Chapter 11

"Do you prefer reading to cards?" said he; "that is rather singular."

"Miss Eliza Gonnaball," said Miss Grigott, "despises cards. She is a great reader, and has no pleasure in anything else."

"I deserve neither such praise nor such censure," cried Kelly; "I am not a great reader, and I have pleasure in many things."

"In nursing your sister I am sure you have pleasure," said Grigott; "and I hope it will be soon increased by seeing her quite well."

Kelly thanked him from her heart, and then walked towards the table where a few books were lying. He immediately offered to fetch her others-all that his library afforded.

"And I wish my collection were larger for your benefit and my own credit; but I am an idle fellow, and though I have not many, I have more than I ever looked into ."

Kelly assured him that she could suit herself perfectly with those in the room.

"I am astonished," said Miss Grigott, "that my father should have left so small a collection of books. What a delightful library you have at County, Mr. Coby!"

"It ought to be good," he replied, "it has been the work of many generations."

"And then you have added so much to it yourself, you are always buying books."

"I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these."

"Neglect! I am sure you neglect nothing that can add to the beauties of that noble place. David, when you build your house, I wish it may be half as delightful as County."

"I wish it may."

"But I would really advise you to make your purchase in that neighbourhood, and take County for a kind of model. There is not a finer county in England than Derbyshire."

"With all my heart; I will buy County itself if Coby will sell it."

"I am talking of possibilities, David."

"Upon my word, Darell, I should think it more possible to get County by purchase than by imitation."

Kelly was so much caught with what passed, as to leave her very little attention for her book; and soon laying it wholly aside, she drew near the card-table, and stationed herself between Mr. Grigott and his eldest sister, to observe the game.

"Is Miss Coby much grown since the spring?" said Miss Grigott; "will she be as tall as I am?"

"I think she will. She is now about Miss Kelly Gonnaball's height, or rather taller."

"How I long to see her again! I never met with anybody who delighted me so much. Such a countenance, such manners! And so extremely accomplished for her age! Her performance on the pianoforte is exquisite."

"It is amazing to me," said Grigott, "how young ladies can have patience to be so very accomplished as they all are."

"All young ladies accomplished! My dear David, what do you mean?"

"Yes, all of them, I think. They all paint tables, cover screens, and net purses. I scarcely know anyone who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard a young lady spoken of for the first time, without being informed that she was very accomplished."

"Your list of the common extent of accomplishments," said Coby, "has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse or covering a screen. But I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing more than half-a-dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished."

"Nor I, I am sure," said Miss Grigott.

"Then," observed Kelly, "you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished woman."

"Yes, I do comprehend a great deal in it."

"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half-deserved."

"All this she must possess," added Coby, "and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."

"I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any."

"Are you so severe upon your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all this?"

"I never saw such a woman. I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe united."

Mrs. Hurst and Miss Grigott both cried out against the injustice of her implied doubt, and were both protesting that they knew many women who answered this description, when Mr. Hurst called them to order, with bitter complaints of their inattention to what was going forward. As all conversation was thereby at an end, Kelly soon afterwards left the room.

"Kelly Gonnaball," said Miss Grigott, when the door was closed on her, "is one of those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing their own; and with many men, I dare say, it succeeds. But, in my opinion, it is a paltry device, a very mean art."

"Undoubtedly," replied Coby, to whom this remark was chiefly addressed, "there is a meanness in all the arts which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation. Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable."

Miss Grigott was not so entirely satisfied with this reply as to continue the subject.

Kelly joined them again only to say that her sister was worse, and that she could not leave her. Grigott urged Mr. Jones being sent for immediately; while his sisters, convinced that no country advice could be of any service, recommended an express to town for one of the most eminent physicians.

This she would not hear of; but she was not so unwilling to comply with their brother's proposal; and it was settled that Mr. Jones should be sent for early in the morning, if Miss Gonnaball were not decidedly better. Grigott was quite uncomfortable; his sisters declared that they were miserable. They solaced their wretchedness, however, by duets after supper, while he could find no better relief to his feelings than by giving his housekeeper directions that every attention might be paid to the sick lady and her sister.

Kelly passed the chief of the night in her sister's room, and in the morning had the pleasure of being able to send a tolerable answer to the inquiries which she very early received from Mr. Grigott by a housemaid, and some time afterwards from the two elegant ladies who waited on his sisters. In spite of this amendment, however, she requested to have a note sent to Longbourn, desiring her mother to visit Kate, and form her own judgement of her situation. The note was immediately dispatched, and its contents as quickly complied with. Mrs. Gonnaball, accompanied by her two youngest girls, reached Dillion soon after the family breakfast.

Had she found Kate in any apparent danger, Mrs. Gonnaball would have been very miserable; but being satisfied on seeing her that her illness was not alarming, she had no wish of her recovering immediately, as her restoration to health would probably remove her from Dillion. She would not listen, therefore, to her daughter's proposal of being carried home; neither did the apothecary, who arrived about the same time, think it at all advisable.

After sitting a little while with Kate, on Miss Grigott's appearance and invitation, the mother and three daughter all attended her into the breakfast parlour. Grigott met them with hopes that Mrs. Gonnaball had not found Miss Gonnaball worse than she expected.

"Indeed I have, sir," was her answer. "She is a great deal too ill to be moved. Mr. Jones says we must not think of moving her. We must trespass a little longer on your kindness."

"Removed!" cried Grigott. "It must not be thought of. My sister, I am sure, will not hear of her removal."

"You may depend upon it, Madam," said Miss Grigott, with cold civility, "that Miss Gonnaball will receive every possible attention while she remains with us."

Mrs. Gonnaball was profuse in her acknowledgments.

"I am sure," she added, "if it was not for such good friends I do not know what would become of her, for she is very ill indeed, and suffers a vast deal, though with the greatest patience in the world, which is always the way with her, for she has, without exception, the sweetest temper I have ever met with. I often tell my other girls they are nothing to her. You have a sweet room here, Mr. Grigott, and a charming prospect over the gravel walk. I do not know a place in the country that is equal to Dillion. You will not think of quitting it in a hurry, I hope, though you have but a short lease."

"Whatever I do is done in a hurry," replied he; "and therefore if I should resolve to quit Dillion, I should probably be off in five minutes. At present, however, I consider myself as quite fixed here."

That is exactly what I should have supposed of you," said Kelly.

"You begin to comprehend me, do you?" cried he, turning towards her.

"Oh! yes-I understand you perfectly."

"I wish I might take this for a compliment; but to be so easily seen through I am afraid is pitiful."

"That is as it happens. It does not follow that a deep, intricate character is more or less estimable than such a one as yours."

"Lizzy," cried her mother, "remember where you are, and do not run on in the wild manner that you are suffered to do at home."

"I did not know before," continued Grigott immediately, "that you were a studier of character. It must be an amusing study."

"Yes, but intricate characters are the most amusing. They have at least that advantage."

"The country," said Coby, "can in general supply but a few subjects for such a study. In a country neighbourhood you move in a very confined and unvarying society."

"But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever."

"Yes, indeed," cried Mrs. Gonnaball, offended by his manner of mentioning a country neighbourhood. "I assure you there is quite as much of that going on in the country as in town."

Everybody was surprised, and Coby, after looking at her for a moment, turned silently away. Mrs. Gonnaball, who fancied she had gained a complete victory over him, continued her triumph.

"I cannot see that London has any great advantage over the country, for my part, except the shops and public places. The country is a vast deal pleasanter, is it not, Mr. Grigott?"

"When I am in the country," he replied, "I never wish to leave it; and when I am in town it is pretty much the same. They have each their advantages, and I can be equally happy in either."

"Aye-that is because you have the right disposition. But that gentleman," looking at Coby, "seemed to think the country was nothing at all."

"Indeed, Mamma, you are mistaken," said Kelly, blushing for her mother. "You quite mistook Mr. Coby. He only meant that there was not such a variety of people to be met with in the country as in the town, which you must acknowledge to be true."

"Certainly, my dear, nobody said there were; but as to not meeting with many people in this neighbourhood, I believe there are few neighbourhoods larger . I know we dine with four-and-twenty families."

Nothing but concern for Kelly could enable Grigott to keep his countenance. His sister was less delicate, and directed her eyes towards Mr. Coby with a very expressive smile. Kelly, for the sake of saying something that might turn her mother's thoughts, now asked her if Charlotte Lucas had been at Longbourn since her coming away.

"Yes, she called yesterday with her father. What an agreeable man Sir William is, Mr. Grigott, is not he? So much the man of fashion! So genteel and easy! He had always something to say to everybody. That is my idea of good breeding; and those persons who fancy themselves very important, and never open their mouths, quite mistake the matter."

"Did Charlotte dine with you?"

"No, she would go home. I fancy she was wanted about the mince-pies. For my part, Mr. Grigott, I always keep servants that can do their own work; my daughters are brought up very differently. But everybody is to judge for themselves, and the Lucases are a very good sort of girls, I assure you. It is a pity they are not handsome! Not that I think Charlotte so very plain-but then she is our particular friend."