Pride and Prejudice - Chaelisa Edition

Chapter 5

Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Parks were particularly intimate. Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king during his mayoralty. The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business, and to his residence in a small market town; and, in quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world. For, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to everybody. By nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging, his presentation at St. James's had made him courteous.

Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever to be a valuable neighbour to Mrs. Park. They had several children. The eldest of them, a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven, was Roseanne's intimate friend.

That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Parks should meet to talk over a ball was absolutely necessary; and the morning after the assembly brought the former to Longbourn to hear and to communicate.

"You began the evening well, Goeun," said Mrs. Park with civil self-command to Miss Lucas. "You were Miss Kim's first choice."

"Yes; but she seemed to like his second better."

"Oh! you mean Jennie, I suppose, because she danced with her twice. To be sure that did seem as if she admired her-indeed I rather believe she did-I heard something about it-but I hardly know what-something about Mr. Robinson."

"Perhaps you mean what I overheard between her and Mr. Robinson; did not I mention it to you? Mr. Robinson's asking her how she liked our Meryton assemblies, and whether she did not think there were a great many pretty women in the room, and which she thought the prettiest? and her answering immediately to the last question: 'Oh! the eldest Miss Park, beyond a doubt; there cannot be two opinions on that point.' "

"Upon my word! Well, that is very decided indeed-that does seem as if-but, however, it may all come to nothing, you know."

"My overhearings were more to the purpose than yours, Rosé," said Goeun. "Miss Manoban is not so well worth listening to as her friend, is she?-poor Rosé!-to be only just tolerable."

"I beg you would not put it into Rosé's head to be vexed by her ill-treatment, for she is such a disagreeable woman, that it would be quite a misfortune to be liked by her. Mrs. Long told me last night that she sat close to her for half-an-hour without once opening her lips."

"Are you quite sure, ma'am?-is not there a little mistake?" said Jennie. "I certainly saw Miss Manoban speaking to her."

"Aye-because she asked her at last how she liked Netherfield, and she could not help answering her; but she said she seemed quite angry at being spoke to."

"Ms. Kim told me," said Jennie, "that she never speaks much, unless among her intimate acquaintances. With them she is remarkably agreeable."

"I do not believe a word of it, my dear. If she had been so very agreeable, she would have talked to Mrs. Long. But I can guess how it was; everybody says that she is eat up with pride, and I dare say she had heard somehow that Mrs. Long does not keep a carriage, and had come to the ball in a hack chaise."

"I do not mind her not talking to Mrs. Long," said Miss Lucas, "but I wish she had danced with Rosé."

"Another time, Rosé," said her mother, "I would not dance with her, if I were you."

"I believe, ma'am, I may safely promise you never to dance with her."

"Her pride," said Miss Lucas, "does not offend me so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young woman, with family, fortune, everything in her favour, should think highly of herself. If I may so express it, she has a right to be proud."

"That is very true," replied Roseanne, "and I could easily forgive her pride, if she had not mortified mine."

"Pride," observed Wheein, who piqued herself upon the solidity of her reflections, "is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."

"If I were as rich as Miss Manoban," cried a young Lucas, who came with his sisters, "I should not care how proud I was. I would keep a pack of foxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine a day."

"Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought," said Mrs. Park; "and if I were to see you at it, I should take away your bottle directly."

The boy protested that she should not; she continued to declare that she would, and the argument ended only with the visit.