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characteristic, I do not imagine that much has been unfolded.”
    “Well,” said Charlotte, “I wish Jane success with all my heart; and if she were married to him tomorrow, I should think she had as good a chance of happiness as if she were to be studying his character for a twelvemonth. Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.”
    “You make me laugh, Charlotte; but it is not sound. You know it is not sound, and that you would never act in this way yourself.”
    Charlotte did not reply to this charge, and the conversation soon turned to another topic. Neither was anxious to revisit contested territory, as any talk of marriage would surely occasion.
    Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley’s attentions to Jane, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of some interest in the eyes of the gentleman’s younger sister. Caroline Bingley had at first scarcely allowed the second eldest Miss Bennet to be pretty; she had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, looked at her only to criticize. But no sooner had she made it clear to herself that the younger Miss Bennet had hardly a good feature in her face, than she began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though she had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in Elizabeth’s form, Caroline was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of her asserting that Miss Bennet’s manners were not those of the fashionable world, she was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this Elizabeth was perfectly unaware; to her Miss Bingley was only the relation of her own sister’s object of affection, and the woman who had thought her not handsome enough for Mr. Darcy to dance with.
    Caroline began to wish to know more of Elizabeth, and as a step towards conversing with her, attended to her conversation with others. This practice drew Elizabeth’s notice. It was at Sir William Lucas’s, where a large party was assembled.
    “What did Miss Bingley mean,” said she to Charlotte, “by listening to my conversation with Colonel Forster?”
    “That is a question which only Miss Bingley can answer.”
    “But if she does it any more I shall certainly let her know that I see what she is about. She has a very satirical eye, and if I do not begin by being impertinent myself, I shall soon grow afraid of her.”
    On Miss Bingley’s approaching them soon afterwards, Miss Lucas defied her friend to mention such a subject to her; which immediately provoking Elizabeth to do it, she turned to the newly arrived Miss Bingley and said: “Did you not think that I expressed myself uncommonly well just now, when I was teasing Colonel Forster to give us a ball at Meryton?”
    “With great energy; but it is always a subject which makes one energetic.”
    “You are severe on us.”
    “It will be your turn soon to be teased, Eliza,” said Charlotte. “I am going to open the instrument, and you know what follows.”
    “You are a very strange creature by way of a friend—always wanting me to play and sing before anybody and everybody! If my vanity had taken a musical turn, you would have been invaluable; but as it is, I would really rather not sit down before those who must be in the habit of hearing the very best performers.” On Miss Lucas’s persevering, however, she added, “Very well, if it must be so, it must.” And glancing at Miss Bingley, “There is a fine old saying, which everybody here is of