CHAPTER VI

Summary

• The Bennet ladies visited the Bingley ladies at Netherfield, and the visit was reciprocated.
• Jane Bennet impressed Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley with her kind manners, though they found Mrs. Bennet intolerable and dismissed the younger Bennet sisters.
• Jane’s growing affection for Mr. Bingley was evident, and Elizabeth noted his reciprocal admiration.
• Elizabeth confided in Charlotte Lucas about Jane’s feelings, and Charlotte advised that Jane should show more affection to secure Mr. Bingley’s attention.
• Charlotte shared her pragmatic view on marriage, suggesting that happiness in marriage is largely a matter of chance and not dependent on deep understanding of one another’s character beforehand.
• While Elizabeth observed Mr. Bingley’s attention to Jane, she was unaware that Mr. Darcy had started to admire her, despite his initial critical attitude towards her appearance and manners.
• Mr. Darcy’s growing interest in Elizabeth led him to pay attention to her conversations with others, which Elizabeth noticed with curiosity and suspicion.
• Elizabeth humorously confronted Mr. Darcy about his attentiveness, but he politely deflected the topic during a conversation at a social gathering.
• Elizabeth performed on the piano at the gathering, and though not highly skilled, her easy and unaffected manner charmed the audience more than her sister Mary’s overly pedantic performance.
• Elizabeth’s wit and refusal to dance with Mr. Darcy, despite Sir William Lucas attempting to pair them, intrigued Mr. Darcy, making him think about her with growing admiration.
• Miss Bingley, noticing Mr. Darcy’s distraction, sarcastically speculated about his thoughts and was surprised when he admitted his admiration for Elizabeth’s fine eyes.
• Miss Bingley mockingly suggested a future marriage between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, but Darcy listened with indifference, further irritating Miss Bingley as her wit failed to elicit a reaction from him.