{{prxprp019.jpg}} || PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 19 ||

she had as good a chance of happiness, as if she were to be studying

his character for a twelvemonth. Happiness in marriage is

entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are

ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar beforehand,

it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always

continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their

share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of

the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.'

'You make me laugh, Charlotte; but it is not sound. You

know it is not sound, and that you would never act in this

way yourself

Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley's attentions to her sister,

Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming

an object of some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy

had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her

without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he

looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it

clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature

in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly

intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this

discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he

had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect

symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure

to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her

manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught

by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; -- to

her he was only the man who made himself agreeable no where,

and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.

He began to wish to know more of her, and as a step towards

conversing with her himself, attended to her conversation with

others. His doing so drew her notice. It was at Sir William

Lucas's, where a large party were assembled.

'What does Mr. Darcy mean,' said she to Charlotte, 'by

listening to my conversation with Colonel Forster?'

'That is a question which Mr. Darcy only can answer.'

'But if he does it any more I shall certainly let him know that

I see what he is about. He has a very satirical eye, and if I do

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