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Chapter XXXI · Pride and Prejudice | Audiobook

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  Speaker 1: Chapter 31 Colonel Fitzwilliam's manners were very much admired at
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  Speaker 1: the parsonage, and the ladies all felt that he must
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  Speaker 1: add considerably to the pleasure of their engagements at Rosings.
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  Speaker 1: It was some days, however, before they received any invitation thither,
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  Speaker 1: for while there were visitors in the house, they could
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  Speaker 1: not be necessary, and it was not till Easter day
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  Speaker 1: almost a week after the gentleman's arrival, that they were
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  Speaker 1: honoured by such an attention, and then they were merely
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  Speaker 1: asked on leaving church to come there in the evening.
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  Speaker 1: For the last week, they had seen very little of
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  Speaker 1: either Lady Catherine or her daughter. Colonel Fitzwilliam had called
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  Speaker 1: at the parsonage more than once during the time, but
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  Speaker 1: Mr Darcy they had only seen at church. The invitation
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  Speaker 1: was accepted, of course, and at a proper hour they
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  Speaker 1: joined the party in Lady Catherine's drawing-room. Her ladyship received
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  Speaker 1: them civilly, but it was plain that their company was
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  Speaker 1: by no means so acceptable as when she could get
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  Speaker 1: nobody else, and she was, in fact, almost engrossed by
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  Speaker 1: her nephews, speaking to them, especially to Darcy. much more
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  Speaker 1: than to any other person in the room. Colonel Fitzwilliam
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  Speaker 1: seemed really glad to see them. Anything was a welcome
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  Speaker 1: relief to him at Rosings, and Mrs Collins's pretty friend had, moreover,
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  Speaker 1: caught his fancy very much. He now seated himself by her,
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  Speaker 1: and talked so agreeably of Kent and Hertfordshire, of travelling
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  Speaker 1: and staying at home, of new books and music. that
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth had never been half so well entertained in that
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  Speaker 1: room before, and they conversed with so much spirit and
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  Speaker 1: flow as to draw the attention of Lady Catherine herself,
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  Speaker 1: as well as of Mr Darcy. His eyes had been
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  Speaker 1: soon and repeatedly turned towards them with a look of curiosity,
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  Speaker 1: and that her ladyship, after a while, shared the feeling,
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  Speaker 1: was more openly acknowledged. for she did not scruple to
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  Speaker 1: call out.' What is that you are saying, Fitzwilliam? What
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  Speaker 1: is it you are talking of? What are you telling
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  Speaker 1: Miss Bennet? Let me hear what it is.'' We were
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  Speaker 1: talking of music, madam,' said he, when no longer able
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  Speaker 1: to avoid a reply.' Of music? Then pray speak aloud.
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  Speaker 1: It is of all subjects my delight. I must have
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  Speaker 1: my share in the conversation.' if you are speaking of music.
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  Speaker 1: There are few people in England, I suppose, who have
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  Speaker 1: more true enjoyment of music than myself, or a better
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  Speaker 1: natural taste. If I had ever learnt, I should have
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  Speaker 1: been a great proficient, and so would Anne, if her
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  Speaker 1: health had allowed her to apply. I am confident that
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  Speaker 1: she would have performed delightfully. How does Georgiana get on, Darcy?' Mr.
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  Speaker 1: Darcy spoke with affectionate praise of his sister's proficiency.' I
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  Speaker 1: am very glad to hear such a good account of her,'
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  Speaker 1: said Lady Catherine,' and pray tell her from me that
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  Speaker 1: she cannot expect to excel if she does not practice
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  Speaker 1: a great deal.'' I assure you, madam,' he replied,' that
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  Speaker 1: she does not need such advice. She practices very constantly.'
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  Speaker 1: So much the better. It cannot be done too much.
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  Speaker 1: And when I next write to her, I shall charge
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  Speaker 1: her not to neglect it on any account. I often
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  Speaker 1: tell young ladies that no excellence in music is to
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  Speaker 1: be acquired without constant practice. I have told Miss Bennet
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  Speaker 1: several times that she will never play really well unless
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  Speaker 1: she practices more. And though Mrs Collins has no instrument,
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  Speaker 1: She is very welcome, as I have often told her,
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  Speaker 1: to come to Rosings every day and play on the
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  Speaker 1: pianoforte in Mrs. Jenkinson's room. She would be in nobody's way,
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  Speaker 1: you know, in that part of the house. Mr. Darcy
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  Speaker 1: looked a little ashamed of his aunt's ill-breeding and made
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  Speaker 1: no answer. When coffee was over, Colonel Fitzwilliam reminded Elizabeth
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  Speaker 1: of having promised to play to him, and she sat
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  Speaker 1: down directly to the instrument. He drew a chair near her.
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  Speaker 1: Lady Catherine listened to half a song, and then talked,
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  Speaker 1: as before, to her other nephew, till the latter walked
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  Speaker 1: away from her, and moving with his usual deliberation towards
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  Speaker 1: the pianoforte, stationed himself so as to command a full view,
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  Speaker 1: of the fair performer's countenance. Elizabeth saw what he was doing,
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  Speaker 1: and at the first convenient pause turned to him with
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  Speaker 1: an arch smile, and said, You mean to frighten me, Mr. Darcy,
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  Speaker 1: by coming in all this state to hear me. But
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  Speaker 1: I will not be alarmed, though your sister does play
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  Speaker 1: so well. There is a stubbornness about me that never
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  Speaker 1: can bear to be frightened at the will of others.
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  Speaker 1: My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me.
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  Speaker 1: I shall not say that you are mistaken, he replied,
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  Speaker 1: because you could not really believe me to entertain any
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  Speaker 1: design of alarming you, and I have had the pleasure
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  Speaker 1: of your acquaintance long enough to know that you find
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  Speaker 1: great enjoyment in occasionally professing opinions which, in fact, are
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  Speaker 1: not your own. Elizabeth laughed heartily at this picture of
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  Speaker 1: herself and said to Colonel Fitzwilliam, Your cousin will give
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  Speaker 1: you a very pretty notion of me and teach you
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  Speaker 1: not to believe a word I say. I am particularly
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  Speaker 1: unlucky in meeting with a person so well able to
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  Speaker 1: expose my real character. In a part of the world
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  Speaker 1: where where I had hoped to pass myself off with
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  Speaker 1: some degree of credit. Indeed, Mr. Darcy, it is very
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  Speaker 1: ungenerous in you to mention all that you knew to
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  Speaker 1: my disadvantage in Hertfordshire, and give me leave to say,
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  Speaker 1: very impolitic too, for it is provoking me to retaliate,
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  Speaker 1: and such things may come out as will shock your
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  Speaker 1: relations to hear. I am not afraid of you, said
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  Speaker 1: he smilingly. Pray let me hear what you have to
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  Speaker 1: accuse him of, cried Colonel Fitzwilliam. I should like to
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  Speaker 1: know how he behaves among strangers. You shall hear then,
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  Speaker 1: but prepare for something very dreadful. The first time of
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  Speaker 1: my ever seeing him in Hertfordshire, you must know, was
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  Speaker 1: at a ball. And at this ball, what do you
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  Speaker 1: think he did? He danced only four dances. I am
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  Speaker 1: sorry to pain you, but so it was. He danced
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  Speaker 1: only four dances, though gentlemen were scarce. And, to my
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  Speaker 1: certain knowledge, more than one young lady was sitting down
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  Speaker 1: in want of a partner. Mr. Darcy, you cannot deny
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  Speaker 1: the fact. I had not at that time the honour
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  Speaker 1: of knowing any lady in the assembly beyond my own party. True,
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  Speaker 1: and nobody can ever be introduced in a ballroom. Well,
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  Speaker 1: Colonel Fitzwilliam, what do I play next? My fingers wait
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  Speaker 1: your orders. Perhaps, said Darcy, I should have judged better
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  Speaker 1: had I sought an introduction, but I am ill-qualified to
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  Speaker 1: recommend myself to strangers. Shall we ask your cousin the
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  Speaker 1: reason of this? said Elizabeth, still addressing Colonel Fitzwilliam. Shall
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  Speaker 1: we ask him why a man of sense and education,
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  Speaker 1: and who has lived in the world, is ill-qualified to
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  Speaker 1: recommend himself to strangers? I can answer your question, said Fitzwilliam,
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  Speaker 1: without applying to him. It is because he will not
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  Speaker 1: give himself the trouble. I certainly have not the talent
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  Speaker 1: which some people possess, said Darcy. of conversing easily with
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  Speaker 1: those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their
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  Speaker 1: tone of conversation or appear interested in their concerns, as
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  Speaker 1: I often see done. My fingers, said Elizabeth, do not
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  Speaker 1: move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I
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  Speaker 1: see so many women's do. They have not the same
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  Speaker 1: force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression.
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  Speaker 1: But then, I have always supposed it to be my
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  Speaker 1: own fault. Because I would not take the trouble of practising.
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  Speaker 1: It is not that I do not believe my fingers
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  Speaker 1: as capable as any other woman's of superior execution. Darcy
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  Speaker 1: smiled and said, You are perfectly right. You have employed
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  Speaker 1: your time much better. No one admitted to the privilege
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  Speaker 1: of hearing you can think anything wanting. We neither of
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  Speaker 1: us perform to strangers. Here, they were interrupted by Lady Catherine,
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  Speaker 1: who called out to know what they were talking of.
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth immediately began playing again. Lady Catherine approached and, after
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  Speaker 1: listening for a few minutes, said to Darcy, Miss Bennet
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  Speaker 1: would not play at all amiss if she practised more
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  Speaker 1: and could have the advantage of a London master. She
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  Speaker 1: has a very good notion of fingering, though her taste
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  Speaker 1: is not equal to Anne's. Anne would have been a
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  Speaker 1: delightful performer. had her health allowed her to learn. Elizabeth
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  Speaker 1: looked at Darcy, to see how cordially he assented to
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  Speaker 1: his cousin's praise. But neither at that moment, nor at
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  Speaker 1: any other, could she discern any symptom of love. And
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  Speaker 1: from the whole of his behaviour to Miss de Borg,
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  Speaker 1: she derived this comfort for Miss Bingley, that he might
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  Speaker 1: have been just as likely to marry her, had she
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  Speaker 1: been his relations. Lady Catherine continued her remarks on Elizabeth's performance,
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  Speaker 1: mixing with them many instructions on execution and taste. Elizabeth
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  Speaker 1: received them with all the forbearance of civility, and at
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  Speaker 1: the request of the gentleman remained at the instrument till
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  Speaker 1: her ladyship's carriage was ready to take them all home.