Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (best ereader for students txt) ๐
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Pride and Prejudice may today be one of Jane Austenโs most enduring novels, having been widely adapted to stage, screen, and other media since its publication in 1813. The novel tells the tale of five unmarried sisters and how their lives change when a wealthy eligible bachelor moves in to their neighborhood.
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- Author: Jane Austen
Read book online ยซPride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (best ereader for students txt) ๐ยป. Author - Jane Austen
This was enough to prove that her approbation need not be doubted: and Elizabeth, rejoicing that such an effusion was heard only by herself, soon went away. But before she had been three minutes in her own room, her mother followed her.
โMy dearest child,โ she cried, โI can think of nothing else! Ten thousand a year, and very likely more! โTis as good as a Lord! And a special licence. You must and shall be married by a special licence. But my dearest love, tell me what dish Mr. Darcy is particularly fond of, that I may have it tomorrow.โ
This was a sad omen of what her motherโs behaviour to the gentleman himself might be; and Elizabeth found, that though in the certain possession of his warmest affection, and secure of her relationsโ consent, there was still something to be wished for. But the morrow passed off much better than she expected; for Mrs. Bennet luckily stood in such awe of her intended son-in-law that she ventured not to speak to him, unless it was in her power to offer him any attention, or mark her deference for his opinion.
Elizabeth had the satisfaction of seeing her father taking pains to get acquainted with him; and Mr. Bennet soon assured her that he was rising every hour in his esteem.
โI admire all my three sons-in-law highly,โ said he. โWickham, perhaps, is my favourite; but I think I shall like your husband quite as well as Janeโs.โ
LXElizabethโs spirits soon rising to playfulness again, she wanted Mr. Darcy to account for his having ever fallen in love with her. โHow could you begin?โ said she. โI can comprehend your going on charmingly, when you had once made a beginning; but what could set you off in the first place?โ
โI cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.โ
โMy beauty you had early withstood, and as for my mannersโ โmy behaviour to you was at least always bordering on the uncivil, and I never spoke to you without rather wishing to give you pain than not. Now be sincere; did you admire me for my impertinence?โ
โFor the liveliness of your mind, I did.โ
โYou may as well call it impertinence at once. It was very little less. The fact is, that you were sick of civility, of deference, of officious attention. You were disgusted with the women who were always speaking and looking, and thinking for your approbation alone. I roused, and interested you, because I was so unlike them. Had you not been really amiable you would have hated me for it; but in spite of the pains you took to disguise yourself, your feelings were always noble and just; and in your heart, you thoroughly despised the persons who so assiduously courted you. Thereโ โI have saved you the trouble of accounting for it; and really, all things considered, I begin to think it perfectly reasonable. To be sure, you knew no actual good of meโ โbut nobody thinks of that when they fall in love.โ
โWas there no good in your affectionate behaviour to Jane, while she was ill at Netherfield?โ
โDearest Jane! who could have done less for her? But make a virtue of it by all means. My good qualities are under your protection, and you are to exaggerate them as much as possible; and, in return, it belongs to me to find occasions for teasing and quarrelling with you as often as may be; and I shall begin directly by asking you what made you so unwilling to come to the point at last. What made you so shy of me, when you first called, and afterwards dined here? Why, especially, when you called, did you look as if you did not care about me?โ
โBecause you were grave and silent, and gave me no encouragement.โ
โBut I was embarrassed.โ
โAnd so was I.โ
โYou might have talked to me more when you came to dinner.โ
โA man who had felt less, might.โ
โHow unlucky that you should have a reasonable answer to give, and that I should be so reasonable as to admit it! But I wonder how long you would have gone on, if you had been left to yourself. I wonder when you would have spoken, if I had not asked you! My resolution of thanking you for your kindness to Lydia had certainly great effect. Too much, I am afraid; for what becomes of the moral, if our comfort springs from a breach of promise, for I ought not to have mentioned the subject? This will never do.โ
โYou need not distress yourself. The moral will be perfectly fair. Lady Catherineโs unjustifiable endeavours to separate us, were the means of removing all my doubts. I am not indebted for my present happiness to your eager desire of expressing your gratitude. I was not in a humour to wait for any opening of yours. My auntโs intelligence had given me hope, and I was determined at once to know everything.โ
โLady Catherine has been of infinite use, which ought to make her happy, for she loves to be of use. But tell me, what did you come down to Netherfield for? Was it merely to ride to Longbourn and be embarrassed? or had you intended any more serious consequence?โ
โMy real purpose was to see you, and to judge, if I could, whether I might ever hope to make you love me. My avowed one, or what I avowed to myself, was to see whether your sister were still partial to Bingley, and if she were, to make the confession to him which I have since made.โ
โShall you ever have courage to announce to
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