Pride and Prejudice, a play by Mary Keith Medbery Mackaye Part 21

ELIZABETH.

Very well, that reply will do for the present. Perhaps by and by I may observe that private b.a.l.l.s are much pleasanter than public ones.

DARCY.

Do you talk by rule then?

ELIZABETH.

Sometimes. One must speak a little, you know,--and yet for the advantage of some, conversation ought to be so arranged that they may have the trouble of saying as little as possible.

DARCY.

Are you consulting your own feelings in the present case, or do you imagine that you are gratifying mine?

ELIZABETH.

[_Archly._] Both, for I have always seen a great similarity in the turn of our minds; we are each of an unsocial, taciturn disposition, unwilling to speak, unless we expect to say something that will amaze the whole room and be handed down to posterity with all the _eclat_ of a proverb.

DARCY.

This is no very striking resemblance of your own character, I am sure.

How near it may be to mine, I cannot pretend to say. You think it a faithful portrait, undoubtedly.

ELIZABETH.

I shall not decide on my own performance. [_There is a short silence; then, as if with an effort_, ELIZABETH _speaks_.] I am surprised not to see Mr. Wickham here to-night. I find that he is a great favourite with the officers. He has made many friends among them.

DARCY.

[_With great hauteur._] Mr. Wickham is blessed with such happy manners as may insure his _making_ friends; whether he may be equally capable of _retaining_ them is less certain.

ELIZABETH.

[_Excitedly._] He has been so unlucky as to lose your friends.h.i.+p, and in a manner which he is likely to suffer from all his life.

[_They are both silent._]

SIR WILLIAM LUCAS.

[_Coming up to them all urbanity and smiles._] What a charming amus.e.m.e.nt for young people this dancing is, Mr. Darcy! I consider it as one of the first refinements of polished societies.

DARCY.

Certainly, sir, and it has the advantage also of being in vogue amongst the less polished societies of the world: every savage can dance.

SIR WILLIAM.

[_Smiling._] Do you often dance at St. James?

DARCY.

Never, sir.

SIR WILLIAM.

You have a house in town, I conclude.

[MR. DARCY _bows, but does not speak_.]

SIR WILLIAM.

I had once some thoughts of fixing in town myself: but I did not feel quite certain that the air of London would agree with Lady Lucas.

[MR. DARCY _bows in silence again_--ELIZABETH _is amused_.]

SIR WILLIAM.

But I must not further interrupt you, sir! I only wish to tell you once more how highly gratified I have been by your superior dancing; allow me also to say that your fair partner does not disgrace you. It is a great pleasure to see you together. I must hope to--to have this pleasure often repeated, especially when a certain desirable event, my dear Miss Eliza, [_Glancing at_ BINGLEY _and_ JANE, _who are talking earnestly together at the back of the scene_.] shall take place. What congratulations will then flow in: but let me not interrupt you--you will not thank me, Mr. Darcy, for detaining you from the bewitching converse of that young lady, whose bright eyes are also upbraiding me!

DARCY.

[_Murmurs to himself._] So! [_Looking earnestly at_ BINGLEY _and_ JANE, _he seems much impressed by what_ SIR WILLIAM _has said_. ELIZABETH _notices this. Recovering himself_, DARCY _turns to her again_.] Sir William's interruption has made me forget what we were talking of.

ELIZABETH.

I do not think we were speaking at all. Sir William could not have interrupted any two people who had less to say for themselves. We have tried two or three subjects already without success, and what we are to talk of next, I cannot imagine.

DARCY.