"Well," asked Kitty upon their retiring, "what did you think of Mr. Bingley? I know you met him briefly before, but is your opinion still the same?"
"Indeed, it is. I found him handsome, amiable, sensible, and lively. I wonder what you thought of him, Kitty. He asked you to dance before he did me," replied her sister.
"Oh, he is all that you said. I think he shall be a most agreeable neighbour. What did you think of his sisters and friend?"
"I do not know," said Lizzy. "I did not like how his sisters looked down their noses at us." She would not tell Kitty what she thought of his friend. That was best not mentioned.
"Yet, as I did not speak with them, I cannot tell if they truly believe themselves above their company or if their posture is just so very upright and stiff," said Kitty. "Mr. Darcy looked decidedly uncomfortable, in my opinion, although I think he would have been less so if only he would have danced or even allowed himself to be introduced. Everyone is uncomfortable among strangers."
Elizabeth thought back to the slight to Kitty and thought Mr. Darcy would have done much better if he had followed his friend's advice. Yet, she would not insult Kitty by repeating the man's words. Therefore, she simply agreed that Mr. Darcy seemed reserved and stated that she did not believe his manners were anywhere equal to that of his friend. "Even reserved men can make an effort to be pleasant. He needn't have scowled so much."
"I think that is only the position his face rests in!" laughed Kitty. "You should not judge others so harshly, Lizzy. You shall be judged in equal measure."
Elizabeth hoped Mr. Darcy would be judged in equal measure to how he judged others, for that would be very harsh indeed. Kitty continued to talk about how Elizabeth ought not to dislike him based on only one meeting and that he might have a reason for not wishing to dance, suggesting that his feet might have hurt or that he might not know all the steps to new dances. She pointed out that the two dances he had chosen were ones with less intricate steps. Yet, Elizabeth did not believe this was the reason, else he might have danced one of the country dances with Kitty. They were not in town and therefore did not have the most fashionable and newest dances that one might not know. Elizabeth could say no more without giving her sister pain, but she resolved to dislike Mr. Darcy and never to dance with him if he asked.
"Such savage company!" exclaimed Miss Bingley. "I do not know why you insisted we attend this dreadful assembly this evening."
"We were personally invited to attend by our nearest neighbour as well as several other local families. It would have been a dreadful insult not to go," replied Mr. Bingley. "And I did not think them savage at all. I found several of the ladies quite charming and believe I shall enjoy becoming better acquainted with many of the gentlemen."
"Surely you cannot mean that!" Mrs. Hurst was appalled that her brother would desire such low company.
"I do," said her brother. "I mean to settle in the area and therefore it is right and proper for me to come to know the local gentry."
"Gentry! One can hardly call the people met this evening genteel." Miss Bingley cringed at the idea of spending a great deal of time in the company of Sir William or the Longs.
Miss Bingley and her sister were in fact very fine ladies. They were not deficient in good humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of making themselves agreeable when they chose it, but were often proud and conceited. They were handsome, had been taught in one of the first private seminaries in the town, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, were in the practice of spending more than they should, and associated with high-ranking individuals. The respectability of their family and wealth fostered a mentality in them of superiority and pride. They neglected to remember that their family had built their wealth through trade, and rather than understanding the amount of money they had, they believed it gave them more entitlement than it did.
Mr. Bingley had inherited a great deal of property from their father, which amounted to one-hundred thousand pounds. It had been their father's favourite wish that their family would join the landed gentry, but he had not lived long enough to accomplish the task. Bingley had come into his fortune upon his majority two years before, and it had been recommended to him that he should let an estate before purchasing so he might determine the sort of estate that he wished to have. When Netherfield park was suggested as a possibility to him, he travelled thither nearly immediately. He spent half an hour examining it; he was delighted with the layout and main rooms; he was content with the owner's praise, and he decided to take the property straight away.
Despite the considerable differences in their characters, a consistent friendship was maintained between him and Darcy. Bingley was endeared to Darcy 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. Bingley had absolute faith in Darcy's regard and the utmost respect for his judgement. In understanding, Darcy was the superior. Bingley was by no means deficient, but Darcy was clever. He was haughty and distant, and his manners, while well-bred, did not encourage conversation. In that respect, his friend had greatly the advantage. Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared, Darcy was continually giving offense.
The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly illustrated their differences perfectly. Never before had Bingley encountered so many people so amiable or girls so lovely. Everyone had been most kind and welcoming to him. He enjoyed that there was no artifice in his neighbours and he soon felt acquainted with everyone present. He had enjoyed the eldest Miss Bennet's company the most of them all, but was not displeased with anyone whom he met. Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and from none received either attention or pleasure. He did not remember meeting Miss Bennet, but he had thought her sister rather plain.
Mrs. Hust and Miss Bingley allowed Miss Bennet and Miss Kitty to be sweet girls who they would not mind coming to know better. No one else in the neighbourhood was worth knowing in their opinion. Darcy, who was by now becoming annoyed by Bingley's sisters, asked if their elder sister was also worth knowing, as she was the rector's wife, or if she and her husband were both also to be shunned by them. Of course, they thought the rector and his wife were worth knowing, even if they secretly thought them very dull.
Longbourn was within a short walk of a family that the Bennets had a particularly strong connection with. Formerly, Sir William Lucas was engaged in trade in Meryton, where he had made a considerable fortune, and was given a knighthood through an address to the king while he was mayor. The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business, and to his residence in a small market town. He and his family moved away to Lucas Lodge, located a mile from Meryton. Unrestrained by his business, he could savour his own significance and devote all his time to being amiable to everyone. For, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious. On the contrary, he was all attention to everybody. By nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging, his presentation at St. James's had made him courteous.
His wife, Lady Lucas, was a good sort of woman, although not so intelligent as to be an intimate friend of Mrs. Bennet. Her way of conveying gossip disgusted her neighbour, for while Mrs. Bennet was discerning and never shared what would harm, Lady Lucas shared whatever she heard. Yet, due to Elizabeth's friendship with the eldest and most sensible of the Lucas children, Mrs. Bennet tolerated Lady Lucas.
That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to talk over a ball was absolutely necessary. Consequently, the day after the assembly brought the former to Longbourn to both listen and share.
"You began the evening well, Charlotte," said Mrs. Bennet with a fond smile to Miss Lucas. "You were Mr. Bingley's first choice."
"He was a very pleasant dance partner," said Miss Lucas. "Do you not think, Eliza?"
"Very pleasant. He shall be a charming neighbour." Elizabeth had been pleased by Mr. Bingley, for he was very like Jane's husband in manner and if Charlotte were to find herself smitten with him, she would give her leave to like him.
"It was a shame his friend was not so fond of dancing as he was," said Lady Lucas.
"As I told Lizzy, we might find him more agreeable in time. Perhaps he was uncomfortable in new company," said Kitty.
"He seems a most disagreeable man," said Lady Lucas without acknowledging that Kitty had spoken. "Mrs. Long told me last night that he sat close to her for half-an-hour without once opening his lips."
"Are you quite certain, ma'am?" asked Kitty. "I am certain I saw them speaking."
"Aye—because she asked him at last how he liked Netherfield, and he could not help answering her. She said he seemed quite angry at being spoken to."
Lady Lucas wished to continue to speak against Mr. Darcy, but Mrs. Bennet would not allow it. She was curious to hear Kitty's opinion of the ball, considering it was her second attendance at such an event.
"I liked it very well. Mr. Richardson was most kind when I did not know the steps of one of the dances. He taught them to me, for he had been with his sisters during their lessons." Kitty further talked about how she had enjoyed dancing with the other gentlemen, but that she disliked some of the dances that required standing and waiting a long time for their turn.
"I am glad," said Elizabeth, "that you enjoyed the ball. Fear not, I believe the quadrille and similar dances are becoming much more popular and we shall not have to wait so long to dance."
The conversation continued apace, until they were joined by Mr. and Mrs. Hadley. The Bennets greeted Mary and her husband with warmth, before inviting them to join in the discussion of the previous evening. Mary did not have much to add, except to say that she also found Mr. Bingley a pleasant dance partner. Mr. Hadley had talked a while with Mrs. and Mr. Hurst and had not been impressed, but he did not say so in Lady Lucas's hearing. It would not do for his opinion to be spread through all of Meryton before the day was through.
Lady Lucas was distracted when one of her young sons began to badger Mr. Hadley to show him his new horses. She scolded her son, but Mr. Hadley did not mind entertaining the child. Such a momentary distraction proved helpful, for it allowed Mrs. Bennet to ask Mary about the needs of the parish. As such matters did not interest Lady Lucas overly much unless there was gossip to be had, she took her leave soon, leaving only Charlotte behind to visit further with Elizabeth and Kitty.