Austen Said:

“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

and

and his answering immediately to the last question —

“Upon my word! Well, that is very decided indeed — that does seem as if — but, however, it may all come to nothing, you know.”

“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

“Are you quite sure, ma'am? — is not there a little mistake?”

“I certainly saw Mr. Darcy speaking to her.”

“Aye — because

she asked him at last

and he could not help answering her; but she said he seemed quite angry at being spoke to.”

“Miss Bingley told me,”

“that

“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.”

“Another time, Lizzy,”

“I would not dance with him, if I were you.”

“I believe, ma'am, I may safely promise you never to dance with him.”

“That is very true,”

“and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.”

“Pride,”

“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.”

“Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought,”

“and if I were to see you at it, I should take away your bottle directly.”

she would,

it was not likely to be discovered by the world in general, since Jane united, with great strength of feeling, a composure of temper and a uniform cheerfulness of manner which would guard her from the suspicions of the impertinent.

“But she does help him on, as much as her nature will allow. If I can perceive her regard for him, he must be a simpleton, indeed, not to discover it too.”

“But if a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to conceal it, he must find it out.”

“Your plan is a good one,”

“where nothing is in question but the desire of being well married, and if I were determined to get a rich husband, or any husband, I dare say I should adopt it. But these are not Jane's feelings; she is not acting by design. As yet, she cannot even be certain of the degree of her own regard nor of its reasonableness. She has known him only a fortnight. She danced four dances with him at Meryton; she saw him one morning at his own house, and has since dined with him in company four times. This is not quite enough to make her understand his character.”

“Yes; these four evenings have enabled them to ascertain that they both like Vingt-un better than Commerce; but with respect to any other leading characteristic, I do not imagine that much has been unfolded.”

“You make me laugh, Charlotte; but it is not sound. You know it is not sound, and that you would never act in this way yourself.”

pretty;

she hardly had a good feature in her face,

her figure

light and pleasing;

her manners were not those of the fashionable world,

“What does Mr. Darcy mean,”

“by listening to my conversation with Colonel Forster?”

“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.”

“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 a subject which always makes a lady energetic.”

“You are severe on us.”

“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.”

“Very well, if it must be so, it must.”

“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.”

“Certainly, sir; and it has the advantage also of being in vogue amongst the less polished societies of the world. Every savage can dance.”

“You saw me dance at Meryton, I believe, sir.”

“Never, sir.”