ABOMINABLE AND RIGHT

"To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her ancles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! what could she mean by it? It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country-town indifference to decorum."

"It shows an affection for her sister that is very pleasing," said Bingley.

"I am afraid, Mr. Darcy," observed Miss Bingley, in a half whisper, "that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes."

"Not at all," he replied: "they were brightened by the exercise." A short pause followed this speech, and Mrs. Hurst began again,—

"I have an excessive regard for Jane Bennet,—she is really a very sweet girl,—and I wish with all my heart she were well settled. But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance of it."

"I think I have heard you say that their uncle is an attorney in Meryton?"

"Yes; and they have another, who lives somewhere near Cheapside."

"That is capital," added her sister; and they both laughed heartily.

"If they had uncles enough to fill all Cheapside," cried Bingley, "it would not make them one jot less agreeable."

"But it must very materially lessen their chance of marrying men of any consideration in the world," replied Darcy.

"No one said anything about marriage," Bingley said. "And as a tradesman's son I am not a man of such lofty consideration that I would worry about anyone's uncles, as long as they are honourable."

"Darcy is not speaking for your benefit," said Mr. Hurst. "He is trying to talk himself out of his little crush on Miss Elizabeth."

"Hurst! How abominable you are!" Mrs. Hurst exclaimed.

"I am a man of many talents," Mr. Hurst said. "I can be abominable and I can be right, all at the same time."

"Darcy does not have a crush on Miss Elizabeth," Bingley said. "He said she was not pretty enough to dance with."

"Try to keep up, Bingley," Mr. Hurst advised. "She is one of those who become more handsome over time. You must have heard all about her fine eyes by now."

"Mr. Darcy would never consider marrying a nobody like Eliza Bennet," Miss Bingley said.

"Oh, he has considered it," Mr. Hurst said. "Mind, I am not saying he would actually do it. But he has considered it. You all heard him a minute ago."

"Heard him?" Mrs. Hurst asked.

"It had never occurred to me to wonder about the likelihood of the Bennet girls marrying men of consideration," Mr. Hurst said. "As fascinating as the gossip might be their eligibility was simply not a relevant issue for me. But good old Darcy here has certainly given it a lot of thought."

"I find it to be in bad taste to bandy a woman's name about in this manner," Darcy said.

"Ah but we are all friends here," Mr. Hurst said. "Nothing that was said here will leave this room."

He looked around the room. "Right, Caroline?"

"I am sure I am the last person who would gossip about Mr. Darcy and some insignificant country chit," Miss Bingley said primly. "It is quite ridiculous, and nobody would believe me."

"It would not do to give anyone any hopes that are not likely to be realised," Darcy said.

"I do not see why," Bingley said. "You are unattached, the master of your own fortune, and certainly rich enough to afford a modestly dowered girl."

"My family has certain expectations," Darcy said.

"Well, what family has not?" Bingley said. "All families would prefer a fellow to marry a titled beauty of untold riches. But you are not beholden to anybody, and let us face it, in the event that you could find such a paragon you probably would not like each other above half."

"The scarce availability of personable titled heiresses does not mean that Mr. Darcy is forced to stoop to the level of the Bennets," Miss Bingley said.

"If there is anyone who could marry to please himself it must be Darcy," Mr. Hurst said. "She seems like an energetic sort, hearty enough to withstand the Derbyshire winters, and she would be happy as a lark walking the trails of Pemberley. Darcy, you could do much worse."

"But you would probably need to apologise to her first," said Bingley. "I am pretty sure that she heard you at the assembly."