Pride and Prejudice and Kitties, стр. 6
“Have you anything 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. Put them next to your great uncle the judge. They are in the same profession, you know; only in different lines. As for your Elizabeth’s picture, you must not 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 eyelashes, so remarkably fine, might be copied.”
Do let the portraits of your uncle and aunt Philips be placed in the gallery at Pemberley. Put them next to your great uncle the judge.
JANE WAS NOW well enough to go down to the pawing room with Elizabeth and the Bingley sisters. Mr. Bingley cavorted with joy at seeing Jane all fluffed up again!
No one wanted to chase string or bat cards about, so Mr. Hurst stretched out on one of the sofas and took a catnap. Mr. Darcy was engaged in a book, and Miss Bingley took the second volume of his and sprawled across it with a great yawn.
“How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare, after all there is no enjoyment like stretching oneself over a book so our humans have no chance of reading it! How much sooner one tires of anything else but this! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.
“By the bye, Charles, are you really serious in meditating a great ball at Netherfield? Although these lowly country cats would be most amused with a ball, I would advise you, before you determine on it, to consult the wishes of the present party; I am much mistaken if there are not some among us to whom a ball would be rather a punishment than a pleasure.”
“If you mean Darcy,” cried her brother, “he may go to bed, if he chooses, before it begins—but as for the ball, it is quite a settled thing; and as soon as Nicholls has made rat-atouille enough, I shall send round my cards.”
“A ball would be infinitely more rational,” replied Miss Bingley, “if it was not round or did not roll.”
“Much more rational, my dear Caroline, I dare say, but it would not be near so much like a ball.”
Miss Bingley made no answer; and soon afterwards got up and walked about the room. Her figure was elegant, and she walked well— but Darcy, at whom it was all aimed, was still inflexibly studious.
Her figure was elegant and she walked well.
In the desperation of her feelings she resolved on one effort more; and, turning to Elizabeth, said,
“Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my example, and take a turn about the room. I assure you it is very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude.”
Elizabeth was surprised, but agreed to it immediately. Miss Bingley succeeded no less in the real object of her civility; Mr. Darcy looked up. He was as much awake to the novelty of attention in that quarter as Elizabeth herself could be, and unconsciously closed his book. He was directly invited to join their party, but he declined it, observing, that he could imagine but two motives for their choosing to walk up and down the room together, with either of which motives his joining them would interfere. “What could he mean? she was dying to know what could be his meaning”—and asked Elizabeth whether she could at all understand him?
“Not at all,” was her answer; “but depend upon it, he means to be severe on us, and our surest way of disappointing him, will be to ask nothing about it.”
THE NEXT MORNING, Elizabeth and Jane determined to leave Netherfield, lest they overstay their welcome.
This communication elicited fresh invitations to prolong their stay. Mr. Bingley chirped encouragingly, while Miss Bingley chimed in with a half-hearted meow. Till the morrow, then, their going was deferred. Miss Bingley was sorry that she had acceded to the delay, for her jealousy and dislike of one sister much exceeded her affection for the other.
Mr. Bennet, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see Jane and Elizabeth when they arrived home the next day; he had felt their importance in the family circle. The evening cavorting, while they were away at Netherfield, had lost much of its animation and almost all its cat sense with their absence.
[Mr. Bingley] heard with real sorrow that they were to go so soon, and repeatedly tried to persuade Miss Bennet that it would not be safe for her—that she was not enough recovered; but Jane was firm where she felt herself to be right.
To Mr. Darcy it was welcome intelligence—Elizabeth had been at Netherfield long enough. She attracted him more than he liked— and Miss Bingley was uncivil to her, and more teazing than usual to himself. He wisely resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration should now escape him, nothing that could elevate her with the hope of influencing his felicity; sensible that if such an idea had been suggested, his behaviour during the last day must have material weight in confirming or crushing it.
THE NEXT MORNING Mr. Bennet informed his wife that he was expecting a gentleman and a stranger at dinner.
“Good lord!” exclaimed Mrs.