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, 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{23} clever to be a

valuable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet. They had several children. The eldest

of them, a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven, was

Elizabeth’s intimate 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

brought the former to Longbourn to hear and to communicate.
“You began the evening well, Charlotte,” said Mrs. Bennet, with civil

self-command, to Miss Lucas. “You were Mr. Bingley’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 that did seem as if 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: did not

I mention it to you? Mr. Robinson’s asking him how he liked our Meryton

assemblies, and whether he did not think there were a great many pretty

women in the room, and which he thought the prettiest? and his

answering immediately to the last question, ‘Oh, the eldest Miss Bennet,

beyond a doubt: there cannot be two opinions on that point.’”
“Upon my word! Well, that was very decided, indeed—that does seem as