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CHAPTER 1
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It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good
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fortune, must be in want of a wife.
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However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering
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a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding
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families, that he is considered the
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rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
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"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield
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Park is let at last?"
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Mr. Bennet replied that he had not. "But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long
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has just been here, and she told me all about it."
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Mr. Bennet made no answer.
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"Do you not want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently.
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"You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."
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This was invitation enough.
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"Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young
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man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a
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chaise and four to see the place, and was
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so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to
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take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by
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the end of next week."
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"What is his name?" "Bingley."
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"Is he married or single?" "Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure!
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A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year.
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What a fine thing for our girls!" "How so?
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How can it affect them?"
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"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome!
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You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."
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"Is that his design in settling here?"
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"Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so!
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But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you
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must visit him as soon as he comes."
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"I see no occasion for that.
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You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be
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still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley may like you the
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best of the party."
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"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty,
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but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now.
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When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own
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beauty." "In such cases, a woman has not often much
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beauty to think of."
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"But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the
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neighbourhood." "It is more than I engage for, I assure
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you."
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"But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would
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be for one of them.
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Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in
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general, you know, they visit no newcomers.
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Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him if you do
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not." "You are over-scrupulous, surely.
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I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you
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to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls;
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though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy."
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"I desire you will do no such thing.
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Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome
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as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia.
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But you are always giving her the preference."
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"They have none of them much to recommend them," replied he; "they are all silly and
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ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her
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sisters."
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"Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way?
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You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion for my poor nerves."
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"You mistake me, my dear.
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I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends.
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I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at
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least."
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"Ah, you do not know what I suffer." "But I hope you will get over it, and live
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to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood."
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"It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come, since you will not visit
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them." "Depend upon it, my dear, that when there
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are twenty, I will visit them all."
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Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and
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caprice, that the experience of three-and- twenty years had been insufficient to make
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his wife understand his character.
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Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding,
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little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she fancied
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herself nervous.
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The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting
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and news.
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>
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CHAPTER 2
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Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley.
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He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that
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he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid she had no
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knowledge of it.
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It was then disclosed in the following manner.
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Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her
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with:
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"I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy." "We are not in a way to know what Mr.
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Bingley likes," said her mother resentfully, "since we are not to visit."
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"But you forget, mamma," said Elizabeth, "that we shall meet him at the assemblies,
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and that Mrs. Long promised to introduce him."
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"I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing.
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She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I
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have no opinion of her."
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"No more have I," said Mr. Bennet; "and I am glad to find that you do not depend on
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her serving you."
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Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply, but, unable to contain herself, began
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scolding one of her daughters. "Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for
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Heaven's sake!
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Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces."
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"Kitty has no discretion in her coughs," said her father; "she times them ill."
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"I do not cough for my own amusement," replied Kitty fretfully.
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"When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?" "To-morrow fortnight."
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"Aye, so it is," cried her mother, "and Mrs. Long does not come back till the day
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before; so it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him
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herself."
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"Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley
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to her."
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"Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted with him myself; how can
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you be so teasing?" "I honour your circumspection.
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A fortnight's acquaintance is certainly very little.
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One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a fortnight.
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But if we do not venture somebody else will; and after all, Mrs. Long and her
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daughters must stand their chance; and, therefore, as she will think it an act of
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kindness, if you decline the office, I will take it on myself."
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The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, "Nonsense,
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nonsense!"
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"What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation?" cried he.
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"Do you consider the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on them, as
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nonsense?
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I cannot quite agree with you there. What say you, Mary?
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For you are a young lady of deep reflection, I know, and read great books
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and make extracts."
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Mary wished to say something sensible, but knew not how.
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"While Mary is adjusting her ideas," he continued, "let us return to Mr. Bingley."
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"I am sick of Mr. Bingley," cried his wife.
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"I am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tell me that before?
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If I had known as much this morning I certainly would not have called on him.
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It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the
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acquaintance now."
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The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps
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surpassing the rest; though, when the first tumult of joy was over, she began to
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declare that it was what she had expected all the while.
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"How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet!
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But I knew I should persuade you at last.
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I was sure you loved your girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance.
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Well, how pleased I am! and it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone
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this morning and never said a word about it till now."
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"Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose," said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke,
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he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.
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"What an excellent father you have, girls!" said she, when the door was shut.
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"I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness; or me, either, for
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that matter.
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At our time of life it is not so pleasant, I can tell you, to be making new
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acquaintances every day; but for your sakes, we would do anything.
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Lydia, my love, though you are the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance
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with you at the next ball."
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"Oh!" said Lydia stoutly, "I am not afraid; for though I am the youngest, I'm the
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tallest."
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The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr.
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Bennet's visit, and determining when they should ask him to dinner.
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CHAPTER 3
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Not all that Mrs. Bennet, however, with the assistance of her five daughters, could ask
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on the subject, was sufficient to draw from her husband any satisfactory description of
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Mr. Bingley.
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They attacked him in various ways--with barefaced questions, ingenious
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suppositions, and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all, and they were
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at last obliged to accept the second-hand
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intelligence of their neighbour, Lady Lucas.
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Her report was highly favourable. Sir William had been delighted with him.
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He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, extremely agreeable, and, to crown the
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whole, he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party.
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Nothing could be more delightful!
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To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively
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hopes of Mr. Bingley's heart were entertained.
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"If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield," said Mrs.
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Bennet to her husband, "and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing
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to wish for."
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In a few days Mr. Bingley returned Mr. Bennet's visit, and sat about ten minutes
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with him in his library.
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He had entertained hopes of being admitted to a sight of the young ladies, of whose
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beauty he had heard much; but he saw only the father.
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The ladies were somewhat more fortunate, for they had the advantage of ascertaining
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from an upper window that he wore a blue coat, and rode a black horse.
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An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched; and already had Mrs. Bennet
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planned the courses that were to do credit to her housekeeping, when an answer arrived
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which deferred it all.
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Mr. Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day, and, consequently, unable to
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accept the honour of their invitation, etc. Mrs. Bennet was quite disconcerted.
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She could not imagine what business he could have in town so soon after his
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arrival in Hertfordshire; and she began to fear that he might be always flying about
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from one place to another, and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be.
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Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by starting the idea of his being gone to
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London only to get a large party for the ball; and a report soon followed that Mr.
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Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly.
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The girls grieved over such a number of ladies, but were comforted the day before
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the ball by hearing, that instead of twelve he brought only six with him from London--
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his five sisters and a cousin.
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And when the party entered the assembly room it consisted of only five altogether--
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Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man.
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Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant
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countenance, and easy, unaffected manners. His sisters were fine women, with an air of
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decided fashion.
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His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr.
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Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome
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features, noble mien, and the report which
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was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having
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ten thousand a year.
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The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was
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much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about
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half the evening, till his manners gave a
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disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be
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proud; to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate
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in Derbyshire could then save him from
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having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be
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compared with his friend.
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Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in
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the room; he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, was angry that the ball
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closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield.
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Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves.
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What a contrast between him and his friend!
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Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, declined being
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introduced to any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the
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room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party.
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His character was decided.
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He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he
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would never come there again.
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Amongst the most violent against him was Mrs. Bennet, whose dislike of his general
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behaviour was sharpened into particular resentment by his having slighted one of
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her daughters.
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Elizabeth Bennet had been obliged, by the scarcity of gentlemen, to sit down for two
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dances; and during part of that time, Mr. Darcy had been standing near enough for her
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to hear a conversation between him and Mr.
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Bingley, who came from the dance for a few minutes, to press his friend to join it.
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"Come, Darcy," said he, "I must have you dance.
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I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner.
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You had much better dance." "I certainly shall not.
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You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner.
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At such an assembly as this it would be insupportable.
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Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not