Pride and Prejudice. Адаптированная книга для чтения на английском языке. Intermediate. Джейн Остин

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      «Of a fine, thick, healthy love it may. Everything nourishes what is strong already. But if it is only a slight, thin sort of fondness, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away».

      Darcy only smiled. And a general pause followed. Elizabeth was afraid that her mother would say something stupid again. Though the lady wished to speak very much, she was unable to find anything to say. So after a short silence Mrs. Bennet repeated her thanks to Mr. Bingley for his kindness to Jane, with an apology for troubling him also with Lizzy, and ordered her carriage. Upon this signal, the youngest of her daughters put herself forward. The two girls had been whispering to each other during the whole visit, and the result of it was, that the youngest reminded Mr. Bingley of his promise to give a ball at Netherfield.

      Lydia was a strong, well-grown girl of fifteen, with a fine complexion and good-humored face. She was a favourite with her mother, whose affection had brought her into society at an early age. She had high animal spirits, and a sort of natural self-importance, which the attention of the officers, to whom her uncle's good dinners, and her own easy manners recommended her, had increased into confidence. She was not afraid, therefore, to address Mr. Bingley on the subject of the ball, and not only to remind him of his promise, but to add also, that it would be the most shameful thing in the world if he did not keep it. His answer to this sudden attack was delightful to their mother's ear:

      «I am perfectly ready, I assure you, to keep my promise; and when your sister is well again, you can name the day of the ball. But you would not wish to be dancing when she is ill».

      Lydia was satisfied. «Oh! Yes, it would be much better to wait till Jane was well, and by that time most likely Captain Carter would be at Meryton again. And when you have given your ball», she added, «I'll insist on the regiment's giving one also. I'll tell Colonel Forster it'll be quite a shame if he does not».

      Mrs. Bennet and her daughters then left, and Elizabeth returned instantly to Jane, leaving her own behaviour and that of her relatives to the remarks of the two ladies and Mr. Darcy. But, in spite of all Miss Bingley's witticisms on fine eyes, Elizabeth was unable to make him join in their critical remarks about her.

      Chapter 10

      During the day Elizabeth stayed with Jane. Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley had spent some hours of the morning with the sick girl, who continued, though slowly, to recover; and in the evening Elizabeth joined their party in the drawing-room. Mr. Darcy was writing a letter to his sister. Miss Bingley was watching the progress of his letter and repeatedly calling off his attention by messages to his sister. Mr. Hurst and Mr. Bingley were at piquet, and Mrs. Hurst was observing their game.

      Elizabeth took up some needlework, and was listening to what passed between Darcy and his companion with great amusement. The endless praises of the lady either of his handwriting or the length of his letter, and the absolute indifference of the gentleman to them formed a curious dialogue, which was exactly in agreement with her opinion of each of them.

      «Miss Darcy will be delighted to receive such a letter!»

      No reaction.

      «You write unusually fast».

      «You are mistaken. I write rather slowly».

      «Pray tell your sister that I long to see her».

      «I have already told her so once, by your desire».

      «How do you manage to make your lines so even?»

      Silence.

      «Tell your sister I am delighted to hear of her progress on the harp; and please let her know how I admire her beautiful little design for a table».

      «Will you let me postpone your admiration till I write again? At present I have no space to put it down».

      «Oh! It isn't important. I'll see her in January. But do you always write such charming long letters to her, Mr. Darcy?»

      «They are usually long, but as to always charming it is not for me to say».

      «I'm sure that a person, who can write a long letter with ease, cannot write badly».

      «That will not do for a compliment to Darcy, Caroline», cried her brother, «he does not write with ease. He thinks too much about words of four syllables. Don't you, Darcy?»

      «My style of writing is very different from yours».

      «Charles writes so carelessly. He leaves out half his words, and blots the rest», said Miss Bingley.

      «My ideas flow so rapidly that I have not time to express them, so my letters sometimes convey no ideas at all to my correspondents».

      «Your modesty, Mr. Bingley», said Elizabeth, «must disarm criticism».

      «Nothing is more deceptive», said Darcy, «than the appearance of modesty. It is often just carelessness and sometimes an indirect boast».

      «And which of the two do you call my little recent piece of modesty?»

      «The indirect boast. You are really proud of your defects in writing, because you believe them to be the result from rapidity of thought, and you think it's highly interesting. And when you told Mrs. Bennet this morning that if you ever decided to leave Netherfield you'd be gone in five minutes, you meant it to be a sort of compliment to yourself. But what is there so very praiseworthy in haste which must leave very necessary business undone, and can be of no real advantage to yourself or anyone else?»

      «No», cried Bingley, «this is too much, to remember at night all the foolish things that were said in the morning. And yet, upon my honour, I believe what I said of myself to be true, and I believe it at this moment. At least, therefore, I did not pretend to the character of needless haste merely to show off before the ladies».

      «I know you believe it; but lam by no means convinced that you would be gone so fast if, as you were mounting your horse, a friend were to say, „Bingley, you had better stay till next week“, you would probably do it, you would probably not go».

      «By this», cried Elizabeth, «you have only shown Mr. Bingley's good nature much better than he did himself».

      «Thank you», said Bingley, «for turning my friend's words into a compliment on the sweetness of my temper. But I am convinced he would certainly be of better opinion of me, if under such circumstance I refused to stay and rode off as fast as I could».

      «Would Mr. Darcy then consider that your refusal to stay was justified by the sudden decision to go away?»

      «Upon my word, I cannot exactly explain the matter; Darcy must speak for himself».

      Darcy said he didn't have to explain the opinion he hadn't expressed.

      «But you must remember, Miss Bennet, that the friend just asked him to return to the house, without offering any argument in favour of its necessity».

      «To yield readily, easily, to the persuasion of a friend is no virtue with you».

      «To yield without persuasion is no compliment to the intelligence of either».

      «It seems, Mr. Darcy, you allow nothing for the influence of friendship and affection. Would you think poorly of a person if he yields to the desire of a friend, without waiting to be persuaded?»

      «Before we continue, СКАЧАТЬ