Re: "Do not you feel..."
Posted by Laura Wallace on November 21, 1997 at 12:06:45:
In response to "Do not you feel a great inclination, Miss Bennet, to..., written by Constanza on November 21, 1997 at 11:07:29
"Do not you feel a great inclination, Miss Bennet, to seize such an opportunity of dancing a reel?"
What does Darcy exactly mean by that? Or is he simply attempting at a conversation?
Mr. Darcy is asking Elizabeth to dance with him. A Scottish reel is a type of country dance. He is suggesting that they take advantage of having a piano player (Miss Bingley) available who could play dance music for them. They could probably dance a reel to the "lively Scotch air" Miss Bingley was at that moment playing.
A Scottish reel is an energetic (fun!) but unsophisticated dance, which is why Lizzy suspects him of implying that she has low taste--and perhaps also of being like her younger sisters, who would never pass up an opportunity to dance.
(If instead you were asking for an explanation of the idiom, I apologize. I'll try again if you want!)
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