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Caroline: You write uncommonly fast, Mr.
Darcy.
Darcy: You're mistaken. I write rather slowly.
Caroline: How many letters you must have occasion to
write, Mr. Darcy. Letters of business, too. How
odious I
should think them.
Darcy: It is fortunate, then, they fall to my lot
instead of yours.
Caroline: Do tell your sister that I long to see her.
Darcy: I've already told her once, by your desire.
Caroline: I do
dote on her. I was quite
in raptures at her beautiful little
design for a table.
Darcy: Perhaps you will give me leave to defer your
raptures till I write again. At present I have not room
enough to do them justice.
Bingley: Well I think it's amazing that you young
ladies have the patience to be so accomplished.
Caroline: What do you mean, Charles?
Bingley: You all paint tables and play the piano and
embroider cushions. I never heard of a young lady, but
people say she's accomplished.
Darcy: The word is indeed applied too liberally. I
cannot boast of knowing more than half a dozen women in
all my acquaintance that are truly accomplished.
Caroline: Nor I, to be sure.
Elizabeth: Goodness, you must comprehend a great deal
in the idea.
Darcy: I do.
Caroline: Absolutely. She must have a thorough
knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing and the
modern languages to deserve the word. And something in
her air and manner of walking.
Darcy: And, of course she must improve her mind by
extensive reading.
Elizabeth: I'm no longer surprised at your knowing
only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your
knowing any.
Darcy: Are you so severe on your own sex?
Elizabeth: I never saw such a woman. She would
certainly be a fearsome thing to
behold.
Caroline: Miss Elizabeth, let us take a turn about
the room. It's refreshing, is it not, after sitting so
long in one attitude?
Elizabeth: It is a small kind of accomplishment, I
suppose.
Caroline: Will you not join us, Mr. Darcy?
Darcy: You can only have two motives, Caroline, and I
would interfere with either.
Caroline: What can he mean?
Elizabeth: The surest way of disappointing him will
be to ask him nothing about it.
Caroline: But do tell us, Mr. Darcy.
Darcy: Either you are in each other's confidence and
you have secret affairs to discuss, or you are conscious
that your figures appear to the greatest advantage by
walking. If the first, I should get in your way.
If the second,
I can admire you much better from here.
Caroline: Shocking. How shall we punish him for such
a speech?
Elizabeth: We could always laugh at him.
Caroline: Oh no. Mr. Darcy is not to be teased.
Elizabeth: Are you too proud, Mr. Darcy? And would
you consider pride a fault or a virtue?
Darcy: That I couldn't say.
Elizabeth: Because we're doing our best to find a
fault in you.
Darcy: Maybe it's that I find it hard to forgive the
follies and vices of others, or their offences against
me. My good opinion, once lost, is lost forever.
Elizabeth: Oh, dear. I cannot tease you about that.
What a shame, for I dearly love to laugh.
Caroline: A family
trait, I think. |
