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"I hope Mr Bingley will like it, Lizzy"

"We are not in a way to knohat Mr Bingley likes," said her mother resentfully, "since we are not to visit"

"But you forget, mamma," said Elizabeth, "that we shallpromised to introduce him"

"I 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"

"No lad to find that you do not depend on her serving you"

Mrs Bennet deigned not toone 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-ht"

"Aye, so it is," cried herdoes 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, e of your friend, and introduce Mr Bingley to her"

"Impossible, Mr Bennet, impossible, when I a?"

"I honour your circuht's acquaintance is certainly very little One cannot knohat a ht But if we do not venture sohters 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"

The girls stared at their father Mrs Bennet said only, "Nonsense, nonsense!"

"What can be theof that emphatic exclamation?" cried he "Do you consider the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on theree 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"

Mary wished to say so sensible, but knew not how

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

"I aley," cried his wife

"I am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tellI 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 first tuan to declare that it hat 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 aone thisand never said a word about it till now"

"Now, Kitty, you h as much as you choose," said Mr Bennet; and, as he spoke, he left the rooued with the raptures of his wife

"What an excellent father you have, girls!" said she, when the door was shut "I do not kno you will ever make him amends for his kindness; or me, either, for that matter At our ti new acquaintances every day; but for your sakes, ould do anything Lydia, ley will dance with you at the next ball"

"Oh!" said Lydia stoutly, "I aest, I'm the tallest"

The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr Bennet's visit, and deter when they should ask him to dinner

Chapter 3

Not all that Mrs Bennet, however, with the assistance of her five daughters, could ask on the subject, was sufficient to draw froley They attacked hienious suppositions, and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of theed to accept the second-hand intelligence of their neighbour, Lady Lucas Her report was highly favourable Sir Willia, wonderfully handsoreeable, and, to crown the whole, hecould bewas 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 hters happily settled at Netherfield," said Mrs Bennet to her husband, "and all the others equally wellto wish for"

In a few days Mr Bingley returned Mr Bennet's visit, and sat about ten minutes with hi ad ladies, of whose beauty he had heard much; but he saw only the father The ladies were soe of ascertaining from an upperthat he wore a blue coat, and rode a black horse

An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched; and already had Mrs Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to her housekeeping, when an answer arrived which deferred it all Mr Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day, and, consequently, unable to accept the honour of their invitation, etc Mrs Bennet was quite disconcerted She could not iine what business he could have in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire; and she began to fear that heabout from one place to another, and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by starting the idea of his being gone to London only to get a large party for the ball; and a report soon followed that Mr Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlerieved over such a number of ladies, but were co, that instead of twelve he brought only six with him from London-his five sisters and a cousin And when the party entered the asseley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man

Mr Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners His sisters were fine women, with an air of decided fashion His brother-in-law, Mr Hurst, entleman; but his friend Mr Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsoeneral circulation within fiveten thousand a year The gentleure of a ley, and he was looked at with great adave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud; to be above his coe estate in Derbyshire could then save hireeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend

Mr Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the roory that the ball closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves What a contrast between him and his friend! Mr Darcy danced only once with Mrs Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, declined being introduced to any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the roo occasionally to one of his own party His character was decided He was the proudest, reeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never coainst hieneral behaviour was sharpened into particular resenthters

Elizabeth Bennet had been obliged, by the scarcity of gentle part of that tih for her to hear a conversation between hiley, who came from the dance for a few minutes, to press his friend to join it

"Come, Darcy," said he, "Iabout by yourself in this stupid manner You had much better dance"

"I certainly shall not You kno I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner At such an asseed, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with"

"I would not be so fastidious as you are," cried Mr Bingley, "for a kingdoirls in ; and there are several of them you see uncommonly pretty"