Pride_and_Prejudice.pdf

not sound, and that you would never act in this way yourself.

Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley's attentions to her sister, Eliza-

beth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of

some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy had at rst scarcely al-

lowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the

ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no

sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly

had a good feature in her face, than he began to nd it was rendered

uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes.

To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though

he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect sym-

metry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her gure to be light

and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not

those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playful-

ness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; to her he was only the man

who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her

handsome enough to dance with.

He began to wish to know more of her, and as a step towards con-

versing with her himself, attended to her conversation with others. His

doing so drew her notice. It was at Sir William Lucas's, where a large

party were assembled.

What does Mr. Darcy mean, said she to Charlotte, by listening

to my conversation with Colonel Forster?

That is a question which Mr. Darcy only can answer.

But if he does it any more I shall certainly let him know that I see

what he is about. He has a very satirical eye, and if I do not begin by

being impertinent myself, I shall soon grow afraid of him.

On his approaching them soon afterwards, though without seem-

ing to have any intention of speaking, Miss Lucas deed her friend to

mention such a subject to him; which immediately provoking Elizabeth

to do it, she turned to him and said:

Did you not think, Mr. Darcy, that I expressed myself uncommonly

well just now, when I was teasing Colonel Forster to give us a ball at

Meryton?

With great energy; but it is always a subject which makes a lady

energetic.

You are severe on us.

It will be her turn soon to be teased, said Miss Lucas. I am going

to open the instrument, Eliza, and you know what follows.

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

Chapter 1

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in posses-

sion of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be

on his rst entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well xed in the

minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful

property of some one or other of their daughters.

My dear Mr. Bennet, said his lady to him one day, have you

heard that Nethereld Park is let at last?

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

But it is, returned she; for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she

told me all about it.

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

Do you not want to know who has taken it? cried his wife impa-

tiently.

You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.

This was invitation enough.

Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Nethereld is

taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that

he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and

was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris imme-

diately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of

his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.

What is his name?

Bingley.

Is he married or single?

Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune;

four or ve thousand a year. What a ne thing for our girls!

How so? How can it affect them?

My dear Mr. Bennet, replied his wife, how can you be so tire-

some! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.

Is that his design in settling here?

Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that

he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him

as soon as he comes.

I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may

send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you

are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley may like you the best of

the party.

My dear, you atter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty,

but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman

has ve grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her

own beauty.

In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.

But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he

comes into the neighbourhood.

It is more than I engage for, I assure you.

But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it

would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined

to go, merely on that account, for in general, you know, they visit no

newcomers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit

him if you do not.

You are over-scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be

very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him

of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls;

though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.

I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than

the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half

so good-humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the prefer-

ence.

They have none of them much to recommend them, replied he;

they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something

more of quickness than her sisters.

Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way?

You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion for my poor

nerves.

You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves.

They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consid-

can perceive her regard for him, he must be a simpleton, indeed, not to

discover it too.

Remember, Eliza, that he does not know Jane's disposition as you

do.

But if a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to

conceal it, he must nd it out.

Perhaps he must, if he sees enough of her. But, though Bingley

and Jane meet tolerably often, it is never for many hours together; and,

as they always see each other in large mixed parties, it is impossible

that every moment should be employed in conversing together. Jane

should therefore make the most of every half-hour in which she can

command his attention. When she is secure of him, there will be more

leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses.

Your plan is a good one, replied Elizabeth, where nothing is in

question but the desire of being well married, and if I were determined

to get a rich husband, or any husband, I dare say I should adopt it.

But these are not Jane's feelings; she is not acting by design. As yet,

she cannot even be certain of the degree of her own regard nor of its

reasonableness. She has known him only a fortnight. She danced four

dances with him at Meryton; she saw him one morning at his own

house, and has since dined with him in company four times. This is

not quite enough to make her understand his character.

Not as you represent it. Had she merely dined with him, she might

only have discovered whether he had a good appetite; but you must

remember that four evenings have also been spent togetherand four

evenings may do a great deal.

Yes; these four evenings have enabled them to ascertain that they

both like Vingt-un better than Commerce; but with respect to any other

leading characteristic, I do not imagine that much has been unfolded.

Well, said Charlotte, I wish Jane success with all my heart; and

if she were married to him to-morrow, I should think she had as good

a chance of happiness as if she were to be studying his character for

a twelvemonth. Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.

If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other

or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the

least. They always continue to grow sufciently unlike afterwards to

have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible

of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.

You make me laugh, Charlotte; but it is not sound. You know it is

bottle directly.

The boy protested that she should not; she continued to declare that

she would, and the argument ended only with the visit.

eration these last twenty years at least.

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 insufcient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind

was less difcult to develop. She was a woman of mean understand-

ing, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discon-

tented, she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get

her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.

Chapter 6

The ladies of Longbourn soon waited on those of Nethereld. The

visit was soon returned in due form. Miss Bennet's pleasing manners

grew on the goodwill of Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; and though the

mother was found to be intolerable, and the younger sisters not worth

speaking to, a wish of being better acquainted with them was expressed

towards the two eldest. By Jane, this attention was received with the

greatest pleasure, but Elizabeth still saw superciliousness in their treat-

ment of everybody, hardly excepting even her sister, and could not like

them; though their kindness to Jane, such as it was, had a value as aris-

ing in all probability from the inuence of their brother's admiration.

It was generally evident whenever they met, that he did admire her

and to her it was equally evident that Jane was yielding to the prefer-

ence which she had begun to entertain for him from the rst, and was

in a way to be very much in love; but she considered with pleasure

that it was not likely to be discovered by the world in general, since

Jane united, with great strength of feeling, a composure of temper and

a uniform cheerfulness of manner which would guard her from the

suspicions of the impertinent. She mentioned this to her friend Miss

Lucas.

It may perhaps be pleasant, replied Charlotte, to be able to im-

pose on the public in such a case; but it is sometimes a disadvantage to

be so very guarded. If a woman conceals her affection with the same

skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of xing him;

and it will then be but poor consolation to believe the world equally

in the dark. There is so much of gratitude or vanity in almost every

attachment, that it is not safe to leave any to itself. We can all begin

freelya slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of

us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement.

In nine cases out of ten a women had better show more affection than

she feels. Bingley likes your sister undoubtedly; but he may never do

more than like her, if she does not help him on.

But she does help him on, as much as her nature will allow. If I

Chapter 2

Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bin-

gley. 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 trim-

ming a hat, he suddenly addressed her with:

I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy.

We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes, said her

mother resentfully, since we are not to visit.

But you forget, mamma, said Elizabeth, that we shall meet him

at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long promised to introduce him.

I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two

nieces of her own. She is a selsh, hypocritical woman, and I have no

opinion of her.

No more have I, said Mr. Bennet; and I am glad to nd that you

do not depend on her serving you.

Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply, but, unable to contain

herself, began scolding one of her daughters.

Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for Heaven's sake! Have a little

compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.

Kitty has no discretion in her coughs, said her father; she times

them ill.

I do not cough for my own amusement, replied Kitty fretfully.

When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?

To-morrow fortnight.

Aye, so it is, cried her mother, and 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.

Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and

introduce Mr. Bingley to her .

Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted

with him myself; how can you be so teasing?

I honour your circumspection. A fortnight's acquaintance is cer-

tainly 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 daughters must stand their chance; and, therefore,

as she will think it an act of kindness, if you decline the ofce, I will

take it on myself.

The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, Nonsense,

nonsense!

What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation? cried he.

Do 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 reection, I know, and

read great books and make extracts.

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

While Mary is adjusting her ideas, he continued, let us return to

Mr. Bingley.

I am sick of Mr. Bingley, cried his wife.

I am sorry to hear that ; but why did not you tell me that 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.

The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished; that of

Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; though, when the rst tumult

of joy was over, she began to declare that it was what she had expected

all the while.

How 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.

Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose, said Mr. Ben-

net; and, as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his

wife.

What an excellent father you have, girls! said she, when the door

Jane. I certainly saw Mr. Darcy speaking to her.

Ayebecause she asked him at last how he liked Nethereld, and

he could not help answering her; but she said he seemed quite angry

at being spoke to.

Miss Bingley told me, said Jane, that he never speaks much, un-

less among his intimate acquaintances. With them he is remarkably

agreeable.

I do not believe a word of it, my dear. If he had been so very

agreeable, he would have talked to Mrs. Long. But I can guess how

it was; everybody says that he is eat up with pride, and I dare say he

had heard somehow that Mrs. Long does not keep a carriage, and had

come to the ball in a hack chaise.

I do not mind his not talking to Mrs. Long, said Miss Lucas, but

I wish he had danced with Eliza.

Another time, Lizzy, said her mother, I would not dance with

him , if I were you.

I believe, ma'am, I may safely promise you never to dance with

him.

His pride, said Miss Lucas, does not offend me so much as pride

often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so

very ne a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour,

should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to

be proud.

That is very true, replied Elizabeth, and I could easily forgive

his pride, if he had not mortied mine .

Pride, observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity of

her reections, is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have

ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed; that human

nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who

do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some qual-

ity or other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things,

though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be

proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of our-

selves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.

If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy, cried a young Lucas, who came

with his sisters, I should not care how proud I was. I would keep a

pack of foxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine a day.

Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought, said

Mrs. Bennet; and if I were to see you at it, I should take away your

market town; and, in quitting them both, he had removed with his

family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that

period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own

importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in be-

ing civil to all the world. For, though elated by his rank, it did not

render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to every-

body. By nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging, his presentation at

St. James's had made him courteous.

Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever to be a

valuable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet. They had several children. The el-

dest of them, a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven,

was Elizabeth's intimate friend.

That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to talk

over a ball was absolutely necessary; and the morning after the assem-

bly brought the former to Longbourn to hear and to communicate.

You began the evening well, Charlotte, said Mrs. Bennet with civil

self-command to Miss Lucas. You were Mr. Bingley's rst choice.

Yes; but he seemed to like his second better.

Oh! you mean Jane, I suppose, because he danced with her twice.

To be sure that did seem as if he admired herindeed I rather believe he

did I heard something about itbut I hardly know whatsomething

about Mr. Robinson.

Perhaps you mean what I overheard between him and Mr. Robin-

son; did not I mention it to you? Mr. Robinson's asking him how he

liked our Meryton assemblies, and whether he did not think there were

a great many pretty women in the room, and which he thought the pret-

tiest? and his answering immediately to the last question: `Oh! the

eldest Miss Bennet, beyond a doubt; there cannot be two opinions on

that point.'

Upon my word! Well, that is very decided indeedthat does seem

as ifbut, however, it may all come to nothing, you know.

My overhearings were more to the purpose than yours , Eliza, said

Charlotte. Mr. Darcy is not so well worth listening to as his friend, is

he?poor Eliza!to be only just tolerable .

I beg you would not put it into Lizzy's head to be vexed by his

ill-treatment, for he is such a disagreeable man, that it would be quite

a misfortune to be liked by him. Mrs. Long told me last night that he

sat close to her for half-an-hour without once opening his lips.

Are you quite sure, ma'am?is not there a little mistake? said

was shut. I 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 acquaintances 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.

Oh! said Lydia stoutly, I am not afraid; for though I am the

youngest, I'm the tallest.

The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he

would return Mr. Bennet's visit, and determining when they should

ask him to dinner.

Chapter 3

Not all that Mrs. Bennet, however, with the assistance of her ve

daughters, could ask on the subject, was sufcient to draw from her

husband any satisfactory description of Mr. Bingley. They attacked

him in various wayswith barefaced questions, ingenious supposi-

tions, and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all, and

they were at last obliged to accept the second-hand intelligence of their

neighbour, Lady Lucas. Her report was highly favourable. Sir William

had been delighted with him. He was quite young, wonderfully hand-

some, extremely agreeable, and, to crown the whole, he meant to be at

the next assembly with a large party. Nothing could be more delight-

ful! To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love;

and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley's heart were entertained.

If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Nether-

eld, said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, and all the others equally

well married, I shall have nothing to wish for.

In a few days Mr. Bingley returned Mr. Bennet's visit, and sat about

ten minutes with him in his library. He had entertained hopes of being

admitted to a sight of the young ladies, of whose beauty he had heard

much; but he saw only the father. The ladies were somewhat more

fortunate, for they had the advantage of ascertaining from an upper

window that he wore a blue coat, and rode a black horse.

An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched; and al-

ready had Mrs. Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to her

housekeeping, when an answer arrived which deferred it all. Mr. Bing-

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