Гордість і упередження

           "Youcannotbemorethantwenty,Iamsure,thereforeyouneednotconcealyourage." 

           "Iamnotone-and-twenty." 

           Whenthegentlemenhadjoinedthem,andteawasover,thecard-tableswereplaced. LadyCatherine,SirWilliam,andMr.andMrs.Collinssatdowntoquadrille; andasMissdeBourghchosetoplayatcassino,thetwogirlshadthehonourofassistingMrs.Jenkinsontomakeupherparty. Theirtablewassuperlativelystupid. Scarcelyasyllablewasutteredthatdidnotrelatetothegame,exceptwhenMrs.JenkinsonexpressedherfearsofMissdeBourgh’sbeingtoohotortoocold,orhavingtoomuchortoolittlelight. Agreatdealmorepassedattheothertable. LadyCatherinewasgenerallyspeaking—statingthemistakesofthethreeothers,orrelatingsomeanecdoteofherself. Mr.Collinswasemployedinagreeingtoeverythingherladyshipsaid,thankingherforeveryfishhewon,andapologisingifhethoughthewontoomany. SirWilliamdidnotsaymuch.Hewasstoringhismemorywithanecdotesandnoblenames. 

           WhenLadyCatherineandherdaughterhadplayedaslongastheychose,thetableswerebrokenup,thecarriagewasofferedtoMrs.Collins,gratefullyacceptedandimmediatelyordered. ThepartythengatheredroundthefiretohearLadyCatherinedeterminewhatweathertheyweretohaveonthemorrow. Fromtheseinstructionstheyweresummonedbythearrivalofthecoach;andwithmanyspeechesofthankfulnessonMr.Collins’ssideandasmanybowsonSirWilliam’stheydeparted. Assoonastheyhaddrivenfromthedoor,ElizabethwascalledonbyhercousintogiveheropinionofallthatshehadseenatRosings,which,forCharlotte’ssake,shemademorefavourablethanitreallywas.