{{prxprp152.jpg}} || 152 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ||

she is very welcome, as I have often told her, to come to Rosings

every day, and play on the piano forte in Mrs. Jenkinson's room,

She would be in nobody's way, you know, in that part of

the house.'

Mr. Darcy looked a little ashamed of his aunt's ill breeding,

and made no answer.

When coffee was over, Colonel Fitzwilliam reminded Elizabeth

of having promised to play to him; and she sat down directly to

the instrument. He drew a chair near her. Lady Catherine

listened to half a song, and then talked, as before, to her other

nephew; till the latter walked away from her, and making with

his usual deliberation towards the piano forte, stationed himself so

as to command a full view of the fair performer's countenance.

Elizabeth saw what he was doing, and at the first convenient

pause, turned to him with an arch smile, and said,

'You mean to frighten me, Mr. Darcy, by coming in all this

state to hear me; But I will not be alarmed though your sister

ices play so well. There is a stubbornness about me that never

can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always

rises with every attempt to intimidate me.'

T shall not say that you are mistaken,' he replied, 'because you

could not really believe me to entertain any design of alarming

you; and I have had the pleasure of your acquaintance long

enough to know, that you find great enjoyment in occasionally

professing opinions which in fact are not your own.'

Elizabeth laughed heartily at this picture of herself, and said

to Colonel Fitzwilliam, 'Your cousin will give you a very

pretty notion of me, and teach you not to believe a word I say.

I am particularly unlucky in meeting with a person so well able

to expose my real character, in a part of the world, where I had

hoped to pass myself off with some degree of credit. Indeed,

Mr. Darcy, it is very ungenerous in you to mention all that you

knew to my disadvantage in Hertfordshire -- and, give me leave

to say, very impolitic too -- for it is provoking me to retaliate, and

such things may come out, as will shock your relations to hear.'

'I am not afraid of you,' said he, smilingly.

'Pray let me hear what you have to accuse him of,' cried Colonel

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