"We know that very well, Charles," he felt himself moved to comment. "I cannot feel any great pride over my failings, when I remember that I have not yet trained you out of it!" Miss Caroline Bingley squealed with laughter at this little epigram, and Mrs Hurst obediently followed


her example, although Darcy would cheerfully have sworn that she had not the least idea why she was affecting to be laughing her ninny head off. "Oh, you are such a wit, Mr Darcy!" Miss Caroline accused him, now, with wickedly mischievous eyes, or so she no doubt fondly imagined.

"I swear, I had thought myself like to die from amusement, to hear you so pin down Charles' foolishness and spear him with your wit!" (Good God. It was enough to make a fellow wish he had never opened his mouth in the first place, or at least that he could remember never to

indulge his own fancy while the brazen piece was present and liable to lie in wait to forcibly admire him for the most inane word out of his mouth. In any case, he was rapidly saved from any response, for Miss Bingley's attention returned, reliably as ever, to herself and her own

concerns. "Well, as I say, Vicky," she continued earnestly, in the absence of encouragement from Darcy's direction to continue in her worshipful commentary, "there was that dismal little Long woman, and she would have nothing for it but to insist on a little conversation with me.

I could not but indulge her, and what do you know but that it was a very good thing that I did so, after all! For you know that she is very well acquainted with the Bennets - which does them no credit in my eyes, sister, for as you well know, whatever one might say to their

about their fashion - and their sense - and their worldly wisdom - and the younger daughters! - and the MOTHER! - well, the father is at least - one cannot argue it, quite - a gentleman, and decently set up as far as land and capital. All the more reason, then, that they should not

encourage the likes of Mrs Long with quite so much condescension and kindness. Sometimes the kindest thing that one may do for one's social inferiors is a good memorable snub, to put them in their place and to make them aware of it, if they have not the sense but to go around

accosting their superiors as if they were on an equal footing, and might do so with impunity!" At this Mrs Hurst positively squealed with a wordlessly porcine, emphatic agreement - liberally assisted by the liberal serving of madeira wine in her glass - but with a depth and fervour of

feeling she but rarely evinced, largely because a good deal of the time she was but barely able to make a decent fist of comprehending the airy heights of the conversation going on about her. "Oh, Vicky my love, I know! I declare, these little social tragedies," Miss Bingley

mused, "and so many of them could be put right if one might have the wrong class of people simply black-balled from attendance at gatherings with one's own sort, and escorted from the premises so that they get a good idea of their true standing in this world! In any case, let