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'Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my

example, and take a turn about the room. I assure you it is

very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude.'

Elizabeth was surprised, but agreed to it immediately.

Miss Bingley succeeded no less in the real object of her

civility: Mr. Darcy looked up. He was as much awake to

the novelty of attention in that quarter as Elizabeth herself

could be, and unconsciously closed his book. He was directly

invited to join their party, but he declined it, observing that

he could imagine but two motives for their choosing to walk

up and down the room together, with either of which motives

his joining them would interfere. What could he mean?

She was dying to know what could be his meaning

-- and asked Elizabeth whether she could at all understand

him.

'Not at all,' was her answer; 'but, depend upon it, he

means to be severe on us, and our surest way of disappointing

him will be to ask nothing about it.'

Miss Bingley, however, was incapable of disappointing Mr.

Darcy in anything, and persevered, therefore, in requiring an

explanation of his two motives.

'I have not the smallest objection to explaining them,' said

he, as soon as she allowed him to speak. 'You either choose

this method of passing the evening because you are in each

other's confidence, and have secret affairs to discuss, or be-

cause you are conscious that your figures appear to the

greatest advantage in walking: if the first, I should be com-

pletely in your way; and if the second, I can admire you

much better as I sit by the fire.'

'Oh, shocking!' cried Miss Bingley. 'I never heard any-

thing so abominable. How shall we punish him for such a

speech?'

'Nothing so easy, if you have but the inclination,' said

Elizabeth. 'We can all plague and punish one another.

Tease him -- laugh at him. Intimate as you are, you must

know how it is to be done.'

'But upon my honour I do _not._ I do assure you that my

intimacy has not yet taught me _that._ Tease calmness of

temper and presence of mind! No, no; I feel he may defy

us there. And as to laughter, we will not expose ourselves,

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