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Read book online ยซPride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (best ereader for students txt) ๐Ÿ“•ยป.   Author   -   Jane Austen



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year come into the neighbourhood.โ€

โ€œIt will be no use to us, if twenty such should come since you will not visit them.โ€

โ€œDepend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all.โ€

Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.

II

Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley. He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid, she had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following manner. Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her with:

โ€œI hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy.โ€

โ€œWe are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes,โ€ said her mother resentfully, โ€œsince we are not to visit.โ€

โ€œBut you forget, mama,โ€ said Elizabeth, โ€œthat we shall meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him.โ€

โ€œI do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of her.โ€

โ€œNo more have I,โ€ said Mr. Bennet; โ€œand I am glad to find that you do not depend on her serving you.โ€

Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply; but unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.

โ€œDonโ€™t keep coughing so, Kitty, for heavenโ€™s sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.โ€

โ€œKitty has no discretion in her coughs,โ€ said her father; โ€œshe times them ill.โ€

โ€œI do not cough for my own amusement,โ€ replied Kitty fretfully.

โ€œWhen is your next ball to be, Lizzy?โ€

โ€œTomorrow fortnight.โ€

โ€œAye, so it is,โ€ cried her mother, โ€œand Mrs. Long does not come back till the day before; so, it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him herself.โ€

โ€œThen, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley to her.โ€

โ€œImpossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted with him myself; how can you be so teasing?โ€

โ€œI honour your circumspection. A fortnightโ€™s acquaintance is certainly very little. One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a fortnight. But if we do not venture, somebody else will; and after all, Mrs. Long and her nieces must stand their chance; and therefore, as she will think it an act of kindness, if you decline the office, I will take it on myself.โ€

The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, โ€œNonsense, nonsense!โ€

โ€œWhat can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation?โ€ cried he. โ€œDo you consider the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on them, as nonsense? I cannot quite agree with you there. What say you, Mary? for you are a young lady of deep reflection I know, and read great books, and make extracts.โ€

Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.

โ€œWhile Mary is adjusting her ideas,โ€ he continued, โ€œlet us return to Mr. Bingley.โ€

โ€œI am sick of Mr. Bingley,โ€ cried his wife.

โ€œI am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tell me so before? If I had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him. It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now.โ€

The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; though when the first tumult of joy was over, she began to declare that it was what she had expected all the while.

โ€œHow good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should persuade you at last. I was sure you loved your girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! and it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning, and never said a word about it till now.โ€

โ€œNow, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose,โ€ said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.

โ€œWhat an excellent father you have, girls,โ€ said she, when the door was shut. โ€œI do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness; or me either, for that matter. At our time of life, it is not so pleasant, I can tell you, to be making new acquaintance every day; but for your sakes, we would do anything. Lydia, my love, though you are the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance with you at the next ball.โ€

โ€œOh!โ€ said Lydia stoutly, โ€œI am not afraid; for though I am the youngest, Iโ€™m the tallest.โ€

The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr. Bennetโ€™s visit, and determining when they should ask him to dinner.

III

Not all that Mrs. Bennet, however, with the assistance of her five daughters, could ask on the subject was sufficient to draw from her husband any satisfactory description of Mr. Bingley. They attacked him in various ways; with barefaced questions, ingenious suppositions, and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all; and they were at last obliged to accept the secondhand intelligence of their neighbour Lady Lucas. Her report was highly favourable. Sir William had been delighted with him. He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, extremely agreeable, and to crown the whole, he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party. Nothing could be more delightful! To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingleyโ€™s

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