In Darcy's Defense
Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners. His sisters were fine women, with an air of decided fashion. His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust, which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud; to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend.
Mr. Darcy, in his defense, had no sooner entered the room than he noticed the heads turning in his direction. Though he had been accustomed to societal deference his entire life, since his arrival in Longbourn he had been subjected to such pointed solicitude as to make him feel stifled. Now, as he stood in the assembly hall, with what seemed to be all eyes on him, he heard close to his left, sotto voce, "Quite, quite rich", spoken behind a lady's beringed hand. At the same time, from the back of the room, came a strident voice saying, "Ten thousand a year! Did you hear that, Lizzie?", which caused Mr. Darcy acute discomfort, as he felt he had much more to recommend himself than just his yearly income.
Darcy's gaze fell upon the perpetrator of the offensive declaration, whom he soon discovered to be Mrs. Bennet. He was also able to surmise that the 'Lizzie' to whom Mrs. Bennet had addressed her comment was her daughter, Elizabeth. He was not aware that Elizabeth, being engrossed in conversation with her friend Charlotte Lucas, had not even heard the comment. But the irritation of many years of egregious offenses had taken their toll, and Darcy, in a fit of pique, decided he would not put himself out to be polite in the face of such impoliteness. Arbitrarily, he concentrated his annoyance on Elizabeth Bennet, and determined to settle her into the social oblivion he wished to settle all the boorish people of Longbourn.
Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room; he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield. Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves. What a contrast between him and his friend!
Darcy's impressions after encountering Elizabeth at Pemberly
At length every idea seemed to fail him; and, after standing a few moments without saying a word, he suddenly recollected himself, and took leave.
Darcy retreated to the stables, from which he had recently emerged, his mind sufficiently numbed to make him unaware of the stable boy at the entrance, who bowed and tugged at his forelock, mumbling, 'Yer Lordship.' He made his way into an empty stall, where he discovered, to his own amazement, that his hands were trembling. With feet planted firmly and slightly apart, he leaned against the stall door with his right hand, and, placing his left hand to his waist, he bent forward slightly, and forced himself to breathe deeply, and slowly.
When he had first glimpsed Elizabeth, he had actually thought he had conjured her from his own conscience, so strongly had been her image in his mind. Indeed, she had on the very walking dress she had worn on that morning he had seen her at Rosings, when he had handed her his letter -the last time he had seen her at all. For her to appear, here, at Pemberley, was something that he had dreamed of, wished for, and yet discarded as an impossibility. But she had stood before him, and spoken civilly, and even seemed to be glad to see him, a little.
He knew he had to return to the park; he had to see her, to assure himself that it was, indeed, his Elizabeth at Pemberley. He had to look at her, to hear her speak, and if possible, to show her that the proud, haughty man she had known at Longbourn, and at Rosings, was no more. He hoped, with a heart that had been hopeless one hour previous, that he would have one more opportunity to prove to her that he was a good man.
Elizabeth had watched Darcy as he had retraced his steps, feeling that her heart, which had been hardened against him for so long, had started to soften, but with the knowledge that it did not matter. With a sigh of frustration, she turned back to her aunt and uncle.
The others then joined her, and expressed their admiration of his figure; but Elizabeth heard not a word, and, wholly engrossed by her own feelings, followed them in silence.