Elizabeth thought with pleasure of dancing a great deal with Mr.

Wickham, and of seeing a confirmation of everything in Mr. Darcy’s look

and behaviour. The happiness anticipated by Catherine and Lydia depended

less on any single event, or any particular person; for though they

each, like Elizabeth, meant to dance half the evening with Mr. Wickham,

he was by no means the only partner who{111} could satisfy them, and a ball

was, at any rate, a ball. And even Mary could assure her family that she

had no disinclination for it.
“While I can have my mornings to myself,” said she, “it is enough. I

think it is no sacrifice to join occasionally in evening engagements.

Society has claims on us all; and I profess myself one of those who

consider intervals of recreation and amusement as desirable for

everybody.”
Elizabeth’s spirits were so high on the occasion, that though she did

not often speak unnecessarily to Mr. Collins, she could not help asking

him whether he intended to accept Mr. Bingley’s invitation, and if he

did, whether he would think it proper to join in the evening’s

amusement; and she was rather surprised to find that he entertained no

scruple whatever on that head, and was very far from dreading a rebuke,

either from the Archbishop or Lady Catherine de Bourgh, by venturing to

dance.
“I am by no means of opinion, I assure you,” said he, “that a ball of

this kind, given by a young man of character, to respectable people, can

have any evil tendency; and I am so far from objecting to dancing

myself, that I shall hope to be honoured with the hands of all my fair

cousins in the course of the evening; and I take this opportunity of

soliciting yours, Miss Elizabeth, for the two first dances especially; a

preference which I trust my cousin Jane will attribute to the right

cause, and not to any disrespect for her.”
Elizabeth felt herself completely taken in. She had fully proposed being