Pride and Prejudice, chapter 6
Charlotte Lucas can predict the future.
Charlotte and Elizabeth’s conversation in chapter 6 is the most we’ve so far heard from either of them, and we can tell why they’re friends. They share an equality of intelligence which other pairs in the novel are without, and they invite comparison to those others immediately.
Mr. Bennet’s casual torture of his much stupider wife is the most extreme case, but even Elizabeth’s relationship with Jane, while kinder, is not without a similar tension. Elizabeth reveals a subtle arrogance in her interactions with Jane - for all that she praises Jane’s goodness and patience, she is clearly proud of the unsentimental cleverness she inherited from her father. We’re explicitly told that Darcy and Bingley have the same dynamic.
Elizabeth and Charlotte interact informally here, and freely discuss Jane’s situation: Bingley admires her, and Jane is falling in love with him in turn. Elizabeth is content to wait the situation out, pleased for Jane but glad that her reserve will not invite gossip. Charlotte is wary of this attitude:
It was generally evident whenever they met, that he did admire her and to her it was equally evident that Jane was yielding to the preference which she had begun to entertain for him from the first, and was in a way to be very much in love; but she considered with pleasure that it was not likely to be discovered by the world in general, since Jane united, with great strength of feeling, a composure of temper and a uniform cheerfulness of manner which would guard her from the suspicions of the impertinent. She mentioned this to her friend Miss Lucas.
"It may perhaps be pleasant," replied Charlotte, "to be able to impose on the public in such a case; but it is sometimes a disadvantage to be so very guarded. If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him; and it will then be but poor consolation to believe the world equally in the dark. There is so much of gratitude or vanity in almost every attachment, that it is not safe to leave any to itself. We can all begin freely—a slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement. In nine cases out of ten a women had better show more affection than she feels. Bingley likes your sister undoubtedly; but he may never do more than like her, if she does not help him on."
"But she does help him on, as much as her nature will allow. If I can perceive her regard for him, he must be a simpleton, indeed, not to discover it too."
"Remember, Eliza, that he does not know Jane's disposition as you do."
"But if a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to conceal it, he must find it out."
"Perhaps he must, if he sees enough of her. But, though Bingley and Jane meet tolerably often, it is never for many hours together; and, as they always see each other in large mixed parties, it is impossible that every moment should be employed in conversing together. Jane should therefore make the most of every half-hour in which she can command his attention. When she is secure of him, there will be more leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses."
"Your plan is a good one," replied Elizabeth, "where nothing is in question but the desire of being well married, and if I were determined to get a rich husband, or any husband, I dare say I should adopt it. But these are not Jane's feelings; she is not acting by design. As yet, she cannot even be certain of the degree of her own regard nor of its reasonableness. She has known him only a fortnight. She danced four dances with him at Meryton; she saw him one morning at his own house, and has since dined with him in company four times. This is not quite enough to make her understand his character."
"Not as you represent it. Had she merely dined with him, she might only have discovered whether he had a good appetite; but you must remember that four evenings have also been spent together—and four evenings may do a great deal."
"Yes; these four evenings have enabled them to ascertain that they both like Vingt-un better than Commerce; but with respect to any other leading 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 to-morrow, 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."
So much is expressed in this brief conversation, that it is easy to miss some of it. Elizabeth is happy that Jane’s feelings are not so easily discovered - Elizabeth is (as we will see more of) very sensitive to gossip, and protective of Jane. She also doesn’t necessarily believe that Jane’s feelings are particularly strong or that a marriage to Bingley would be wise. Jane’s feelings (and Bingley’s) may become stronger, and a marriage may be desired later, but not now.
Elizabeth’s line that Jane “cannot even be certain of the degree of her own regard nor of its reasonableness,” is telling, and indicative of Elizabeth at her best. When she is thinking seriously, she understands that deep feelings require time and reflection before they can be known even to the person who feels them. When Elizabeth eventually falls in love with Darcy, it is a gradual process, taking place over many months of solitary reflection, most of which are in his absence. Elizabeth’s rapid judgements of her own feelings tend to be mistaken. She realizes this about other people, but has yet to fully recognize it in herself.
Elizabeth is content to let love take its course, confident that it will win out if there’s anything there. Charlotte recommends a more pragmatic approach: the goal, in her view, is marriage. Whether it’s a good marriage or a bad one is down to luck, which would be the case whether Jane knows Bingley for a few weeks or a few years. According to Elizabeth, who we must know by now is a daily witness to a bad marriage, and knows it, marriage is not her goal or Jane’s. A successful marriage may be desirable, but marriage itself should be approached cautiously.
Elizabeth’s mistake here is in thinking that she and Charlotte are more alike than they are: time will show Charlotte to act exactly as she suggests Jane act now, and essentially trick a man into matrimony only to secure a place for herself. Elizabeth cannot imagine acting that way herself, so insists that Charlotte would not either. Similarly, Charlotte is proved mostly right about Bingley: Jane’s reserved manner will allow him to be unsure of her feelings, which will allow him to be persuaded out of his.
This chapter also contains the first significant conversation between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, the person who is much more like her than she realizes. He has already begun to admire her, and she has failed to offend him with impertanance. What this chapter reveals, even more than Darcy’s rather inevitable attraction, is their affinity. Look at his conversation with Miss Bingley:
"I can guess the subject of your reverie."
"I should imagine not."
"You are considering how insupportable it would be to pass many evenings in this manner—in such society; and indeed I am quite of your opinion. I was never more annoyed! The insipidity, and yet the noise—the nothingness, and yet the self-importance of all those people! What would I give to hear your strictures on them!"
"Your conjecture is totally wrong, I assure you. My mind was more agreeably engaged. I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow."
Miss Bingley immediately fixed her eyes on his face, and desired he would tell her what lady had the credit of inspiring such reflections. Mr. Darcy replied with great intrepidity:
"Miss Elizabeth Bennet."
"Miss Elizabeth Bennet!" repeated Miss Bingley. "I am all astonishment. How long has she been such a favourite?—and pray, when am I to wish you joy?"
"That is exactly the question which I expected you to ask. A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment. I knew you would be wishing me joy."
What this tells us is that Darcy, like Elizabeth, is happy to let things take their course. He’s in no hurry to find a wife any more than Elizabeth is in a hurry to find a husband. He is content, for the moment, to enjoy admiration, just as Elizabeth is content to enjoy it on Jane’s behalf.
Caroline Bingley, like Charlotte Lucas, can also predict the future, and is right to be worried.