A short walk from Longbourn lived the Lucases, a family who were very close friends with the Bennets. Sir William Lucas had once been a businessman in Meryton, where he had made a good amount of money. He had even been made a knight by the King. This honor made him feel very important, so he decided to leave his business and move to a house called Lucas Lodge. He was a very kind, friendly, and polite man. His wife, Lady Lucas, was a good woman and a wonderful neighbor to Mrs. Bennet. They had several children, and the eldest, Charlotte, was a sensible young woman of twenty-seven. She was Elizabeth’s closest friend.
The morning after the ball, the Lucas daughters went to Longbourn to talk about the evening with the Bennet sisters.
“You began the evening well, Charlotte,” Mrs. Bennet said politely. “Mr. Bingley chose you first.”
“Yes, but he seemed to like his second partner better,” Charlotte replied.
“Oh! You mean Jane, because he danced with her twice,” Mrs. Bennet said. “It certainly looked like he admired her. I heard something about it, too.”
“I can tell you exactly what happened,” Charlotte said. “I overheard Mr. Robinson asking Mr. Bingley how he liked our local parties and which woman he thought was the prettiest. Mr. Bingley answered immediately: ‘Oh, the eldest Miss Bennet, without a doubt!’”
“Well, that is very clear!” Mrs. Bennet cried. “But, of course, it might lead to nothing.”
“My news is more interesting than yours, Eliza,” Charlotte said, turning to her friend. “Mr. Darcy is not as nice to listen to as his friend, is he? Poor Eliza—to be called only ‘just tolerable’!”
“Please don’t make Lizzy feel bad about it,” said Mrs. Bennet. “He is such an unpleasant man that it would be a misfortune to be liked by him. Mrs. Long told me that he sat next to her for half an hour and never opened his mouth!”
“Are you sure, mother?” Jane asked. “I saw Mr. Darcy speaking to her.”
“Only because she asked him a question!” Mrs. Bennet replied. “He seemed very angry that she spoke to him at all. Everyone says he is eaten up with pride. He probably didn't want to talk to Mrs. Long because she doesn't own a carriage.”
“I don’t mind that he didn't talk to Mrs. Long,” said Charlotte, “but I wish he had danced with Eliza.”
“If I were you, Lizzy,” her mother said, “I would refuse to dance with him next time.”
“I think I can safely promise you that I will never dance with him,” Elizabeth replied.
“His pride doesn't bother me as much as pride usually does,” Charlotte remarked, “because he has an excuse for it. We cannot be surprised that such a fine young man, with a great family and a large fortune, thinks highly of himself. He has a right to be proud.”
“That is very true,” Elizabeth agreed, “and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not hurt mine.”
Mary, who liked to read a lot and think about serious things, added her opinion. “Pride is a very common human weakness. Many people feel proud of themselves for one reason or another. There is a difference between pride and vanity. A person can be proud without being vain. Pride is what we think of ourselves; vanity is what we want other people to think of us.”
“If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy,” cried one of the younger Lucas boys, “I wouldn't care how proud I was. I would have a pack of hunting dogs and drink a bottle of wine every day!”
“Then you would drink much more than you should,” said Mrs. Bennet. “If I saw you doing that, I would take the bottle away immediately.”
The boy argued that she wouldn't, and she insisted that she would. The argument continued until the Lucases finally said goodbye and went home.