第54章

'What is that you are saying，Fitzwilliam？What is it you are talking of？What are you telling Miss Bennet？Let me hear what it is.'

'We are speaking of music，Madam，'said he，when no longer able to avoid a reply.

'Of music！Then pray speak aloud. It is of all subjects my delight.I must have my share in the conversation，if you are speaking of music.There are few people in England，I suppose，who have more true enjoyment of music than myself，or a better natural taste.If I had ever learnt，I should have been a great proficient.And so would Anne，if her health had allowed her to apply.I am confident that she would have performed delightfully.How does Georgiana get on，Darcy？'

Mr. Darcy spoke with affectionate praise of his sister's proficiency.

'I am very glad to hear such a good account of her，'said Lady Catherine；'and pray tell her from me，that she cannot expect to excel，if she does not practise a great deal.'

'I assure you，Madam，'he replied，'that she does not need such advice. She practises very constantly.'

'So much the better. It cannot be done too much；and when I next write to her，I shall charge her not to neglect it on any account.I often tell young ladies，that no excellence in music is tobe acquired，without constant practise.I have told Miss Bennet several times，that she will never play really well，unless she practises more；and though Mrs.Collins has no instrument，she is very welcome，as I have often told her，to come to Rosings every day，and play on the pianoforté in Mrs.Jenkinson's room.She would be in nobody's way，you know，in that part of the house.'

Mr Darcy looked a little ashamed of his aunt's ill breeding and made no answer.

When coffee was over，Colonel Fitzwilliam reminded Elizabeth of having promised to play to him；and she sat down directly to the instrument. He drew a chair near her.Lady Catherine listened to half a song，and then talked，as before，to her other nephew；till the latter walked away from her，and moving with his usual deliberation towards the pianoforté，stationed himself so as to command a full view of the fair performer's countenance.Elizabeth saw what he was doing，and at the first convenient pause，turned to him with an arch smile，and said，

'You mean to frighten me，Mr. Darcy，by coming in all this state to hear me？But I will not be alarmed though your sister does play so well.There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others.My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me.'

'I shall not say that you are mistaken，'he replied，'because you could not really believe me to entertain any design of alarming you；and I have had the pleasure of your acquaintance long enough to know，that you find great enjoyment in occasionally professing opinions which in fact are not your own.'

Elizabeth laughed heartily at this picture of herself，and said to Colonel Fitzwilliam，'Your cousin will give you a very pretty notionof me，and teach you not to believe a word I say. I am particularly unlucky in meeting with a person so well able to expose my real character，in a part of the world，where I had hoped to pass myself off with some degree of credit.Indeed，Mr.Darcy，it is very ungenerous in you to mention all that you knew to my disadvantage in Hertfordshire—and，give me leave to say，very impolitic too—for it is provoking me to retaliate，and such things may come out，as will shock your relations to hear.'

'I am not afraid of you，'said he，smilingly.

'Pray let me hear what you have to accuse him of，'cried Colonel Fitzwilliam.'I should like to know how he behaves among strangers.'

'You shall hear then—but prepare yourself for something very dreadful. The first time of my ever seeing him in Hertfordshire，you must know，was at a ball—and at this ball，what do you think he did？He danced only four dances！I am sorry to pain you—but so it was.He danced only four dances，though gentlemen were scarce；and，to my certain knowledge，more than one young lady was sitting down in want of a partner.Mr.Darcy，you cannot deny the fact.'

'I had not at that time the honour of knowing any lady in the assembly beyond my own party.'

'True；and nobody can ever be introduced in a ball room. Well，Colonel Fitzwilliam，what do I play next？My fingers wait your orders.'

'Perhaps，'said Darcy，'I should have judged better，had I sought an introduction，but I am ill qualified to recommend myself to strangers.'

'Shall we ask your cousin the reason of this？'said Elizabeth，still addressing Colonel Fitzwilliam.'Shall we ask him why a man of sense and education，and who has lived in the world，is ill qualified to recommend himself to strangers？'

'I can answer your question，'said Fitzwilliam，'without applying to him. It is because he will not give himself the trouble.'

'I certainly have not the talent which some people possess，'said Darcy，'of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation，or appear interested in their concerns，as I often see done.'

'My fingers，'said Elizabeth，'do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women's do. They have not the same force or rapidity，and do not produce the same expression.But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault—because I would not take the trouble of practising.It is not that I do not believe my fingers as capable as any other woman's of superior execution.'

Darcy smiled and said，'You are perfectly right. You have employed your time much better.No one admitted to the privilege of hearing you，can think any thing wanting.We neither of us perform to strangers.'

Here they were interrupted by Lady Catherine，who called out to know what they were talking of. Elizabeth immediately began playing again.Lady Catherine approached，and，after listening for a few minutes，said to Darcy，