Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 10

The day passed much as the day before had done.  Mrs. Hurst

and Miss Bingley had spent some hours of the morning with the

invalid, who continued, though slowly, to mend; and in the

evening Elizabeth joined their party in the drawing-room.  The

loo-table, however, did not appear.  Mr. Darcy was writing, and

Miss Bingley, seated near him, was watching the progress of his

letter and repeatedly calling off his attention by messages to

his sister.  Mr. Hurst and Mr. Bingley were at piquet, and Mrs.

Hurst was observing their game.

Elizabeth took up some needlework, and was sufficiently

amused in attending to what passed between Darcy and his

companion.  The perpetual commendations of the lady, either on

his handwriting, or on the evenness of his lines, or on the length

of his letter, with the perfect unconcern with which her praises

were received, formed a curious dialogue, and was exactly in

union with her opinion of each.

"How delighted Miss Darcy will be to receive such a letter!"

He made no answer.

"You write uncommonly fast."

"You are mistaken.  I write rather slowly."

"How many letters you must have occasion to write in the

course of a year!  Letters of business, too!  How odious I should

think them!"

"It is fortunate, then, that they fall to my lot instead of yours."

"Pray tell your sister that I long to see her."

"I have already told her so once, by your desire."

"I am afraid you do not like your pen.  Let me mend it for you.

I mend pens remarkably well."

"Thank you--but I always mend my own."

"How can you contrive to write so even?"

He was silent.

"Tell your sister I am delighted to hear of her improvement on

the harp; and pray let her know that I am quite in raptures with

her beautiful little design for a table, and I think it infinitely

superior to Miss Grantley's."

"Will you give me leave to defer your raptures till I write again?

At present I have not room to do them justice."