"Yes, all of them, I think. They all paint tables, cover screens, and net purses. I scarcely know any one 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." (8)

Darcy seems eager to refute Bingley’s poor little list of accomplishments (above) and let everyone know his standards are rather significantly higher: “I cannot boast of knowing more than half a dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished” (8). Why so much eagerness on the subject? Darcy accepts Caroline’s elegant list and then adds his own demand for the continual improvement of her mind by extensive reading—I guess the mistress of Pemberley will have loads of free time:

"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 Darcy, "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." (8)