Chapter 3

CONVINCED as Elizabeth now was that Miss Bingley's 
dislike of her had originated in jealousy, she could not help
feeling how very unwelcome her appearance at Pemberley
must be to her, and was curious to know with how much
civility on that lady's side, the acquaintance would now be
renewed.
On reaching the house, they were shewn through the hall
into the saloon, whose northern aspect rendered it delightful
for summer.  Its windows opening to the ground, admitted
a most refreshing view of the high woody hills behind the
house, and of the beautiful oaks and Spanish chesnuts which
were scattered over the intermediate lawn.
In this room they were received by Miss Darcy, who was
sitting there with Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, and the lady
with whom she lived in London.  Georgiana's reception of
them was very civil; but attended with all that embarrassment
which, though proceeding from shyness and the fear of doing
wrong, would easily give to those who felt themselves inferior,
the belief of her being proud and reserved.  Mrs. Gardiner
and her niece, however, did her justice, and pitied her.
By Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, they were noticed only
by a curtsey; and on their being seated, a pause, awkward as
such pauses must always be, succeeded for a few moments.
It was first broken by Mrs. Annesley, a genteel, agreeable-
looking woman, whose endeavour to introduce some kind of
discourse, proved her to be more truly well bred than either
of the others; and between her and Mrs. Gardiner, with 
occasional help from Elizabeth, the conversation was carried on.
Miss Darcy looked as if she wished for courage enough to join
in it; and sometimes did venture a short sentence, when there
was least danger of its being heard.
Elizabeth soon saw that she was herself closely watched by
Miss Bingley, and that she could not speak a word, especially
to Miss Darcy, without calling her attention.  This observation would not have prevented her from trying to talk to the
latter, had they not been seated at an inconvenient distance;
but she was not sorry to be spared the necessity of saying
much.  Her own thoughts were employing her.  She expected
every moment that some of the gentlemen would enter the
room.  She wished, she feared that the master of the house
 might be amongst them; and whether she wished or feared it
most, she could scarcely determine.  After sitting in this manner 
a quarter of an hour, without hearing Miss Bingley's voice,
Elizabeth was roused by receiving from her a cold enquiry
after the health of her family.  She answered with equal indifference and brevity, and the other said no more.
The next variation which their visit afforded was produced
by the entrance of servants with cold meat, cake, and a variety
of all the finest fruits in season; but this did not take place till
after many a significant look and smile from Mrs. Annesley to
Miss Darcy had been given, to remind her of her post.  There
was now employment for the whole party; for though they
could not all talk, they could all eat; and the beautiful pyramids 
of grapes, nectarines, and peaches, soon collected them
round the table.
While thus engaged, Elizabeth had a fair opportunity of
deciding whether she most feared or wished for the appearance 
of Mr. Darcy, by the feelings which prevailed on his
entering the room; and then, though but a moment before
she had believed her wishes to predominate, she began to
regret that he came.
He had been some time with Mr. Gardiner, who, with two
or three other gentlemen from the house, was engaged by the
river, and had left him only on learning that the ladies of the
family intended a visit to Georgiana that morning.  No sooner
did he appear, than Elizabeth wisely resolved to be perfectly
easy and unembarrassed; -- a resolution the more necessary
to be made, but perhaps not the more easily kept, because she
saw that the suspicions of the whole party were awakened
against them, and that there was scarcely an eye which did not
watch his behaviour when he first came into the room.  In no
countenance was attentive curiosity so strongly marked as in
Miss Bingley's, in spite of the smiles which overspread her
face whenever she spoke to one of its objects; for jealousy had
not yet made her desperate, and her attentions to Mr. Darcy
were by no means over.  Miss Darcy, on her brother's entrance,
exerted herself much more to talk; and Elizabeth saw that he
was anxious for his sister and herself to get acquainted, and
forwarded, as much as possible, every attempt at conversation 
on either side.  Miss Bingley saw all this likewise; and,
in the imprudence of anger, took the first opportunity of saying, 
with sneering civility,
"Pray, Miss Eliza, are not the -- shire militia removed
from Meryton?  They must be a great loss to your family."
In Darcy's presence she dared not mention Wickham's
name; but Elizabeth instantly comprehended that he was
uppermost in her thoughts; and the various recollections 
connected with him gave her a moment's distress; but, exerting
herself vigorously to repel the ill-natured attack, she presently
answered the question in a tolerably disengaged tone.  While
she spoke, an involuntary glance shewed her Darcy with an
heightened complexion, earnestly looking at her, and his sister
overcome with confusion, and unable to lift up her eyes, Had
Miss Bingley known what pain she was then giving her
beloved friend, she undoubtedly would have refrained from
the hint; but she had merely intended to discompose Elizabeth, 
by bringing forward the idea of a man to whom she
believed her partial, to make her betray a sensibility which
might injure her in Darcy's opinion, and perhaps to remind
the latter of all the follies and absurdities, by which some part
of her family were connected with that corps.  Not a syllable
had ever reached her of Miss Darcy's meditated elopement.
To no creature had it been revealed, where secresy was possible, except to Elizabeth; and from all Bingley's connections
her brother was particularly anxious to conceal it, from that
very wish which Elizabeth had long ago attributed to him, of
their becoming hereafter her own.  He had certainly formed
such a plan, and without meaning that it should affect his
endeavour to separate him from Miss Bennet, it is probable
that it might add something to his lively concern for the
welfare of his friend.
 Elizabeth's collected behaviour, however, soon quieted his
emotion; and as Miss Bingley, vexed and disappointed, dared
not approach nearer to Wickham, Georgiana also recovered in
time, though not enough to be able to speak any more.  Her
brother, whose eye she feared to meet, scarcely recollected her
interest in the affair, and the very circumstance which had
been designed to turn his thoughts from Elizabeth, seemed
to have fixed them on her more, and more cheerfully.
Their visit did not continue long after the question and
answer above-mentioned; and while Mr. Darcy was attending 
them to their carriage, Miss Bingley was venting her feelings in criticisms on Elizabeth's person, behaviour, and dress.
But Georgiana would not join her.  Her brother's 
recommendation was enough to ensure her favour: his judgment
could not err, and he had spoken in such terms of Elizabeth,
as to leave Georgiana without the power of finding her otherwise than lovely and amiable.  When Darcy returned to the
saloon, Miss Bingley could not help repeating to him some
part of what she had been saying to his sister.
"How very ill Eliza Bennet looks this morning, Mr. Darcy,"
she cried; "I never in my life saw any one so much altered
as she is since the winter.  She is grown so brown and coarse!
Louisa and I were agreeing that we should not have known
her again."
However little Mr. Darcy might have liked such an address,
he contented himself with coolly replying, that he perceived
no other alteration than her being rather tanned, -- no
miraculous consequence of travelling in the summer.
"For my own part," she rejoined, "I must confess that I
never could see any beauty in her.  Her face is too thin; her
complexion has no brilliancy; and her features are not at all
handsome.  Her nose wants character; there is nothing
marked in its lines.  Her teeth are tolerable, but not out of the
common way; and as for her eyes, which have sometimes been
called so fine, I never could perceive any thing extraordinary
in them.  They have a sharp, shrewish look, which I do not like
at all; and in her air altogether, there is a self-sufficiency without fashion, which is intolerable."
Persuaded as Miss Bingley was that Darcy admired Elizabeth, 
this was not the best method of recommending herself;
but angry people are not always wise; and in seeing him at last
look somewhat nettled, she had all the success she expected.
He was resolutely silent however; and, from a determination
she continued,
"I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how
amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty; and
I particularly recollect your saying one night, after they had
been dining at Netherfield, ""She a beauty! -- I should as soon
call her mother a wit."' But afterwards she seemed to improve
on you, and I believe you thought her rather pretty at one
time."
"Yes," replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer,
"but that was only when I first knew her, for it is many months
since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women
of my acquaintance."
He then went away, and Miss Bingley was left to all the
satisfaction of having forced him to say what gave no one
any pain but herself.
Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth talked of all that had occurred,
during their visit, as they returned, except what had particularly interested them both.  The looks and behaviour of
every body they had seen were discussed, except of the
person who had mostly engaged their attention.  They
talked of his sister, his friends, his house, his fruit, of every
thing but himself; yet Elizabeth was longing to know what
Mrs. Gardiner thought of him, and Mrs. Gardiner would
have been highly gratified by her niece's beginning the
subject.