Читать книгу Гордость и предубеждение / Pride and Prejudice - Джейн Остин, Сет Грэм-Смит - Страница 9

At five o’clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at half-past six Elizabeth was called to dinner.

Jane was not better. The sisters, on hearing this, repeated three or four times how much they were grieved, how shocking it was to have a bad cold, and how they disliked being ill themselves.

When dinner was over, she returned directly to Jane, and Miss Bingley began to abuse Elizabeth as soon as she was out of the room. Her manners were considered very bad indeed, a mixture of pride and impertinence; she had no conversation,[24] no style, no beauty.

“She has nothing, in short, to recommend her. Of course, she is an excellent walker. I shall never forget her appearance this morning.”

“Why did she come here, because her sister had a cold? Her hair, so untidy!”

“I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked remarkably well, Louisa,” said Bingley; “when she came into the room this morning.”

“To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, above her ankles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! What could she mean by it?”

A short pause followed this speech, and the sisters began again:

“I like Miss Jane Bennet very much, she is really a very sweet girl. But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance for her in the life.”

To this speech Bingley made no answer.

Jane was still very poorly, and Elizabeth would not quit her at all, till late in the evening. On entering the drawing-room she found the whole party playing cards, and was immediately invited to join them. But she declined it, and said she would read a book instead.

“Do you prefer reading to cards? That is very strange.”

“Miss Eliza Bennet,” said Miss Bingley, “despises cards. She is a great reader.”

“Not at all, I am not a great reader,” cried Elizabeth; “and I have pleasure in many things.”

Elizabeth walked towards the table where a few books were lying. “I am astonished,” said Miss Bingley, “that my father has such a small collection of books. What a delightful library you have, Mr. Darcy!”

“It is good,” he replied, “I am always buying books.”

“It is amazing to me,” said Bingley, “how young ladies can have patience to be so educated as they all are.”

“All young ladies educated! My dear Charles, what do you mean?”

“Yes, all of them, I think. They all paint pictures, and net purses. I scarcely know anyone who cannot do all this.”

“ I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general,” said Darcy, “I cannot name five women, that are really educated.”

“Nor I, I am sure,” said Miss Bingley.

“Then,” observed Elizabeth, “in your opinion, who is an educated woman?”

“Oh! No one can be really educated who does not know necessary things. A woman must know music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air[25] and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions.”

“All this she must possess,” added Darcy, “and the most important thing, she must read a lot.”

The conversation was over, and Elizabeth soon afterwards left the room.

“Elizabeth Bennet,” said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed, “is one of those young ladies who try recommend themselves to the men; and with many men it succeeds.”

Elizabeth joined them again only to say that her sister was worse, and that she could not leave her. Bingley was quite uncomfortable; his sisters declared that they were miserable.