Pride and Prejudice - Chapter 9
Orgullo y Prejuicio - Capítulo 9
The Netherfield ball was to be the social event of the season. Everyone in the neighbourhood was talking about it, and the Bennet sisters were busy preparing their dresses.
El baile de Netherfield iba a ser el evento social de la temporada. Todos en el vecindario hablaban de ello, y las hermanas Bennet estaban ocupadas preparando sus vestidos.
On the night of the ball, the assembly rooms at Meryton were filled with people. Music played, couples danced, and conversation filled the air.
La noche del baile, los salones de asamblea en Meryton estaban llenos de gente. La música sonaba, las parejas bailaban y la conversación llenaba el aire.
Jane looked beautiful in a simple white dress. Bingley was delighted to see her, and he spent most of the evening dancing with her.
Jane se veía hermosa con un sencillo vestido blanco. Bingley estaba encantado de verla, y pasó la mayor parte de la noche bailando con ella.
Elizabeth, in a pale blue dress, danced with several partners, though she had hoped to dance with Wickham. But Wickham was absent from the ball, to her disappointment.
Elizabeth, con un vestido azul pálido, bailó con varios compañeros, aunque había esperado bailar con Wickham. Pero Wickham estaba ausente del baile, para su decepción.
Instead, she found herself dancing with Darcy. It was an awkward dance, with neither of them saying much. Elizabeth remembered his refusal to dance with her at the first ball, and she determined to make him regret his words.
En cambio, se encontró bailando con Darcy. Fue un baile incómodo, en el que ninguno de los dos dijo mucho. Elizabeth recordaba su negativa a bailar con ella en el primer baile, y estaba decidida a hacerle lamentar sus palabras.
"You once said I was not handsome enough to tempt you," she said to him.
—Una vez dijo que yo no era lo suficientemente hermosa para tentarlo —le dijo.
Darcy looked surprised. "Did I say that? I do not remember."
Darcy pareció sorprendido. —¿Dije eso? No lo recuerdo.
"You did," Elizabeth insisted. "And you were wrong."
—Lo hizo —insistió Elizabeth—. Y se equivocó.
Darcy was silent for a moment. Then he said quietly, "I was wrong about many things that night."
Darcy guardó silencio por un momento. Luego dijo en voz baja: —Me equivoqué en muchas cosas esa noche.
Elizabeth was surprised by his admission. She had expected him to be proud and defensive, not to admit his mistake.
Elizabeth se sorprendió por su admisión. Había esperado que fuera orgulloso y defensivo, no que admitiera su error.
Later in the evening, she observed the Bingley sisters. They were talking to each other in low voices, obviously discussing Jane and Bingley. Elizabeth was sure that they were trying to separate the couple.
Más tarde en la noche, observó a las hermanas Bingley. Hablaban entre ellas en voz baja, obviamente discutiendo sobre Jane y Bingley. Elizabeth estaba segura de que intentaban separar a la pareja.
"They are jealous," she whispered to Jane. "They want Bingley for themselves."
—Están celosas —le susurró a Jane—. Quieren a Bingley para ellas.
Jane shook her head. "No, Lizzy. They are just concerned for their brother. They want to make sure he makes a good match."
Jane sacudió la cabeza. —No, Lizzy. Solo están preocupadas por su hermano. Quieren asegurarse de que haga un buen partido.
But Elizabeth was not convinced. She saw the coldness in their eyes when they looked at Jane, and she knew they did not consider the Bennets good enough for their brother.
Pero Elizabeth no estaba convencida. Veía la frialdad en sus ojos cuando miraban a Jane, y sabía que no consideraban a los Bennet lo suficientemente buenos para su hermano.
When the ball ended, the Bennets returned home, exhausted but happy. The evening had been a success—at least for Jane and Bingley. But Elizabeth could not shake the feeling that something was wrong, that there were forces working against her sister's happiness.
Cuando terminó el baile, los Bennet regresaron a casa, exhaustos pero felices. La velada había sido un éxito, al menos para Jane y Bingley. Pero Elizabeth no podía quitarse la sensación de que algo andaba mal, que había fuerzas trabajando contra la felicidad de su hermana.