Plot Summary
Chapter 18 of Pride and Prejudice takes place at the long-anticipated Netherfield ball. Elizabeth arrives expecting to see Mr. Wickham, but learns from his friend Denny that Wickham has gone to town on business—presumably to avoid Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth blames Darcy for Wickham's absence and resolves to have nothing to do with him. She confides her frustration to Charlotte Lucas, then endures two painful dances with Mr. Collins, whose awkwardness and obliviousness cause her considerable embarrassment.
Elizabeth and Darcy's Dance
To her surprise, Mr. Darcy asks Elizabeth to dance, and she accepts before she can think to refuse. Their exchange during the dance is one of the novel's most celebrated scenes. Elizabeth teases Darcy about their shared "unsocial, taciturn disposition," and the conversation turns pointed when she brings up Wickham. Darcy responds cryptically that Wickham is good at making friends but perhaps less capable of retaining them. Sir William Lucas interrupts to compliment their dancing and hints at the expected match between Jane and Bingley, which visibly affects Darcy. Elizabeth probes Darcy about his unforgiving temperament, and he asks her not to "sketch his character" at that moment. They part dissatisfied—though the narrator reveals that Darcy already harbors a "tolerable powerful feeling" toward Elizabeth.
Miss Bingley's Warning and Jane's Report
Miss Bingley approaches Elizabeth to warn her against trusting Wickham, insisting that Darcy has always been kind to him and that Wickham has behaved infamously. Elizabeth dismisses the warning as malice. She then asks Jane what Bingley has said about the matter; Bingley defends Darcy and believes Wickham to be imprudent, but Elizabeth refuses to accept secondhand testimony from Darcy's closest friend.
The Bennet Family's Embarrassments
The evening becomes a parade of mortifications for Elizabeth. Mr. Collins discovers that Darcy is Lady Catherine de Bourgh's nephew and insists on introducing himself, despite Elizabeth's protests that the gesture will be seen as impertinent. Collins delivers a pompous speech to Darcy, who responds with barely concealed contempt. At supper, Mrs. Bennet loudly predicts Jane's marriage to Bingley within earshot of Darcy, and Elizabeth cannot silence her. Mary performs badly at the pianoforte until Mr. Bennet cuts her off with a backhanded compliment. Mr. Collins delivers a long, absurd speech about the duties of a clergyman. The Longbourn party is the last to leave, lingering awkwardly while the Bingley sisters make no effort to hide their desire to be rid of them. Mrs. Bennet departs confident that Jane will be married within months—and that Elizabeth will marry Mr. Collins, a prospect she views with less enthusiasm.