Chapter 5

WITHIN a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with
whom the Bennets were particularly intimate.  Sir William
Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had
made a tolerable fortune and risen to the honour of knighthood 
by an address to the King, during his mayoralty.  The
distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly.  It had given
him a disgust to his business and to his residence in a small
market town; and quitting them both, he had removed with
his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated
from that period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with
pleasure of his own importance, and unshackled by business,
occupy himselfsolely in being civil to all the world.  For though
elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the
contrary, he was all attention to every body.  By nature inoffensive, friendly and obliging, his presentation at St
James's had made him courteous.
Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever
to be a valuable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet. -- They had several
children.  The eldest of them, a sensible, intelligent young
woman, about twenty-seven, was Elizabeth's intimate friend.
That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet
to talk over a ball was absolutely necessary; and the morning after the assembly brought the former to Longbourn to
hear and to communicate.
" You began the evening well, Charlotte," said Mrs. Bennet
with civil self-command to Miss Lucas.  "You were Mr. 
Bingley's first choice."
"Yes; -- but he seemed to like his second better."
"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 how he liked our Meryton assemblies, and whether
he did not think there were a great many pretty women in the
room, and which he thought the prettiest?  and his answering
immediately to the last question -- Oh!  the eldest Miss Bennet
beyond a doubt, there cannot be two opinions on that point."
"Upon my word! -- Well, that was very decided indeed --
that does seem as if -- but however, it may all come to
nothing you know."
"My overhearings were more to the purpose than yours,
Eliza," said Charlotte.  "Mr. Darcy is not so well worth 
listening to as his friend, is he? -- Poor Eliza! -- to be only just
toterable."
"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 he sat close to her for half an hour 
without once opening his lips."
"Are you quite sure, Ma'am? -- is not there a little mistake?"
said Jane. -- "I certainly saw Mr. Darcy speaking to her."
"Aye -- because she asked him at last how he liked Netherfield, 
and he could not help answering her; -- but she said he
seemed very angry at being spoke to."
"Miss Bingley told me," said Jane, "that he never speaks
much unless among his intimate acquaintance.  With them he
is remarkably agreeable."
"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; every body says that he is ate 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."
 "I do not mind his not talking to Mrs. Long," said Miss
Lucas, "but I wish he had danced with Eliza."
"Another time, Lizzy," said her mother, "I would not dance
with him, if I were you."
 "I believe, Ma'am, I may safely promise you never to dance
with him."
 "His pride," said Miss Lucas, "does not offend me so much
as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it.  One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family,
fortune, every thing in his favour, should think highly of himself.  
If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud."
"That is very true," replied Elizabeth, "and I could easily
forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine."
"Pride," observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the
solidity of her reflections, "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 ofus 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 synonimously.  A person may
be proud without being vain.  Pride relates more to our opinion
ofourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."
"If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy," cried a young Lucas who
came with his sisters, "I should not care how proud I was.
I would keep a pack of foxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine
every day."
"Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought,"
said Mrs. Bennet; "and if I were to see you at it I should take
away your bottle directly."
The boy protested that she should not; she continued to
declare that she would, and the argument ended only with
the visit.