Jay Austin pride and warning. Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice. Classic adaptations and films based on them

Jane Austen's novel “Pride and Prejudice” is considered one of the most striking works of world literature. Despite the fact that it was written 2 centuries ago, it still enjoys the interest of readers; the problems raised by the writer still remain relevant.

The Bennett family has five daughters. Most of all, the spouses are concerned about getting them married successfully, because the girls have no dowry at all. And although they now live in big house, but after the death of Mr. Bennet, the entire fortune will go to his relative. All the mother’s efforts are aimed at creating a pleasant impression and arranging the fate of her daughters.

When a new male person appears in the area, people immediately take a closer look at him. If he is brought up and in good condition, he will make an excellent match for any of the daughters. However, girls have their own characteristics. There are also two younger, frivolous sisters Lydia and Katherine, who are constantly carried away by young men in uniform, ready to commit rash acts. They are most interested in boyfriends, outfits and gossip. The middle daughter Mary is not distinguished by her beautiful appearance or special talent, however, she studies hard. On occasion, she is always ready to show off her erudition and education.

Especially bright personalities are two older sisters. Jane is the most beautiful of the daughters, a sweet girl who is ready to see only the good in everything, justifying other people's shortcomings and ugly actions. Elizabeth is also very pretty, but she is much more critical of people. Sisters share their most intimate things with each other. Mrs. Bennet contributes in every possible way to the happiness of her daughters, according to at least, so she thinks.

The writer reflects in the novel a society in which it is customary to meet people by their clothes, believe rumors, and believe that the rich are more worthy of being happy. And although outwardly this society looks decent, their thoughts, words and actions are not always like that. Has so much changed since then?

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Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice

BOOK ONE

Everyone knows that a young man who has the means must look for a wife.

No matter how little the intentions and views of such a person are known after he has settled in a new place, this truth so firmly takes hold of the minds of families living nearby that they immediately begin to look at him as the legitimate prey of one or another neighbor’s daughter.

Dear Mr. Bennet,” Mrs. Bennet said to her husband one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park will finally no longer be empty?”

Mr. Bennett replied that he had not heard that.

Nevertheless, it is so,” she continued. - Mrs. Long just came in and told me this news!

Mr. Bennet said nothing.

Would you like to know who our new neighbor will be? - his wife asked impatiently.

I’m ready to listen to you if you really want to tell me about it.

Nothing more was required of him.

“Well, listen, my dear,” Mrs. Bennet continued. - Netherfield, according to Mrs. Long, was taken by a very rich young man from the North of England. On Monday he arrived there in a carriage drawn by four horses, examined the estate and was so delighted that he immediately agreed on everything with Mr. Morris. He is moving in time for Michaelmas, and some of his servants will arrive there at the end of next week.

And what is his name?

Is he married or single?

Single, dear, that's the point, single! A young bachelor with an income of four or five thousand a year! Isn't it a good opportunity for our girls?

How so? Does this have anything to do with them?

“Dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “you are simply unbearable today.” Of course you understand that I mean his marriage to one of them.

Hmm, is that his plan?

Plans! My God, you will say sometimes! But it may well happen that he falls in love with one of them. Therefore, as soon as he arrives, you will need to pay him a visit.

I admit, I don’t see sufficient reasons for this. Go yourself and the girls. Or send them alone - that might be even better. Otherwise, he will suddenly decide to fall in love with you - after all, you are no less attractive than any of our daughters.

You flatter me, my dear. Once upon a time I was indeed not unattractive. But now, alas, I no longer pretend to be known as a beauty. A woman who has five grown daughters should not think much about own beauty.

Under these circumstances, a woman does not often have so much beauty left that she has to think much about it.

But, my friend, you should certainly visit Mr. Bingley as soon as he appears.

I'm unlikely to take it on.

But think about our girls. Just imagine how well one of them will be built. You will see that Sir William and Lady Lucas will immediately hurry to Netherfield. And for what, do you think? Of course, for the sake of their Charlotte - you know, they don’t really like to visit strangers. You should definitely go - after all, we ourselves can’t visit him without it.

You are too scrupulous. I think Mr. Bingley will be glad to see you. Do you want me to give you a note for him with a promise to marry him to whichever of my daughters he likes best? Perhaps I'll just have to put in a good word for my little Lizzie.

I hope you don't do this. Lizzie is no better than your other daughters. I am sure she is not half as beautiful as Jane, and much less good-natured than Lydia. But for some reason you always give preference to her!

“None of my daughters are particularly remarkable,” he replied. “They are just as stupid and ignorant as all the other girls at that age.” Lizzie is just a little more useful than her sisters.

Mr. Bennet, how dare you insult your own children like that? You take pleasure in tormenting me. Of course, you have nothing to do with my frayed nerves.

You are wrong, my dear. I have long been accustomed to taking them into account. After all, they are my old friends. It’s not for nothing that you’ve been talking to me about them for at least twenty years.

Oh, you can’t even imagine how I suffer.

I hope you will still live to see the time when there will be many young people in the area with an income of at least four thousand a year.

Even if there are twenty of them, what good are they if you still refuse to go to them?

Well, if there are twenty of them, my dear, then, of course, I’ll get together right away and visit them all.

Mr. Bennet's character so intricately combined liveliness of mind and a penchant for irony, isolation and eccentricity that in twenty-three years life together his wife still could not get used to him. It was much easier to understand her nature. She was an ignorant woman with insufficient intelligence and an unstable mood. When she was dissatisfied with something, she believed that her nerves were not in order. Her goal in life was to get her daughters married. Her only entertainment was visits and news.

Mr. Bennet was still one of the first to visit Mr. Bingley. In truth, from the very beginning he had in mind to pay him a visit, although he kept assuring his wife that he would never go to him. And she remained completely unaware of his intentions until the end of the day when the visit took place. The true state of affairs was revealed as follows. Watching his second daughter decorate her hat with ribbons, Mr. Bennet suddenly remarked:

I hope Mr. Bingley likes this, Lizzy.

“We’ll never know what Mr. Bingley likes and doesn’t like,” her mother said irritably, “if we don’t have to go to Netherfield.”

But you forget, mother,” said Elizabeth, “that we will meet him at the ball, and Mrs. Long promised to introduce us.”

Oh no, Mrs. Long would never do that. She herself has two nieces. I can't stand this prude and selfish thing!

“Me too,” said Mr. Bennet. “It’s so nice that you don’t depend on her in this important matter.”

Mrs. Bennet did not deign to answer; but, unable to contain her irritation, she attacked one of the daughters:

For God's sake, Kitty, stop coughing like that! Just think a little about my nerves. They won't stand it.

“Kitty doesn’t count for anything,” said the father. - She always coughs inappropriately.

“I didn’t cough for pleasure,” Kitty was offended.

When is your next ball, Lizzie?

In two weeks.

“Oh, that’s how it is,” exclaimed the mother. - So Mrs. Long will return only on the eve of the ball! How will she introduce him to us if she doesn’t even have time to meet him before?

Then, my dear, you can be of service to your friend by introducing her to Mr. Bingley.

It’s impossible, Mr. Bennett, it’s impossible, since I won’t know him myself. You're just kidding me!

Your discretion does you credit. Of course, such a short acquaintance means almost nothing. What judgment can be made about a person within two weeks? However, if we don't introduce her to Mr. Bingley, someone else will. For me, let Mrs. Long and her nieces try their luck too. I’m even ready to take on such a good deed if you really don’t like it.

The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet muttered:

What nonsense!

What does your expressive remark mean, madam? - he asked in surprise. - Do you consider the custom absurd, according to which, before dealing with stranger, should he be presented to you? Or do you not like the existing order of such presentation? I'm afraid our views differ slightly on this matter. What do you think about this, Mary? You are such a sensible girl, you read learned books and even make extracts from them.

Mary wanted to say something thoughtful, but couldn't think of anything.

“While Mary collects her thoughts,” he continued, “let’s return to Mr. Bingley.

“I can’t hear any more about Mr. Bingley,” said the wife.

It's a pity that you didn't tell me about this earlier. If I had known this this morning, I would never have gone to see him. What a shame! But since I have visited him, I am afraid that it will not be so easy to avoid meeting him.

Mr. Bennet achieved what he wanted, and the ladies were in utter amazement. Mrs. Bennet was especially struck. However, when the first impulse of joy passed, she began to assure that this was exactly what she expected from him.

You have acted truly generously, my dear Mr. Bennet! Although, I admit, I had no doubt that in the end I would get this from you. I knew that you love our girls so much that you are not able to neglect such an acquaintance. Oh, how happy I am! And how nicely you played a joke on us. Just think, you were in Netherfield this morning and still haven’t even said a word about it!

Now, Kitty, you can cough as much as you like,” said Mr. Bennet, leaving the room so as not to hear his wife’s enthusiastic outpourings.

What a wonderful father you have, girls! - she exclaimed when the door closed. “I don’t know, really, how you will thank him for such kindness.” Yes, me too. Believe me, in our age it is not so pleasant to make new acquaintances every day. But for the sake of our children we are ready to do anything. Lydia, my dear, although you are the youngest, it seems to me that Mr. Bingley will dance with you at the ball.

“You won’t surprise me,” Lydia said bravely. - Although I am younger, I am the tallest.

The rest of the evening was spent discussing how many days later Mr. Bingley should expect a return visit and when after that he could be invited to dinner.

No matter how hard Mrs. Bennet and her five daughters tried, they still could not get from the head of the family such a description of Mr. Bingley that could satisfy their curiosity. They attacked Mr. Bennet with the most different ways: direct questions, cunning guesses, distant hints. But he did not fall for any tricks. And in the end they had to be content with second-hand information received from their neighbor, Lady Lucas. The latter's reports were very promising. Sir William was delighted with Mr. Bingley. He is still very young, handsome, extremely amiable and, to top it all, expresses his intention to definitely attend the next ball, where he plans to arrive with the whole company his friends.

Nothing better could have been desired. Anyone who is interested in dancing has no trouble falling in love. Everyone had the brightest hopes of quickly winning Mr. Bingley's heart.

“Oh, if I could see one of my daughters happy mistress of Netherfield,” Mrs. Bennet said to her husband, “and marry the others just as successfully, I would then have nothing more to desire.”

A few days later Mr. Bingley paid a visit to Mr. Bennet and sat for ten minutes in his library. Mr. Bingley hoped to look at the young ladies, about whose beauty he had already heard a lot, but he only managed to see their father. The ladies were somewhat luckier than him: they were lucky enough to see from the upper window that he was wearing a blue frock coat and that he had arrived on a black horse.

Soon after this an invitation to dinner was sent. Mrs. Bennet had already drawn up a menu that did credit to her skill in housekeeping, when suddenly an answer came from Netherfield that upset all plans. Mr. Bingley needs to leave for London the next day, which greatest regret, deprives him of the opportunity to take advantage of the attention shown to him, etc., etc. Mrs. Bennet was extremely disappointed. She could not imagine what kind of business he had in the city so soon after moving to Hertfordshire, and she began to fear that he would always flit from place to place and that Netherfield would never become his permanent home. Her anxiety was to some extent dispelled by Lady Lucas's suggestion that he might go to London to fetch his friends with whom he was going to appear at the ball. Soon they began to say that twelve ladies and seven gentlemen would arrive at the ball with Bingley. The young ladies were saddened by the number of ladies, but they were somewhat encouraged when they heard that instead of twelve companions, only six came with him from London: five of his sisters and one cousin. When the Netherfield company entered the ballroom, it was discovered that it consisted of only five people: Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the elder sister's husband, and another young gentleman.

Mr. Bingley turned out to be a young man with a noble and pleasant appearance and easy manners. Both of his sisters are elegant and very secular persons. His son-in-law, Mr. Hurst, could hardly pass for a nobleman. But Mr. Bingley's friend, Mr. Darcy, immediately attracted the attention of the entire room with his stately figure, regular facial features and aristocratic appearance. Five minutes after their arrival it became known to everyone that he was the owner of an estate generating ten thousand pounds of annual income. The gentlemen found him a worthy specimen of the male sex, the ladies declared him much more attractive than Mr. Bingley, and during the first half of the evening he was the subject of universal admiration. However, later, due to his behavior, Mr. Darcy's popularity quickly declined. They began to say that he was too proud, that he turned up his nose in front of everyone and that it was difficult to please him. And his entire huge estate in Derbyshire could not atone for his unpleasant and even repulsive appearance. Of course, he could not stand any comparison with his friend.

Mr. Bingley soon became acquainted with almost everyone present. He was lively and amiable, took part in every dance, regretted the end of the ball too early, and even mentioned in passing that it would not hurt to have a ball in Netherfield. Such pleasant qualities spoke for themselves. How strikingly different he was from his friend! Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, did not want to be introduced to the other ladies, and spent the rest of the evening walking around the hall and occasionally exchanging words with one of his companions. Everyone condemned his character. Darcy was recognized as one of the most arrogant and unpleasant people in the world, and everyone unanimously expressed the hope that he would never appear in local society again. Among his worst opponents was Mrs. Bennet. The lady's shared displeasure with Mr. Darcy's behavior turned into personal animosity after he neglected one of her daughters.

Due to the lack of gentlemen, Elizabeth Bennet was forced to sit against the wall for two dances. At the same time, she unwittingly had to overhear a conversation between Mr. Darcy, who was standing nearby, and Mr. Bingley, who left the dancers for a minute in order to persuade his friend to follow their example.

Let's go, Darcy. “I have to make you dance,” he said, approaching his friend. “I can’t watch you stand alone all evening in a stupid way.” Really, invite someone.

In no case! You know, dancing doesn't give me pleasure if I don't know my lady. And in local society, it would be simply unbearable for me. Your sisters are invited, and besides them, there is not a single woman in the hall with whom dancing would not be a real punishment for me.

Oh, I'm not as picky as you! - exclaimed Bingley. “I swear on my honor, I have never met so many pretty women in one evening; Some of them are simply beauties!

“You are dancing with the only pretty girl in this hall,” said Mr. Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.

Oh, this is the most charming creature I have ever met! But over there, behind you, sits one of her sisters. In my opinion, she is also very pretty. Would you like me to ask my lady to introduce you?

Who are you talking about? - Turning around, Darcy looked at Elizabeth, but, noticing that she was looking at him, he looked away and said coldly: “Well, she seems nice.” And yet not so good as to disturb my peace of mind. And now I have no desire to console young ladies who have been neglected by other gentlemen. Go back to your lady. I assure you, you are wasting time with me that you could spend enjoying her smiles.

Bingley followed this advice, his friend went to the other end of the room, and Elizabeth remained in place, not feeding too much. good feelings in relation to Darcy. However, she gladly talked about this incident among her friends, since she had a cheerful disposition and was not averse to laughing.

The whole family still had a very pleasant evening. Mrs. Bennet was delighted with the attention the Netherfield residents showed her. eldest daughter. Mr. Bingley danced with her twice, and she was kindly received by his sisters. Jane was no less happy about this than her mother, although she did not express her delight so clearly. Elizabeth was happy for Jane. Mary heard someone, in a conversation with Miss Bingley, call her the most well-read girl in the whole district; Katherine and Lydia were lucky enough to never be left without a gentleman at the dance - they had not yet learned to want more from the ball. Thus all returned to Longbourn, the village in which they lived, and where the Bennet family occupied a prominent position, in the most excellent state of mind. When they arrived, Mr. Bennet was still awake. He didn't notice the time while reading a book; this time he was very curious to know how the evening went, from which his family expected so much. He had little doubt that his wife's plans regarding their new acquaintance would not be crowned with success. However, he soon realized that he had to listen to a story of a completely different kind.

“Oh, dear Mr. Bennet,” his wife exclaimed as she entered the room, “what an evening we have had!” The ball was great! It's a pity you weren't there. Jane enjoyed extraordinary success. Everyone was just talking about how beautiful she was. Mr. Bingley called her charming and danced with her twice. Just think, my friend - twice as much! And she was the only one he invited twice. First he danced with Miss Lucas. I was completely shocked when I saw him and her together. But he didn't like her at all. And you yourself know who might like it! But when Jane began to dance, he seemed to be on fire. He found out who she was, asked to be introduced to her, and immediately invited her to the second dance. In the third dance his partner was Miss King, in the fourth - Maria Lucas, in the fifth Jane again, in the sixth - Lizzie; he danced Boulanger...

If he had even a drop of sympathy for me,” her husband interrupted her impatiently, “he would have danced half as long.” For God's sake, don't list any more of his ladies. What did it cost him to twist his ankle at the first dance?

Oh, my dear, I am delighted with him! - Mrs. Bennet continued. - He is unusually handsome! And his sisters are simply adorable! I have never seen more elegant outfits in my life! I think the lace on Mrs. Hearst's dress...

Here her speech was again interrupted, as Mr. Bennet did not want to listen to a description of the toilets. Therefore she had to change the subject, and she spoke indignantly and with exaggeration about Mr. Darcy's unheard-of insolence.

I can assure you,” she concluded, “Lizzie didn’t lose much by not being to his taste!” This nasty person is not even worth liking. So important and pompous, it’s not for nothing that everyone disliked him. Walking back and forth, imagining God knows what about himself! Not pretty enough to dance with him!.. I wish you were there and gave him a hard time. I can't stand this man!

When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, Jane, who had previously spoken very reservedly of Mr. Bingley, confessed to her sister how much she liked him.

“He is exactly what a young man should be,” she said, “smart, kind, cheerful.” And I have never seen such manners before - so much freedom and at the same time how good upbringing feels!

I was so flattered when he asked me to dance a second time! I admit, I didn’t expect this at all.

Did not expect! But I waited instead of you. Signs of attention take you by surprise every time, but never me. This is one of the differences between us. Well, what could be more natural than the fact that he once invited you to dance? Didn't he see that you were the best? beautiful girl in the hall? Why be surprised at his gallantry? However, he really is quite a nice young man, and you may like him. You've liked someone worse more than once.

Lizzie, darling!

You yourself know that you are too inclined to praise anyone, without noticing the slightest flaw in anyone. All people seem kind and beautiful to you. Well, at least once in your life have you spoken badly about someone?

I wouldn't want to judge anyone carelessly. But I always say what I think.

I know. This is what surprises me most. How can you, with your common sense, not notice the weaknesses and stupidity of those around you? Fake good-naturedness occurs quite often, almost at every step. But sincerely, without any pretense or calculation, to see only good qualities in every person, moreover, exaggerating them, and not to notice anything bad - you alone are capable of this. So you also liked his sisters? Are they very different from Mr. Bingley in their manners?

Of course, judging by first glance. But it’s enough to talk to them a little to feel what nice women they are. Miss Bingley is going to live with her brother and run his household. It seems to me that I will not be mistaken in predicting that in her person we will acquire an unusually pleasant neighbor.

Elizabeth listened to her in silence, but in her heart she did not agree with her. The behavior of Mr. Bingley's sisters at the ball was by no means calculated for everyone's approval. Being more observant than Jane, not so good-natured and not bound by personal feelings, Elizabeth could not admire them. Miss Bingley and her sister, Mrs. Hurst, were indeed very refined persons. They are not. They were devoid of wit when they were in a good mood, they knew how to please when this was their intention, but at the same time they were arrogant and arrogant. They both seemed quite handsome, were educated in one of the best private boarding houses, owned twenty thousand pounds, spent more money than they had at their disposal, were accustomed to moving in secular society, and therefore considered themselves entitled to have a high opinion of their own persons and a low - about the people around you. They were born into a respectable family, originating from the North of England, a circumstance that is imprinted in their memory more deeply than the fact that they owed their wealth to trade.

Mr. Bingley's father left his son about a hundred thousand pounds. During his lifetime, he planned to acquire an estate, but he never realized his dream. Mr. Bingley himself also harbored such an intention in his soul, and even once traveled to his native county for this purpose. But after he had acquired a good house with hunting grounds adjoining, it seemed probable to many who knew his carefree character that he would spend his whole life in Netherfield, laying down the foundation family estate Bingley until the next generation.

His sisters really wanted him to become a landowner. But although for the time being he remained only a tenant, Miss Bingley in no way refused to play the part of hostess at his table. Mrs. Hurst, who married a man more well-born than rich, also had nothing against considering his house her own when it seemed convenient to her. Bingley learned about Netherfield Park thanks to a random recommendation two years after he came of age. He walked around the house in half an hour, was satisfied with its location and internal structure, as well as the advantages of the estate outlined by the owner, and immediately rented it.

Despite the difference in character, he was connected with Darcy by the closest friendship. Darcy appreciated Bingley for his easy, open and pliable nature, although these qualities sharply contradicted his own disposition, with which he himself was by no means dissatisfied. Bingley relied entirely on Darcy's friendship, having great confidence in his judgment, which was deeper than his own. Although Bingley was not at all a narrow-minded person, Darcy was truly smart. At the same time, Darcy was proud, reserved and difficult to please. His manners, although indicative of a good upbringing, did not endear him to those around him. In this respect his friend had a significant advantage over him. Wherever Bingley appeared, he immediately evoked friendly feelings. Darcy constantly pushed everyone away from himself.

Everyone's attitude towards the Meryton ball was quite characteristic. Bingley had never met such nice company and such charming women in his life; everyone was kind and attentive to him, he did not feel any tension and soon became close friends with everyone who was in the hall. As for Miss Bennet, he could not imagine a more lovely angel. Darcy, on the contrary, saw around him a crowd of rather ugly and completely tasteless people, in whom he did not feel the slightest interest and from whom he did not notice any attention or affection. He admitted that Miss Bennet was pretty, but he thought that she smiled too much.

Mrs. Hurst and her sister were ready to agree with this characterization of Miss Bennet, but they still liked Jane and declared that she was a lovely girl and that they had nothing against maintaining their acquaintance with her. Miss Bennet remained a lovely girl, according to which Mr. Bingley was allowed to treat her as he pleased.

There lived a family not far from Longbourn with whom the Bennets maintained particularly close relationships. Sir Williams Lucas was formerly engaged in trade at Meryton, where he acquired some fortune, and also the title of baronetcy, which was granted to him when he was mayor, by special address to the king. The last difference affected him, perhaps, too much. It gave rise to a dislike in him for his previous way of life and activities in a small trading town. Having parted with both, he moved with his family to a house located one mile from Meryton, which from that time became known as Lucas Lodge. Here Sir William, unencumbered by any business, could happily indulge in reflections on his own importance and show courtesy towards the whole world. In fact, although the title he received exalted him in his own eyes, it still did not make him arrogant. On the contrary, Sir Williams was the embodiment of courtesy and attentiveness to everyone he met, since presentation to the court at St. James made this naturally harmless and friendly man also courteous.

Lady Lucas was a good-natured woman, not far from being a suitable neighbor for Mrs. Bennet. She had several children. The eldest daughter, a smart and well-read girl of about twenty-seven, was Elizabeth's great friend.

Young ladies Lucas and young ladies Bennet inevitably had to meet to talk about the ball. And the next morning the first ones were in Longbourn, ready to listen and tell.

“The evening has started well for you, Charlotte,” Mrs. Bennet said to Miss Lucas. - After all, Mr. Bingley danced with you for the first dance.

Yes, but he was more pleased with his lady in the second dance.

Are you saying this because he invited Jane again? Well, he really acted as if he liked her. I even heard something about this - I don’t remember the details - something in connection with Mr. Robinson.

Perhaps you mean his conversation with Mr. Robinson, which I accidentally overheard? Didn't I give it to you? When Mr. Robinson asked him whether he liked our company, whether he thought that there were many pretty women gathered in the hall and which of them seemed to him the most beautiful, he immediately answered last question: “Oh, of course, senior Miss Bennet! There can’t even be two opinions here!”

Honestly, it was said quite decisively. You might think that... But you know - everything can end in nothing.

Isn't it true that I was a more successful spy than you, Eliza? - said Charlotte. - Mr. Darcy says less pleasant things than his friend. Poor Eliza! It turns out that you are just “kind of cute”!

I hope you won't put it into Lizzie's head that she should be offended by his words? It would be a disaster to please such an obnoxious person. Mrs. Long said yesterday that he sat next to her for half an hour straight and did not even open his mouth the entire time.

Are you sure about this? - asked Jane. - Is there some kind of misunderstanding here? I saw clearly how Mr. Darcy spoke to her.

Nonsense! She finally asked him if he liked Netherfield. So he had to answer something. According to her, Darcy did this very reluctantly.

"Miss Bingley told me," said Jane, "that he hates talking for a long time with strangers." But with close friends he is unusually friendly.

I won’t believe a single word here, my dear. If he had known how to be friendly, he would have talked to Mrs. Long. What’s going on here is completely clear to me: he’s bursting with pride, and then it somehow dawned on him that Mrs. Long doesn’t have a carriage and that she drove to the ball in a hired carriage.

It doesn’t bother me much that Darcy didn’t talk to Mrs. Long,” said Charlotte. - But I'm sorry that he refused to dance with Eliza.

If I were you, Lizzie,” said the mother, “next time I would refuse to accept his invitation myself.”

I think I can promise you never to dance with him.

I confess,” said Miss Lucas, “Mr. Darcy’s pride does not offend me as much as anyone else’s.” He has ample reason to be proud. Is it any wonder that such an outstanding young man, noble and rich, has a high opinion of himself. He, so to speak, has the right to be proud.

“That’s all true,” Elizabeth answered. “And I would willingly forgive him his pride if he had not wounded mine.”

“Pride,” intervened Mary, always distinguished by the depth of her judgment, “seems to me to be a very common fault.” All the books I have read say that human nature is very susceptible to it. There are very few among us who do not cherish in their souls a feeling of self-satisfaction associated with some real or imaginary character trait that would distinguish them from others. Pride and vanity are different things, although these words are often used as synonyms. A person can be proud without being vain. Pride is more likely associated with our own opinion of ourselves, while vanity is associated with the opinion of other people that we would like them to form about us.

“If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy,” exclaimed young Lucas, who came to Longbourn with his sisters, “I wouldn’t put on much airs, but would get myself a pack of greyhounds and open a bottle of wine every day!”

“You’d be drinking a lot more wine than you should,” Mrs. Bennet objected. - And if I had caught you doing this, I would have taken the bottle from you.

The boy began to argue with her, claiming that she would not dare to do this, but she insisted on her own, and the argument only stopped with the departure of the guests.

The Longbourn ladies soon visited the Netherfield ladies. The visit was duly returned. The elder Miss Bennet's pleasant manners endeared her to Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley. And although the mother was considered unbearable, and the younger daughters were not worth mentioning, the two older ones were made to understand that they would like to maintain closer acquaintance with them. This attention made Jane very happy. But Elizabeth, who still felt their arrogance towards the whole local society, including, perhaps, even towards her sister, received him rather coldly, considering that some of the goodwill of Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley towards Jane, in all likelihood, stemmed from inclination Mr. Bingley to her. Indeed, this tendency was striking to everyone who saw them together. It was also obvious to Elizabeth that Jane's infatuation with Mr. Bingley, which had arisen from the very beginning of their acquaintance, was becoming increasingly strong and that she would soon be head over heels in love with him. Elizabeth, however, noted with satisfaction that this love would not soon become known to strangers, since Jane combined great strength of feeling with such self-control and friendliness, which should have protected her from the suspicions of overly curious acquaintances. She shared this observation with her friend Miss Lucas.

“Perhaps it’s not bad,” said Charlotte, “to control yourself so much that in such circumstances you don’t reveal your feelings.” However, there may also be some danger in this ability. If a woman hides her passion from her chosen one, she runs the risk of not keeping it. And then it will be little consolation for her to realize that the world remained in the same ignorance. Almost every attachment is to some extent based on gratitude or vanity, and it is not at all safe to neglect them. We are all ready to get carried away a little completely disinterestedly - a slight inclination is quite natural. But there are few people so generous as to love without any encouragement. Nine times out of ten, it is better for a woman to appear more in love than she actually is. Bingley certainly likes your sister. And yet it could all end in nothing if she doesn't help him move forward.

But she helps him as much as her character allows. Is he really so unobservant that he does not notice a tendency that seems obvious to me?

Don't forget, Eliza, that he doesn't know Jane's character as well as you do.

But if a woman is not indifferent to a man and does not try to suppress this feeling, should he notice it?

Perhaps - if only he spends enough time with her. But although Bingley and Jane see each other quite often, they are never alone for long. And when meeting in society, they, of course, cannot talk only to each other all the time. Therefore, Jane must make the most of every hour during which she has his attention. Once his heart is won, she will have as much time as she wants to fall in love with him herself.

Not a bad plan,” Elizabeth replied, “for those who are only looking for how to get married quickly.” And if I had decided to acquire a rich husband, or any husband at all, I would probably have taken advantage of him. But Jane's feelings are of a completely different kind. She doesn't make calculations. Until now, she is still not sure of the strength of her attachment, nor how intelligent she is. Only two weeks have passed since they met. She danced two dances with him at Meryton, then saw him for one morning at Netherfield. After that, they dined together four more times in a large company. This is not enough for her to study his character.

Of course not, if you look at things the way you look at them. If she only dined with him, she can only judge his appetite. But you forget that they spent four evenings together. And four evenings can mean a lot.

Yes, these four evenings allowed them to establish that they both preferred playing twenty-one to poker. I am afraid, however, that other equally important character traits had much less time to be revealed to them.

Well, said Charlotte, I wish Jane success with all my heart. And if she married him even tomorrow, I would think that she has the same chances for happy life, as if she had been studying the character of her future husband for a whole year. Success in marriage depends entirely on the game of chance. No matter how well the parties know their mutual inclinations and no matter how well they combine with each other at first glance, this does not in any way affect the happiness of the spouses. Over time, an inevitable discord will arise between them, and they will suffer all the grief that is due to them. And isn’t it better in this case to know as little as possible the shortcomings of the person with whom you have to spend your life?

You want to challenge me to an argument, Charlotte. But your reasoning is pure nonsense. You understand this yourself. You would hardly be guided by them in your own life.

Looking closely at the relationship between Mr. Bingley and Jane, Elizabeth was far from realizing that for some time now she herself had become the subject of close observation by his friend. Mr. Darcy at first hardly admitted that she was pretty. He looked at her completely indifferently at the ball. And the next time they met, he saw only flaws in her. But as soon as he had fully proven to himself and his friends that there was not a single correct feature in her face, he suddenly began to notice that it seemed unusually spiritual thanks to beautiful expression dark eyes. This discovery was followed by others, no less risky. Despite the fact that with his fastidious eye he discovered more than one deviation from the ideal in her appearance, he was still forced to recognize her as unusually attractive. And although he argued that Elizabeth’s behavior differed from that accepted in secular society, it captivated him with its lively spontaneity. Elizabeth knew nothing about this. To her, Mr. Darcy was still only a man whom everyone disliked and who did not consider her beautiful enough for him to dance with.

Darcy had a desire to get to know her better, and in order to find a reason to talk with Elizabeth, he began to listen to her conversations with other people. These maneuvers attracted her attention. This happened while visiting Sir William Lucas, who had a large crowd gathered that day.

Why did Mr. Darcy need to eavesdrop on my conversation with Colonel Forster? - she asked Charlotte.

Only Mr. Darcy himself can answer this question.

If he allows himself to do this again, I will certainly let him know that I notice his tricks. He has very mocking eyes, and if I myself am not bold enough with him, I will become afraid of him.

Just at that moment, Mr. Darcy approached them, without revealing, however, a desire to enter into conversation, and Miss Lucas began to egg her friend on to carry out her intention. The challenge worked, and Elizabeth, turning to him, asked:

Didn't it seem to you, Mr. Darcy, that in persuading Colonel Forster now to give a ball at Meryton, I presented quite compelling arguments.

You spoke with great fervor. However, what lady would not be inflamed by such a topic!

Oh, you are too harsh on us.

Well, now shouldn’t we try to convince you too,” said Miss Lucas. - I open the instrument, Eliza, and you know what should follow.

You are a strange friend, Charlotte, always making me play and sing in front of anyone and everyone. If I wanted to be known as an outstanding artist, you would be simply irreplaceable. But I don’t strive for this. Really, I’d rather not bother the ears of those who know really good performers.

However, when Miss Lucas insisted, she said:

Well, whatever happens, it cannot be avoided! - And, looking gloomily at Mr. Darcy, she added: “In our area they still remember the old rule: rather than speak, it is better to remain silent.” Apparently, I really need to reconcile myself, and that’s the end of the matter.

She sang pleasantly, although not particularly skillfully. After one or two songs, even before she could answer anything to the listeners who asked for repetition, she was pushed away from the piano by her sister Mary - the only ugly girl in the family who was intensely engaged in self-improvement and was always happy to show herself.

Mary had neither talent nor taste. And although vanity made her assiduous, it at the same time inspired in her such pedantic and self-satisfied manners that would have harmed a more masterful performance. Elizabeth's simple and artless singing, although less perfect, pleased the public much more. So, after a long concert, Mary was glad to receive applause by playing Scottish and Irish songs at the request of the younger sisters, who, along with the Lucas sisters and two or three officers, began dancing at the other end of the room.

Mr. Darcy was not far from them, indignant at such a way of spending time, which excluded the possibility of rational conversation. He was too absorbed in his thoughts to notice Sir William Lucas approaching, until the latter addressed him with the words:

What wonderful entertainment this is for young people, Mr. Darcy! Really, could there be anything more enjoyable than dancing? I find that dancing is one of the highest achievements of civilized society.

Quite right, sir. And at the same time, they are very common in a society untouched by civilization. Every savage can dance.

Sir William smiled.

Your friend dances simply superbly,” he continued after a pause, seeing that Mr. Bingley had joined the dancers. “I have no doubt that you, Mr. Darcy, could amaze us with your art.”

You may have seen me dance at Meryton, sir.

You guessed it right - and I had a lot of fun doing it! Do you often dance in St. James's?

Never, sir.

Don't you think this is a fitting way to show your respect to the royal family?

I do not express my respect to any surname in this way if I can avoid it.

You must have your own house in the capital?

Mr Darcy nodded.

At one time I also thought about moving to London - I love it so much good society! But, I must admit, I am afraid that the London air might be harmful to Lady Lucas.

He fell silent, waiting for an answer. His interlocutor, however, was in no mood to continue the conversation. At that moment Elizabeth approached them, and Sir William came up with the idea of ​​​​showing gallantry.

Why, dear Miss Eliza, don't you dance? Mr. Darcy, I would be extremely honored if, on my advice, you would invite this charming young lady. Isn't it true that you can't refuse to dance when the personification of beauty is in front of you? - And, grabbing Elizabeth’s hand, he was about to connect it with the hand of Mr. Darcy, who, somewhat confused by surprise, was, however, not averse to taking advantage of this. Suddenly Elizabeth drew back and, turning to Sir William, exclaimed with displeasure:

I assure you, sir, I had absolutely no intention of taking part in the dance. Really, I would be very upset if you thought that I came to you wanting to find a gentleman.

Mr. Darcy seriously and politely began to ask Elizabeth to do him the honor of accepting his invitation; but in vain - she firmly stood her ground, and the attempt to persuade her by Sir William also did not help the matter.

You are an excellent dancer, Miss Eliza, and it is simply cruel of you to deprive me of such a pleasant sight. And although this gentleman is a little lover of dancing, he certainly can have no objection to doing us such a great service so easily.

Mr. Darcy is very polite! - Elizabeth said smiling.

Of course it is. But, considering his motives, dear Miss Eliza, this cannot be surprising. Who wouldn't be happy to dance with such a charming lady?

Elizabeth walked away from them with a sly grin. Her refusal did not harm her in the eyes of Mr. Darcy, and he was thinking quite favorably of her when Miss Bingley addressed him:

Would you like me to guess what you are thinking about?

I hope you don't succeed.

You think how unbearable it will be to spend many evenings in this way, one after another, in such company. And I completely agree with you. I have never experienced such boredom in my life! They bend over backwards to show themselves off! There is so much insignificance and at the same time complacency in these people. What I wouldn’t give to hear you talk about them later.

This time, believe me, you guessed right. I was thinking about much more pleasant things: say, how much charm there is in beautiful eyes on the face of a pretty woman.

Miss Bingley stared at him, demanding that he reveal to her what kind of lady had the honor of leading him to such thoughts. Without being at all embarrassed, Mr. Darcy replied:

Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

Miss Elizabeth Bennet? - repeated Miss Bingley. - I admit, I am amazed to the core! How long has she enjoyed such favor? And soon will I allow you to wish you happiness?

Exactly the question I expected from you. How swift a woman's imagination is! It jumps from simple approval to love and from love to marriage in one minute. I knew that you would wish me happiness.

Well, if you're serious, I'll consider the matter settled. You will have a charming mother-in-law, who, of course, will live with you at Pemberley.

Mr. Darcy listened with complete indifference as she amused herself in this way. And since his calmness convinced her that there was really nothing to worry about, she continued to refine this kind of wit for quite a long time.

Almost all of Mr. Bennet's property consisted of an estate which brought in two thousand pounds a year. Unfortunately for his daughters, this estate was inherited through the male line and, since there was no male child in the family, passed after the death of Mr. Bennet to distant relative. Mrs. Bennet's means, sufficient in her present situation, could in no way compensate for the possible loss of the estate in the future. During her lifetime her father was a solicitor in Meryton, leaving her only four thousand pounds.

Her sister married Mr. Phillips, her father's former clerk, who inherited his office. Mrs. Bennet's brother lived in London, being engaged in a respectable mercantile business.

The village of Longbourn was only one mile from Meryton, a very convenient distance for the Bennet girls, who usually visited there three or four times a week to pay attention to their aunt, and at the same time to the fashionable shop located along the way. Especially often such attacks were made by the two youngest daughters, Katherine and Lydia. The most frivolous of the sisters, they, for lack of anything better, were bound to visit Meryton to amuse themselves after breakfast and stock up on news for chat before bed. And no matter how poor the area was in incidents, they always managed to find out something worthy of their attention from the aunt. At present they had no shortage of news thanks to the militia regiment stationed for the winter in the vicinity of Meryton, the officers of which were quartered in the town.

Now, when visiting Mrs. Phillips, many interesting details were revealed. Every day brought new information about the names of the officers and the relationships between them. The officers' apartments did not remain unknown for long, and soon acquaintances began to be made with their inhabitants. Mr. Phillips visited each of the officers and thereby opened up for his nieces a new source of bliss, incomparable with the former joys of life. They could not talk about anything except officers. And even Mr. Bingley's entire fortune, any mention of which worried their mother so much, was not worth a penny in their eyes compared to the ensign's uniform.

Having once heard enough of such chatter, Mr. Bennet casually remarked:

From your reasoning, I understand that you can be considered two of the stupidest girls in the kingdom. A similar thought had occurred to me before. But now I am finally convinced of this.

Catherine became embarrassed and fell silent, but Lydia, not paying attention to these words, continued to tell how she admired Captain Carter and how she wanted to see him again before he left for London tomorrow.

“I am surprised, my dear,” said Mrs. Bennet, “with what disdain you judge the development of your children.” If I doubted the merits of anyone's children, then certainly not my own.

If my children are stupid, I would at least like not to have vain hopes for them.

Luckily, they are incredibly smart!

I hope we disagree with you only on this issue. It would be more pleasant if our views completely coincided. But for now, alas, I find that our two youngest daughters are pretty stupid.

Dear Mr. Bennet, young girls cannot be expected to be as intelligent as their father and mother. At our age, they will probably think no more about officers than you and I do. I remember well the time when I myself really liked red uniforms - deep down, I admit, I am still partial to them. And if some charming young colonel with six thousand a year asked for my daughter’s hand in marriage, I assure you, I would not be able to refuse him. The night before yesterday at Sir William's I really liked Colonel Forster in his dress uniform!

Ah, mom! - Lydia exclaimed. - Aunt says that Colonel Forster and Captain Carter don’t visit Miss Watson so often anymore. Now she sees them more often in the Clark Library.

Mrs. Bennet's answer was interrupted by the appearance of a messenger with a letter for her eldest daughter. The letter was sent from Netherfield, and the servant who brought it was waiting for an answer. Mrs. Bennet's eyes sparkled with joy, and while Jane glanced at the letter, she bombarded her daughter with impatient questions:

Oh, Jane, who is it from? What is there? What did he write to you? Hurry, hurry, Jane! Speak up, darling!

“It’s from Miss Bingley,” said Jane, and read aloud:

“My dear, if you do not agree, out of pity for us, to dine with me and Louise today, we may hate each other forever and ever, since two women being tete-a-tete for the whole day is never without a quarrel. Come as soon as possible. My brother and his friends are having lunch with the officers.

Forever yours

Caroline Bingley."

With the officers! - Lydia exclaimed. - How come your aunt didn’t say anything about this?

Dine somewhere else? - said Mrs. Bennet. - What a shame!

Can I use a stroller? - asked Jane.

No, my dear, you’d better go on horseback. It's going to rain and you'll have to spend the night there.

Not a bad idea! - said Elizabeth. - Unless you are sure that the owners themselves will not take her home.

But Mr. Bingley's carriage will be with the men at Meryton. And the Hursts have no horses at all.

I would still like to go in a stroller.

Darling, I'm sure dad won't be able to give you horses. They're needed for farm work, aren't they, Mr. Bennet?

Horses are needed for farm work much more often than they can be obtained for this purpose!

If you use them there today, mom will be pleased,” Elizabeth said.

In the end, they got confirmation from the father that the horses were occupied. Jane therefore had to ride on horseback, and her mother accompanied her to the gate, with a pleased look predicting worsening weather. These hopes were fully justified: before Jane had time to leave, a torrential rain began, which worried her sisters and greatly delighted her mother. The rain continued all evening without interruption, so that Jane's return was out of the question.

What a good idea I had! - Mrs. Bennet exclaimed more than once, as if she had not only predicted, but herself caused the worsening of the weather. However, it was not until the next morning that she was able to fully appreciate the magnificence of her plan. Breakfast was drawing to a close when a servant arrived from Netherfield with the following note addressed to Elizabeth:

“Dear Lizzie, I felt very ill this morning, probably because I was thoroughly wet yesterday. Our good friends don’t even want to hear about my return until I recover slightly. They also insist that Mr. Jones see me, so don't be alarmed if you hear that he has visited me. I just have a headache and a slight sore throat.

Yours, etc.”

Well, my dear,” Mr. Bennet turned to his wife when Elizabeth read the note aloud, “if your daughter becomes seriously ill and perhaps dies, what a consolation it will be to know that this happened in the pursuit of Mr. Bingley, carried out according to your wishes.” instructions.

I don't fear for her life. They don't die from colds! She will be well looked after and nothing bad will happen to her while she is there. If I could take a carriage, I would visit her.

Truly worried, Elizabeth decided to check on her sister. And since there was no carriage, and she did not know how to ride, she had no choice but to go to Netherfield on foot. She announced this intention.

“You’re crazy,” the mother exclaimed, “to walk through such mud!” Yes, it will be impossible to look at you when you arrive there.

But I can look after Jane, and that's all I need.

Perhaps, Lizzie, we should still send for the horses? - asked the father.

No, really, it’s not necessary. I'll even be happy to take a walk. You don’t notice the distance if there is a specific goal in front of you. Yes, it’s only about three miles. I'll be home by lunchtime.

“I admire your willingness to help your neighbor,” said Mary. - But every emotional impulse should be verified with reason. In any case, I think it is necessary to apply force commensurate with the required action.

Do you want us to go to Meryton together? - suggested Katherine and Lydia.

Elizabeth agreed, and the three girls left the house at the same time.

If we hurry,” Lydia said on the way, “we may still find Captain Carter before leaving.”

They separated at Meryton. The younger sisters went to the wife of one of the officers, and Elizabeth walked quickly forward, crossing one field after another, hastily climbing over embankments and jumping over ditches, until she found herself in front of Netherfield, tired, with mud-stained stockings and her face flushed from the strain of walking.

She was ushered into the breakfast room, where the Netherfield party, with the exception of Jane, were assembled. Everyone was quite surprised at Elizabeth's arrival. It seemed incredible to Mr. Bingley's sisters that she could walk three miles so early, in such weather, and all alone. And although she was received very kindly, Elizabeth understood that in their eyes her action did not deserve approval. Mr. Bingley's behavior, on the other hand, showed signs of something more than mere politeness. There was a sense of affection and gratitude in him. Mr. Darcy was a man of few words, and Mr. Hurst said nothing at all. The first reflected on how much more beautiful she had become, excited by the fast walking, and to what extent her motives justified such a bold walk. The second's thoughts were entirely focused on breakfast.

Information about Jane's health was of little comfort. Miss Bennet passed a restless night and, although she got out of bed, felt so ill that she was unable to leave the room. At Elizabeth's request, she was immediately taken to the sick woman. The arrival of her sister greatly rejoiced Jane, who did not write how much she would like to see her, only for fear of causing undue alarm. However, she could hardly speak, and when Miss Bingley left them alone, she could only express gratitude for the extraordinary kindness with which she was looked after here. Elizabeth cared for the sick woman in silence.

After breakfast, Mr. Bingley's sisters came, and Elizabeth felt sympathy for them when she saw how much care and attention they showed to their friend. The pharmacist who arrived soon after examining the patient said that, as expected, the disease was caused by a severe cold, demanded that the most energetic measures be taken, prescribed bed rest and promised to send medicine. The order was carried out immediately, as the fever and headache were getting worse all the time. Elizabeth did not leave her sister for a minute. The other ladies also almost never left - however, they had nothing else to do, since the men were not at home.

By three o'clock Elizabeth felt that it was time for her to return, and reluctantly said so. Miss Bingley offered her a carriage, and she was almost ready to take it. However, Jane was so upset by the upcoming separation that Miss Bingley unwillingly invited Elizabeth to spend some more time in Netherfield. The invitation was gratefully accepted, and a servant was sent to Longbourn to warn the family and deliver the necessary clothing.

At five o'clock the ladies went to change their clothes, and at half past five Elizabeth was called to the table. Answering polite questions about the patient's health, she was pleased to note Mr. Bingley's sincere concern.

Unfortunately, nothing reassuring could be reported. Jane's condition was still serious. Hearing this, Mr. Bingley's sisters expressed their grief three or four times, talked about what a terrible thing a cold was, and how much each of them did not like to be sick, and did not think about their friend again. And Elizabeth felt the same hostility towards them, seeing how little they thought of Jane in her absence.

Of the whole company, the only person who deserved her sympathy was Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth was aware that the others looked at her as if she were an uninvited guest, and only Bingley, with his sincere concern for the patient and attention to her sister, somewhat softened this feeling. Apart from Mr. Bingley, hardly anyone noticed her. Miss Bingley's attention was completely absorbed by Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Hurst tried to keep up with her sister, and as for Mr. Hurst, who was sitting next to Elizabeth, a soulless man, one of those who live in the world only to eat, drink and play cards, - then after he found out that she preferred roast to stew, he had nothing more to talk about with her.

Immediately after dinner, Elizabeth returned to Jane. And as soon as she left the room, Miss Bingley began to speak evil of her. Her manners were considered provocative and presumptuous, and she was said to be completely devoid of taste, beauty, grace, or conversational ability. Mrs. Hurst thought the same thing. At the same time, she added:

In short, the only positive quality of this girl is her ability to cover unusually long distances on foot in the morning. I will never forget the way she appeared today - like some kind of savage.

That's what she was, Louise. I could hardly contain myself from laughing. Her arrival in general is such an absurdity. If her sister had a cold, why would she run so far? And what a sight - a weather-beaten face, disheveled hair!..

Yes, and her skirt! I hope you saw her skirt - about six inches of mud, I guarantee. She tried to lower the edges of her cloak to cover the stains on the hem, but, alas, it did not help.

“Perhaps this is all true,” said Bingley, “but I confess that I did not notice anything of the sort.” I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked beautiful when she came in this morning. But I simply couldn’t see the dirt on the hem.

I hope you saw her, Mr. Darcy? - said Miss Bingley. “I suppose you wouldn’t want to meet your sister like this.”

You are absolutely right.

Walk three, no, four, no, five or whatever miles, almost knee-deep in mud, and completely alone! What was she thinking? I see this as the worst kind of extravagance - the disregard for all decency characteristic of provincials.

It could also be a manifestation of a very commendable affection for my own sister- said Mr. Bingley.

I am afraid, Mr. Darcy,” said Miss Bingley quietly, “that today’s adventure may damage your opinion of her eyes.”

“Not at all,” he replied. - After the walk they burned even brighter.

There was a short pause, after which Mrs. Hurst began again:

I really like Jane Bennet. She really is a nice girl. And I sincerely wish her a happy life. But I’m afraid that with such parents and other relatives she has little opportunity for this.

I think you said that their uncle is a solicitor in Meryton?

Why! And another one lives in Cheapside.

Just beautiful! - Miss Bingley exclaimed, and both of them almost burst into laughter.

Even if their uncles had populated the whole of Cheapside,” said Bingley decisively, “it would not have made her any less attractive.”

Yes, but that would greatly prevent her from marrying a man of some social standing,” Darcy noted.

Bingley did not answer, but his sisters warmly supported Darcy and continued to joke for quite some time about the vulgar relatives of their dear friend.

After some time, they nevertheless felt a new surge of tenderness and again went to her room, where they remained until they were called to drink coffee. Jane continued to feel unwell, and Elizabeth did not leave her until late in the evening. Somewhat reassured by the fact that the patient had fallen asleep, she finally felt not a desire, but rather a need to join the rest of society. When she entered the living room, everyone was sitting playing cards. She was immediately invited to take part in the game. Fearing, however, that the game involved large stakes, Elizabeth refused, citing her sister’s illness and saying that she would rather spend the short time during which she could be downstairs reading a book. Mr. Hurst looked at her in surprise.

Do you prefer reading to cards? - he asked. - Strange!

Miss Eliza Bennet, said Miss Bingley, despises the game. She reads a lot and does not recognize other pleasures.

“I do not deserve either praise or reproaches of this kind,” Elizabeth replied. - I like different things, and I don’t read that much.

I am convinced, for example, that you enjoy courting your sister,” said Bingley. “I hope this pleasure will increase further as she recovers.”

Elizabeth thanked him sincerely and went to the table where several books lay. At the same time, Bingley offered to show her other books stored in the library.

I would be glad if, for your benefit and my honor, I could boast of a more extensive collection. But I am lazy, and although it is very small, it contains more books than I ever hope to read.

Elizabeth assured him that the ones in the room were quite enough for her.

It surprises me,” said Miss Bingley, “that our father made do with so few books.” But what an excellent library you have in Pemberley, Mr. Darcy!

There couldn’t be another one there,” Darcy replied. - It was created by the concerns of more than one generation.

But how much you have added to it yourself! You buy books all the time.

It would be strange if I neglected the family library in a time like ours.

Neglected! Of course, you do not neglect anything that could further decorate this glorious corner. Charles, if you were to have your own house, I'd like it to be half as nice as Pemberley.

I would like this myself.

True, I would advise you to buy an estate somewhere near Pemberley, taking it as a model. In all England I know of no better county than Derbyshire.

I wholeheartedly agree with you. I'd even buy Pemberley if Darcy sold it.

I'm talking about the possible, Charles.

Honestly, Caroline, you can become the owner of such an estate sooner by buying Pemberley than by trying to reproduce it.

This conversation interested Elizabeth so much that she stopped reading and soon, putting the book aside, went to the card table; placing herself between Mr. Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, she began to watch the game.

"Miss Darcy, I think, has grown considerably since last spring," said Miss Bingley. - She will probably become as tall as me.

Quite possible. Now she is perhaps as tall as Miss Elizabeth Bennet or even a little taller.

How I would like to see her again! I have never met anyone in my life who I liked so much. Her appearance and manners are charming. And what education at such an age! She plays the piano no worse than real musicians.

“I wonder,” said Bingley, “how all the young ladies have the patience to become educated.”

Are all young ladies educated?! Charles, dear, what do you mean by this?

In my opinion, that's it. They all paint landscapes, paint screens and knit wallets. I probably don’t know a single girl who couldn’t do this. And I have never heard of a young lady not being told how well educated she is.

"Your enumeration of the perfections of young women," said Darcy, "is unfortunately true." Every young lady who deserves it by knitting purses or coloring screens is called educated. But I am far from agreeing with your opinion about women's education. For example, I could not boast that among the women I know there are more than five or six truly educated.

“I quite agree with you,” said Miss Bingley.

“In that case,” Elizabeth observed, “perhaps you can give a precise definition of the concept of an “educated woman”?

Yes, it seems clear enough to me.

Oh, really! - exclaimed his devoted ally. - Only one who stands head and shoulders above everyone else can be considered truly educated. A woman who deserves this name must be well trained in music, singing, painting, dancing and foreign languages. And above all, she must have some special originality in appearance, manners, gait, intonation and language - otherwise this name will still be only half deserved.

She really should have all of this,” Darcy said. - But I would add to this something more significant - a mind developed by extensive reading.

In that case, I am not at all surprised that you know only five or six educated women. Rather, it seems strange to me that you still managed to find them.

Are you really so demanding of your own sex and doubt that such women exist?

I haven't met them. I have never seen one person combine all the abilities, manners and taste that you just listed.

Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley were indignant at the injustice of such a reproach for their sex and began vying with each other to assure that they had met many women who fully corresponded to the proposed description, until finally Mr. Hurst called them to order, complaining about their inattention to the game. The conversation stopped and Elizabeth soon left the room.

Eliza Bennet,” said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed, “is one of those girls who try to please the other sex by humiliating their own.” I admit, this works for many men. But, in my opinion, this is a low trick of the worst kind.

“Undoubtedly,” responded Darcy, to whom this remark was addressed. - Any method used by women to attract men is low. Everything that is born of cunning is disgusting.

Miss Bingley was not so satisfied with the answer she received that she could continue the conversation on the same topic.

Elizabeth returned to them again, saying that her sister had become worse and that she could no longer be away from her. Bingley began to insist that Mr. Jones be sent for immediately. His sisters began to insist that it was impossible to get proper help in the wilderness, and advised him to send a crew for a famous doctor from the capital. Elizabeth didn't want to hear about it, but willingly agreed with Mr. Bingley's proposal. It was decided that Mr. Jones would be sent for early in the morning unless Jane was significantly better by then. Bingley was very worried, and his sisters said they felt extremely unhappy. However, they managed to console themselves by singing duets after dinner, while he found the only peace in obliging the butler to give the sick guest and her sister the greatest attention.

Elizabeth spent almost the entire night at her sick bedside, and, to her satisfaction, was able to communicate quite favorable information about her health in the morning through the maid sent very early by Mr. Bingley, and then through the two elegant persons who waited on his sisters. However, despite the emerging turnaround, she still asked for help to deliver a note to Longbourn, in which she insisted on her mother’s arrival so that she could assess the situation herself. The note was sent immediately and the request contained in it was just as quickly fulfilled. Mrs. Bennet, accompanied by her two daughters, arrived at Netherfield shortly after the family had breakfasted.

If her mother had found Jane in a dangerous state, she would undoubtedly have been distressed by it. But, reassured by the fact that Jane's illness was not threatening, she did not want her daughter to recover too quickly, as this would force her to soon leave Netherfield. That's why she didn't even want to listen when Jane asked to be transported home. The pharmacist who arrived next also did not consider the move reasonable. After Mrs. Bennet had been with Jane for a while, Miss Bingley came up and invited her and her three daughters into the breakfast room. Mr. Bingley, meeting them there, expressed the hope that Jane's condition was not more serious than Mrs. Bennet expected.

Alas, sir, it is so! - she answered. “The poor thing is too ill to be taken to Longbourn.” According to Mr. Jones, this should not be considered. We will have to enjoy your hospitality for a while longer.

Take it to Longbourn! - exclaimed Bingley. - It's out of the question. My sister, I'm sure, won't want to hear about moving.

You have no doubt, madam,” said Miss Bingley with cold politeness. - If Miss Bennet remains in our house, she will be given the necessary attention.

Mrs. Bennet expressed her gratitude most ardently.

“Oh, I’m sure,” she added, “if it weren’t for close friends around her, God knows what would have happened to her.” The poor thing is really bad - she suffers so much, despite her inherent patience. But this is a property of her angelic character, which you will hardly encounter anywhere. I often tell my girls that they are far from Jane. I really like this room, Mr. Bingley! What a lovely view of the main park path. I don't know if there is a place like Netherfield in our county. You won't want to leave it soon, will you, even though you only rented it for a short time?

“I’ve always been quick,” he replied. “If I decide to leave Netherfield, I might not be here in five minutes.” IN given time However, it seems to me that I have settled down thoroughly.

This is exactly what I expected from you,” said Elizabeth.

You're starting to understand my character, aren't you? - Bingley answered, turning to her.

Oh yes, I completely understand you.

It depends on the circumstances. Secretive and complex characters are not necessarily rated higher or lower than natures like yours.

Lizzie,” the mother intervened, “please don’t forget where you are and don’t talk all sorts of nonsense that you allow yourself at home.”

I had no idea,” said Bingley, “that you were engaged in the study of human nature.” This must be an interesting item?

Particularly interesting complex characters. This advantage cannot be taken away from them.

The provinces, said Darcy, provide little material for such a study. The circle of people with whom you can come into contact here is too limited and constant.

People, however, change so much that every now and then you can notice something new in each person.

Oh, indeed,” exclaimed Mrs. Bennet, offended by the tone in which Darcy spoke about provincial society, “I dare to assure you that in the provinces there is no less of all this than in the city!”

Everyone was amazed, and Darcy, glancing at her, silently turned away. However, the guest, imagining that she had won a decisive victory, wanted to build on her success.

For my part, I do not at all believe that London has any serious advantages over the provinces - of course, if you do not mean shopping and entertainment. It's more pleasant to live in the provinces, isn't it, Mr. Bingley?

“When I’m in the province,” he answered, “I don’t want to leave it.” But when I get to the capital, the same thing happens to me. Both have their good sides. I could be equally happy here and there.

Yes, but this is because you judge everything sensibly. But this gentleman,” she glanced at Darcy, “is looking at provincial life from above.

“You are mistaken, madam,” interrupted Elizabeth, blushing for her mother. - You misunderstood Mr. Darcy. He just wanted to say that in the provinces you meet less variety of people than in the city - and with this you, of course, will agree.

Of course, my dear, no one talks about greater diversity. However, as for the circle of acquaintances, I cannot believe that it is smaller here than anywhere else. We are invited to dine at twenty-four houses.

It is unlikely that Mr. Bingley would have been able to maintain a serious expression on his face if he had not considered it necessary to spare Elizabeth's feelings. His sister was not so delicate and looked at Darcy with a very expressive smile. Trying to think of something that could direct her mother's thoughts in a new direction, Elizabeth asked Mrs. Bennet if Charlotte Lucas had called in her absence.

Oh yes, yesterday she visited us with her father. What the sweetest person this Sir William - isn't it, Mr. Bingley? True secularism: nobility and courtesy! He always has something to say to every person. I think this is a sample good manners! Persons who imagine God knows what about themselves and do not even want to open their mouths, in vain assume that they are well brought up.

Did Charlotte have lunch with you?

No, she was in a hurry to go home. She probably needed help making the pie. As for us, Mr. Bingley, I keep servants who can do their own work. Oh yes, my girls were raised differently. Everyone, however, does what they can. The Lucas girls are still very nice, I can assure you. It's such a shame that they are ugly. I'm not saying that Charlotte is completely ugly - she is our great friend.

She seems to be a very nice young woman,” said Bingley.

Oh, of course! But you can’t deny that she’s ugly. Lady Lucas herself admits this, envying my Jane's beauty. I wouldn't like to brag about my own daughter, but speaking of Jane, you don't often find such a beauty. You hear about this at every step - I wouldn’t believe it myself. When she was just fifteen, we lived with my brother Gardiner in London. And, imagine, there was one gentleman who fell madly in love with her. My daughter-in-law was already expecting that he was about to propose to her - even before we left. True, this did not happen. Perhaps he thought Jane was too young. But he dedicated poems to her - you know, simply charming.

That’s how this romance ended,” Elizabeth hastily intervened. - I think this is not the only hobby that has found a similar end. I wonder who was the first to discover that poetry kills love?

Yes - lasting, healthy and passionate love is possible. What is already strong can eat anything. But if we talk about a slight inclination, I am sure that after one good sonnet there may not be a trace of it left.

Darcy smiled. In the silence that followed, Elizabeth waited anxiously for her mother to utter some new tactlessness. Mrs. Bennet really wanted to talk, but nothing came to her mind. And after a pause, she began again to thank Mr. Bingley for his concern for Jane and apologize for the concern that Lizzie was also causing him. Bingley was sincerely polite in his replies, forcing his younger sister to be polite as well, who said all that was appropriate under the circumstances. And although she played her role without much zeal, Mrs. Bennet was still quite pleased and soon asked for a carriage. At the same moment, as if on cue, her youngest daughter stepped forward. Kitty and Lydia whispered to each other throughout the visit. At the same time, they agreed that the youngest should remind Mr. Bingley about the promise to arrange a ball in Netherfield, which he made upon his arrival in Hertfordshire.

Lydia, a tall, pretty-looking fifteen-year-old girl, was her mother's favorite. It was thanks to this affection that she began to go out into the world at such a young age. Her natural enterprise and sociability developed into self-confidence thanks to the attention of the officers, who were attracted by her uncle's good dinners and her innate frivolity. Therefore, it cost her nothing to talk to Mr. Bingley about the ball and directly remind him of his obligation, adding that it would be a shameful omission on his part if he did not keep his word. His answer to this unexpected attack was very pleasing to Mrs. Bennet's ears.

Believe me, I will happily fulfill my promise. And as soon as Miss Bennet recovers, I will ask that you deign to choose the day for this holiday. But while she is ill, I suppose you wouldn’t want to dance yourself.

Lydia said that she was quite satisfied with his words. - Oh yes, it's much better to wait until Jane gets better. Moreover, during this time Captain Carter may return to Meryton. And after your ball,” she added, “I’ll force them to have their own.” So I’ll tell Colonel Forster that he’s ashamed to shy away.

After this, Mrs. Bennet and her younger daughters left, and Elizabeth immediately returned to Jane, leaving the two ladies and Mr. Darcy free to speak evil of her and her family. However, despite all Miss Bingley’s witticisms about her “charming eyes,” the ladies could not get Mr. Darcy to condemn anything about her.

The rest of the day went almost the same as the previous one. Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley spent several hours in the morning with the patient, who continued to recover little by little. In the evening, Elizabeth went down to the living room, where the rest of the company had gathered. This time there was no card table. Mr. Darcy was writing a letter, and Miss Bingley, sitting next to him, watched his pen and constantly distracted his attention with various wishes, which she asked him to convey to his sister. Mr. Hurst and Mr. Bingley were playing piquet, and Mrs. was watching them play.

Elizabeth, starting to sew, experienced considerable pleasure listening to what was happening between Darcy and his neighbor. The lady's continuous admiring remarks on his handwriting, the evenness of the lines, or the length of the letter, and the gentleman's responses, complete indifference to praise, formed a curious dialogue and exactly corresponded to the idea that Elizabeth had formed of the characters of its participants.

Miss Darcy will be so happy about this letter!

Silence.

You write unusually fluently.

You are wrong. I write quite slowly.

How many letters do you have to write throughout the year? And business letters too! I can imagine what a grueling task this is.

Well, you are lucky that it fell to my lot.

For God's sake write to your sister how much I want to see her.

I have already written this at your request.

I think your pen is bad. Let me fix it. I learned how to repair feathers very well.

Thank you, but I always fix the feathers myself.

How do you manage to write so smoothly?

He said nothing.

Tell your sister that I am very pleased with her progress in playing the harp. And please tell me that I am delighted with her lovely design for the tablecloth and think it is much better than Miss Grantly's design.

Will you allow me to postpone your delight until the next letter? I no longer have a proper place for them here.

Oh, don't let that bother you. I'll see her in January. Tell me, do you always write such delightful long letters to her, Mr. Darcy?

Yes, they are quite lengthy, but how amazing they are is not for me to judge.

It seems to me self-evident that a man who can write a long letter with ease cannot write it badly.

This is not a compliment for Darcy, Caroline,” her brother intervened, “letters do not come so easily to him.” He tries too hard all the time to look for four-syllable words, doesn’t he, Darcy?

The style of my letters is, of course, different from yours.

“Oh,” exclaimed Miss Bingley, “no one writes as carelessly as Charles writes.” He skips one half of the words and crosses out the second.

Thoughts are rushing through my head so quickly that I don’t have time to express them. That is why my letters sometimes do not convey any thoughts to those to whom they are addressed.

Your modesty, Mr. Bingley, said Elizabeth, would disarm any of your critics.

There is nothing more deceptive, said Darcy, than ostentatious modesty. Underneath it often lies indifference to outside opinions, and sometimes disguised boasting.

What do you call my humble judgment?

Of course, disguised boasting. After all, deep down you are proud of the shortcomings of your letters. You believe that they are generated by quickness of thought and carelessness of execution - properties, although not commendable, are still not without attractiveness. The ability to do something quickly is always highly valued by its owner, often regardless of the quality of execution. This morning you wanted to present yourself in the most favorable light by telling Mrs. Bennet that you would not have stayed five minutes in Netherfield if you had decided to leave it. Essentially, what is praiseworthy about haste, because of which important things can remain unfinished and from which there is no benefit either to yourself or to anyone else?

Well, this is too much, - exclaimed Bingley, - to reproach him in the evening for nonsense said in the morning. However, I swear on my honor, I believed what I said about myself then, and I continue to believe it now. And, in any case, I didn’t talk about my excessive haste in order to show off in front of the ladies.

I have no doubt you believed it. But I’m not at all convinced that you would have left so quickly. Your behavior would depend on circumstances just as much as the behavior of any other person. And if, at the moment when you were jumping on your horse, there was a friend nearby who said: “Bingley, wouldn’t it be better for you to stay a week?” - perhaps you would have done just that and not gone anywhere - in other words, you would have been stuck for another whole month.

“You have only proved,” cried Elizabeth, “that Mr. Bingley is unjust to himself.” And they exalted him more than he did himself.

“I am pleased that you turn my friend’s words into praise of the gentleness of my character,” said Bingley. “But I’m afraid your interpretation of his words is exactly the opposite of the thought that Darcy put into them.” He, of course, thinks that under such circumstances it would be best for me to flatly refuse and gallop away as quickly as possible.

Does Mr. Darcy think that the rashness of your original decision would be redeemed by the obstinacy with which you carried it out?

Honestly, it’s hard for me to explain to you what’s going on here. It's better to let Darcy speak for himself.

You want me to defend an opinion that you attribute to me, but which I did not express. Let us assume, however, that things are as you say. You remember, Miss Bennet, we assumed that the friend who wanted to delay his departure expressed only a desire, a request, and did not even explain this request in any way.

Don’t you see merit in the willingness to easily give in to a friend’s insistence?

An unreasonable concession would do no credit to the mental faculties of both.

It seems to me, Mr. Darcy, that you underestimate the influence of friendship or affection. Meanwhile, respect for the petitioner can often force a person to fulfill a request without even delving into how justified it is. I do not mean the case which you have suggested in relation to Mr. Bingley. We can wait until such circumstances arise in reality, and only then will we judge the reasonableness of his actions. But, generally speaking, if someone asked a friend to give up a not very important step and he gave in without waiting for logical proof, would you really condemn him for this?

Shouldn't we, before discussing the question further, more accurately determine the significance of the request, as well as the degree of intimacy between friends?

Absolutely necessary! - exclaimed Bingley. - Let's agree on all the little things, not forgetting even the height and strength of friends - this, Miss Bennet, can be of much greater importance than it seems at first glance. Believe me, if Darcy didn’t look so big compared to me, I would have taken him into account less. Under certain circumstances and in certain places, I admit, he makes himself afraid, especially in his own home and when he has nothing to do on a Sunday evening.

Darcy smiled, but Elizabeth felt that deep down he was hurt and held back her smile. Miss Bingley was indignant at the insult inflicted on him and scolded her brother for his stupid chatter.

“I have guessed your plan, Bingley,” said his friend. “You don’t like our argument, and you decided to end it this way.”

May be. Disputes are too similar to disputes. If you and Miss Bennet will put off your bickering until I have left the room, I will be greatly obliged to you. And then you can say whatever you want about me.

Your request, said Elizabeth, requires no sacrifice on my part. And it would be much better for Mr. Darcy if he could finish the letter.

Mr. Darcy took her advice and completed the letter.

Having freed himself, he asked Miss Bingley and Elizabeth to entertain the company a little with music. Miss Bingley rushed to the piano and, kindly inviting Elizabeth to speak first - which she equally kindly, but more sincerely refused - sat down at the instrument.

Mrs. Hurst sang with her sister. And while they were both busy, Elizabeth, fingering the notes scattered on the instrument, involuntarily noticed how often Mr. Darcy’s gaze rested on her. She could never imagine that this smug man was admiring her. At the same time, the idea that he was looking at her, feeling hostility towards her, seemed just as incongruous. In the end, she was left to explain his attention by the fact that among the people present in the house, he most often noticed a discrepancy with his tastes and views. This guess did not upset her at all. He was so unpleasant to her that she was not going to take his opinion of herself into account.

After singing a few Italian arias, Miss Bingley began to play a merry Scottish tune for a change. Almost immediately Mr. Darcy came up to Elizabeth and said:

Would you like, Miss Bennet, to take this opportunity to dance the reel?

She smiled without answering. Surprised by her silence, he repeated his question.

“I heard you perfectly,” she said. - I just didn’t find the answer right away. You, of course, wanted that, by accepting the invitation, I would give you the desired reason to be convinced of my base tastes. But I always loved solving these kinds of traps, depriving their authors of the anticipated pleasure. That's why it occurred to me to say that I generally hate reel dancing. Now judge me if you can!

Believe me, in all cases I could not condemn you!

Elizabeth, who thought that her words must have offended him, was surprised at his politeness. But the charming slyness that shone through her behavior could hardly have offended anyone. Darcy felt that he had never been so captivated by any other woman. And it was clear to him that if Elizabeth had more suitable relatives, his heart would be in some danger.

Miss Bingley noticed or suspected enough to feel jealous. Therefore, her ardent concern for the speedy recovery of her dear friend Jane was combined in her with a desire to get rid of her sister as quickly as possible.

She often tried to turn Darcy against Elizabeth by chattering about their proposed marriage and speculating about how happy he would be with such a wife.

I hope,” said Miss Bingley, as they walked together the next morning along the bush-lined paths near the house, “after such a desired event has taken place, you will be able to hint to your mother-in-law how useful it is sometimes to keep your mouth shut.” And when you cope with this, wean your younger sisters from the habit of running after officers. And if only I am allowed to touch on such a delicate topic, try to rid your chosen one of something that borders on arrogance and impudence.

Maybe you can advise me something else useful for my family happiness?

Oh, of course! Be sure to hang a portrait of Uncle Philips in the Pemberley Gallery. Somewhere next to the portrait of the judge - your father's uncle. They are representatives of the same profession, aren’t they, albeit from different sides? As for the portrait of your Elizabeth, don’t even try to order it. Will any artist be able to adequately capture these beautiful eyes on canvas?

Their expression will indeed not be so easy to convey. But a good artist will be able to depict their shape, color, unusually long eyelashes.

At that moment they met Elizabeth herself and Mrs. Hurst, who were walking along another path.

I didn't know you were going for a walk! - exclaimed Miss Bingley, somewhat worried that their words might be overheard.

Shame on you! “They ran away from the house quietly,” answered Mrs. Hurst.

And, clinging to Mr. Darcy's free hand, she left Elizabeth to go on alone - the path was just wide enough for three people. Mr. Darcy, noticing her tactlessness, immediately said:

This path is not wide enough for our company. Let's go out onto the alley.

However, Elizabeth, who really wanted to get rid of them, answered cheerfully:

No, no, please stay! You form an unusually picturesque group. The harmony will be broken if a fourth person joins you. Farewell!

And she happily ran away from them, happy that in a day or two she could finally return home. Jane felt so much better that she was planning to leave her room for a while that evening.

When the ladies left the table after dinner, Elizabeth went up to Jane and, having wrapped her up well, went down with her into the drawing room, where the sick woman was greeted with joyful exclamations from her friends. In all the time Elizabeth had known Mr. Bingley's sisters, they had never seemed so friendly to her as during that hour while the ladies were waiting for the men to arrive. Both of them were excellent at keeping up a conversation, they could describe in detail some kind of entertainment, tell an anecdote with humor, and enthusiastically make fun of someone they knew.

However, when the men appeared, Jane immediately faded into the background, Miss Bingley's gaze fell on Darcy, and before he could take a few steps, she already needed to tell him something. Approaching Jane, Darcy kindly congratulated her on her recovery. Mr. Hurst also bowed slightly to her, muttering something like: “I am very glad.” But Bingley's greeting was passionate and eloquent. He was full of worries and delight. He spent the first half hour building a fire in the fireplace to keep Jane warm. At his insistence, she moved to a chair near the fireplace so as to be away from the doors. Then he settled down next to her and spent the entire evening talking almost exclusively to her. Elizabeth, sitting sewing in the opposite corner, watched all his efforts with great satisfaction.

After tea, Mr. Hurst tried in vain to remind his daughter-in-law about the card table. Caroline knew for certain that Mr. Darcy had no desire to sit down to play. Mr. Hurst's loud address to all those present was rejected. Miss Bingley told him that no one wanted to play. And since this was confirmed by the general silence, Mr. Hurst had no choice but to stretch out on the sofa and immediately fall asleep. Darcy took the book, Miss Bingley did the same, and Mrs. Hurst began to sort through her bracelets and rings, occasionally inserting a word into the conversation between her brother and Jane.

Miss Bingley's attention was equally absorbed in reading her own book and watching Mr. Darcy read his. Every now and then she asked him something and looked at the page opened in front of him. However, she was unable to engage him in conversation: he briefly answered questions and continued reading. Finally, completely exhausted by her futile attempts to concentrate on her own book, chosen only because it stood on the shelf next to the volume Darcy was reading, Miss Bingley, yawned widely, said:

What a pleasure to spend an evening like this! To be honest, I don't know any pleasure like reading. How much faster do you get tired of any other activity! When will I get own home, I will feel unhappy if I don't have a good library.

No one answered. She yawned again, tossed the book aside, and looked around the room for some form of entertainment. Hearing her brother talking to Miss Bennet about the ball, she suddenly turned to him and said:

By the way, Charles, are you really planning to hold a dance at Netherfield? Before making such a decision, I would advise you to find out how those present in this room feel about it. I think that I will not be mistaken if I say that among us there may be someone who will hardly like the ball.

“You probably mean Darcy,” Mr. Bingley replied. - Well, if he pleases, he can go to bed. As for the ball itself, this is a settled issue. And as soon as everything is ready and Nichols has prepared enough white soup, I will immediately send out the invitations.

“I should like balls much more,” said Miss Bingley, “if they were arranged differently.” Today's balls are unbearably boring. How much more reasonable it would be if during the ball dancing was replaced by serious conversation.

Of course it's smarter, dear. But, I dare say, it would hardly be like a ball.

Miss Bingley, without deigning to answer, soon rose and began to pace the room. She had a slender figure and a beautiful gait. However, Darcy, for whom these qualities were intended to be demonstrated, was still absorbed in his reading. In desperation, she made another maneuver and, turning to Elizabeth, said:

Miss Eliza Bennett, let me suggest that you follow my example and walk a little. I assure you, after sitting in one place for a long time, it has an encouraging effect.

Elizabeth was surprised, but gave in to her request. Miss Bingley also achieved success in regard to the real subject of her maneuvers. Darcy looked up. Miss Bingley's attention to this address was no less news to him than to Elizabeth herself, and he unconsciously slammed the book shut. He was immediately offered to join their company, but he refused. According to him, this walk around the room could be caused by only two reasons, and in both cases his participation would become a hindrance for them.

“What did he mean by this? She's dying to know what he meant! - And Miss Bingley turned to Elizabeth and asked if she could guess what this could mean.

Of course not,” she answered. “But you can be sure that he wanted to offend us with something.” And the surest way to disappoint Mr. Darcy is to not ask him anything.

Miss Bingley, however, could not disappoint Mr. Darcy in any way. So she kept insisting that it be explained to her hidden meaning his words.

Horrible! - exclaimed Miss Bingley. “I’ve never heard anything more daring in my life.” How can we punish him for these words?

“There is nothing simpler, you just have to really want it,” said Elizabeth. - We can all easily hurt each other. Tease him, laugh at him. You are close friends with him - you should know his weaknesses.

Honestly, I don't know. I assure you, our acquaintance did not teach me this. Teasing the very composure and presence of mind! No, no, I feel like nothing will come of this. We don’t want to look like fools, laughing for no reason. Oh no, Mr. Darcy can rest easy.

Shouldn't Mr. Darcy be laughed at? - Elizabeth was surprised. - What a rare advantage! So rare that I hope it remains an exception. I would have a bad time if I had many such acquaintances - I really love funny things.

“Miss Bingley,” replied Darcy, “attributes to me invulnerability, which, alas, I do not possess at all.” The wisest and noblest of people, no, the wisest and noblest of their actions can be ridiculed by those for whom the main thing in life is ridicule.

Of course, there are such people,” said Elizabeth. - I hope I'm not one of them. It seems to me that I have never ridiculed wisdom and nobility. Stupidity and quirks, caprice and inconsistency seem funny to me, and when I succeed, I laugh at them. But these are all qualities that you seem to be completely lacking.

This probably cannot be said about anyone. But throughout my life I have worked hard to get rid of the shortcomings that can make even a smart person funny.

Such as, for example, pride and vanity?

Yes, vanity is indeed a flaw. But pride... Well, those who have real intelligence can always keep pride within proper limits.

Elizabeth turned away to hide her smile.

You seem to have managed to understand the character of Mr. Darcy, don’t you? - asked Miss Bingley. - I would like to know your opinion.

Well, I am quite convinced that Mr. Darcy is free from faults. Yes, he doesn’t hide it himself.

“I did not express such claims,” Darcy replied. I have enough weaknesses. I just hope my mind is free of them. But I wouldn’t vouch for my character. Perhaps I am not gentle enough - at least from the point of view of the convenience of those around me. I do not know how to forget the stupidity and vices of my neighbors as quickly as I should, as well as the insults inflicted on me. I am not able to get emotional as soon as they want to touch me. I could probably be called touchy. If someone loses my respect, it’s forever.

This is truly a serious vice! - Elizabeth exclaimed. - Excessive touchiness is certainly a negative character trait. But you chose your flaw well. I'm not able to laugh at him. You don't have to be afraid of me.

Probably, every person has a tendency to some kind of shortcoming - a natural weakness cannot be overcome even by excellent upbringing.

Your weakness is your willingness to hate people.

And yours,” he answered with a smile, “is deliberate not to understand them.”

“I want to listen to some music,” said Miss Bingley, tired of listening to a conversation in which she took no part. - Louise, won't you be angry if I wake up your husband?

Her sister didn't mind, and Caroline lifted the lid of the piano. Darcy, on reflection, did not regret it, as he felt that he was paying too much attention to Elizabeth.

As was agreed between the sisters, the next morning Elizabeth wrote to her mother asking that a carriage be sent for them that same day. Mrs. Bennet, however, expected her daughters to remain at Netherfield until Tuesday, so that Jane could spend a whole week there, and therefore did not take any pleasure in their coming early. Her response, therefore, was not very favorable - at least for Elizabeth, who was looking forward to returning home. The letter said that it was unlikely that Mrs. Bennet would be able to send a carriage before Tuesday, and the postscript added that if Mr. Bingley and his sisters tried to persuade them to stay longer, she would do well without her eldest daughters for a longer time. Elizabeth, however, could not even think about a delay - she was not even entirely sure that they would be asked to do so. On the contrary, fearing that their stay might seem to be prolonged, she began to persuade Jane to immediately ask Bingley for a carriage. In the end it was decided to say that they would like to return home that same morning, and at the same time make a request for a carriage.

The news of their departure caused universal regret. At the same time, they expressed confidence that for the patient to fully recover, they should stay in Netherfield for at least one more day. And in the end the sisters agreed to stay until the next morning. Miss Bingley soon began to regret that she had proposed to postpone their departure, since the jealousy and hostility aroused in her by one of the sisters was much stronger than her affection for the second.

The owner of the house was sincerely saddened by the upcoming separation and heatedly argued to Miss Bennet that she was not well enough to move. But in vain - Jane, when she was confident in the correctness of her actions, knew how to show firmness.

Mr. Darcy was pleased with this decision. Elizabeth stayed in Netherfield long enough. Her charms had a much stronger effect on him than he would have liked. In addition, Miss Bingley was too harsh with her, and pestered Darcy himself more often than on ordinary days. He very wisely judged that he should avoid any signs of attention towards Elizabeth that would lead her to suspect that his happiness might depend on her. At the same time, he was aware that if such guesses had already arisen in her head, their confirmation largely depended on how he behaved on the eve of her departure. Having strengthened his resolve, he spoke to her no more than a dozen words all Saturday, and although they had to spend about half an hour alone in the same room, he read the book with such diligence during the entire time that he did not even glance in her direction.

On Sunday, immediately after the morning service, the long-awaited moment of separation finally arrived. Miss Bingley's courtesy to Elizabeth, as well as her affection for Jane, increased noticeably just before her departure. At parting, the elder sister was assured that meeting her - at Longbourn or Netherfield - would always be a joyful event. After Miss Bingley had hugged Jane most tenderly and even extended her hand to her sister, Elizabeth left the whole company in good spirits.

Their mother did not greet them very warmly. Mrs. Bennet was surprised at their arrival, believing that they had been very foolish in causing so much trouble to everyone, and had no doubt that Jane would fall ill again. The father, on the contrary, although in a restrained form, made it clear to them that he was pleased with their return - he really missed his older daughters during family conversations. In the absence of Jane and Elizabeth, the evening conversations lost much of their wit and almost all their meaning.

They found Mary, as usual, immersed in the study of musical harmony and the principles of human nature, and listened to several new quotations and moral sayings. The messages from Catherine and Lydia were of a completely different nature. Since last Wednesday many events had occurred in the regiment: several officers had dined with their uncle, a private had been subjected to corporal punishment, and the most persistent rumors had spread that Colonel Forster intended to marry.

I hope, my dear, that you have made sure that we have a good lunch today? - asked Mr. Bennett the next morning at breakfast. - I believe that some new face may appear at our table.

Who are you talking about, my friend? As far as I know, no one is going to visit us. Will Charlotte Lucas drop by... But for her, I hope our dinners are always good enough. I don’t think she’s particularly used to a table like this at home.

I mean the visiting gentleman.

Mrs. Bennet's eyes sparkled.

A visiting gentleman? I'm sure it's Mr. Bingley! Oh, Jane, you wretch, why didn’t you say so before? Well, I'll be glad to see Mr. Bingley. But, my God, what a horror - we won’t have a fish dish! Lydia, my darling, please pull the bell. We must give orders to Mrs. Hill this very minute.

“This is not about Mr. Bingley,” answered her husband. - I'm waiting for a man I've never seen before.

These words caused general surprise, and, to the complete satisfaction of Mr. Bennet, all the members of the family bombarded him with questions. Amused by everyone's curiosity, he finally gave the following explanation:

About a month ago I received this epistle, to which I responded two weeks later. The matter seemed so delicate that I preferred to think it over first. It was written by my cousin, Mr. Collins, the one who, after my death, will be able to throw you out of this house as soon as he pleases.

“Oh, my friend,” exclaimed Mrs. Bennet, “I don’t want to hear about him!” For God's sake, don't talk about this monster. Is it possible to do anything more unjust than to expel your own children from your estate? If I were in your place, I would, of course, have tried to do something a long time ago.

Jane and Elizabeth tried to explain to their mother the essence of the law of primogeniture. They have made similar attempts before. But this subject went beyond her understanding, and she continued to bitterly complain about the cruelty of laws that take away the home of a family with five daughters in favor of a person about whom no one cares in the slightest.

This, of course, is extremely unfair,” Mr. Bennett said. “And Mr. Collins will not be able to absolve himself of any guilt in inheriting Longbourn.” However, if you allow me to read his message, perhaps you will be somewhat reconciled with him by the tone in which it is written.

I'm sure this won't happen to me! How did he even have the impudence and hypocrisy to write to you! I can't stand fake friends! It would be better if he were at enmity with you, like his father.

You will hear that he indeed feels some filial obligation in this sense:

"Hansford, near Westerham,

Kent,

Dear sir, the misunderstandings that existed between you and my esteemed late parent have always caused me much grief, and since I had the misfortune of losing him, I have often felt the desire to bridge the gap separating us. For some time, I was still plagued by doubts that I might inadvertently offend my father’s memory by establishing good relations with those with whom he wanted to be at odds.”

You see, Mrs. Bennet!

“However, now I have made a decision. Having accepted the pastorate last Easter, I was the lucky mortal who was honored with the arrival at the estate of her ladyship Lady Catherine de Bourg, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourg. Through the generosity and goodwill of this lady I have become curate of this parish, in which capacity it will be my sincerest desire to conduct myself with due respect to her ladyship and to perform the rites and ceremonies due to a pastor of the Church of England. As a minister of the church, I also consider it my duty to spread peace and goodwill among all families over which my influence may extend. For this reason, I flatter myself that you will look favorably on my present expression of goodwill and will not reject the olive branch I extended by generously turning a blind eye to the fact that I am the heir of Longbourn. I am very sad that I unwittingly serve as an instrument of harm to the well-being of your lovely daughters, and while allowing myself to offer them my apologies, I also hasten to assure you of my readiness to do everything in my power to somehow make up for this damage... But about that later. If you have no objection to my visit, I will give myself the pleasure of visiting you and your family on Monday, November 18th at four o'clock and enjoying your hospitality, perhaps until Saturday at next week, - which I can afford without significant sacrifices, for Lady Catherine does not at all object to my occasionally being absent on Sunday, of course, if some other clergyman will perform for me the church duties appropriate for this day.

I remain, dear sir, with the most respectful bow to your wife and daughters.

Your well wisher and friend

William Collins."

- So, at four o’clock we can wait for this peacemaker at our place,” said Mr. Bennett, folding the letter. - Apparently, he is an unusually respectable and well-mannered young man. I believe we will treasure this acquaintance, especially if Lady Catherine continues to be so kind in allowing him to visit our region.

It seems to me that there is some meaning in what he writes about our girls. If he wants to do something for them, I'm not going to dissuade him.

It’s hard to imagine,” Jane said, “how he’s going to make up for the damage he’s done to us.” But such a desire alone does him honor.

What struck Elizabeth most of all was his extreme respect for Lady Catherine and his good intentions to baptize, marry and bury, as necessary, his flock.

What a curiosity, this second cousin of ours must be,” she said. - You won’t understand him right away. What a pompous style! And why did he decide to apologize for his inheritance rights? It's hard to believe that he would help us, even if he were capable of it. Do you think, sir, that he is a reasonable man?

No, my dear, I don’t think so at all. I'm anticipating the exact opposite. His letter is such a mixture of servility and complacency that serves as an excellent omen. That's why I'm very curious to look at him.

As for style, said Mary, his writing is impeccable. The idea of ​​an olive branch is perhaps not particularly novel, but it is well expressed.

For Catherine and Lydia, the letter and its author were not of the slightest interest. It was impossible to expect their cousin to appear in a scarlet uniform, and for the last few weeks the company of men in clothes of a different color had given them no pleasure. Having read the letter, Mrs. Bennet's hostility towards Mr. Collins was so dispelled that she began to diligently prepare for the meeting, which surprised her husband and daughters.

Mr. Collins arrived exactly at the appointed time and was received with great cordiality by the whole family. The owner of the house, however, limited himself to only a brief greeting, but the ladies were quite talkative, and Mr. Collins did not need encouragement and was not known for his taciturnity. He turned out to be a tall and plump young man of about twenty-five, with an important appearance and respectable manners. Not even a few minutes of acquaintance had passed before he had already complimented Mrs. Bennet on the extraordinary beauty of her daughters, about whom he had heard so much. At the same time, he admitted that in this case the rumor even diminished their true merits, and expressed confidence that they would make excellent games in the near future. Such gallantry, however, was not entirely to the taste of some of his listeners. But Mrs. Bennet, who enjoyed every compliment, received it quite favorably.

You are indeed very kind, sir. I wish with all my heart that your prediction comes true, otherwise a sad fate awaits them. The circumstances were so ridiculous!..

Perhaps you mean my inheritance rights?

Oh sir, of course! You yourself understand how terrible this is for my poor girls. I don’t consider you guilty at all - such things depend only on chance. When the estate passes through the male line, it can go to anyone.

I, madam, fully sympathize with my lovely cousins ​​in connection with this unfavorable circumstance, and could say something about it. However, in order not to get ahead of things, I will abstain for now. I can only assure the young ladies that I came here ready to admire their beauty. I won’t add anything now, but when we get to know each other better...

Here his speech was interrupted by an invitation to dinner. The young ladies laughed with each other. Their beauty was not the only thing Mr. Collins admired. The living room, dining room, furnishings - everything was carefully examined and received high praise. These praises would undoubtedly have touched Mrs. Bennet, if her soul had not been chilled by the thought that Mr. Collins looked upon everything as his future property. The dinner, in turn, evoked a flood of the most enthusiastic judgments, and Mr. Collins wanted to know to which of his cousins ​​the culinary abilities were indebted for such excellent food. Here, however, the mistress of the house put the guest in his place, declaring with dignity that she was quite capable of holding good cook and that her daughters have no business in the kitchen. The guest did not fail to ask her forgiveness for the mistake he had made, and Mrs. Bennet, softening, said that she was not at all offended by him. However, Mr. Collins continued to apologize for another quarter of an hour.

Throughout the entire dinner, Mr. Bennet spoke to almost no one. But when the servants left, he decided that the time had come to talk with his guest. Touching upon a subject which was sure to inflame Mr. Collins, he observed that the latter appeared to be very pleased with his patroness. Lady Catherine de Bourgh's sympathy for all his wishes and her concern for Mr. Collins's comfort seem at first glance out of the ordinary. Mr. Bennet could hardly have found a better subject for conversation. The guest spoke about Lady de Bourgh with the greatest delight. This topic made his style unusually pompous even for himself. With complete conviction, he declared that in his entire life he had never seen such behavior from high-ranking persons - such condescension and favor with which Lady Catherine treated him. She graciously approved of both of his sermons, which he had already had the honor of delivering in her presence. Twice she invited him to dinner at Rosings, and only a week ago she sent for him to take part in her evening game of square dancing. Many, as you know, find that Lady Catherine is too proud. However, she was always unusually friendly towards him. Her ladyship always spoke to him as she would to any other gentleman. She did not in the least object either to his acquaintance with the surrounding society, or to the fact that from time to time he left the parish for a week or two to visit relatives. She even condescended to recommend that he get married as soon as possible, of course, with due caution, and once visited Mr. Collins in his humble abode. There she fully approved of all the improvements he had made and even provided him with some advice regarding the arrangement of shelves in the closet on the second floor.

“All this is extremely commendable of her and, of course, extremely kind,” said Mrs. Bennet. “I daresay she must be an extremely pleasant woman.” What a pity that most important ladies are not like her! And she lives, sir, not far from you?

The garden in which my humble abode is situated is separated only by an alley from Rosings Park, the residence of her ladyship.

I thought you said she was a widow, sir? If she has children?

She has only one daughter - the heiress of Rosings, a very significant estate.

“Alas,” exclaimed Mrs. Bennet, shaking her head. - In that case, she is much happier than many other young ladies. What is this noble person like? Is she pretty?

Truly a most charming young lady! Her mother, Lady Catherine, herself says that in terms of beauty, Miss de Bourgh far surpasses other loveliest representatives of her sex, since there is something about her that immediately distinguishes a young lady of high birth. Unfortunately, she has a rather weak constitution, which prevented her from excelling in many arts. According to the lady who was involved in her education, Miss de Bourgh would have gone very far if only she had better health. And she is so sweet that she often deigns to visit my humble abode when she goes for a walk in her little pony-drawn phaeton.

Has she already been presented to court? I have not seen her name in the lists of ladies of the court.

Alas, her health, unfortunately, does not allow her to move to the city. This circumstance, as I once said to Lady Catherine herself, deprived the court of Britain of its best decoration. Her Ladyship was very pleased with my remark. I must admit that I often resort to this kind of graceful compliment that ladies like so much. For example, I have often told Lady Catherine that she lovely daughter born to become a duchess and decorate with herself any place that would itself decorate any other person., . I consider it a sacred duty to demonstrate by such sweet little things my attention to her ladyship.

“You speak very sensibly,” said Mr. Bennett. - And you are lucky that you have the talent to flatter with such delicacy. Let me ask you, are these cute evidence of attention born to you as a result of an instant flash of thought, or do you come up with them in advance?

Usually they always have something to do with what is happening. And although sometimes, for the sake of entertainment, I spend my leisure time inventing elegant little surprises that can suit various occasions in life, when presenting them, I always try to give them the form of an impromptu.

Mr. Bennet's expectations were completely confirmed. His cousin's stupidity fully justified his hopes. And, listening to the guest with a most serious expression on his face, he enjoyed himself heartily. Moreover, except for the rare occasions when he glanced at Elizabeth, he did not at all need a partner with whom he could share pleasure.

By the time of evening tea, however, the dose he had taken was already so significant that Mr. Bennet was glad to send his cousin into the drawing room, asking him to read something to the ladies. Mr. Collins readily agreed, and the book was brought to him. However, looking at it (it was easy to see that this was a book from public library), he immediately recoiled from her and, asking for forgiveness, declared that he never read novels. Kitty stared at him in amazement, and Lydia even screamed in surprise. Other books were brought out, and after some deliberation he settled on Fordyce's sermons. As soon as the volume was opened, Lydia was overcome by a yawn. And before he had time to read three pages in a monotonous voice, she, interrupting him mid-sentence, exclaimed:

Did you hear, Mom, Uncle Phillips wants to fire Richard? If he decides to do this, Richard will immediately be taken in by Colonel Forster. My aunt told me about this on Saturday. It will be necessary to go to Meryton tomorrow and ask about everything in more detail. And at the same time find out when Mr. Denny will return from the city.

The two older sisters asked Lydia to hold her tongue, but Mr. Collins, deeply offended, put down the book and said:

I have often observed how little interest young ladies have in books of serious content, written, alas, for their own benefit. And, I admit, this surprises me. In fact, could there be anything more beneficial for them than good moral teaching? But I will no longer bother the ears of my young cousins... - And, turning to Mr. Bennet, he invited him to play a game of backgammon. Mr. Bennet accepted the invitation, noting that his cousin was acting very wisely in leaving the girls to engage in their trivial amusements. Mrs. Bennet and her daughters most sincerely apologized for Lydia's outburst, promising, if he resumed reading, that nothing of the kind would happen again. However, having said that he did not harbor the slightest grudge against his young cousin and that her action was not at all offensive to him, Mr. Collins sat down with Mr. Bennet at another table and prepared to play.

Mr. Collins was not a gifted person. And this omission of nature was not compensated for by education and communication with people. He spent most of his life under the supervision of his father, an uneducated and petty man. While at the university, he took a course in science, but did not make any useful contacts. Suppressed by his father's upbringing, which initially instilled servility in his character, he acquired over time the complacency of a narrow-minded person who lives on his own and unexpectedly succeeded in life at an early age. Thanks to a lucky chance, he turned up to the widow of Sir Lewis de Burgh at the moment when the Hansford parish became vacant. Respect for her high rank, reverence for the personality of the patroness and at the same time a high opinion of his own person, the authority of the clergyman and the rights of the head of the church parish made him a person in whose character arrogance and servility, complacency and humiliation were peculiarly intertwined.

Having acquired decent housing and quite a sufficient income, he had the intention of getting married. In search of reconciliation with Mr. Bennet's family, he decided to take one of his daughters as his wife, provided that his acquaintance with them confirmed the information that had reached him about their beauty and good character. This was his plan to make up for the damage that was being done to the Bennet family by his inheritance rights. Mr. Collins himself believed that he had come up with an unusually successful and generally acceptable plan, which at the same time testified to his generosity, because it did not represent any personal gain for him.

This plan did not change after he met his relative's family. The sight of Miss Bennet Sr.'s pretty face, on the contrary, strengthened Mr. Collins in his intentions, while confirming at the same time his strict views on the rights associated with seniority. Thus, during the first evening, Jane became his chosen one. The next morning, however, brought some amendment to his plans. Before breakfast he spent a quarter of an hour tete-a-tete with Mrs. Bennet. The conversation between them touched upon the parsonage at Hunsford, and naturally turned to Mr. Collins's hope of finding a future mistress of the house at Longbourn. And amid the most pleasant smiles, indicating that, generally speaking, she fully approved of his intentions, Mrs. Bennet was still able to warn the guest regarding the daughter of hers, whom he had chosen: she could not afford to say anything regarding younger girls - perhaps she is not sufficiently informed - but she does not know about the existence of any spiritual attachments among them. As for the eldest daughter - she simply has to warn him, since she feels obligated to Jane - it is very likely that she will soon be engaged.

All Mr. Collins had to do was exchange one cousin for another. And this was done while Mrs. Bennet was stirring the coals in the fireplace. Nearly Jane's equal in years and appearance, Elizabeth became the natural successor to her elder sister's rights.

Mrs. Bennet appreciated the intentions hinted at by Mr. Collins, believing that she would soon have two married daughters. And the man, whose name she had not been able to hear the day before, now acquired her complete favor.

Lydia did not forget about her desire to go to Meryton, and all her sisters, except Mary, also decided to walk with her. At Mr. Bennett's request, Mr. Collins was to accompany them. The master of the house was very anxious to get rid of him and to have the library at his disposal, whither his guest followed him after breakfast, and where, ostensibly interested in one of the thickest books, he pestered his relative almost incessantly with chatter about the house and garden at Hunsford. This behavior of his cousin completely brought Mr. Bennet out of patience. He could always find peace and quiet in the library. And although, as Mr. Bennet admitted to Elizabeth, he was constantly ready to encounter manifestations of stupidity and complacency in any other part of the house, here he was accustomed to rest from them. Therefore, the proposal to take a walk with the Bennet girls was expressed to Mr. Collins in the most urgent manner. More inclined to walk than to read, Mr. Collins accepted this offer with no less eagerness and immediately closed his huge volume.

The conversation on the way to Meryton was carried on almost entirely by Mr. Collins, whose high-flown chatter was only occasionally interrupted by the polite remarks of his cousins. However, once in the town, the younger sisters completely stopped paying attention to him and began to look around in search of officers, so that the only thing that could distract them from this activity was a particularly elegant hat displayed in the shop window or a sample of just brought muslin.

The attention of the young ladies was soon attracted by an unknown young man of noble appearance, who was walking with some officer on the opposite side of the street. When they drew level, the officer bowed. It was Mr. Denny himself, whose time of arrival Lydia wanted to find out about in Meryton. His companion made an irresistible impression on the girls, and they began to wonder who it could be. Kitty and Lydia decided to find out without delay and crossed the street, as if heading to a nearby shop. They were lucky enough to cross to the other side just at the moment when the young people, turning back, approached the same place. Mr. Denny immediately spoke to them, asking permission to introduce his friend, Mr. Wickham, who had arrived with him the day before at Meryton, and, as he was happy to say, had been enlisted in their regiment. Everything turned out in the most favorable way, because in order to become completely irresistible, the young man only needed a regimental uniform. His appearance was entirely in his favor. Everything about her was good: regular facial features, excellent figure, pleasant manners. Introduced to the ladies, he immediately showed an inclination for easy conversation - a happy inclination in which there was not the slightest artificiality. The company continued to stand, chatting amiably, when the clatter of hooves was heard and Darcy and Bingley appeared galloping along the street in the distance. Seeing the ladies they knew, the riders rode closer and paid their respects to them. The main speaker was Bingley, whose speech was almost entirely addressed to the elder Miss Bennet. He said they were on their way to Longbourn to inquire about her health. Mr. Darcy confirmed this with a nod of his head and, remembering his intention not to stare at Elizabeth, suddenly fixed his gaze on the stranger. Elizabeth, who at that time happened to look at both of them, was amazed at the effect this meeting had on them; both changed their faces - one turned pale, the other blushed. A few seconds later Mr. Wickham touched his hat with his hand, a greeting which Mr. Darcy scarcely returned. What could this mean? It was impossible to come up with an explanation for this. And it was also impossible to resist the desire to penetrate into the secret hidden behind it.

A minute later Mr. Bingley said goodbye and rode off with his friend, as if he had never noticed what had happened.

Mr. Denny and Mr. Wickham accompanied the young ladies to Mr. Philips's house and here they said goodbye to them, despite Lydia's persistent invitations to come into the house, supported by loud exclamations from Mrs. Philips leaning out of the window.

This lady was always happy to see her nieces. And the recent absence of the two eldest Miss Bennets made the arrival of Jane and Elizabeth especially welcome. She immediately began to talk about how surprised she was by their early return to Longbourn. They returned in someone else's carriage, and Mrs. Phillips might not have known anything about it if she had not come across a boy from Mr. Jones's drug store in the street, who said that he no longer carried medicine to Netherfield, since both the Miss Bennets had left there. At that moment her attention was drawn to Mr. Collins, whom Jane introduced to her. Mrs. Phillips received him in the most amiable manner, to which the guest responded with even greater amiability. While apologizing for intruding into the house without having the honor of being acquainted with her, Mr. Collins flattered himself with the hope that his action might yet be justified by his connection with the young ladies who had introduced him to her attention. Mrs. Phillips felt awe at such a well-mannered guest. However, she was immediately distracted from one stranger by questions regarding another, about whom, alas, she could tell her nieces only the information they already knew: that he had been brought from London by Mr. Denny and that he was going to join the Shire Regiment as a lieutenant. According to her, she had been observing him for an hour while he was walking along their street, and if Mr. Wickham were again in front of the windows, Kitty and Lydia would undoubtedly immediately continue this activity. Unfortunately, however, no one else appeared on the street except one or two officers, who, in comparison with the young man who interested them, seemed “nondescript and not worth attention.” Some of the regiment were to come to the Phillipses the next day, and the aunt undertook to persuade her husband to also invite Mr. Wickham if her relatives from Longbourn came to see her. The invitation was immediately accepted, and Mrs. Phillips promised that they would have a fun game of lotto before a light hot supper was served. Everyone was very happy at the prospect of such pleasant entertainment and parted very pleased with each other. Before leaving, Mr. Collins again apologized, which was kindly rejected by the lady of the house.

On the way to Longbourn, Elizabeth told Jane what had happened before her eyes between the two young men. But since her sister was ready to defend each of them separately and both at the same time from any possible accusation, it was even more difficult for her to understand this scene.

Mr. Collins gave their mother great pleasure by extolling Mrs. Phillips's manners and courtesy. Apart from Lady Catherine and Miss de Bourgh, he believed he had never met a more well-bred lady. Not only did she so graciously welcome him into her home. She also invited him to tomorrow evening, although until now he had not had the honor of knowing her. To some extent this was due to his relationship with the Bennet family, but still he had never seen such attention to his person.

As the wishes of all the Miss Bennets to go to their aunt's were approved by their parents, and the objections of Mr. Collins, who feared leaving his master and mistress of the house for one evening, were decisively rejected, the carriage in due course conveyed the young man and his five cousins ​​to Meryton. Upon arrival, the young ladies were pleased to learn that Mr. Wickham had accepted Mr. Phillips' invitation and was already among the guests.

When, having heard this message, everyone entered the living room and took their places, Mr. Collins finally had the opportunity to look around and be delighted with his observations. He said he was so amazed by the size of the room and the splendor of the furnishings that he could imagine himself in the smaller summer breakfast room at Rosings itself.

At first glance, this comparison did not seem particularly flattering to Mrs. Phillips. However, when he made her understand what Rosings was and who owned this estate, when she heard a description of only one of the drawing rooms in Lady Catherine's house and learned that the fireplace in it alone had cost the owner eight hundred pounds, Mrs. Phillips was able to appreciate the significance of what he had presented to her. a compliment to such a complete extent that she would hardly even be offended by the comparison of her state drawing room with the butler’s room in the house of the patroness of his reverence.

Mr. Wickham was the happy representative of the male sex to whom the eyes of all the ladies present in the hall turned. And Elizabeth turned out to be the lucky one among them, next to whom he eventually found a place for himself. Having sat down, he immediately entered into a conversation with her, the pleasant nature of which, although it concerned only the evening dampness and the approach of rainy weather, allowed her to feel that the most boring and hackneyed topic can acquire significance with the proper skill of the interlocutor.

Such rivals in the struggle for attention from the fair sex as Mr. Wickham and his fellow officers made Mr. Collins almost completely fade away. For the young ladies, he really ceased to exist. However, from time to time he still found a sensitive listener in the person of Mrs. Phillips and, thanks to her care, he did not lack coffee and buns.

When the card tables were set up, he had the opportunity in turn to do her the courtesy of taking part in the game.

“I’m not yet an experienced partner,” he said, “but I need to improve.” Because given my position in life...

Mrs. Phillips was very grateful to him for accepting the invitation, but could not listen to him to the end.

Mr. Wickham did not play whist and was enthusiastically received at another table, where he sat down between Lydia and Elizabeth. At first there was a danger that Lydia, who could talk incessantly, would take over him completely. However, the game interested her no less. And soon she became so carried away by it and began shouting bets and winnings with such fervor that she stopped paying attention to anyone else. Thanks to this, Mr. Wickham had the opportunity, as far as the game allowed, to talk with Elizabeth, who listened to him with great eagerness, although she did not hope that the conversation would touch on the subject that interested her most - his acquaintance with Mr. Darcy. She didn't even dare to say the man's name. Quite unexpectedly, however, her curiosity was satisfied. Mr. Wickham himself touched on this topic. Having inquired about the distance between Netherfield and Meryton, and having received an answer to this question, he asked, with some uncertainty, how long Mr. Darcy had been here.

About a month,” Elizabeth said. And, not wanting to miss the topic that worried her, she added: “I heard he has a large estate in Derbyshire?”

“Oh yes,” replied Wickham, “an excellent estate—ten thousand per annum!” It is unlikely that you could meet anyone other than me who would give you more accurate information on this matter. I am related to his family in a known way since the early childhood.

Elizabeth couldn't help but express surprise.

You shouldn't be surprised, Miss Bennet! You should have noticed yesterday how coldly we met him. Do you know him closely?

Just enough to not want to get to know each other better! - Elizabeth answered with feeling. “I had the opportunity to spend four days with him under the same roof, and he seemed to me a very unpleasant person.

“I don’t dare judge whether he is a pleasant or unpleasant person,” said Wickham. “It’s not even proper for me to have that opinion.” I have known him too long and too well to be an impartial judge. And yet, I think your opinion of Darcy would surprise many. Perhaps somewhere else you wouldn’t even have expressed it. Here, of course, it’s a different matter. You are among your...

On my word, I said nothing that I could not repeat in any house in our district, with the exception of Netherfield. Nobody in Hertfordshire likes him. This man's pride alienated absolutely everyone from him. And you will hardly find anyone who would speak better of Mr. Darcy than I do.

“I won’t pretend to be upset that Mr. Darcy or anyone else is being judged as they deserve,” said Mr. Wickham after a short pause. - However, this happens quite rarely with Mr. Darcy. People are usually blinded by his wealth and power or depressed by his arrogant lordly manners. He is seen the way he wants to be seen.

Even a superficial acquaintance made it possible to feel how difficult his character was.

Wickham just shook his head.

When he managed to speak to Elizabeth again, he asked:

How long will Mr. Darcy live in these places?

I really don't know. When I was at Netherfield there was no talk of his leaving. I hope his presence in the neighborhood will not affect your intention to join the ***shire regiment?

Oh no! There is no need for me to give way to him. Let him leave on his own if he doesn’t want to meet with me. We are not on friendly terms, and it is always difficult for me to see him. But there are no other reasons to avoid it, except those that I can reveal to the whole world. First of all, this is the consciousness of the cruel insult inflicted on me. And also, it pains me excruciatingly that he became such a person. His father, the late Mr. Darcy, I considered the best of mortals. He was my closest friend. And I am tormented by thousands of the most touching memories when fate confronts us with young Mr. Darcy. He did me a lot of harm. But I would have forgiven him everything if he had not disgraced my father’s memory and deceived his hopes so much.

Elizabeth listened to him with bated breath, feeling that the conversation was captivating her more and more. However, the sensitivity of the topic prevented her inquiries.

Mr. Wickham moved on to more general subjects: to the city of Meryton, its environs, and, finally, to its inhabitants. Having approved of everything he was able to see, he expressed a subtle but quite tangible compliment to the local society.

When I joined the ***shire regiment, I first of all had in mind to establish permanent and, moreover, pleasant friendly connections here. I knew that this was a renowned and worthy military unit. But my friend Denny especially tempted me with his stories about the city in which the regiment was currently stationed. How much attention is paid to the officers here! And how many pleasant acquaintances they made here! Yes, I admit, I need society. I am a person disappointed in life, and my soul cannot tolerate loneliness. I must certainly have classes and society. I wasn't prepared for military career. But, due to circumstances, now this is the best I can hope for. Alas, my sphere was to become the church. I was raised for a spiritual path. And I would already have an excellent parish, if it were the desire of the gentleman whom we mentioned in our conversation.

Is this really possible?

Oh yes, the late Mr. Darcy intended for me the best parish in his dominions - immediately after a vacancy was to open in it. He was mine godfather and doted on me. His care for me cannot be described in words. He wanted to provide for me so much and believed that he succeeded! But the parish became vacant and... went to someone else.

Good God! - Elizabeth exclaimed. - This is unheard of! How could Mr. Darcy ignore his father's will?! And you didn’t turn to the law to protect yourself?

Formal omissions in the posthumous papers did not allow me to look for support in him... A man of honor would not have doubted the will of the deceased, but Mr. Darcy preferred to subject it to his own interpretation. He declared this part of the will only a conditional recommendation and dared to assert that I had lost my rights because of my frivolity, my extravagance, in short, absolutely all the vices or simply none. The only thing that is true is that two years ago the parish turned out to be free - just when I, due to my age, could take advantage of it - but I did not get it. And it is equally true that I cannot accuse myself of any offense for which I should lose it. I have a hot, unrestrained temper. And perhaps I expressed my opinion about young Darcy too freely, I admit, sometimes even right to his face. I don't remember anything worse. The whole point is that we are too different people and that he hates me.

But this is monstrous! He deserves public condemnation!

Sooner or later he will wait for it. But it won't come from me. While I remember Darcy the father, I cannot denigrate or expose Darcy the son.

Elizabeth fully appreciated his noble feelings, noting to herself how nice he was at the moment when he spoke about them. After a pause she asked:

But what reasons could he have for this? What drove him to such a heinous act?

Determined and deep dislike for me. A dislike that I cannot help but attribute to some extent to a feeling of jealousy. If the late Mr. Darcy had not loved me so much, his son might have treated me better. But my father’s extraordinary affection for me began, apparently, to irritate his son from an early age. He did not like the peculiar rivalry that arose between us, and he could not come to terms with the fact that I was often given preference.

It never occurred to me that Mr. Darcy was such an unworthy person. To be honest, I didn’t like him before. And yet I didn’t judge him so badly. Of course, I noticed with what contempt he treated others. But I never imagined that he was capable of such base revenge, such injustice, such inhumanity.

I remember, however, how once in Netherfield he confessed to his immoderate resentment and rancor. What a terrible character!..

“I will not express my opinion on this matter,” replied Wickham. - It's hard for me to be fair to him.

Elizabeth again fell into thought and after a pause exclaimed:

This is how you treat your godson, your friend, your own father’s favorite! “She could have added: “With a young man whose very appearance attracts people to him at first sight,” but she limited herself to the words: “With a man who, moreover, has been his closest comrade since childhood!” And which, as I understand you, is connected with him by the closest ties!

We were born in the same parish, on the same estate. And they spent their childhood years together - they lived under the same roof, played the same games, rejoiced in the common fatherly affection. In his youth my father chose the one life path, on which your uncle, Mr. Phillips, works with such success. But he neglected everything, trying to be useful to the late Mr. Darcy, and devoted his life to caring for Pemberley. But how highly Mr. Darcy valued him! What intimate friends our fathers were! Mr. Darcy always acknowledged how much he owed to his friend. And shortly before my father's death, Mr. Darcy, of his own free will, promised him to provide for my future. He did this, I am convinced, as much out of gratitude to his father as out of affection for his son.

Unheard of! - Elizabeth exclaimed. - Monstrous! It would seem that pride alone should have made the younger Mr. Darcy fulfill his duty towards you! If he does not have the best feelings, then how did his pride allow him to act so dishonestly? Oh yes, dishonorable - there is no other name for his behavior!

End of free trial.

I just finished reading this book and am now in such a strange but happy state. In my opinion, the book is wonderful and alive. And how much humor there is in it! And not flat or vulgar, but real. In principle, I really like stories about that time, distinguished by its nobility and grace. Well, the most important thing is the heroes of this work. Darcy! Mister Darcy! I fell in love with him from the first grade, so Mr. Bingley (with all respect and admiration for his person) faded into the background for me. From the very beginning, Darcy stood out sharply from the rest, he did not run after the ladies, did not seek the favor of others. He is sincere in everything and does not tolerate falsehood. Besides all this, he is also handsome. I immediately liked his behavior, appearance and even pride. Probably because his pride set him apart from the homogeneous mass of other characters. But this does not mean that the other heroes are all the same and boring; on the contrary, there are some very interesting ones among them. For example, Mr. Collins, with his boring character, often gave reason for laughter (for which I am very grateful to him). Mr. Bingley and Jane are just angels. They are both so sweet, kind, generous! There are probably very few girls like Jane. Mr. Bingley and Jane are made for each other (I don’t really like this expression, but I don’t know what to replace it with). Therefore, I want everything to be great for them in the future. Miss Georgiana Darcy is certainly admirable. Firstly, because of her character, and secondly, because she is Darcy's sister. Although before she met Elizabeth, I thought that she was an arrogant and proud girl. It turned out that this wonderful man. Lydia sometimes irritated me, as did Mary’s untimely statements. But I rather feel sorry for the last one. Mrs. Bennet also deserves sympathy, but more often I was annoyed and ashamed of her words and behavior. But Mr. Bennet is one of the few who had common sense in this family and in the entire area. I liked him, but in some cases his behavior was undignified. But this happened rarely. And I also don’t understand why he married Mrs. Bennet. I could have found someone better. But still, the reaction of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley to the stupidity of their mother-in-law does them credit. And finally, Elizabeth Bennet. While reading, I probably looked at everything through her eyes. Although in some places the views differed. It seems that her character was superbly thought out by the author. A detailed evolution of her thoughts is given. And it is quite clear why she became her father’s favorite daughter. None of her sisters had such intelligence, such liveliness and such common sense. In addition, she is completely natural and not ideal, which ultimately brings her closer to the ideal. Elizabeth and Jane truly deserve the happiness they received. I really enjoyed Elizabeth's conversation with Lady Katherine, which took place at Longbourn. If I had been Miss Bennet, I would have either freaked out and yelled at Mrs. de Bourgh, or simply had no answer. But Lizzie’s behavior and her answers simply delighted me. Which common sense! What self-control! And with what dignity she behaved! How I want to be at least a little like her! There can be no question of complete compliance, because each person is special and unique. But it certainly wouldn’t hurt me to develop my mind and improve my manners. Therefore, I am very grateful to Jane Austen for this book. It will probably be one of my top five favorite books. Of course, this is not everything I wanted to say about this book, but if I said everything, it would take too much time. How I envy those who have just started reading! And I also wanted to say that the plots of some melodramas and fan fictions are reminiscent of the plot of “Pride and Prejudice,” but there is no vulgarity or snotty scenes. In general, “Pride and Prejudice” is a wonderful and worthy work that made me think about my character and behavior.

Volume one

Chapter I

A bachelor who has a decent fortune must have a need to get a wife - everyone in the world recognizes this as true.

No matter how little the feelings or judgments of such a bachelor may be known when he first appears in the neighborhood, this truth takes root so firmly in the minds of neighboring families that these families consider the said bachelor to be the legal property of their daughters.

“Dear Mr. Bennet,” his wife said one fine day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park has finally been commissioned?”

Mr. Bennett replied that he had not heard about it.

“However, it has been handed over,” she said. “Mistress Long just visited us; she told me everything.”

Mr. Bennett did not honor this with a response.

- Don’t you really want to find out who took it? – his wife cried impatiently.

“You want to tell me about it, and I don’t mind listening to you.”

She was completely satisfied with this impulse.

“Well, my dear, let it be known to you that Mrs. Long said that Netherfield was taken by a very wealthy young man from the north of England; as if he arrived on Monday in a carriage drawn by four and was so enchanted that he made an agreement with Mr. Morris immediately; as if he will take over before Michaelmas, and other servants will arrive at the house by the end of next week.

- What is his name?

- Bingley.

- Married, single?

- Ah! single, darling, still single! A bachelor, and also a rich man - four or five thousand a year. What a wonderful gift for our girls!

- How is this possible? what do they have to do with it?

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” answered his wife, “why are you so boring?” I am thinking about him marrying one of them, which you cannot but understand.

- And he settled here with such a plan?

- By design! what nonsense, what are you saying! But it is extremely likely that he Maybe fall in love with one of them, and therefore, as soon as he arrives, you should visit him.

- I don’t see a reason. You and the girls can go, or send them alone. This, perhaps, will be for the best - you, my dear, compete with them in beauty and of the entire delegation you may like Mr. Bingley more than anyone else.

- Darling, you flatter me. Of course, I am deprived of beauty was not, however, now I don’t at all pretend to be extraordinary. A lady with five adult daughters should give up thoughts of her own beauty.

- IN similar cases a lady is often devoid of beauty, and therefore there is nothing to think about.

“However, my dear, when Mr. Bingley arrives, you should see him.”

- I assure you, this goes beyond the scope of my duties.

“But think about your daughters.” Just think how wonderful such a match would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas intend to visit Mr. Bingley solely for such reasons - they, you know, are not in the habit of visiting visitors. You should definitely go, because if you refuse, we won’t be able to visit him. We.

-You are overly scrupulous. I think Mr. Bingley will be glad to see you; I will send him a couple of lines, assuring him of my sincere consent to the marriage, no matter which child of mine he chooses; However, I should put in a good word for my little Lizzie.

- No, please don’t do anything like that. Lizzie is not a bit better than anyone else; and certainly not half as beautiful as Jane, and not half as cheerful as Lydia. And yet you always give preference to her.

“There is no particular reason to praise them,” answered Mr. Bennett. “They are stupid and ignorant, like any girls; Lizzie is smarter than her sisters.

- Mr. Bennett, how can you insult your children in such a manner? You tease me and enjoy it. You have no sympathy at all for my frayed nerves.

– You are mistaken, my dear. I have the deepest respect for your nerves. We have been friends with them for a long time. For at least twenty years I have heard how lovingly you speak about them.

- Ah! You cannot understand my suffering.

“I hope, however, that you will recover and live to see the day when crowds of young people with four thousand a year begin to swarm in the surrounding area.”

“It’s of no use to us, even if twenty young people arrive, because you don’t want to visit them.”

“You have no doubt, my dear, when there are twenty of them, I will visit everyone.”

Mr. Bennet was such a strange mixture of irascibility, sarcastic wit, coldness and eccentricity that Mrs. Bennet did not even have twenty-three years to understand his character. Solving her character was not such a difficult task. Mrs. Bennett had a narrow mind, little knowledge and an unstable temperament. Being dissatisfied, she considered herself nervous. Her life's work was arranging daughter marriages; The joy is visits and gossip.

Chapter II

Mr. Bennett was one of the first to visit Mr. Bingley. Mr. Bennett intended to do this, although until the very end he assured his wife that he would not go, and until the evening of that day Mrs. Bennett had no idea about the visit. This was revealed in the following manner. Watching his second daughter finishing her hat, Mr. Bennett suddenly turned to his child and said:

“I hope Mr. Bingley likes this, Lizzy.”

- How do we know? What Mr. Bingley likes it,” her mother was indignant, “since we won’t visit him.”

“But you forget, mother,” Elizabeth noted, “that we will meet him at the ball, and Mrs. Long promised to introduce him.”

“I don’t think Miss Long will do anything like that.” She herself has two nieces. She is a selfish and hypocritical lady, and I cannot say a good word about her.

“So am I,” added Mr. Bennet, “and I am pleased to hear that you do not rely on her services.”

Mrs. Bennett did not deign to answer; however, unable to restrain herself, she attacked one of the daughters:

“Stop coughing, Kitty, for the love of all that is holy!” Have pity on my nerves at least a little. You tear them to shreds.

“Kitty is showing indiscretion by coughing,” her father noted. - Poorly chooses the moment to cough.

“I don’t cough for fun,” Kitty said indignantly.

- When is your next ball, Lizzie?

- In fifteen days.

- That's it! - her mother cried. “And Mrs. Long will return only the day before, and therefore will not be able to introduce Mr. Bingley, since she herself will not be familiar with him.”

“In this way, my dear, you can gain an advantage over your friend and introduce Mr. Bingley to her.

“This is impossible, Mr. Bennett, simply impossible, because I don’t know him either; Why are you teasing me so cruelly?

“I commend your discretion.” Of course, two weeks of dating means almost nothing. How is it possible to know a person in two weeks? But if we don't take the risk We, someone else will do this, but Mrs. Long and her nieces still have to try their luck; in this way, since she considers this good deed, I will take on this responsibility if you refuse.

The girls looked at their father. Mrs. Bennett replied only:

- Nonsense, complete nonsense!

– What do you mean by this emphatic exclamation? - he cried. – Do you consider official acquaintance and the importance of it nonsense? IN this I can’t quite agree with you. What do you say, Mary? I know that you are a young lady of deep knowledge, you read thick books and take notes.

Mary would like to say something reasonable, but nothing came to her mind.

“While Mary puts her thoughts in order,” Mr. Bennet continued, “let’s return to Mr. Bingley.”

“Mr. Bingley makes me sick!” - his wife screamed.

– This I'm sorry to hear; Why didn’t you tell me before? If I had known about this this morning, I, of course, would not have visited him. What a misfortune; but now, since I visited him, we cannot avoid meeting each other.

The subsequent amazement of the ladies is what Mr. Bennet desired; Mrs. Bennet's amazement, perhaps, surpassed that of the others, however, as soon as the first burst of joy had passed, her wife declared that this was what she had expected from the very beginning.

“How kind you are, my dear Mr. Bennet!” But I knew that in the end I would persuade you. I didn’t doubt it for a second - you love your girls too much, you couldn’t neglect such an acquaintance. Oh, how happy I am! and how well you joked - you set off in the morning, but until that moment you didn’t say a word.

“From now on, Kitty, you can cough as much as you like,” said Mr. Bennet, and with these words he left the room, exhausted by his wife’s delight.

“What a wonderful father you have, girls,” she noted as soon as the door closed. “And I don’t know directly how to thank him for his kindness; I don’t know how to thank him. At our age, I assure you, it is not so pleasant to make new acquaintances every day; but for your sake we are ready to do anything. Lydia, dear, you, of course, youngest, but at the next ball Mr. Bingley will probably dance with you.

- ABOUT! – Lydia answered decisively. - But I’m not afraid. I, Certainly, the youngest, but the tallest.

The rest of the evening was spent wondering how soon Mr. Bingley would return his visit, and wondering when to invite him to dinner.

Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice

BOOK ONE

Everyone knows that a young man who has the means must look for a wife.

No matter how little the intentions and views of such a person are known after he has settled in a new place, this truth so firmly takes hold of the minds of families living nearby that they immediately begin to look at him as the rightful prey of one or another neighbor’s daughter.

Dear Mr. Bennet, (1) - Mrs. Bennet once said to her husband, - have you heard that Netherfield Park (2) will finally no longer be empty? (3)

Mr. Bennett replied that he had not heard that.

Nevertheless, it is so,” she continued. - Mrs. Long just came in and told me this news!

Mr. Bennet said nothing.

Would you like to know who our new neighbor will be? - his wife asked impatiently.

I’m ready to listen to you if you really want to tell me about it.

Nothing more was required of him.

“Well, listen, my dear,” Mrs. Bennet continued. - Netherfield, according to Mrs. Long, was rented by a very rich young man from northern England. (4) On Monday he came there in a carriage drawn by four horses, examined the estate and was so delighted that he immediately agreed on everything with Mr. Morris. He is moving in time for Michaelmas (5) and some of his servants will arrive there at the end of next week.

And what is his name?

Is he married or single?

Single, dear, that's the point, single! A young bachelor with an income of four or five thousand a year! Isn't it a good opportunity for our girls?

How so? Does this have anything to do with them?

“Dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “you are simply unbearable today.” Of course you understand that I mean his marriage to one of them.

Hmm, is that his plan?

Plans! My God, and sometimes you will say! But it may well happen that he falls in love with one of them. Therefore, as soon as he arrives, you will need to pay him a visit.

I admit, I don’t see sufficient reasons for this. Go yourself and the girls. Or send them alone - that might be even better. Otherwise, he will suddenly decide to fall in love with you - after all, you are no less attractive than any of our daughters.

You flatter me, my dear. Once upon a time I was indeed not unattractive. But now, alas, I no longer pretend to be known as a beauty. A woman who has five grown daughters should not think too much about her own beauty.

In these circumstances, a woman does not often have enough beauty left to think about her very much.

But, my friend, you should certainly visit Mr. Bingley as soon as he appears.

I'm unlikely to take it on.

But think about our girls. Just imagine how well one of them will be built. You'll see Sir William and Lady Lucas rush to Netherfield. And for what, do you think? Certainly, for the sake of their Charlotte - you know, they don’t really like visiting strangers. You should definitely go - after all, we ourselves can’t visit him without it.

You are definitely too scrupulous. I think Mr. Bingley will be pleased to see you. Do you want me to give you a note for him with a promise to marry him to whichever of my daughters he likes best? Perhaps I'll just have to put in a good word for my little Lizzie.

I hope you don't do this. Lizzie is no better than your other daughters. I am sure that she is not half as beautiful as Jane and much less good-natured than Lydia. But for some reason you always give preference to her!

“None of my daughters are anything special,” he replied. “They are just as stupid and ignorant as all the other girls at that age.” Lizzie is just a little more useful than her sisters.

Mr. Bennet, how dare you insult your own children like that? You take pleasure in tormenting me. Of course, you have nothing to do with my frayed nerves.

You are wrong, my dear. I have long been accustomed to taking them into account. After all, they are my old friends. It’s not for nothing that you’ve been talking to me about them for at least twenty years.

Oh, you can’t even imagine how I suffer.

I hope that you will still live to see the time when many young people with an income of at least four thousand a year will appear in the surrounding area.

Even if there are twenty of them, what good are they if you still refuse to go to them?

Well, if there are twenty of them, my dear, then, of course, I’ll get together right away and visit them all.

Mr. Bennet's character so intricately combined liveliness of mind and a penchant for irony, isolation and eccentricity that after twenty-three years of marriage, his wife still could not adapt to him. It was much easier to understand her nature. She was an ignorant woman with insufficient intelligence and an unstable mood. When she was dissatisfied with something, she believed that her nerves were not in order. Her goal in life was to get her daughters married. Her only entertainment was visits and news.

Mr. Bennet was still one of the first to visit Mr. Bingley. In truth, from the very beginning he had in mind to pay him a visit, although all the time he assured his wife that she would never go to him. And she remained completely unaware of his intentions until the end of the day when the visit took place. The true state of affairs was revealed as follows. Watching his second daughter decorate her hat with ribbons, Mr. Bennet suddenly remarked:

I hope Mr. Bingley likes this, Lizzy.

“We’ll never know what Mr. Bingley likes and doesn’t like,” her mother said irritably, “if we don’t have to go to Netherfield.”

But you forget, mother,” said Elizabeth, “that we will meet him at the ball, and Mrs. Long promised to introduce us.”

Oh no, Mrs. Long would never do that. She herself has two nieces. I can't stand this prude and selfish thing!

“Me too,” said Mr. Bennet. “It’s so nice that you don’t depend on her in this important matter.”

Mrs. Bennet did not deign to answer; but, unable to contain her irritation, she attacked one of the daughters.