by Jane Austen
“Would Mr. Darcy then consider the rashness of your original intention as atoned for by your obstinacy in adhering to it?”24
“Upon my word I cannot exactly explain the matter, Darcy must speak for himself.”
“You expect me to account for opinions which you chuse to call mine, but which I have never acknowledged. Allowing the case, however, to stand according to your representation, you must remember, Miss Bennet, that the friend who is supposed to desire his return to the house, and the delay of his plan, has merely desired it, asked it without offering one argument in favour of its propriety.”
“To yield readily —easily—to the persuasion25 of a friend is no merit with you.”
“To yield without conviction is no compliment to the understanding26 of either.”
“You appear to rae, Mr. Darcy, to allow nothing for the influence of friendship and affection. A regard for the requester would often make one readily yield to a request, without waiting for arguments to reason one into it. I am not particularly speaking of such a case as you have supposed about Mr. Bingley. We may as well wait, perhaps, till the circumstance occurs, before we discuss the discretion27 of his behaviour thereupon. But in general and ordinary cases between friend and friend, where one of them is desired by the other to change a resolution of no very great moment, should you think ill ofthat person for complying with the desire, without waiting to be argued into it?”
“Will it not be advisable, before we proceed on this subject, to arrange with rather more precision the degree of importance which is to appertain to this request, as well as the degree of intimacy subsisting between the parties?”
“By all means,” cried Bingley; “let us hear all the particulars, not forgetting their comparative height and size; for that will have more weight in the argument, Miss Bennet, than you may be aware of. I assure you that if Darcy were not such a great tall fellow, in comparison with myself, I should not pay him half so much deference. I declare I do not know a more aweful28 object than Darcy, on particular occasions, and in particular places; at his own house especially, and of a Sunday evening when he has nothing to do.”
Mr. Darcy smiled; but Elizabeth thought she could perceive that he was rather offended; and therefore checked her laugh. Miss Bingley warmly resented the indignity he had received, in an expostulation with her brother for talking such nonsense.
“I see your design, Bingley,” said his friend. —”You dislike an argument, and want to silence this.”
“Perhaps I do. Arguments are too much like disputes. If you and Miss Bennet29 will defer yours till I am out of the room, I shall be very thankful; and then you may say whatever you like of me.”30
“What you ask” said Elizabeth, “is no sacrifice on my side; and Mr. Darcy had much better finish his letter.”
Mr. Darcy took her advice, and did finish his letter.
When that business was over, he applied to Miss Bingley and Elizabeth for the indulgence31 of some music. Miss Bingley moved with alacrity to the piano-forte, and after a polite request that Elizabeth would lead the way, which the other as politely and more earnestly negatived,32 she seated herself.
Mrs. Hurst sang with her sister, and while they were thus employed Elizabeth could not help observing as she turned over some music books that lay on the instrument, how frequently Mr. Darcy's eyes were fixed on her. She hardly knew how to suppose that she could be an object of admiration to so great a man;33 and yet that he should look at her because he disliked her, was still more strange. She could only imagine however at last, that she drew his notice because there was a something about her more wrong and reprehensible, according to his ideas of right, than in any other person present. The supposition did not pain her. She liked him too little to care for his approbation.
After playing some Italian songs,34 Miss Bingley varied the charm by a lively Scotch air; and soon afterwards Mr. Darcy, drawing near Elizabeth, said to her —
“Do not you feel a great inclination, Miss Bennet, to seize such an opportunity of dancing a reel?”35
She smiled, but made no answer. He repeated the question, with some surprise at her silence.
“Oh!” said she, “I heard you before; but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply. You wanted me, I know, to say ‘Yes,' that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste;36 but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt.371 have therefore made up my mind to tell you, that I do not want to dance a reel at all —and now despise me if you dare.”
“Indeed I do not dare.”
Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody; and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.38
Miss Bingley saw, or suspected enough to be jealous; and her great anxiety for the recovery of her dear friend Jane, received some assistance from her desire of getting rid of Elizabeth.
She often tried to provoke Darcy into disliking her guest, by talking of their supposed marriage, and planning his happiness in such an alliance.39
“I hope,” said she, as they were walking together in the shrubbery40 the next day, “you will give your mother-in-law a few hints, when this desirable event takes place, as to the advantage of holding her tongue; and if you can compass41 it, do cure the younger girls of running after the officers.—And, if I may mention so delicate a subject, endeavour to check that little something, bordering on conceit and impertinence, which your lady42 possesses.”
“Have you any thing else to propose for my domestic felicity?”
“Oh! yes. —Do let the portraits of your uncle and aunt Philips be placed in the gallery at Pemberley.43 Put them next to your great uncle the judge. They are in the same profession, you know; only in different lines.44 As for your Elizabeth's picture, you must not attempt to have it taken, for what painter could do justice to those beautiful eyes?”
“It would not be easy, indeed, to catch their expression, but their colour and shape, and the eye-lashes, so remarkably fine, might be copied.”
At that moment they were met from another walk, by Mrs. Hurst and Elizabeth herself.
“I did not know that you intended to walk,” said Miss Bingley, in some confusion, lest they had been overheard.45
“You used us abominably ill,” answered Mrs. Hurst, “in running away without telling us that you were coming out.”
Then taking the disengaged arm of Mr. Darcy,46 she left Elizabeth to walk by herself. The path just admitted three. Mr. Darcy felt their rudeness and immediately said,—
“This walk is not wide enough for our party. We had better go into the avenue.”47
But Elizabeth, who had not the least inclination to remain with them, laughingly answered,
“No, no; stay where you are.—You are charmingly group'd, and appear to uncommon advantage. The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth.48 Good bye.”
She then ran gaily off, rejoicing as she rambled about, in the hope of being at home again in a day or two. Jane was already so much recovered as to intend leaving her room for a couple of hours that evening.
1. morning … evening: at this time, they comprised all or most of the waking hours (which is why there is little reference to afternoon in the novel). Morning lasted all the way until dinner, which was generally around four or Eve but is even later in this household.
2. loo table: this may mean a special table just for loo. Furniture of this time included a variety of tables that were specially designed to suit particular card games.
3. calling off: summoning away, distracting.
4. piquet: a complex and absorbing card game for two people in which players attempt both to create combinations in their hands and to win tricks.
5. needlework: an activ
ity often done in company; it was an occupation that did not demand one's full attention and therefore allowed one to pay attention to other things as well, as Elizabeth is doing now.
6. amused: entertained, occupied.
7. Good handwriting was an art that was highly esteemed. It was an important subject in school, and many books existed to instruct people in better writing. One important principle was writing in even lines (there was no lined paper to help one write evenly). In Gulliver's Travels Swift pokes fun at women's supposed propensity to write in crooked lines.
8. Letters of business: probably letters concerning his house or land or investments. Owners of estates, when away from home, usually corresponded with the agents who managed the estates. This is an indication that even a gentleman of leisure would have some work to do—though Jane Austen rarely shows this aspect of their existence since doing so is unnecessary for her story.
9. mend pens: a frequent procedure, for the points of the quill or feather pens of the time would grow dull with usage, and would need constantly to be mended by using a pen-knife to cut away and sharpen the point. Steel pens that did not require such mending had just been invented at this time, but they did not come into widespread usage until a couple of decades later.
10. harp: after the piano, probably the most popular instrument for ladies. Miss Darcy's playing it along with the piano indicates that she is unusually accomplished.
11. design for a table: such artistic projects were a popular female pastime.
12. The sarcasm of this line, which is echoed in a few other replies to Miss Bingley, serves to suggest a side of Darcy that will be able to appreciate and value Elizabeth's wit and bantering conversation.
At the same time, Darcy's frequent sarcasm or sharpness toward Miss Bingley, which suggests that he likes her little despite her flattery of him, can lead to the question of why he spends so much time in her company. The principal answer is his close friendship with Bingley: given the importance of family ties in this society, he cannot avoid frequent contact with his friend's sister, especially since she keeps house for her brother. Another probable reason is his evident dislike of meeting strangers, which would naturally incline him toward the continued company of those familiar to him. Finally, Darcy's relatively calm manner seems to suggest that he is not one to become too perturbed by a minor annoyance like Miss Bingley.
13. The crucial letter written by Darcy to Elizabeth (see pp. 362-374) is in fact carefully studied, and full of long words.
14. blots: leaves blots of ink on the words, which would make them illegible. This could occur frequently with those who wrote carelessly, for the highly liquid ink used then would easily run and form blots. This became a particular problem in this period because of the introduction of smoother writing paper that, while making letters easier to form on the page, absorbed ink less and thereby increased blotting. Various materials, such as sand, were used to absorb this excess ink and prevent blots from forming.
15. ideas: thoughts.
16. disarm reproof: keep anyone from reproaching you.
17. Once again Darcy reveals his distaste for anything he perceives to be deceit or false appearances.
18. estimable: admirable.
19. precipitance: precipitous course or action.
20. The sharpness of Darcy's criticism of Bingley, who is his best friend and has done nothing to provoke him, both illuminates Darcy's character and provides a fitting introduction to an exchange in which he will argue for not accommodating others too much, including friends.
21. Many, if not most, people would probably sympathize with Bingley's complaint.
22. temper: disposition.
23. turn: interpretation.
24. Elizabeth is, as Darcy states in his reply, distorting his argument a little. This is something she will do on other occasions.
25. persuasion: Jane Austen's last completed novel, Persuasion, centers around the question of how amenable one should be to persuasion by others. It is also a central issue in this novel, which presents some characters who are too obstinate, others who are too malleable, and, in the case of Elizabeth and Darcy, two who struggle to find a sensible medium.
26. understanding: intelligence, judgment.
27. discretion: wisdom or prudence.
28. aweful: dreadful, imposing, tending to inspire awe.
29. Miss Bennet: Bingley uses this form instead of “Miss Elizabeth Bennet” because it would not be considered proper for a man who had no intimate connection with a woman to use her first name when addressing her directly.
30. The differences in the replies of Elizabeth and Bingley to Darcy not only demonstrate their differences in character, but also present contrasting examples of the very issues under discussion. Elizabeth is ready to oppose Darcy and to sustain her opposition; thus, even while disagreeing with him, she displays the very firmness and independence of character that Darcy admires. In contrast, Bingley strives to avoid direct disagreement and to divert the conversation through humor, by which behavior he ends up exhibiting some of the same pliability and lack of gravity that Darcy accused him of at the start of the discussion.
This whole conversation, in fact, is one of the best examples of Jane Austen's ability to integrate plot, character, and theme, for the exchange manages in the same brief space to advance the relationship of Darcy and Elizabeth by having them argue directly and thereby acquire a greater sense of the other person's intelligence, to reveal crucial facets of the characters of Darcy, Elizabeth, and Bingley, and to introduce the themes of persuasion and amenability.
31. indulgence: favor.
32. negatived: declined. One sees that only women are appealed to for music. While in earlier centuries in England music had been considered an important academic study, and worthy of a gentleman, by the eighteenth century it had declined in prestige and was generally practiced only by women or, in professional contexts, by foreigners.
33. so great a man: a man of such high social station. Elizabeth knows that her own social origins are lower, and she assumes that this would preclude Darcy's being interested in her, especially in a romantic way. This was a standard assumption in this society, and it was generally justified, for in actual fact the great majority of marriages did occur between social equals.
34. Italian songs: these were often performed in England at the time, especially among those who had, or pretended to have, more sophisticated tastes in music. Jane Austen had some knowledge of Italian, and played Italian songs.
35. a reel: a lively dance, generally associated with Scotland. Reels, like Scottish music, had become very popular at this time. Some have wondered if Darcy's offer is serious, for a reel, like almost all dances of the time, could not be danced by a single couple. But many reels involved only three people, so Darcy would have needed only one person in the room besides Elizabeth to join in the dance.
36. Reels, and the music for it, were considered common or popular in character, so people of refined and exacting taste might despise someone who enjoyed them.
37. cheating a person of their premeditated contempt: robbing a person of the contemptuous verdict they had formed beforehand, and hoped to see confirmed.
38. in some danger: in danger of being infatuated enough to propose to her. The idea of a man being endangered by a woman is standard in this period, for marriage was viewed as a possible trap for the man, who would be letting the woman share in his money and social position and had no guarantee of receiving comparable benefits in return. Right now Darcy, aware of such considerations, is confident that his knowledge of Elizabeth's inferior connections, or family ties, will keep him from falling in love with her.
39. alliance: frequently used for marriage. Traditionally marriages were alliances between families, in which practical social considerations mattered more than romantic feeling.
40. shrubbery: it was standard then to have a shrubbery, often containing walkways arranged in elaborate patterns, next to a house. The Bennet
s have one, though they have a less grand home, and so did Jane Austen's family.
41. compass: contrive or accomplish.
42. your lady: Elizabeth, who would be Darcy's lady if he married her.
43. gallery at Pemberley: great houses often had galleries with pictures of family members; the gallery at Pemberley figures in a later scene.
44. different lines: different areas of the profession. Miss Bingley is being sarcastic in an effort to appeal to Darcy's family pride. Ostensibly Mr. Philips, as an attorney, shares the profession of the law with a judge, but in fact an enormous gulf separated the two. Only around fifteen judges existed in all of England then; they formed the pinnacle of the legal system, focusing only on certain critical matters while magistrates handled most ordinary cases. Judges were also given special legal protections and would be given titles on appointment, if they did not have one already, since it was believed that only titled rank was commensurate with the high position of a judge. In contrast, attorneys were the most common type of lawyers, numbering more than 5,000 at the time. Becoming one required merely a five years' apprenticeship, at a cost of usually one to two hundred pounds; while this made it a good path of social mobility, it also tarred attorneys as men of low origins.
45. Because shrubberies usually had intersecting walkways, and contained shrubs or trees too high to be seen over, such overhearing was a distinct possibility (though it does not seem to have occurred in this case).
46. Gentlemen normally offered their arms to ladies when walking together. Miss Hurst takes the arm of Darcy that is not supporting Miss Bingley.
47. avenue: a more main, and therefore wider, path.
48. The picturesque was a concept that had become very influential at this time. It involved a strong appreciation of natural beauty, with a particular focus on those scenes of nature that would form a good landscape painting or picture (hence the term). Elizabeth's comment is a subtle reference to the most important writer on the picturesque, William Gilpin, an author Jane Austen admired. Gilpin often used cattle when discussing his ideas of the picturesque, for cattle were a frequent subject of landscapes; one of his main principles was that three was the ideal number of cattle to form a picturesque grouping, and that the effect would be ruined by introducing a fourth. The picture below, from one of his books, is meant to demonstrate this principle: Gilpin argues that the three cows in the foreground form an attractive group, and that a fourth in the group would spoil the harmony. Of course, there is a fourth cow in the picture, but Gilpin explains that it does not detract from the scene since it is detached from the others.