Chapter 4

by Jane Austen

　　When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had beencautious in her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to hersister just how very much she admired him."He is just what a young man ought to be," said she, "sensible,good-humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners!--so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!""He is also handsome," replied Elizabeth, "which a young manought likewise to be, if he possibly can. His character is therebycomplete.""I was very much flattered by his asking me to dance a secondtime. I did not expect such a compliment.""Did not you? I did for you. But that is one great differencebetween us. Compliments always take you by surprise, andme never. What could be more natural than his asking youagain? He could not help seeing that you were about five timesas pretty as every other woman in the room. No thanks to hisgallantry for that. Well, he certainly is very agreeable, and Igive you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupiderperson.""Dear Lizzy!""Oh! you are a great deal too apt, you know, to like people ingeneral. You never see a fault in anybody. All the world aregood and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill ofa human being in your life.""I would not wish to be hasty in censuring anyone; but I alwaysspeak what I think.""I know you do; and it is that which makes the wonder. Withyour good sense, to be so honestly blind to the follies andnonsense of others! Affectation of candour is common enough--one meets with it everywhere. But to be candid withoutostentation or design-- to take the good of everybody'scharacter and make it still better, and say nothing of the bad--belongs to you alone. And so you like this man's sisters, too, doyou? Their manners are not equal to his.""Certainly not-- at first. But they are very pleasing women whenyou converse with them. Miss Bingley is to live with herbrother, and keep his house; and I am much mistaken if we shallnot find a very charming neighbour in her."Elizabeth listened in silence, but was not convinced; theirbehaviour at the assembly had not been calculated to please ingeneral; and with more quickness of observation and less pliancyof temper than her sister, and with a judgement too unassailed byany attention to herself, she was very little disposed to approvethem. They were in fact very fine ladies; not deficient in goodhumour when they were pleased, nor in the power of makingthemselves agreeable when they chose it, but proud andconceited. They were rather handsome, had been educated inone of the first private seminaries in town, had a fortune oftwenty thousand pounds, were in the habit of spending morethan they ought, and of associating with people of rank, andwere therefore in every respect entitled to think well ofthemselves, and meanly of others. They were of a respectablefamily in the north of England; a circumstance more deeplyimpressed on their memories than that their brother's fortuneand their own had been acquired by trade.Mr. Bingley inherited property to the amount of nearly ahundred thousand pounds from his father, who had intended topurchase an estate, but did not live to do it. Mr. Bingleyintended it likewise, and sometimes made choice of his county;but as he was now provided with a good house and the liberty ofa manor, it was doubtful to many of those who best knew theeasiness of his temper, whether he might not spend theremainder of his days at Netherfield, and leave the nextgeneration to purchase.His sisters were anxious for his having an estate of his own; but,though he was now only established as a tenant, Miss Bingleywas by no means unwilling to preside at his table-- nor was Mrs.Hurst, who had married a man of more fashion than fortune, lessdisposed to consider his house as her home when it suited her.Mr. Bingley had not been or age two years, when he was temptedby an accidental recommendation to look at Netherfield House.He did look at it, and into it for half-an-hour-- was pleased withthe situation and the principal rooms, satisfied with what theowner said in its praise, and took it immediately.Between him and Darcy there was a very steady friendship, inspite of great opposition of character. Bingley was endeared toDarcy by the easiness, openness, and ductility of his temper,though no disposition could offer a greater contrast to his own,and though with his own he never appeared dissatisfied. On thestrength of Darcy's regard, Bingley had the firmest reliance, andof his judgement the highest opinion. In understanding, Darcywas the superior. Bingley was by no means deficient, but Darcywas clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved, andfastidious, and his manners, though well-bred, were not inviting.In that respect his friend had greatly the advantage. Bingley wassure of being liked wherever he appeared, Darcy was continuallygiving offense.The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly wassufficiently characteristic. Bingley had never met with morepleasant people or prettier girls in his life; everybody had beenmost kind and attentive to him; there had been no formality, nostiffness; he had soon felt acquainted with all the room; and, asto Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful.Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whomthere was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he hadfelt the smallest interest, and from none received either attentionor pleasure. Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but shesmiled too much.Mrs. Hurst and her sister allowed it to be so-- but still theyadmired her and liked her, and pronounced her to be a sweetgirl, and one whom they would not object to know more of.Miss Bennet was therefore established as a sweet girl, and theirbrother felt authorized by such commendation to think of her ashe chose.