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Over the coming days, Mr. Bennet said nothing about Mr. Bingley. No matter how much his wife and daughters asked, they could not draw further comment from him.
According to the second-hand intelligence of their neighbour, Lady Lucas, they heard Mr. Bingley was quite young, wonderfully handsome, and extremely agreeable. To crown the whole, he intended to be at the next assembly with a group of friends.
All the ladies agreed that to be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love. They entertained very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley's heart.
"If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield with Mr. Bingley, and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for," Mrs. Bennet often said to the girls.
After a few days, Mr. Bingley visited the Bennet's household.
From an upper window, the curious ladies caught a glimpse of him. He wore a blue coat and rode a black horse. That was all they saw of him as he disappeared into Mr. Bennet's library.
A meeting of minds between father and prospective groom were the way things were done in these parts.
Clearly unhappy leaving her daughters' fates in the hands of men, Mrs. Bennet seemed constantly engaged with plans to assure a secure future for the girls. Elizabeth could understand a respect that even though she wanted to marry for love.
When Mr. Bingley was obliged to be in town and so declined the first invitation to dinner, Mrs. Bennet was beside herself with disappointment. It would have been the first opportunity for him to meet her daughters.
Muttering for all her daughter to hear, Mrs. Bennet complained that he might always be flying about from one place to another, and never settle at Netherfield as he ought. She could not imagine what business he could have in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire.
In time for the local society gathering, the handsome Mr. Bingley returned from London with four others. The two ladies turned out to be his sisters, Mrs. Louisa Hurst and Miss Caroline Bingley. As for the gentlemen, one was Louisa's husband, the other was a dashingly handsome Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.
They made their entrance at the ball. Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room. The details of his wealth emerged and circulated swiftly among all in society. The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man. The ladies declared he was much more handsome than the younger Mr. Bingley.
For about half the evening Mr. Darcy was greatly admired. For the second half of the evening, his local standing fell into decline.
The reserved Mr. Darcy spoke only with those in his own party. He danced only twice, and that was with Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley. And worse, he declined introductions to any other lady. His ill manners turned the tide of his popularity. He was proud, but not in a good way. He apparently thought himself above his company, and above being pleased by the local people.
He may have had wealth and good looks and a large estate in Derbyshire, but the man lacked common curtsey. He had no class.
There was a great contrast between Mr. Darcy and the lively and unreserved Charles Bingley. The latter soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room. He danced every dance. He mentioned throwing a ball at his Netherfield home.
Elizabeth heard the muttering around the room indicating the shifting consensus of opinion on Mr. Darcy.
Due to the scarcity of gentlemen, Elizabeth had been obliged to sit down for two dances, and during part of that time, Mr. Darcy stood near her.
Seeing Darcy on the edge of things, Mr. Bingley left the dance for a few minutes, to press his friend to join it. "Come, Darcy, I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You would do better joining the dance."
"I certainly shall not. You know how I detest dancing unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. Your sisters are engaged, and it would be a punishment to me to stand up with another woman in the room."
"I would not be so critical as you are." Mr. Bingley threw his hands up in obvious despair of his friend. "I do not understand you. I've never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening. Many of them are exceedingly pretty."
"You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room," said Mr. Darcy, looking at Jane the eldest of the Bennet sisters.
"Oh! She is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld!" Mr. Bingley said with a cheerful smile. "But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you; she is very pretty, and I dare say very agreeable. Do let me ask my Jane Bennet to introduce you."
Elizabeth heard all of this, of course. She was careful to observe the men from the corner of her eye, least they noticed her eavesdropping.
"Which do you mean?" Turning around, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth. Upon catching her eye, he withdrew his own. He coldly said, "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me. I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me."
Mr. Bingley followed his advice.
As if unaware that Elizabeth had heard all he said, Mr. Darcy walked off. Or perhaps he did not care.
Holding no warm feelings towards him, Elizabeth glanced around. She could at once tell that Mrs. Bennet had also overheard the conversation. The mother's dislike of his general behaviour was undoubtedly sharpened into particular resentment when he slighted one of her daughters.
The evening altogether passed off pleasantly to the whole family. They returned in good spirits to the village of Longbourn. On the journey, Mrs. Bennet and her daughters recounted the best parts of the evening, to Elizabeth's great amusement.
"Jane was so admired. Everybody said how well she looked, and Mr. Bingley thought her quite beautiful, and danced with her twice!"
And they found energy flavoured with bitterness, to comment on Mr. Darcy. "He is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing. So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him! He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great! Not handsome enough to dance with!"
Later when they were alone and talking about Mr. Bingley, Jane said to Elizabeth, "He is just what a young man ought to be. He's sensible, good-humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners—so much ease, with such perfect good breeding."
Elizabeth winked at her sister. "He is also handsome, which goes well with a man of his standing."
A pink flush rose on Jane's cheeks as she smiled a little more broadly. "I was very much flattered by his asking me to dance a second time. I did not expect such a compliment."
"You did not expect a second dance? I did. What could be more natural? He has two eyes. He must have seen that you were about five times as pretty as every other woman in the room."
"Dear Lizzy!"
"I speak my mind."
"I know you do, and it is that which makes the wonder. With your good sense, do you like this man's sisters, too? Their manners are not equal to his. And should I marry him, I will marry into his family."
"I spoke with them, and they are very pleasant women."
They were rather attractive and had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town. They also had a fortune, which permitted frivolous spending. They had mixed with the top echelons of society. They could too easily think well of themselves, and meanly of others.
Miss Bingley was willing to preside at her brother's table.
Mrs. Hurst had married a man of more fashion than fortune. She was also disposed to consider her brother's house as her home when it suited her.