That evening, Jane was finally well enough to come downstairs for a few hours. Mr. Bingley was full of joy. He sat by her and talked to almost no one else. Elizabeth was delighted to see her sister so happy.
After tea, Miss Bingley tried to get Mr. Darcy’s attention. He was reading a book, so she picked up the second volume of the same book just to seem like they had something in common. But she soon got bored.
“How pleasant it is to spend an evening reading!” she said with a loud yawn. “There is no enjoyment like a book!”
Nobody answered her. She threw the book aside and began walking around the room to show off her elegant figure. When she realized Darcy was still focused on his reading, she invited Elizabeth to walk with her.
“Miss Elizabeth, come and walk with me,” she said. “It is very refreshing after sitting for so long.”
Elizabeth agreed. Finally, Mr. Darcy looked up. He was invited to join them, but he refused.
“I can only imagine two reasons why you are walking together,” he said. “Either you have secrets to discuss, or you know that you look very good while walking. In both cases, I can admire you better from my seat by the fire.”
“How terrible!” Miss Bingley cried. “How should we punish him for saying that, Elizabeth?”
“Tease him! Laugh at him!” Elizabeth suggested.
“No,” Miss Bingley said. “It is hard to laugh at Mr. Darcy. He is too calm.”
“Mr. Darcy cannot be laughed at?” Elizabeth asked. “That is very unusual. I love to laugh at people when they are being silly or inconsistent.”
“I have spent my life trying to avoid being silly,” Darcy said.
“You mean you avoid things like vanity and pride?” Elizabeth asked.
“Vanity is a weakness,” Darcy admitted. “But pride—when a person is truly superior—is usually well-controlled.”
Elizabeth turned away to hide a smile. She was sure he was talking about himself.
“I am convinced now,” Elizabeth said, “that Mr. Darcy has no faults at all.”
“No,” Darcy replied. “I have many faults. My temper is difficult. I am not a forgiving person. When I lose my good opinion of someone, I lose it forever.”
“That is a serious fault,” Elizabeth said. “An unforgiving heart is a dark thing. I cannot laugh at that.”
“Everyone has a natural defect,” Darcy said. “And yours is to purposely misunderstand people.”
“And yours,” Elizabeth replied, “is to hate everyone.”
“Do let’s have some music!” Miss Bingley interrupted, tired of a conversation she didn’t understand. As the music began, Darcy started to feel that Elizabeth was becoming too important to him. He realized he needed to be careful. He was starting to like her far more than he should.