“But if I do not take your likeness now, I may never have another

opportunity.”
“I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours,” he coldly replied.

She said no more, and they went down the other dance and parted in

silence; on each side dissatisfied, though not to an equal degree; for

in Darcy’s breast there was a tolerably powerful feeling towards her,

which soon procured her pardon, and directed all his anger against

another.
They had not long separated when Miss Bingley came towards her, and,

with an expression of civil disdain, thus accosted her,—
“So, Miss Eliza, I hear you are quite delighted with George Wickham?

Your sister has been talking to me about him, and asking me a thousand

questions; and I find that the young man forgot to tell you, among his

other communications, that he was the son of old Wickham, the late Mr.

Darcy’s steward. Let me recommend you, however, as a friend, not to give

implicit confidence to all his assertions; for, as to Mr. Darcy’s using

him ill, it is perfectly false: for, on the contrary, he has been always

remarkably kind to him, though George Wickham has treated Mr. Darcy in a

most infamous manner. I do not know the particulars, but I know very

well that Mr. Darcy is not in the least to{121} blame; that he cannot bear

to hear George Wickham mentioned; and that though my brother thought he

could not well avoid including him in his invitation to the officers, he

was excessively glad to find that he had taken himself out of the way.

His coming into the country at all is a most insolent thing, indeed, and

I wonder how he could presume to do it. I pity you, Miss Eliza, for this

discovery of your favourite’s guilt; but really, considering his

descent, one could not expect much better.”
“His guilt and his descent appear, by your account, to be the same,”

said Elizabeth, angrily; “for I have heard you accuse him of nothing

worse than of being the son of Mr. Darcy’s steward, and of that, I can