{"id":"01KJRRE0PHTJRE1Z82KFNBK9R2","cid":"bafkreihupmeuglsgwe7kmtx3pu2utylvuptp26tx2fhrfkqfh7hlzwzkkm","type":"text_chunk","properties":{"char_end":356772,"char_start":348823,"chunk_index":49,"chunk_total":108,"estimated_tokens":1988,"label":"enjoyment of music than myself, or a better natura","source_file_key":"pride-and-prejudice","text":"enjoyment of music than myself, or a better natural taste. If I had ever\r\nlearnt, I should have been a great proficient. And so would Anne, if her\r\nhealth had allowed her to apply. I am confident that she would have\r\nperformed delightfully. How does Georgiana get on, Darcy?”\r\n\r\nMr. Darcy spoke with affectionate praise of his sister’s proficiency.\r\n\r\n“I am very glad to hear such a good account of her,” said Lady\r\nCatherine; “and pray tell her from me, that she cannot expect to excel,\r\nif she does not practise a great deal.”\r\n\r\n“I assure you, madam,” he replied, “that she does not need such advice.\r\nShe practises very constantly.”\r\n\r\n“So much the better. It cannot be done too much; and when I next write\r\nto her, I shall charge her not to neglect it on any account. I often\r\ntell young ladies, that no excellence in music is to be acquired without\r\nconstant practice. I have told Miss Bennet several times, that she will\r\nnever play really well, unless she practises more; and though Mrs.\r\nCollins has no instrument, she is very welcome, as I have often told\r\nher, to come to Rosings every day, and play on the pianoforte in Mrs.\r\nJenkinson’s room. She would be in nobody’s way, you know, in that part\r\nof the house.”\r\n\r\nMr. Darcy looked a little ashamed of his aunt’s ill-breeding, and made\r\nno answer.\r\n\r\nWhen coffee was over, Colonel Fitzwilliam reminded Elizabeth of having\r\npromised to play to him; and she sat down directly to the instrument. He\r\ndrew a chair near her. Lady Catherine listened to half a song, and then\r\ntalked, as before, to her other nephew; till the latter walked away from\r\nher, and moving with his usual deliberation towards the pianoforte,\r\nstationed himself so as to command a full view of the fair performer’s\r\ncountenance. Elizabeth saw what he was doing, and at the first\r\nconvenient pause turned to him with an arch smile, and said,--\r\n\r\n“You mean to frighten me, Mr. Darcy, by coming in all this state to hear\r\nme. But I will not be alarmed, though your sister _does_ play so well.\r\nThere is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at\r\nthe will of others. My courage always rises with every attempt to\r\nintimidate me.”\r\n\r\n“I shall not say that you are mistaken,” he replied, “because you could\r\nnot really believe me to entertain any design of alarming you; and I\r\nhave had the pleasure of your acquaintance long enough to know, that you\r\nfind great enjoyment in occasionally professing opinions which, in fact,\r\nare not your own.”\r\n\r\nElizabeth laughed heartily at this picture of herself, and said to\r\nColonel Fitzwilliam, “Your cousin will give you a very pretty notion of\r\nme, and teach you not to believe a word I say. I am particularly unlucky\r\nin meeting with a person so well able to expose my real character, in a\r\npart of the world where I had hoped to pass myself off with some degree\r\nof credit. Indeed, Mr. Darcy, it is very ungenerous in you to mention\r\nall that you knew to my disadvantage in Hertfordshire--and, give me\r\nleave to say, very impolitic too--for it is provoking me to retaliate,\r\nand such things may come out as will shock your relations to hear.”\r\n\r\n“I am not afraid of you,” said he, smilingly.\r\n\r\n“Pray let me hear what you have to accuse him of,” cried Colonel\r\nFitzwilliam. “I should like to know how he behaves among strangers.”\r\n\r\n“You shall hear, then--but prepare for something very dreadful. The\r\nfirst time of my ever seeing him in Hertfordshire, you must know, was at\r\na ball--and at this ball, what do you think he did? He danced only four\r\ndances! I am sorry to pain you, but so it was. He danced only four\r\ndances, though gentlemen were scarce; and, to my certain knowledge, more\r\nthan one young lady was sitting down in want of a partner. Mr. Darcy,\r\nyou cannot deny the fact.”\r\n\r\n“I had not at that time the honour of knowing any lady in the assembly\r\nbeyond my own party.”\r\n\r\n“True; and nobody can ever be introduced in a ball-room. Well, Colonel\r\nFitzwilliam, what do I play next? My fingers wait your orders.”\r\n\r\n“Perhaps,” said Darcy, “I should have judged better had I sought an\r\nintroduction, but I am ill-qualified to recommend myself to strangers.”\r\n\r\n“Shall we ask your cousin the reason of this?” said Elizabeth, still\r\naddressing Colonel Fitzwilliam. “Shall we ask him why a man of sense and\r\neducation, and who has lived in the world, is ill-qualified to recommend\r\nhimself to strangers?”\r\n\r\n“I can answer your question,” said Fitzwilliam, “without applying to\r\nhim. It is because he will not give himself the trouble.”\r\n\r\n“I certainly have not the talent which some people possess,” said Darcy,\r\n“of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot\r\ncatch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their\r\nconcerns, as I often see done.”\r\n\r\n“My fingers,” said Elizabeth, “do not move over this instrument in the\r\nmasterly manner which I see so many women’s do. They have not the same\r\nforce or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I\r\nhave always supposed it to be my own fault--because I would not take\r\nthe trouble of practising. It is not that I do not believe _my_ fingers\r\nas capable as any other woman’s of superior execution.”\r\n\r\nDarcy smiled and said, “You are perfectly right. You have employed your\r\ntime much better. No one admitted to the privilege of hearing you can\r\nthink anything wanting. We neither of us perform to strangers.”\r\n\r\nHere they were interrupted by Lady Catherine, who called out to know\r\nwhat they were talking of. Elizabeth immediately began playing again.\r\nLady Catherine approached, and, after listening for a few minutes, said\r\nto Darcy,--\r\n\r\n“Miss Bennet would not play at all amiss if she practised more, and\r\ncould have the advantage of a London master. She has a very good notion\r\nof fingering, though her taste is not equal to Anne’s. Anne would have\r\nbeen a delightful performer, had her health allowed her to learn.”\r\n\r\nElizabeth looked at Darcy, to see how cordially he assented to his\r\ncousin’s praise: but neither at that moment nor at any other could she\r\ndiscern any symptom of love; and from the whole of his behaviour to Miss\r\nDe Bourgh she derived this comfort for Miss Bingley, that he might have\r\nbeen just as likely to marry _her_, had she been his relation.\r\n\r\nLady Catherine continued her remarks on Elizabeth’s performance, mixing\r\nwith them many instructions on execution and taste. Elizabeth received\r\nthem with all the forbearance of civility; and at the request of the\r\ngentlemen remained at the instrument till her Ladyship’s carriage was\r\nready to take them all home.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[Illustration]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nCHAPTER XXXII.\r\n\r\n\r\n[Illustration]\r\n\r\nElizabeth was sitting by herself the next morning, and writing to Jane,\r\nwhile Mrs. Collins and Maria were gone on business into the village,\r\nwhen she was startled by a ring at the door, the certain signal of a\r\nvisitor. As she had heard no carriage, she thought it not unlikely to be\r\nLady Catherine; and under that apprehension was putting away her\r\nhalf-finished letter, that she might escape all impertinent questions,\r\nwhen the door opened, and to her very great surprise Mr. Darcy, and Mr.\r\nDarcy only, entered the room.\r\n\r\nHe seemed astonished too on finding her alone, and apologized for his\r\nintrusion, by letting her know that he had understood all the ladies to\r\nbe within.\r\n\r\nThey then sat down, and when her inquiries after Rosings were made,\r\nseemed in danger of sinking into total silence. It was absolutely\r\nnecessary, therefore, to think of something; and in this emergency\r\nrecollecting _when_ she had seen him last in Hertfordshire, and feeling\r\ncurious to know what he would say on the subject of their hasty\r\ndeparture, she observed,--\r\n\r\n“How very suddenly you all quitted Netherfield last November, Mr. Darcy!\r\nIt must have been a most agreeable surprise to Mr. Bingley to see you\r\nall after him so soon; for, if I recollect right, he went but the day\r\nbefore."},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KJRRD3TNE5A6AKAVXSRFT9RC","peer_label":"pride-and-prejudice","peer_type":"text","predicate":"derived_from"},{"peer":"01KJRRC2C7K6XERRJES8143XGV","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KJRRF9M2538MHHJ98FNAFJA7","peer_label":"georgiana darcy","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY7G184NZ401P9V4JV87","peer_label":"lady catherine de bourgh","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFHC5CTVZYXQ65G2ZNFTB","peer_label":"anne de bourgh","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF91TF3GBBE6ETQBF0DYP","peer_label":"charlotte collins","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZKG263C7SQSDV3TZ5MX","peer_label":"elizabeth bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF9YT9F8Z9BAXYRC3SHK6","peer_label":"fitzwilliam darcy","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF0BR23NFBY96G5423J10","peer_label":"pianoforte","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"musical_instrument","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFC0HGAWDYGY0480MZGQA","peer_label":"mrs jenkinson","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF7YPKAMRSS5AR5RC8DQN","peer_label":"colonel fitzwilliam","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF153TPWJAW8CQK8BJTFG","peer_label":"rosings park","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"estate","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYW19YDDGRB70B483ZRV","peer_label":"hertfordshire","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"county","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF7M6PWKTFGVY5GSW3MFX","peer_label":"caroline bingley","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZGM87R12EADFF6YZZG3","peer_label":"jane bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFJV05JZMJFG32FZ5DMNV","peer_label":"netherfield park","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"estate","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF0886HKAEXJPHPK5R594","peer_label":"charles bingley","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFN2M196WRG9CK23EZC0W","peer_label":"ball hertfordshire","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"social_event","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFN53W84YFGZBM90VZDJM","peer_label":"maria","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFN3FTD5XP1RQZFA3FSNH","peer_label":"chapter thirty-two","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"document_section","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFN2YW6C9EXKKH60YSWZ2","peer_label":"london master","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"occupation","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFN8M7GBWSQMR1PY4QS0W","peer_label":"village near rosings","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"place","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.139Z"}}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:01.265Z","ts":"2026-03-03T02:29:59.229Z","edited_by":{"method":"system","user_id":"01KJ60XQBHJ0GBGTP9X8HXAPPM"}}