A Simplified Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 5

Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Bennets were good friends. Sir William Lucas had been a  businessman in Meryton, where he made a modest fortune, and had risen to the honor of knighthood from the king while serving as mayor. He had perhaps gotten too excited about this. It had made him feel better than his job and his house in a small market town; and after leaving them both he moved his family to a house about a mile from Meryton to a home he called Lucas Lodge. There he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, without the weight of a job, he spent his time being good to the world. For, though he was elated with his rank, it did not make him feel superior to others, on the contrary, he was all attention to everybody. He was inoffensive, friendly, cooperative, and courteous

Lady Lucas was a good kind of woman, not too clever to be a valuable neighbor to Mrs. Bennet. They had several children. the eldest of them was a sensible, intelligent young woman about twenty seven, who was Elizabeth's close friend. That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to talk over a ball  was absolutely necessary; and the morning after the assembly the Lucas girls went to Longbourn to hear and speak

"You began the evening well Charlotte," said Mrs. Bennet with civil self command to Miss Lucas. "You were Mr. Bingly's first choice."

"Yes, but he seemed to like his second better."

"Oh! you mean Jane, I suppose, because he danced with her twice. To be sure it did seem like he admired her--indeed I rather believe he did--I heard something about it--But I hardly know what--something about Mr. Robinson."

"Perhaps you mean what I overheard between him and Mr. Robinson; have I not mentioned it to you? Mr. Robinson asked him how he liked our Meryton assemblies, if he thought there were many pretty ladies in the room, and which he thought the prettiest? And he answered immediately to the last question 'Oh the eldest Miss Bennet beyond a doubt; there can not be two opinions on that point!' "

"Is that so! Well that is very decided indeed--that does seem as if--but, however, it could come to nothing you know."

"My overhearings were were a bit more productive than yours Eliza," said Charlotte, "Mr. Darcy is not so well worth listening to as his friend, is he? --Poor Eliza!--to be called only just tolerable!

"I beg you not to put it into Lizzy's head to be vexed by his abuse, for he is such a disagreeable man, that it would be quite the misfortune to be liked by him. Mrs. Long told me last night that he sat next to her for for half-an-hour without once opening his lips to speak."

"Are you quite sure ma'am?--is there not a little mistake? said Jane. I certainly saw Mr. Darcy speaking to her."

"Ah-- because she asked him how he liked Netherfield, and he had to answer; but she said he seemed very angry at being spoken too."

"Miss Bingley told me," said Jane, "That he never speaks much, unless among close friends, with them he is a remarkably nice and good person.

"I do not believe a word of it my dear. If he had been so very agreeable, he would have talked to Mrs. Long, but we know how that went. Everyone says he's quite full of himself. I suppose he somehow heard that Mrs. Long doesn't have a carriage and had to come to the ball in a rented one."

"I don't particularly care that he didn't speak with Mrs. Long," said Miss Lucas, "but I wish he had danced with Eliza."

"Maybe another time Lizzy," said her mother "But I would not dance with him, if I were you."

"I believe I can safely promise you that I will never dance with him."

"His pride, said Miss Lucas, "Does not offend me as much as pride usually does, because he has a reason for it. It makes sense that so very fine a young man, with influential family, fortune, and everything in his favor, should think highly as himself. If I can say so, he has a right to be proud."

"That is very true," replied Elizabeth, "And I could easily forgive his pride if he had not insulted mine."

"Pride" observed Mary, who had interested herself on the strength of her reflections, "Is a very common flaw, I believe. By all I have ever read, I am convinced it is very common indeed. Human nature is particularly prone to it, and there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self satisfaction for some quality or another, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used interchangeably. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, while vanity is what we would have others think of us."

"If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy," cried a young Lucas boy, who came with his sisters "I should not care how proud I was. I would have a pack of foxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine everyday!"

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

The boy protested she would not, and she continued to declare that she would, and the argument only ended when the Lucases went home.