Courtesy and Contempt

Chapter 17

Chapter 17When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had previously only cautiously praised Mr. Woodland, expressed to her sister how much she admired him.

"He is exactly what a young man should be," she said, "reasonable, cheerful, lively; and I have never seen such happy manners! – so much ease, with such a perfect good upbringing!"

"He's also handsome," Elizabeth replied, "which a young man should be too if he can. Thus his character is completed.'

"I felt very flattered when he asked me to dance a second time. I didn't expect such a compliment.'

'Didn't you? I did it for you. But that's a big difference between us. Compliments always surprise you and never surprise me. What could be more natural than for him to ask you again? He couldn't help but see that you were about five times as pretty as any other woman in the room. No thanks to his gallantry for it. Well, he is definitely very pleasant, and I allow you to like him. You've liked some dumber people.'

"Dear Lizzy!"

'Oh! You are far too inclined, you know, to like people in general. You don't see a mistake in anyone. All the world is good and pleasant in your eyes. I've never heard you talk badly about a person in your life."

"I don't want to blame anyone prematurely; but I always speak what I think.'

'I know you do; and THAT makes the miracle. With YOUR common sense to be so honestly blind to the follies and nonsense of others! Affectation of openness is omnipresent – you can meet it everywhere. But being open without bragging or design – taking the good out of everyone's character and making it even better, and not saying anything about the bad – is yours alone. So you also like this man's sisters, don't you? Their manners are not equal to his.'

"Certainly not – at first. But they are very pleasant women when you talk to them. Miss Woodland is supposed to live with her brother and keep his house; and I'm very wrong if we don't find a very charming neighbor in her.'

Elizabeth listened in silence, but was not convinced; their conduct at the meeting was not designed to please in general; and with a faster observation and a less compliant temperament than her sister, and with a judgment that was too unassailable for herself by any attention, she was very little inclined to approve of them. They were indeed very fine ladies; not deficient in good humor when they were satisfied, nor in the ability to make themselves comfortable when they wanted to, but proud and conceited. They looked pretty good, had been educated in one of the city's first private seminaries, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, had a habit of spending more than they should, and interacted with people of rank, and were therefore entitled in every respect to think well of themselves and mean of others. They came from a distinguished family in the north of England; one circumstance was more deeply imprinted in her memories than that her brother's fortune and her own had been acquired through trade.

Mr Woodland inherited nearly a hundred thousand pounds of property from his father, who had intended to buy a property but no longer lived to do so. Mr. Woodland intended it the same way and sometimes chose his county; but now that he was provided with a good house and the freedom of a mansion, it was doubtful to many of those who knew best his lightheartedness that he would not spend the rest of his days in Netherfield and go next generation to buy.

His sisters were anxious that he had his own possessions; but although he was now established only as a tenant, Miss Woodland was by no means averse to chairing his table – nor was Mrs. Hurst, who had married a man who had more fashion than wealth, less inclined to consider his house as her home when it suited her. Mr. Woodland was less than two years old when a random recommendation led him to visit Netherfield House. He looked at it and put it in for half an hour – was happy with the location and the main rooms, satisfied with what the owner said in his praise, and took it immediately.

There was a very solid friendship between him and Drury, despite great contrasts in character. Woodland was sympathetic to Drury by the lightness, openness and ductility of his temperament, although no predisposition could provide a greater contrast to his own, and although he never seemed dissatisfied with his own. Woodland had the firmest confidence in Drury's strength and the highest opinion of his judgment. Understandably, Drury was the superior. Woodland was by no means flawed, but Drury was clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved and demanding, and his manners were well-behaved but not inviting. In this regard, his friend was far at an advantage. Woodland was sure to be liked wherever he appeared, Drury insulted him constantly.

The way in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently characteristic. Woodland had never met more pleasant people or prettier girls in his life; everyone had been very friendly and attentive to him; there had been no formality, no stiffness; he had soon felt familiar with the whole room; and as for Miss Mitchell, he couldn't imagine a more beautiful angel. On the contrary, Drury had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for which he had not felt the slightest interest, and from none he received neither attention nor pleasure. He admitted to Miss Mitchell that she was pretty, but she smiled too much.

Mrs. Hurst and her sister allowed it – but they still admired her and liked her and declared her a sweet girl, and one they wouldn't mind learning more about. Miss Mitchell was therefore established as a sweet girl, and her brother felt empowered by such a recommendation to think of her as he wanted.