Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 3-Jane Austen

[00:00.431]“When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?” [00:03.357]“To-morrow fortnight.” [00:05.159]“Ay, so it is,” cried her mother, [00:08.215]“and Mrs. Long does not come back till the day before; [00:10.984]so, it will be impossible for her to introduce him, [00:13.466]for she will not know him herself.” [00:15.817]“Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of [00:18.482]your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley to her.” [00:22.217]“Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, [00:24.986]when I am not acquainted with him myself; [00:27.337]how can you be so teasing?” [00:30.211]“I honour your circumspection. [00:32.222]A fortnight’s acquaintance is certainly very little. [00:35.122]One cannot know what a man really is [00:37.133]by the end of a fortnight. [00:38.831]But if we do not venture, somebody else will; [00:41.835]and after all, Mrs. Long and her nieces must stand [00:44.369]their chance; and, therefore, as she will think it [00:47.138]an act of kindness, if you decline the office, [00:50.403]I will take it on myself.” [00:52.989]The girls stared at their father. [00:55.001]Mrs. Bennet said only, “Nonsense, nonsense!” [00:59.677]“What can be the meaning of that emphatic [01:01.192]exclamation?” cried he. [01:03.987]“Do you consider the forms of introduction, [01:06.024]and the stress that is laid on them, as nonsense? [01:08.741]I cannot quite agree with you there. [01:10.857]What say you, Mary? [01:12.633]for you are a young lady of deep reflection, [01:14.723]I know and read great books, and make extracts.” [01:19.138]Mary wished to say something very sensible, [01:21.306]but knew not how. [01:23.579]“While Mary is adjusting her ideas,” [01:26.086]he continued, “let us return to Mr. Bingley.” [01:29.874]“I am sick of Mr. Bingley,” cried his wife. [01:33.819]“I am sorry to hear that; [01:35.778]but why did not you tell me so before? [01:38.024]If I had known as much this morning, [01:39.487]I certainly would not have called on him. [01:41.682]It is very unlucky; [01:43.327]but as I have actually paid the visit, [01:45.234]we cannot escape the acquaintance now.” [01:48.108]The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished; [01:50.955]that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; [01:53.828]though when the first tumult of joy was over, [01:56.415]she began to declare that it was what [01:57.773]she had expected all the while. [02:01.038]“How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet. [02:04.095]But I knew I should persuade you at last. [02:06.289]I was sure you loved your girls too well [02:08.274]to neglect such an acquaintance. [02:10.233]Well, how pleased I am! [02:13.055]and it is such a good joke, too, [02:15.353]that you should have gone this morning, [02:16.660]and never said a word about it till now.” [02:19.507]“Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose,” [02:22.929]said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke, he left the room, [02:26.299]fatigued with the raptures of his wife. [02:29.277]“What an excellent father you have, girls,” [02:32.176]said she, when the door was shut. [02:34.135]“I do not know how you will ever make him amends [02:36.147]for his kindness; or me either, for that matter. [02:39.673]At our time of life, it is not so pleasant, [02:41.789]I can tell you, to be making new acquaintance every day; [02:44.741]but for your sakes, we would do any thing. [02:47.693]Lydia, my love, though you are the youngest, [02:50.540]I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance with [02:52.238]you at the next ball.” [02:54.668]“Oh,” said Lydia, stoutly, “I am not afraid; [02:58.560]for though I am the youngest, I’m the tallest.” [03:02.217]The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing [03:05.535]how soon he would return Mr. Bennet’s visit, [03:07.337]and determining when they should ask him to dinner. [03:18.308]Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen [03:21.704]Chapter 3 [03:24.238]Not all that Mrs. Bennet, however, [03:26.171]with the assistance of her five daughters, [03:28.052]could ask on the subject, [03:29.593]was sufficient to draw from her husband [03:31.579]any satisfactory description of Mr. Bingley. [03:34.661]They attacked him in various ways; [03:36.725]with barefaced questions, ingenious suppositions, [03:40.199]and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all; [03:44.588]and they were at last obliged to accept the second-hand [03:46.756]intelligence of their neighbour, Lady Lucas. [03:50.178]Her report was highly favourable. [03:52.320]Sir William had been delighted with him. [03:54.775]He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, [03:57.074]extremely agreeable, and, to crown the whole, [04:00.235]he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party. [04:03.448]Nothing could be more delightful! [04:06.008]To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; [04:09.352]and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained. [04:13.714]“If I can but see one of my daughters happily [04:17.136]settled at Netherfield,” said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, [04:20.767]“and all the others equally well married, [04:22.988]I shall have nothing to wish for.” [04:25.940]In a few days Mr. Bingley returned Mr. Bennet’s visit, [04:29.492]and sat about ten minutes with him in his library. [04:32.601]He had entertained hopes of being admitted to a sight [04:34.978]of the young ladies, of whose beauty he had heard much; [04:37.851]but he saw only the father. [04:39.967]The ladies were somewhat more fortunate, [04:42.005]for they had the advantage of ascertaining, [04:43.572]from an upper window, [04:45.113]that he wore a blue coat and rode a black horse. [04:49.058]An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards despatched; [04:51.905]and already had Mrs. Bennet planned the courses [04:54.491]that were to do credit to her housekeeping, [04:56.503]when an answer arrived which deferred it all. [04:59.272]Mr. Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day, [05:02.537]and consequently unable to accept the honour of their invitation, [05:06.952]&c. Mrs. Bennet was quite disconcerted. [05:09.355]She could not imagine what business he could have [05:11.837]in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire; [05:14.266]and she began to fear that he might be always [05:16.277]flying about from one place to another, [05:18.341]and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be. [05:21.110]Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little [05:23.226]by starting the idea of his being gone to London [05:25.655]only to get a large party for the ball; [05:28.294]and a report soon followed that Mr. Bingley was to bring [05:30.566]twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly. [05:34.328]The girls grieved over such a number of ladies; [05:36.862]but were comforted the day before the ball by hearing, [05:39.631]that instead of twelve, he had brought only six [05:42.374]with him from London, his five sisters and a cousin. [05:45.900]And when the party entered the assembly-room, [05:48.095]it consisted of only five all together; [05:50.681]Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, [05:54.573]and another young man. [05:56.323]Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike: [05:59.171]he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners. [06:03.011]His sisters were fine women, with an air of decided fashion. [06:07.138]His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman; [06:10.717]but his friend, Mr. Darcy, [06:12.493]soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, [06:14.504]tall person, handsome features, noble mien, [06:18.005]and the report, which was in general circulation [06:20.460]within five minutes after his entrance, [06:22.237]of his having ten thousand a-year.