Nodiver d.o.o. · Pride & Prejudice · page 178 of 640

Pride & Prejudice – page 178

JANE AUSTEN

whether the silent contempt of the gentleman, or the

insolent smiles of the ladies, were more intolerable.

The rest of the evening brought her little amuse-

ment. She was teased by Mr. Collins, who continued

most perseveringly by her side, and though he could

not prevail on her to dance with him again, put it

out of her power to dance with others. In vain did

she entreat him to stand up with somebody else, and

offer to introduce him to any young lady in the room.

He assured her, that as to dancing, he was perfectly

indifferent to it; that his chief object was by delicate

attentions to recommend himself to her and that he

should therefore make a point of remaining close to her

the whole evening. There was no arguing upon such

a project. She owed her greatest relief to her friend

Miss Lucas, who often joined them, and good-naturedly

engaged Mr. Collins’s conversation to herself.

She was at least free from the offense of Mr. Darcy’s

further notice; though often standing within a very

short distance of her, quite disengaged, he never came

near enough to speak. She felt it to be the probable

consequence of her allusions to Mr. Wickham, and

rejoiced in it.

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