Chapter 12

AS soon as they were gone, Elizabeth walked out to recover
her spirits; or in other words, to dwell without interruption
on those subjects that must deaden them more.  Mr. Darcy's
behaviour astonished and vexed her.
"Why, if he came only to be silent, grave, and indifferent,"
said she, "did he come at all?"
She could settle it in no way that gave her pleasure.
 "He could be still amiable, still pleasing, to my uncle and
aunt, when he was in town; and why not to me?  If he fears
me, why come hither?  If he no longer cares for me, why silent?
Teazing, teazing, man!  I will think no more about him."
 Her resolution was for a short time involuntarily kept by
the approach of her sister, who joined her with a cheerful look,
which shewed her better satisfied with their visitors, than
Elizabeth.
 "Now," said she, "that this first meeting is over, I feel perfectly easy.  I know my own strength, and I shall never be
embarrassed again by his coming.  I am glad he dines here on
Tuesday.  It will then be publicly seen, that on both sides, we
meet only as common and indifferent acquaintance."
"Yes, very indifferent indeed," said Elizabeth, laughingly.
"Oh, Jane, take care."
"My dear Lizzy, you cannot think me so weak, as to be in
 danger now,"
"I think you are in very great danger of making him as much
in love with you as ever."
They did not see the gentlemen again till Tuesday; and
Mrs. Bennet, in the meanwhile, was giving way to all the
happy schemes, which the good humour, and common politeness 
of Bingley, in half an hour's visit, had revived.
On Tuesday there was a large party assembled at Longbourn; 
and the two, who were most anxiously expected, to
the credit of their punctuality as sportsmen, were in very good
time.  When they repaired to the dining-room, Elizabeth
eagerly watched to see whether Bingley would take the place,
which, in all their former parties, had belonged to him, by her
sister.  Her prudent mother, occupied by the same ideas, forbore 
to invite him to sit by herself.  On entering the room, he
seemed to hesitate; but Jane happened to look round, and
happened to smile: it was decided.  He placed himself by her.
Elizabeth, with a triumphant sensation, looked towards
his friend.  He bore it with noble indifference, and she would
have imagined that Bingley had received his sanction to be
happy, had she not seen his eyes likewise turned towards Mr. 
Darcy, with an expression of half-laughing alarm.
His behaviour to her sister was such, during dinner time,
as shewed an admiration of her, which, though more guarded
than formerly, persuaded Elizabeth, that if left wholly to himself, Jane's happiness, and his own, would be speedily secured.
Though she dared not depend upon the consequence, she yet
received pleasure from observing his behaviour.  It gave her
all the animation that her spirits could boast; for she was in
no cheerful humour.  Mr. Darcy was almost as far from her,
as the table could divide them.  He was on one side of her
mother.  She knew how little such a situation would give
pleasure to either, or make either appear to advantage.  She
was not near enough to hear any of their discourse, but she
could see how seldom they spoke to each other, and how
formal and cold was their manner, whenever they did.  Her
mother's ungraciousness, made the sense of what they owed
him more painful to Elizabeth's mind; and she would, at
times, have given any thing to be privileged to tell him, that
his kindness was neither unknown nor unfelt by the whole of
the family.
She was in hopes that the evening would afford some
opportunity of bringing them together; that the whole of the
visit would not pass away without enabling them to enter into
something more of conversation, than the mere ceremonious
salutation attending his entrance.  Anxious and uneasy,
the period which passed in the drawing-room, before the
gentlemen came' was wearisome and dull to a degree, that
almost made her uncivil.  She looked forward to their entrance,
as the point on which all her chance of pleasure for the evening
must depend.
"If he does not come to me, then," said she, "I shall give him
up for ever."
 The gentlemen came; and she thought he looked as if he
would have answered her hopes; but, alas!  the ladies had
crowded round the table, where Miss Bennet was making tea,
and Elizabeth pouring out the coffee, in so close a confederacy, 
that there was not a single vacancy near her, which
would admit of a chair.  And on the gentlemen's approaching,
one of the girls moved closer to her than ever, and said, in
a whisper,
"The men shan't come and part us, I am determined.
We want none of them; do we?"
Darcy had walked away to another part of the room.  She
followed him with her eyes, envied every one to whom he
spoke, had scarcely patience enough to help anybody to coffee;
and then was enraged against herself for being so silly!
"A man who has once been refused!  How could I ever be
foolish enough to expect a renewal of his love?  Is there one
among the sex, who would not protest against such a weakness
as a second proposal to the same woman?  There is no indignity
so abhorrent to their feelings!"
She was a little revived, however, by his bringing back his
coffee cup himself; and she seized the opportunity of saying,
"Is your sister at Pemberley still?"
"Yes, she will remain there till Christmas."
"And quite alone?  Have all her friends left her?"
"Mrs. Annesley is with her.  The others have been gone on
to Scarborough, these three weeks."
She could think of nothing more to say; but if he wished
 to converse with her, he might have better success.  He stood
by her, however, for some minutes, in silence; and, at last,
on the young lady's whispering to Elizabeth again, he walked
away.
When the tea-things were removed and the card tables
placed, the ladies all rose, and Elizabeth was then hoping to
be soon joined by him, when all her views were overthrown
by seeing him fall a victim to her mother's rapacity for whist
players, and in a few moments after seated with the rest of the
party.  She now lost every expectation of pleasure.  They were
confined for the evening at different tables, and she had
nothing to hope, but that his eyes were so often turned towards
her side of the room, as to make him play as unsuccessfully
as herself.
Mrs. Bennet had designed to keep the two Netherfield
gentlemen to supper; but their carriage was unluckily ordered
before any of the others, and she had no opportunity of detaining them.
"Well girls," said she, as soon as they were left to themselves, "What say you to the day?  I think every thing has passed
off uncommonly well, I assure you.  The dinner was as well
dressed as any I ever saw.  The venison was roasted to a turn --
and everybody said, they never saw so fat a haunch.  The soup
was fifty times better than what we had at the Lucas's last
week; and even Mr. Darcy acknowledged, that the partridges
were remarkably well done; and I suppose he has two or three
French cooks at least.  And, my dear Jane, I never saw you look
in greater beauty.  Mrs. Long said so too, for I asked her
whether you did not.  And what do you think she said besides?
""Ah!  Mrs. Bennet, we shall have her at Netherfield at last.""
She did indeed.  I do think Mrs. Long is as good a creature as
ever lived -- and her nieces are very pretty behaved girls, and
not at all handsome: I like them prodigiously."
Mrs. Bennet, in short, was in very great spirits; she had
seen enough of Bingley's behaviour to Jane, to be convinced 
that she would get him at last; and her expectations of 
 advantage to her family, when in a happy humour,
were so far beyond reason, that she was quite disappointed
at not seeing him there again the next day, to make his
proposals.
"It has been a very agreeable day," said Miss Bennet to
Elizabeth.  "The party seemed so well selected, so suitable one
with the other.  I hope we may often meet again."
 Elizabeth smiled.
"Lizzy, you must not do so.  You must not suspect me.  It
mortifies me.  I assure you that I have now learnt to enjoy his
conversation as an agreeable and sensible young man, without having a wish beyond it.  I am perfectly satisfied from
what his manners now are, that he neve had any design of
engaging my affection.  It is only that he is blessed with greater
sweetness of address, and a stronger
pleasing than any other man."
"You are very cruel," said her sister, "you will not let me
smile, and are provoking me to it every moment."
 "How hard it is in some cases to be believed!"
 "And how impossible to others!"
"But why should you wish to persuade me that I feel more
than I acknowledge?"
"That is a question which I hardly know how to answer.
We all love to instruct, though we can teach only what is not
worth knowing.  Forgive me; and if you persist in indifference,
do not make me your confidante."