“And how impossible in others!”
She was a little revived,however,by his bringing back his coffee cup himself;and she seized the opportunity of saying:
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.
“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 never had any design of engaging my affection.It is only that he is blessed with greater sweetness of address,and a stronger desire of generally 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.”
“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.”
“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 Lucases' 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.”