Chapter 1 It is a truth universally acknowledged , that
a single man in possession of a good fortune 0
, must be in want of
a wife 1
.
However little known the feelings or views of
such a man 2
may be on
his 2
first entering
a neighbourhood 3
, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of
the surrounding families 4
, that
he 2
is considered the rightful property of
some one or other of
their 4
daughters
41 .
“
Mr. Bennet 5
, ” said
to
him 5
one day , “ have
you 5
heard that
Netherfield Park 7
is let at last ? ”
Mr. Bennet 5
replied that
he 5
had not .
“ But
it 7
is , ” returned
she 6
; “ for
Mrs. Long 8
has just been
here 9
, and
she 8
told
me 6
all about it . ”
Mr. Bennet 5
made no answer .
“ Do
you 5
not want to know who has taken
it 7
? ”
cried
impatiently .
“ _
You 6
_ want to tell
me 5
, and
I 5
have no objection to hearing it . ”
This was invitation enough .
“ Why ,
,
you 5
must know ,
Mrs. Long 8
says that
Netherfield 7
is taken by
a young man 10
of large fortune from
the north of
England 12
11 ; that
he 10
came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see
the place 7
, and was so much delighted with
it 7
, that
he 10
agreed with
Mr. Morris 13
immediately ; that
he 10
is to take possession before Michaelmas , and
some of
his 10
servants
14 are to be in
the house 7
by the end of next week . ”
“ What is
his 10
name ? ”
“
Bingley 10
. ”
“ Is
he 10
married or single ? ”
“ Oh !
Single ,
, to be sure !
A single man of large fortune 10
; four or five thousand a year .
What a fine thing for
! ”
“ How so ?
How can it affect
them 15
? ”
“
Mr. Bennet 5
, ” replied
, “ how can
you 5
be so tiresome !
You 5
must know that
I 6
am thinking of
his 10
marrying one of
them 15
. ”
“ Is that
his 10
design in settling
here 7
? ”
“ Design !
Nonsense , how can
you 5
talk so !
But it is very likely that
he 10
_ may _ fall in love with one of
them 15
, and therefore
you 5
must visit
him 10
as soon as
he 10
comes . ”
“
I 5
see no occasion for that .
You 6
and
the girls 15
may go , or
you 6
may send
them 15
by
themselves 15
, which perhaps will be still better , for as
you 6
are as handsome as any of
them 15
,
Mr. Bingley 10
may like
you 6
the best of
the party 17
. ”
“
,
you 5
flatter
me 6
.
I 6
certainly _ have _ had
my 6
share of beauty , but
I 6
do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now .
When
a woman 18
has
five grown-up daughters 19
,
she 18
ought to give over thinking of
her 18
own beauty . ”
“ In such cases ,
a woman 20
has not often much beauty to think of . ”
“ But ,
,
you 5
must indeed go and see
Mr. Bingley 10
when
he 10
comes into
the neighbourhood 21
. ”
“ It is more than
I 5
engage for ,
I 5
assure
you 6
. ”
“ But consider
.
Only think what an establishment it would be for one of
them 15
.
Sir William 22
and
Lady Lucas 23
are determined to go , merely on that account , for in general ,
you 5
know ,
they 24
visit
no newcomers 25
.
Indeed
you 5
must go , for it will be impossible for _
us 17
_ to visit
him 10
if
you 5
do not . ”
“
You 6
are over-scrupulous , surely .
I 6
dare say
Mr. Bingley 10
will be very glad to see
you 17
; and
I 5
will send a few lines by
you 6
to assure
him 10
of
my 5
hearty consent to
his 10
marrying whichever
he 10
chooses of
the girls 15
; though
I 5
must throw in a good word for
. ”
“
I 6
desire
you 5
will do no such thing .
Lizzy 26
is not a bit better than the others ; and
I 6
am sure
she 26
is not half so handsome as
Jane 27
, nor half so good-humoured as
Lydia 28
.
But
you 5
are always giving _
her 26
_ the preference . ”
“
They 29
have
much to recommend
them 29
, ” replied
he 5
; “
they 31
are all silly and ignorant like
other girls 30
; but
Lizzy 26
has something more of quickness than
. ”
“
Mr. Bennet 5
, how _ can _
you 5
abuse
in such a way ?
You 5
take delight in vexing
me 6
.
You 5
have no compassion for
my 6
poor nerves . ”
“
You 6
mistake
me 5
,
.
I 5
have a high respect for
your 6
nerves .
They are
my 5
old friends .
I 5
have heard
you 6
mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least . ”
“ Ah ,
you 5
do not know what
I 6
suffer . ”
“ But
I 5
hope
you 6
will get over it , and live to see
many young men of four thousand a year 32
come into
the neighbourhood 21
. ”
“ It will be no use to
us 16
, if twenty such should come , since
you 5
will not visit
them 32
. ”
“ Depend upon it ,
, that when there are twenty ,
I 5
will visit
them 32
all . ”
Mr. Bennet 5
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
understand
his 5
character .
_
Her 6
_ mind was less difficult to develop .
She 6
was
a woman of mean understanding , little information , and uncertain temper 44
.
When
she 6
was discontented ,
she 6
fancied
herself 6
nervous .
The business of
her 6
life was to get
married ; its solace was visiting and news .
Chapter 2
Mr. Bennet 5
was among the earliest of those who waited on
Mr. Bingley 10
.
He 5
had always intended to visit
him 10
, though to the last always assuring
that
he 5
should not go ; and till the evening after the visit was paid
she 6
had no knowledge of it .
It was then disclosed in the following manner .
Observing
employed in trimming a hat ,
he 5
suddenly addressed
her 26
with : “
I 5
hope
Mr. Bingley 10
will like it ,
Lizzy 26
. ”
“
We 33
are not in a way to know _ what _
Mr. Bingley 10
likes , ” said
resentfully , “ since
we 33
are not to visit . ”
“ But
you 6
forget ,
mamma 6
, ” said
Elizabeth 26
, “ that
we 33
shall meet
him 10
at the assemblies , and that
Mrs. Long 8
promised to introduce
him 10
. ”
“
I 6
do not believe
Mrs. Long 8
will do any such thing .
She 8
has
two nieces of
her 8
own
34 .
She 8
is
a selfish , hypocritical woman 45
, and
I 6
have no opinion of
her 8
. ”
“ No more have
I 5
, ” said
Mr. Bennet 5
; “ and
I 5
am glad to find that
you 6
do not depend on
her 8
serving
you 6
. ”
Mrs. Bennet 6
deigned not to make any reply , but , unable to contain
herself 6
, began scolding one of
.
“ Do n't keep coughing so ,
Kitty 35
, for
Heaven 36
's sake !
Have a little compassion on
my 6
nerves .
You 35
tear them to pieces . ”
“
Kitty 35
has no discretion in
her 35
coughs , ” said
; “
she 35
times them ill . ”
“
I 35
do not cough for
my 35
own amusement , ” replied
Kitty 35
fretfully .
“ When is
your 26
next ball to be ,
Lizzy 26
? ”
“ To-morrow fortnight . ”
“ Aye , so it is , ” cried
, “ and
Mrs. Long 8
does not come back till the day before ; so it will be impossible for
her 8
to introduce
him 5
, for
she 8
will not know
him 5
herself 8
. ”
“ Then ,
,
you 6
may have the advantage of
, and introduce
Mr. Bingley 10
to _
her 8
_ . ”
“ Impossible ,
Mr. Bennet 5
, impossible , when
I 6
am not acquainted with
him 10
myself 6
; how can
you 5
be so teasing ? ”
“
I 5
honour
your 6
circumspection .
A fortnight 's acquaintance is certainly very little .
One can not know what
a man 37
really is by the end of a fortnight .
But if _
we 34
_ do not venture
somebody else 42
will ; and after all ,
Mrs. Long 8
and
must stand
their 38
chance ; and , therefore , as
she 8
will think it an act of kindness , if
you 6
decline the office ,
I 5
will take it on
myself 5
. ”
The girls 15
stared at
.
Mrs. Bennet 6
said only , “ Nonsense , nonsense ! ”
“ What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation ? ”
cried
he 5
.
“ Do
you 6
consider the forms of introduction , and the stress that is laid on them , as nonsense ?
I 5
can not quite agree with
you 6
_ there _ .
What say
you 39
,
Mary 39
?
For
you 39
are
a young lady of deep reflection 46
,
I 5
know , and read great books and make extracts . ”
Mary 39
wished to say something sensible , but knew not how .
“ While
Mary 39
is adjusting
her 39
ideas , ”
he 5
continued , “ let
us 34
return to
Mr. Bingley 10
. ”
“
I 6
am sick of
Mr. Bingley 10
, ” cried
.
“
I 5
am sorry to hear _ that _ ; but why did not
you 6
tell
me 5
that before ?
If
I 5
had known as much this morning
I 5
certainly would not have called on
him 10
.
It is very unlucky ; but as
I 5
have actually paid the visit ,
we 34
can not escape the acquaintance now . ”
The astonishment of
the ladies 17
was just what
he 5
wished ; that of
Mrs. Bennet 6
perhaps surpassing
the rest 15
; though , when the first tumult of joy was over ,
she 6
began to declare that it was what
she 6
had expected all the while .
“ How good it was in
you 5
,
Mr. Bennet 5
!
But
I 6
knew
I 6
should persuade
you 5
at last .
I 6
was sure
you 5
loved
too well to neglect such an acquaintance .
Well , how pleased
I 6
am !
and it is such a good joke , too , that
you 5
should have gone this morning and never said a word about it till now . ”
“ Now ,
Kitty 35
,
you 35
may cough as much as
you 35
choose , ” said
Mr. Bennet 5
; and , as
he 5
spoke ,
he 5
left
the room 40
, fatigued with the raptures of
.
“ What
an excellent father 5
you 15
have ,
girls 15
! ”
said
she 6
, when the door was shut .
“
I 6
do not know how
you 15
will ever make
him 5
amends for
his 5
kindness ; or
me 6
, either , for that matter .
At
our 34
time of life it is not so pleasant ,
I 6
can tell
you 15
, to be making new acquaintances every day ; but for
your 15
sakes ,
we 34
would do anything .
Lydia 28
,
my 6
love , though
you 28
_ are _
the youngest 47
,
I 6
dare say
Mr. Bingley 10
will dance with
you 28
at the next ball . ”