Chapter 31

Colonel Fitzwilliam was very well liked at the parsonage. All the ladies were sure he would make the parties at Rosings much more pleasant. But the invitation did not come for several days. While guests were staying at the great house, the parsonage family was not needed there. Only at Easter, almost a week after the two gentlemen arrived, did they receive such an honor. That day too, they were only told to come in the evening as they left church. In the past week, they had hardly seen Lady Catherine or her daughter at all. In that time, Colonel Fitzwilliam called at the parsonage more than once, but they saw Mr. Darcy only at church.

Of course they accepted the invitation. At the right time, they went to Lady Catherine's drawing room and joined the party there. Lady Catherine received them politely. But it was clear that she was not as glad of their visit as she was when no one else was there. In fact, she gave almost all her attention to her two nephews. She talked to Darcy much more than to anyone else in the room.

Colonel Fitzwilliam seemed truly glad to see them. At Rosings, anything new was a welcome change. Besides, Mrs. Collins's pretty friend had caught his interest very much. He sat down beside Elizabeth. They talked most pleasantly of Kent and Hertfordshire, of traveling and staying at home, of new books and music. Elizabeth had never enjoyed herself so much in that room before. The two of them talked with such life and ease that even Lady Catherine and Mr. Darcy took notice. Darcy soon began to look at them again and again, with curious eyes. After a while, Lady Catherine showed the same feeling much more openly. Without any hesitation, she asked in a loud voice,

"Fitzwilliam, what are you saying? What are you talking about? What are you telling Miss Bennet? Let me hear it too."

"We were talking of music, madam," he said, since he could no longer avoid answering.

"Music! Then speak of it out loud. Music is the subject I like best of all. If you are talking of music, I must join in too. There are very few people in England who truly enjoy music more than I do, or who have better natural taste. If I had ever learned, I would have become quite excellent. So would Anne, if her health had allowed it. She would surely have played beautifully. Darcy, how well does Georgiana play now?"

Mr. Darcy spoke of his sister's fine skill with warm, affectionate words.

"I am very glad to hear that she plays well," said Lady Catherine. "But tell her from me that she cannot excel unless she practices a great deal."

"I promise you, madam, she needs no such advice," he answered. "She practices very steadily."

"Then so much the better. One can never practice too much. The next time I write to her, I will tell her firmly not to neglect it, whatever happens. I often tell young ladies that no one can gain real skill in music without constant practice. I have told Miss Bennet the same thing several times. She will never play truly well unless she practices more. Mrs. Collins has no instrument of her own, but as I have told her many times, she may come to Rosings every day and play the piano in Mrs. Jenkinson's room as much as she likes. No one would be disturbed there at all."

Mr. Darcy looked a little ashamed of his aunt's rude manner. But he made no reply.

When coffee was over, Colonel Fitzwilliam reminded Elizabeth of her promise. Had she not agreed to play for him? She sat down at the piano at once. He drew a chair close and sat beside her. Lady Catherine listened to about half the song, and then began talking again to her other nephew, just as before. At last Darcy got away from his aunt. He walked toward the piano with his usual careful steps. He took a place where he could look straight at the pretty player's face. Elizabeth noticed what he was doing. At a pause in the music, she turned to him with a playful smile and said,

"Mr. Darcy, you come with all this grand manner to hear me play, and try to frighten me. But I will not be alarmed, even if your sister does play very well. There is something stubborn in me that will never let others frighten me on purpose. Whenever someone tries to scare me, it only makes me braver."

"I will not say you are wrong," he answered. "For you cannot really believe that I meant to frighten you. And I have known you long enough now to know something else. You sometimes take great delight in stating, quite seriously, opinions that are not even your own."

Hearing herself described this way, Elizabeth laughed heartily. Then she said to Colonel Fitzwilliam, "Your cousin is going to give you such a fine picture of me, and teach you not to believe a single word I say. I am especially unlucky to meet, in this very place, someone able to expose my true character so well, when I had hoped to pass for a rather better person than I am. Really, Mr. Darcy, it is very unkind of you to mention everything you learned against me in Hertfordshire. And, if I may say so, it is also very unwise. For it tempts me to take revenge. Things may come out that would shock your relations to hear."

"I am not afraid of you," he said, smiling.

"Do let me hear what you mean to accuse him of," cried Colonel Fitzwilliam. "I want to know how he behaves among strangers."

"Then you shall hear it. But you must be ready for something quite terrible. The first time I ever saw him in Hertfordshire was at a ball. And do you know what he did at that ball? He danced only four dances! I am sorry to pain you, Colonel, but it is true. He danced only four dances, though gentlemen were scarce. And I know for a fact that more than one young lady sat down for lack of a partner. Mr. Darcy, you cannot deny it."

"At that time I did not know any lady in the room except those in my own party."

"True. And no one can ever be introduced in a ballroom. Well, Colonel Fitzwilliam, what shall I play next? My fingers are waiting for your orders."

"Perhaps," said Darcy, "I would have judged better if I had asked to be introduced. But I lack the talent of making myself liked by strangers."

"Shall we ask your cousin the reason for that?" said Elizabeth, still speaking to Colonel Fitzwilliam. "Shall we ask why a man of sense and education, who has seen so much of the world, has no talent for making a good impression on strangers?"

"I can answer that without asking him," said Fitzwilliam. "It is because he does not choose to take the trouble."

"It is true that I do not have a certain talent that some people have," said Darcy. "I mean the talent of talking easily with people I have never met before. I cannot match my manner to theirs, or pretend to be interested in their concerns, as I often see other people do."

"My fingers," said Elizabeth, "do not move over this instrument with the skill that so many women's fingers have. They do not have the same strength or speed, and they do not make the same fine feeling. But I have always believed that was my own fault, because I would not take the trouble to practice. It is not that I believe my fingers are less able than any other woman's to play truly well."

"That is perfectly true," said Darcy, smiling. "You have used your time much better. No one who has had the pleasure of hearing you play could think that anything was lacking. It seems neither of us shows our talent in front of strangers."

Just then, Lady Catherine called out loudly to ask what they were talking about. Their conversation stopped at once. Elizabeth soon began to play again. Lady Catherine came closer, listened for a few minutes, and then said to Darcy,

"Miss Bennet would not play at all badly if she practiced more, and could have lessons from a master in London. She understands how to move her fingers very well, though her taste is not equal to Anne's. Anne would have been a fine player, if her health had allowed her to learn."

Elizabeth watched Darcy to see how sincerely he agreed with this praise of his cousin. But at that moment, and at every other moment, she saw no sign of love in him at all. From all she saw of how he behaved toward Miss de Bourgh, she found this comfort for Miss Bingley: if Miss Bingley had only been his relation, Darcy would have been just as likely to marry her as he was to marry Miss de Bourgh.

Lady Catherine went on giving her opinion of Elizabeth's playing, mixed with a great many directions about touch and taste. Elizabeth listened to it all with as much patience as good manners required. At the gentlemen's request, she stayed at the piano until Lady Catherine's carriage was ready to take everyone home.