Elizabeth spoke little during the course of the dinner, chiefly only speaking of Miss Bennet’s infinite and inimitablevirtues every time Bingley brought the conversation back to Miss Bennet, which he did frequently. But whenever Elizabeth spoke about Miss Bennet there was a hint of a private amusement in how she spoke, one that Bingley did not notice at all.
Several times she touched that new locket which she was now wearing, and she ran her fingers over it, as though to comfort herself.
Darcy could guess how it was: Mrs. Bennet had ordered her to praise Miss Bennet to Mr. Bingley with every opportunity, and she did as ordered. However, it was impossible for someone with her clever sense of humor to avoid having a sensibility of the ridiculous in her when she did so.
Rather before the rest of them completed their meals, Elizabeth pushed away her food, and said that she must return to her duties to Jane. Miss Bingley exclaimed, “It is terrible how they treat that poor girl—she deserves better.”
Mr. Darcy rather suspected that Miss Bingley had perceived that he strongly disapproved of Miss Elizabeth’s treatment, and meant to make him think better of her by condemning it.
“What do you speak of,” Mr. Bingley replied. “Do you mean Miss Elizabeth?”
“Yousurely have seen how Mrs. Bennet makes her jump to and fro,” Miss Bingley said to Mr. Darcy.
“I see what you hope me to say,” Mr. Bingley said, “and I shall not play along. I am determined to think well of the Bennets.”
“You do not find it strange,” Miss Bingley said, “that it was not one of Jane’s sisters who came to care for her.”
Bingley had a mulish expression. “Why would it not be Miss Elizabeth?”
“It is a sister’s place,” Darcy said. “Sending her in this way makes it seem as though they treat her as a nursemaid, ratherthan a full member of the family. Even if she is in an inferior place, as they have raised her as their ward, they ought to always ensure that her consequence is maintained, and due deference given to her.”
Miss Bingley nodded. “And that poor girl, she is terrified of Mrs. Bennet. It pains my heart to see.”
“She is not,” Bingley replied. “If she was scared of Mrs. Bennet, why would she always insist that she is so grateful to her.”
This was a statement with such an obvious retort that none of Bingley’s interlocutors felt obliged to make it.
The young man reddened under their stare, and then he said, “I insist, there is nothing amiss. Miss Elizabeth is a happy person, who is well cared for. And sheoughtto be grateful, for she is being raised by the Bennets as a gentlewoman, when such kindness was not necessary. From what Jane said she is in fact a very distant relation. Miss Elizabeth’s case proves the goodwill and kindness of the Bennet family. They are capital persons, all of them.”
“She dresses to look as ugly as she might with her pretty face and figure. That is not ordinary.” Miss Bingley said, “She did not do so tonight, likely because she had not expected to be sitting in company, so I had not noticed before. But when she attends parties, she always dresses to make her person appear less interesting than it is.”
“So?”
“The only reason she does this,” Miss Bingley said, “is that she fears what Mrs. Bennet would do to her if she outshone even the plain one of her daughters. The one who played piano so dreadfully. Miss—Oh, I cannot recall. Darcy, you danced with her, what was her name?”
Darcy shrugged. He also did not remember the woman’s name, and he felt no shame for not doing so.
This brought a laugh from Bingley. “Inever noticed anything amiss in Miss Elizabeth’s clothing.”
Miss Bingley shook her head. “And who are their connections—beyond the penniless Miss Elizabeth. One is a country lawyer.”
“They also have an uncle in Cheapside,” Mr. Bingley replied.
This brought both Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst to laughter.
This was clearly Miss Bingley’s plan to suggest to Bingley that he was paying too much attention to Jane. But the reference to her poor connections was unlikely to have the effect they hoped.
In reply to the laughter, Bingley exclaimed, “Miss Bennet and her sisters would not be one jot less agreeable if they had uncles enough to fill all of Cheapside!”
“But that would materially decrease their chances of marrying anyone of consequence in the world,” Darcy said.
The expression on Bingley’s face was stubborn.
As Darcy opened his mouth to say something further, he realized that he wished to discourage Bingley chiefly because he felt a resentment that he did not have a right to have on Elizabeth’s behalf. He thought ill of their treatment of Elizabeth, so he wanted all the world to think ill about them.
None of that was his business.
Darcy turned back to his roast.
