Читать книгу Pride and Prejudice. Адаптированная книга для чтения на английском языке. Intermediate - Джейн Остин, Сет Грэм-Смит - Страница 5

At a walking distance from Longbourn there was Lucas Lodge. The Bennets were on very friendly terms with the Lucases. Sir William Lucas had made a tolerable fortune in trade in Meryton, and had risen to knighthood when he had been the mayor of that town. After that he thought it beneath him to be in trade and to live in a small market town. He bought a house about a mile from Meryton, known from that period as Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own importance. But, being by nature friendly, he was all attention to everybody.

Lady Lucas was a very good woman, not too clever to be a useful neighbor to Mrs. Bennet. They had several children. The eldest of them, a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven, was Elizabeth's close friend.

In the morning after the assembly the Miss Lucases arrived at Longbourn to talk about the ball.

«You began the evening well, Charlotte», said Mrs. Bennet 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, I rather believe he did».

«Didn't I tell you? I heard when Mr. Robinson asked him how he liked our Meryton assemblies, and whether he thought there were a great many pretty women in the room, and which he thought the prettiest, he immediately answered the last question: Oh! the eldest Miss Bennet, beyond a doubt; there cannot be two opinions on that point», Charlotte said.

«Upon my word! Well, that seems as if… but, however, it may all come to nothing, you know».

«Mr. Darcy is not so well worth listening to as his friend, is he? Poor Eliza!.. to be only just tolerable», said Charlotte.

«I would ask you not to put it into Lizzy's head to be annoyed by his ill-treatment; he is so unpleasant 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».

«It was only because she asked him at last how he liked Netherfield, and he had to answer her; but she said he seemed quite angry at being spoken to».

«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».

«There is an excuse for his pride», said Miss Lucas. «No wonder, that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. He has a right to be proud, if I may say so».

«That is very true», replied Elizabeth, «and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not humiliated mine».

«By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that pride», remarked Mary, «is a very common flaw, and that there are very few of us who don't feel proud of themselves for 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».