...tells us that Elizabeth was "flustered" by Darcy asking her to dance because his invitation took her so much by *surprise*. Like Kathi, I think Elizabeth was interested in Darcy simply because he was more intelligent, better-educated and a more complex character than the people she usually met - a kind of scientific curiosity, if you will, not a sign of secret attraction.

Also, if you feel that Elizabeth is "proud" and "arrogant", all I can say is that her attitude seems to be very much an expression of her author's own. After reading JA's letters, it's obvious that she and her sister often laughed at others in the privacy of their personal correspondence, but from what we can tell they tried to be kind and courteous when dealing with the people involved, as Elizabeth tried to do.