Pride and Prejudice Becoming Jane Bennet

Lady Catherine's question interrupted Jane's thoughts, and caused those sitting on the other side of the room to look in their direction.

"We're talking about Miss Bennet's playing, ma'am," said Mr. Darcy, looking at Jane, and turning to his aunt.

"Ah—" Mrs. Catherine dragged on, "Miss Bennet's performance is really worth listening to. Why don't you play it, Miss Bennet?"

"Please forgive me, ma'am." Jane looked at her. She didn't know when dinner would start, and she had already finished playing the pieces that she could play coherently. He said, "I haven't played the piano for a long time, and now I feel a little tired. I'm afraid I won't be able to perform those movements well."

She had hoped that Lady Catherine would hear her words and say nothing more, and she would get down from the piano chair, but she did not, and Lady Catherine paid no attention to the meaning of her words.

"Those long pieces are really exhausting," she said, "otherwise I wouldn't have prevented Anne from learning them. . . . Then a short one, Miss Bennet."

Jane froze for a moment, she had never encountered such a situation - when she had clearly stated that she was tired, the lady asked her to continue playing, which made her not answer for a while.At first, she felt a little offended because her own wishes were ignored, but she was relieved after thinking about it, because she knew that this lady's temperament was like this, even if there was no malice, she would not do things according to other people's wishes— —Especially those with lower status than her.Jane was thinking about what she should do, whether to continue to refuse or to play another short movement according to her request, when Mr. Darcy spoke.

"Madame," said he, "if Miss Bennet says she is tired, we should politely believe her. I believe you would not wish Miss Bennet to be unable to hold a knife and fork at meal time?"

Hearing this, Mrs. Catherine looked at her aunt and nephew in amazement, and was speechless for a moment. Even Jane couldn't help but look at Mr. Darcy. She realized that her momentary silence might make people think that she was wrong. She was willing to continue playing, but she was surprised by Mr. Darcy's words of relief for her. She couldn't believe that Mr. Darcy would be so kind and considerate, and from Mr. Darcy's words After those words were spoken, the room suddenly fell into a silence that made Jane feel uneasy.

Jane was about to say something to ease the atmosphere, but at this moment the servant opened the door and walked in.He bowed to some of the people in the room, and made an extra bow to Lady Catherine, and said: "Supper is ready, madam."

Hearing his words, Madam Catherine quickly came back to her senses. She looked at her aunt and nephew and Jane, and instead of continuing the previous topic, she ordered a group of people to move to the restaurant.

"Darcy," she said as she stood up and looked at her aunt and nephew standing by the piano, "come here, and you bring Anne into the arena...Fitzwilliam, you come here too."

Mr. Darcy looked at his aunt thoughtfully, and after turning sideways to Jane with a slight nod, he walked up to Miss de Bourgh and asked her to put her hand in his arms.

"Miss Bennet." Colonel Fitzwilliam stretched out his hand to Jane, inviting her to join the people standing on the other side of the sofa.And Jane followed him graciously to Lady Catherine.

Mrs. Catherine watched the two of them walk up to her, put her hand on Colonel Fitzwilliam's arm, and said to Jane: "Miss Bennet, Mrs. Jiang Jinsen will lead you."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Jiang Jinsen quickly walked to Jane's side.Jane looked at her, smiled, and took her arms.

"Mr. Collins," Madam Catherine ordered again, "you bring Miss Maria into the arena... Mrs. Collins, I don't think you mind going in alone, do you?"

"Of course not, ma'am," replied Mrs. Collins quickly.

Mrs. Catherine arranged the order of entry and each person's entry partner in this way. After scanning the crowd, she felt that there was nothing dissatisfied, so she took Colonel Fitzwilliam's arm and led a group of people to the restaurant.

The rest of the dinner was not very different from the previous one, except that Lady Catherine at the table ignored Mr. Collins' compliments on the food she had arranged, and gave Mrs. Collins no advice on the affairs of the vicarage. ——she talked almost non-stop to her nephew, Mr. Darcy, during the meal, making it almost impossible for her nephew to have a good meal.Mr. Collins saw that Mrs. Catherine didn't seem to have time to pay attention to him, so he shifted his target. He happened to be sitting next to Colonel Fitzwilliam, and from time to time he said something nice to him, and Colonel Fitzwilliam was an amiable man. People, he listened to Mr. Collins talking to him with great interest and patience, and replied a few words from time to time, and the atmosphere was actually quite harmonious.

Thanks to Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Collins no longer has to worry about Mrs. Catherine's questions all the time. She talks to Mrs. Jiang Jinson and Jane sitting beside her from time to time, and eats more food than the previous few visits to Rosings Manor. Sometimes a lot more.

And because Maria didn't sit with her sister and friends—she was arranged opposite to Jane, the position of Mr. Collins's lower head, and no one could talk to her, so she and Miss de Bourgh carried out her usual With the style of "eating without talking", he spent the entire meal time in complete silence.

……

At the end of the dinner, it was already late at night. Mrs. Catherine felt that the wind was too windy for herself and her daughter, and Mrs. Jiang Jinsen went out, so she just ordered the servants to prepare the carriage, and asked Mr. Collins and his party to follow the servants Just leave.But her two aunts and nephews felt that this was not appropriate, so they followed the guests when they left, and did not leave until they were sent back to the carriage.

"What a night!" said Colonel Fitzwilliam to his cousin on the way back.

"Yes," said Mr. Darcy, somewhat absently.

"What a delightful company this evening!" said Colonel Fitzwilliam. "Hasn't Rosings been this lively all week? I miss such lively conversation as this evening."

"Now that Cousin Anne has also recovered, you may well continue to visit the delightful people at the vicarage." Mr. Darcy said, looking at him, indifferently.

Colonel Fitzwilliam looked at him suspiciously, and asked: "Don't you think they are pleasant people, Darcy? Don't you think it would be interesting to talk to them?"

"That's because you've been talking to the only person worth talking to nearly all night," said Mr. Darcy coldly.

Colonel Fitzwilliam couldn't help laughing, and said, "You mean Miss Bennet? She is indeed the most beautiful, elegant, and knowledgeable lady I have ever seen. But her cousins ​​and friends are also very interesting people."

Mr. Darcy twitched the corner of his mouth and said mockingly: "Because talking to them can bring out the IQ of the person talking?"

Hearing what his cousin said, Colonel Fitzwilliam couldn't help but sighed with a smile, he patted his cousin on the shoulder helplessly, and said, "Don't be so harsh, Darcy, you can't expect everyone Can be as learned as you."

After a pause, he said again: "But what you said is indeed true. Now that Anne has recovered, I can go to the priest's house from time to time. Darcy, why don't you come with me? Stay in the garden or ride a bicycle every day. What a bore to roam about, the vicarage may not be the wisest of people, but Mr and Mrs Collins are very hospitable, they have interesting conversations, Mr Collins always finds something to say and never gives a cold shoulder This kind of thing happened, Miss Maria is also an elegant lady, not to mention Miss Bennet, if you want to have a meaningful conversation, you can talk to her."

When Mr. Darcy heard his cousin's last words, he couldn't help but glanced at him. He realized that his good friend admired Jane so much. Seeing his admiration when he mentioned this Miss Bennet, he almost Already in love, which made him frown.

"Fitzwilliam, I remember that your father and mother wanted you to marry a lady of the right kind?" he said.

Upon hearing this, Colonel Fitzwilliam turned his head and looked at his cousin strangely, and said, "My parents really want me to do this..."

He thought of his mother, the Countess of Matlock, who would always hold a ball under various names when he returned, and invite many families with daughters to the ball. He couldn't help but smiled and shook his head, saying: " But I very much wish I could choose my future wife myself, Darcy."

Mr. Darcy turned his head and looked at him for a while, and said, "Of course you can choose your own future wife, Fitzwilliam."

Colonel Fitzwilliam patted him on the shoulder with a smile, and said: "Sometimes I really envy you, Darcy, not everyone can do things as you like."

After a pause, he said again: "Don't talk about it, Darcy, I've already decided that tomorrow I'm going to visit the family living in the vicarage. Would you like to go with me?"

"If you've made up your mind, go ahead," said Mr. Darcy. "I'm not interested in your interesting talk."

But although he was so disapproving of his cousin's proposal to visit the vicarage the next day, when Colonel Fitzwilliam asked him again the next day before he was about to go out, he just hesitated After a few seconds, he finally agreed to his cousin's proposal, which surprised Colonel Fitzwilliam.