Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody; and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.
– Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 10. Although she does not know it yet, Elizabeth is showing the first signs of attraction to Darcy – "amazed at his gallantry." Darcy is also falling in love with Elizabeth but sees this as dangerous because he is a higher class than her. There is considerable irony going on in this scene, as Elizabeth has refused to dance with Darcy and expects him to be affronted. Instead he is gallant. He on the other hand is bewitched by her sweetness and archness, when she intended the very opposite – to cut him down to size. Darcy also thinks, were it not for her inferior connections, he might fall in love with her – which is exactly what is happening. Austen is satirizing the snobbery of the upper class and the class divide in the social awkwardness between Darcy and Elizabeth.