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PinkMonkey.com Digital Library - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen


131

would Anne, if her health had allowed her to apply. I am confident
that she would have performed delightfully. How does Georgiana
get on, Darcy?” Mr. Darcy spoke with affectionate praise of his
sister’s proficiency.

“I am very glad to hear such a good account of her,” said Lady
Catherine; “and pray tell her from me, that she cannot expect to
excel if she does not practice a great deal.” “I assure you, madam,”
he replied, “that she does not need such advice. She practices very
constantly.”

“So much the better. It cannot be done too much; and when I next
write to her, I shall charge her not to neglect it on any account. I
often tell young ladies that no excellence in music is to be acquired
without constant practice. I have told Miss Bennet several times,
that she will never play really well unless she practices more; and
though Mrs. Collins has no instrument, she is very welcome, as I
have often told her, to come to Rosings every day, and play on the
pianoforte 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 pianoforte, 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 does 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.”

“I 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
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