Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen















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Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 1
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man
in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
However little known the feelings or views of such a
man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this
truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding
families, that he is considered the rightful property of some
one or other of their daughters.
‘My dear Mr. Bennet,’ said his lady to him one day,
‘have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?’
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
‘But it is,’ returned she; ‘for Mrs. Long has just been
here, and she told me all about it.’
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
‘Do you not want to know who has taken it?’ cried his
wife impatiently.
‘YOU want to tell me, and I have no objection to
hearing it.’
This was invitation enough.
‘Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that
Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from
the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a
chaise and four to see the place, and was so much
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Pride and Prejudice

delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris
immediately; that he is to take possession before
Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the
house by the end of next week.’
‘What is his name?’
‘Bingley.’
‘Is he married or single?’
‘Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large
fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for
our girls!’
‘How so? How can it affect them?’
‘My dear Mr. Bennet,’ replied his wife, ‘how can you
be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his
marrying one of them.’
‘Is that his design in settling here?’
‘Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very
likely that he MAY fall in love with one of them, and
therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.’
‘I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or
you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be
still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr.
Bingley may like you the best of the party.’
‘My dear, you flatter me. I certainly HAVE had my
share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything
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extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown-up
daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own
beauty.’
‘In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to
think of.’
‘But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley
when he comes into the neighbourhood.’
‘It is more than I engage for, I assure you.’
‘But consider your daughters. Only think what an
establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William
and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that
account, for in general, you know, they visit no
newcomers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible
for US to visit him if you do not.’
‘You are over-scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr.
Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few
lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his
marrying whichever he chooses of the girls; though I must
throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.’
‘I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit
better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so
handsome as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia.
But you are always giving HER the preference.’
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‘They have none of them much to recommend them,’
replied he; ‘they are all silly and ignorant like other girls;
but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her
sisters.’
‘Mr. Bennet, how CAN you abuse your own children
in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have
no compassion for my poor nerves.’
‘You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for
your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you
mention them with consideration these last twenty years at
least.’
Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts,
sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience
of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make
his wife understand his character. HER mind was less
difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean
understanding, little information, and uncertain temper.
When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous.
The business of her life was to get her daughters married;
its solace was visiting and news.
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Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 2
Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who
waited on Mr. Bingley. He had always intended to visit
him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he
should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid
she had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the
following manner. Observing his second daughter
employed in trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her
with:
‘I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy.’
‘We are not in a way to know WHAT Mr. Bingley
likes,’ said her mother resentfully, ‘since we are not to
visit.’
‘But you forget, mamma,’ said Elizabeth, ‘that we shall
meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long promised
to introduce him.’
‘I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She
has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical
woman, and I have no opinion of her.’
‘No more have I,’ said Mr. Bennet; ‘and I am glad to
find that you do not depend on her serving you.’
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Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply, but,
unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her
daughters.
‘Don’t keep coughing so, Kitty, for Heaven’s sake!
Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to
pieces.’
‘Kitty has no discretion in her coughs,’ said her father;
‘she times them ill.’
‘I do not cough for my own amusement,’ replied Kitty
fretfully. ‘When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?’
‘To-morrow fortnight.’
‘Aye, so it is,’ cried her mother, ‘and Mrs. Long does
not come back till the day before; so it will be impossible
for her to introduce him, for she will not know him
herself.’
‘Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your
friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley to HER.’
‘Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not
acquainted with him myself; how can you be so teasing?’
‘I honour your circumspection. A fortnight’s
acquaintance is certainly very little. One cannot know
what a man really is by the end of a fortnight. But if WE
do not venture somebody else will; and after all, Mrs.
Long and her daughters must stand their chance; and,
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therefore, as she will think it an act of kindness, if you
decline the office, I will take it on myself.’
The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only,
‘Nonsense, nonsense!’
‘What can be the meaning of that emphatic
exclamation?’ cried he. ‘Do you consider the forms of
introduction, and the stress that is laid on them, as
nonsense? I cannot quite agree with you THERE. What
say you, Mary? For you are a young lady of deep
reflection, I know, and read great books and make
extracts.’
Mary wished to say something sensible, but knew not
how.
‘While Mary is adjusting her ideas,’ he continued, ‘let
us return to Mr. Bingley.’
‘I am sick of Mr. Bingley,’ cried his wife.
‘I am sorry to hear THAT; but why did not you tell
me that before? If I had known as much this morning I
certainly would not have called on him. It is very unlucky;
but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the
acquaintance now.’
The astonishment of the ladies was just what he
wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest;
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though, when the first tumult of joy was over, she began
to declare that it was what she had expected all the while.
‘How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I
knew I should persuade you at last. I was sure you loved
your girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance. Well,
how pleased I am! and it is such a good joke, too, that you
should have gone this morning and never said a word
about it till now.’
‘Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose,’
said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke, he left the room,
fatigued with the raptures of his wife.
‘What an excellent father you have, girls!’ said she,
when the door was shut. ‘I do not know how you will
ever make him amends for his kindness; or me, either, for
that matter. At our time of life it is not so pleasant, I can
tell you, to be making new acquaintances every day; but
for your sakes, we would do anything. Lydia, my love,
though you ARE the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley
will dance with you at the next ball.’
‘Oh!’ said Lydia stoutly, ‘I am not afraid; for though I
AM the youngest, I’m the tallest.’
The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how
soon he would return Mr. Bennet’s visit, and determining
when they should ask him to dinner.
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Chapter 3
Not all that Mrs. Bennet, however, with the assistance
of her five daughters, could ask on the subject, was
sufficient to draw from her husband any satisfactory
description of Mr. Bingley. They attacked him in various
ways—with barefaced questions, ingenious suppositions,
and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all,
and they were at last obliged to accept the second-hand
intelligence of their neighbour, Lady Lucas. Her report
was highly favourable. Sir William had been delighted
with him. He was quite young, wonderfully handsome,
extremely agreeable, and, to crown the whole, he meant
to be at the next assembly with a large party. Nothing
could be more delightful! To be fond of dancing was a
certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes
of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained.
‘If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at
Netherfield,’ said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, ‘and all the
others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish
for.’
In a few days Mr. Bingley returned Mr. Bennet’s visit,
and sat about ten minutes with him in his library. He had
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