16. 16 November 1811
ELIZABETH
Elizabeth decided that her father’s insistence that she allow calls from his favoured suitor as well as her own was making Mr Darcy’s case much stronger.
Both men had lived in the world, travelled, and attended university and therefore, presumably, amassed a certain amount of knowledge.
But only Mr Darcy was interested in many of the things Elizabeth found fascinating.
Obviously, Mr Darcy was far more interesting when speaking of travelling, but the contrast was marked in regard to other topics, as well.
When Mr Darcy spoke of literature, he had deep thoughts about poetry, insightful knowledge about the classics, and the desire to keep up by reading recent publications.
He listened to Elizabeth’s ideas, as well, and he was as willing to agree with her as he was to disagree, and every so often he displayed the ability to change his mind.
Mr Goulding, in contrast, had only one thing to say about the entirety of literature—poetry, novels, histories, biographies, and plays: “I do not read all that much.”
When Mr Darcy spoke of music or art or the war or anything at all, he was both interesting and also interested in what she had to say. Mr Goulding had little to contribute, although he was quite good at adoring whatever Elizabeth said.
She wondered if she should be kind and hint to Mr Goulding that there was no future for them.
On the one hand, her father might get upset and refuse to admit Mr Darcy; on the other, surely she need not go through the trouble of explaining that they were not a good fit.
Mr Goulding may not be quick witted enough to tease about Parliament playing havoc with the kingdom, but surely he was clever enough to realise that he had less than no chance of winning her hand.
She supposed that she should feel grateful to her father, rather than irritated, given the fact that his pushing made things clearer.