Pride & Prejudice Chapter 17

Balls, Dance Solicitations, and Shoe Roses

15th of August, 2025, by Lee Falin

Can you turn down a dance request at a Regency ball? What exactly were shoe roses? Find out the answers to these questions and more, in this episode of My Cousin Jane.

Show Notes

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Transcript

Welcome back to another episode of My Cousin Jane. Each week, we look at what you might think of as the behind the scenes featurettes or deleted scenes of a particular chapter in Austen’s books.

This week, we’re going to talk about Pride & Prejudice, Chapter 17.

Chapter Summary

Chapter 17 opens with Jane and Elizabeth sitting outside, reviewing Mr. Wickham's story. While Jane finds it hard to believe that Mr. Darcy could behave in such a way, she equally finds it hard to believe that Mr. Wickham would invent such a story. Meanwhile, Mr. Bingley and his sisters arrive to invite the family to the Netherfield Ball. Mr. Collins takes this opportunity to secure the first two dances from Elizabeth.

Two Dances

As the ball is being discussed, Elizabeth is caught off guard when Mr. Collins makes a special request:

Elizabeth’s spirits were so high on this occasion, that though she did not often speak unnecessarily to Mr. Collins, she could not help asking him whether he intended to accept Mr. Bingley’s invitation, and if he did, whether he would think it proper to join in the evening’s amusement; and she was rather surprised to find that he entertained no scruple whatever on that head, and was very far from dreading a rebuke either from the Archbishop, or Lady Catherine de Bourgh, by venturing to dance.

“I am by no means of the opinion, I assure you,” said he, “that a ball of this kind, given by a young man of character, to respectable people, can have any evil tendency; and I am so far from objecting to dancing myself, that I shall hope to be honoured with the hands of all my fair cousins in the course of the evening; and I take this opportunity of soliciting yours, Miss Elizabeth, for the two first dances especially, a preference which I trust my cousin Jane will attribute to the right cause, and not to any disrespect for her.”

Elizabeth felt herself completely taken in. She had fully proposed being engaged by Mr. Wickham for those very dances; and to have Mr. Collins instead! her liveliness had never been worse timed. There was no help for it, however Pride & Prejudice, Chapter 17

As we learned back in chapter 3, Regency balls consisted of several pairs of dances, sometimes referred to as "sets". You typically kept the same partner for a set, but unless you were particularly affectionate (and publicly so), you would not dance with the same partner for more than one set.

Unfortunately for Elizabeth, it was also considered improper for a young lady to refuse to dance with a young man who asked her.

The Attentions of Mr. Collins

Elizabeth's misfortune continues in this chapter as she suddenly realizes what his asking her to dance the first two dances must represent:

She was not the better pleased with his gallantry from the idea it suggested of something more. It now first struck her, that SHE was selected from among her sisters as worthy of being mistress of Hunsford Parsonage, and of assisting to form a quadrille table at Rosings, in the absence of more eligible visitors.

The idea soon reached to conviction, as she observed his increasing civilities toward herself, and heard his frequent attempt at a compliment on her wit and vivacity; and though more astonished than gratified herself by this effect of her charms, it was not long before her mother gave her to understand that the probability of their marriage was extremely agreeable to HER. Elizabeth, however, did not choose to take the hint, being well aware that a serious dispute must be the consequence of any reply. Mr. Collins might never make the offer, and till he did, it was useless to quarrel about him. Pride & Prejudice, Chapter 17

Shoe Roses

Unfortunately things continue to look dismal for Elizabeth and her sisters, thanks to a persistent streak of bad weather:

If there had not been a Netherfield ball to prepare for and talk of, the younger Miss Bennets would have been in a very pitiable state at this time, for from the day of the invitation, to the day of the ball, there was such a succession of rain as prevented their walking to Meryton once. No aunt, no officers, no news could be sought after–the very shoe-roses for Netherfield were got by proxy. Pride & Prejudice, Chapter 17

Every era has its dance customs. And while the wrist corsage is the current accessory of choice for young ladies, in the regency era, it was all about the shoe roses.

According to the Fashion Institute's Fashion History Timeline, shoe roses began to become popular in the 1600s. They were formed by twisting ribbons into a rosette or gathering them into a large ruffled puff, which were then affixed to the instep of the shoe.

Some shoe roses were small and unassuming, while others were up to five inches in diameter and embroidered with jewels.

Shoe roses were worn by both men and women in the 1600s, but by the Regency era, they were primarily worn only by women. The institute points out that you can still find shoe roses on some modern shoes, as well as affixed to ankle ribbons.

Another important note here is that since it was raining so much, the ladies of Longbourn would not be able to secure the shoe roses themselves, but would instead have to send a servant to retrieve them by proxy.

Conclusion

That wraps up this episode of My Cousin Jane.

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