?” “Sometimes One must speak a little, you know “How near it may be to _mine_, I cannot pretend to say She answered in the affirmative; and, unable to resist the temptation, added, “When you met us there the other day, we had just been forming a new acquaintance.” The effect was immediate A deeper shade of _hauteur_ overspread his features, but he said not a word; and Elizabeth, though blaming herself for her own weakness, could not go on At length Darcy spoke, and in a constrained manner said,-- “Mr At that moment Sir William Lucas appeared close to them, meaning to pass through the set to the other side of the room; but, on perceiving Mr Darcy, he stopped, with a bow of superior courtesy, to compliment him on his dancing and his partner “I have been most highly gratified, indeed, my dear sir; such very superior dancing is not often seen It is evident that you belong to the first circles What congratulations will then flow in Darcy;--but let me not interrupt you, sir Recovering himself, however, shortly, he turned to his partner, and said,-- “Sir William’s interruption has made me forget what we were talking of.” “I do not think we were speaking at all Sir William could not have interrupted any two people in the room who had less to say for themselves We have tried two or three subjects already without success, and what we are to talk of next I cannot imagine.” “What think you of books?” said he, smiling “Books--oh no!--I am sure we never read the same, or not with the same feelings.” “I am sorry you think so; but if that be the case, there can at least be no want of subject Darcy, that you hardly ever forgave;--that your resentment, once created, was unappeasable You are very cautious, I suppose, as to its _being created_?” “I am,” said he, with a firm voice “I am trying to make it out.” “And what is your success?” She shook her head They had not long separated when Miss Bingley came towards her, and, with an expression of civil disdain, thus accosted her,-- “So, Miss Eliza, I hear you are quite delighted with George Wickham Let me recommend you, however, as a friend, not to give implicit confidence to all his assertions; for, as to Mr Darcy’s using him ill, it is perfectly false: for, on the contrary, he has been always remarkably kind to him, though George Wickham has treated Mr Darcy in a most infamous manner I do not know the particulars, but I know very well that Mr His coming into the country at all is a most insolent thing, indeed, and I wonder how he could presume to do it Darcy’s steward, and of _that_, I can assure you, he informed me himself.” “I beg your pardon,” replied Miss Bingley, turning away with a sneer “Excuse my interference; it was kindly meant.” “Insolent girl!” said Elizabeth to herself “You are much mistaken if you expect to influence me by such a paltry attack as this I see nothing in it but your own wilful ignorance and the malice of Mr Darcy.” She then sought her eldest sister, who had undertaken to make inquiries on the same subject of Bingley Jane met her with a smile of such sweet complacency, a glow of such happy expression, as sufficiently marked how well she was satisfied with the occurrences of the evening “I want to know,” said she, with a countenance no less smiling than her sister’s, “what you have learnt about Mr Bingley does not know the whole of his history, and is quite ignorant of the circumstances which have principally offended Mr Darcy; but he will vouch for the good conduct, the probity and honour, of his friend, and is perfectly convinced that Mr Wickham has deserved much less attention from Mr Darcy than he has received; and I am sorry to say that by his account, as well as his sister’s, Mr Wickham is by no means a respectable young man I am afraid he has been very imprudent, and has deserved to lose Mr Wickham himself.” “No; he never saw him till the other morning at Meryton.” “This account then is what he has received from Mr But what does he say of the living?” “He does not exactly recollect the circumstances, though he has heard them from Mr Darcy more than once, but he believes that it was left to him _conditionally_ only.” “I have not a doubt of Mr Bingley’s sincerity,” said Elizabeth warmly, “but you must excuse my not being convinced by assurances only Elizabeth listened with delight to the happy though modest hopes which Jane entertained of Bingley’s regard, and said all in her power to heighten her confidence in it Bingley himself, Elizabeth withdrew to Miss Lucas; to whose inquiry after the pleasantness of her last partner she had scarcely replied, before Mr Collins came up to them, and told her with great exultation, that he had just been so fortunate as to make a most important discovery