Pride and Prejudice

The Bingley Sisters Arrive with the Ball Invitation

The sisters are summoned from the shrubbery by the arrival of Mr. Bingley and his sisters, who come personally to invite the Bennets to the Netherfield ball, fixed for the followi…

Family Anticipations for the Netherfield Ball

The Netherfield ball prospect delights every female Bennet in her own way. Mrs. Bennet takes it as a compliment to Jane.…

Mr. Collins Solicits the First Two Dances

Elizabeth’s high spirits lead her to ask Mr. Collins whether he intends to accept the invitation.…

Elizabeth Realizes Collins’s Designs on Her

Elizabeth, who had counted on dancing those very sets with Wickham, is dismayed but accepts with as much grace as she can.…

Rain Suspends Visits to Meryton

With the Netherfield ball to anticipate, the younger Miss Bennets might otherwise have been miserable, for continuous rain from the day of the invitation to the day of the ball pr…

CAPÍTULO XVIII.

CHAPTER XVIII. of Pride and Prejudice centres on the Netherfield ball. Elizabeth Bennet arrives hopeful of meeting Mr. Wickham, discovers his deliberate absence, endures an awkward dance with Mr. Collins, is surprised into accepting Mr.…

Elizabeth’s Disappointment at Wickham’s Absence

Elizabeth enters the drawing-room at Netherfield expecting to find Wickham among the militia officers.…

Ill-Humour and Recovery of Spirits

Convinced that Darcy is responsible for Wickham’s absence, Elizabeth resolves to give Darcy no further attention and can scarcely be civil even to Mr. Bingley.…

The Dance with Mr. Collins

The first two dances bring fresh mortification. Mr. Collins proves an acutely embarrassing partner—awkward, solemn, forever apologizing yet moving wrong—and Elizabeth counts every…

Dancing with the Officer

Her next partner, an officer, restores her. Talking of Wickham and hearing that he is universally liked among the regiment compensates for the evening’s disappointment and lifts h…

Darcy Claims Her Hand

While she is chatting with Charlotte Lucas, Darcy unexpectedly claims her hand. Taken completely by surprise, she accepts before she realizes what she is doing; Darcy withdraws at…

Charlotte’s Caution

When the dancing resumes and Darcy returns to claim her, Charlotte whispers a caution: she must not, for the sake of her fancy for Wickham, make herself appear unpleasant in the e…

The Dance with Darcy Begins

Elizabeth takes her place in the set opposite Darcy, conscious of the unexpected dignity of her position and aware that those around her are equally amazed.…

Witty Conversation

A celebrated exchange of wit follows. Elizabeth jokes about the rule of speaking at balls, of each of them being taciturn unless they can say something worthy of posterity, and of…

Mentioning Wickham

Unable to resist the temptation, Elizabeth mentions that when Darcy met them at Meryton they had just formed a new acquaintance.…

Sir William’s Interruption

Sir William Lucas, passing through the set, stops to compliment Darcy on his superior dancing and his choice of partner.…

Conversation About Books

Seeking a new subject, Darcy proposes books. Elizabeth rejects the idea at once, declaring that they never read the same books or not with the same feelings, and refuses to compar…

Questioning Darcy’s Character

Darcy observes that the present always occupies her in such scenes, and Elizabeth, her thoughts elsewhere, suddenly asks whether he once said he hardly ever forgave and was slow t…

Parting in Silence

They finish the dance and part in silence. Both are dissatisfied, though unequally so: in Darcy’s breast a powerful feeling towards Elizabeth soon procures her pardon and turns hi…

Miss Bingley’s Attack on Wickham

Almost immediately, Miss Bingley accosts Elizabeth with an air of civil disdain. She reveals that Wickham is the son of old Mr.…

Elizabeth Consults Jane

Elizabeth then seeks Jane, whose face glows with such happy complacency that Elizabeth instantly reads her feelings.…

Jane’s Report from Bingley

Jane reports what she has learnt from Bingley: that Bingley does not know the whole of Wickham’s history, is ignorant of the circumstances that have principally offended Darcy, bu…