Pride and Prejudice - Chapter 5
Pride and Prejudice - Bab 5
The Lucases were neighbours of the Bennets, and the two families were on friendly terms. Sir William Lucas had been in trade in Meryton before he was knighted, and he now considered himself a gentleman.
Saudara perempuan Bingley, Caroline dan Nyonya Hurst, mengundang Jane untuk makan malam di Netherfield. Jane pergi dengan menunggang kuda di tengah hujan dan jatuh sakit. Dia harus tinggal di Netherfield sampai pulih.
His daughter Charlotte was Elizabeth's age, and they were good friends. Charlotte was sensible and practical, with no romantic illusions about marriage.
Elizabeth, yang mengkhawatirkan kakaknya, berjalan kaki sejauh tiga mil melewati lumpur untuk menjenguknya. Kedatangannya dengan gaun berlumpur mengejutkan saudara-saudara perempuan Bingley tetapi diam-diam membuat Tuan Darcy terkesan dengan semangat dan matanya yang indah.
"I ask only a comfortable home," she told Elizabeth once. "I am not romantic, you know. I never was. I ask only for a settled home and a reasonable income. That is enough to make me happy."
Nyonya Bennet datang kemudian untuk memeriksa keadaan Jane tetapi berperilaku memalukan, membual tentang kecantikan Jane dan menunjukkan kurangnya tata krama.
Elizabeth smiled at her friend's practical attitude. Charlotte understood the realities of their situation.
In November, the Bingley sisters gave a dinner party at Netherfield. The Bennets were invited, and Jane rode her horse to Netherfield, as the weather was fine.
But it began to rain during the visit, and Jane became soaked. She caught a cold and had to stay at Netherfield to recover.
Elizabeth, worried about her sister, walked three miles to Netherfield to see how Jane was. She arrived at the great house with her stockings covered in mud, her hair wild from the wind.
The Bingley sisters were shocked by her appearance, but Bingley and Darcy were impressed by her devotion to her sister.
Jane was delighted to see Elizabeth, though she was too weak to talk much. The sisters spent the day together, and when evening came, it was decided that Elizabeth would stay the night at Netherfield to be near Jane.
That evening, Elizabeth found herself in conversation with Darcy. To her surprise, she discovered that he was intelligent and well-read. They debated literature and philosophy, and Elizabeth found herself enjoying the discussion despite her earlier dislike of him.
But she still remembered his pride, his refusal to dance with her, his evident disdain. And she was determined not to like him.