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Chapter VIII

At five o'clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at

half-past six Elizabeth was summoned to dinner.

To the civil inquiries which then poured in, and

amongst which she had the pleasure of distinguishing the

much superior solicitude of Mr. Bingley, she could not make

a very favourable answer. Jane was by no means better.

The sisters, on hearing this, repeated three or four times

how much they were grieved, how shocking it was to have

a bad cold, and how excessively they disliked being ill

themselves; and then thought no more of the matter: and

their indifference towards Jane, when not immediately be-

fore them, restored Elizabeth to the enjoyment of all her

original dislike.

Their brother, indeed, was the only one of the party whom

she could regard with any complacency. His anxiety for

Jane was evident, and his attentions to herself most pleas-

ing; and they prevented her feeling herself so much an

intruder as she believed she was considered by the others.

She had very little notice from any but him. Miss Bingley

was engrossed by Mr. Darcy, her sister scarcely less so;

and as for Mr. Hurst, by whom Elizabeth sat, he was an

indolent man, who lived only to eat, drink, and play at

cards, who, when he found her prefer a plain dish to a

ragout, had nothing to say to her.

When dinner was over, she returned directly to Jane, and

Miss Bingley began abusing her as soon as she was out of

the room. Her manners were pronounced to be very bad

indeed, -- a mixture of pride and impertinence: she had no

conversation, no style, no taste, no beauty. Mrs. Hurst

thought the same, and added,--

'She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being

an excellent walker. I shall never forget her appearance

this morning. She really looked almost wild.'

'She did, indeed, Louisa. I could hardly keep my counte-

nance. Very nonsensical to come at all! Why must _she_ be

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