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Chapter 3

6 May 2023

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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 entertained hopes of
being admitted to a sight of the young ladies, of whose beauty he had heard
much; but he saw only the father. The ladies were somewhat more fortunate, for
they had the advantage of ascertaining from an upper window that he wore a blue
coat, and rode a black horse. 

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

Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a
pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners. His sisters were fine
women, with an air of decided fashion. His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely
looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the
room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report
which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his
having ten thousand a year. The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of
a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was
looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners
gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered
to be proud; to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his
large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding,
disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend. 

Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the
principal people in the room; he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance,
was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at
Netherfield. Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves. What a contrast
between him and his friend! Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once
with Miss Bingley, declined being introduced to any other lady, and spent the
rest of the evening in walking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of
his own party. His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable
man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never come there again.
Amongst the most violent against him was Mrs. Bennet, whose dislike of his
general behaviour was sharpened into particular resentment by his having
slighted one of her daughters. 

Elizabeth Bennet had been obliged, by the scarcity of
gentlemen, to sit down for two dances; and during part of that time, Mr. Darcy
had been standing near enough for her to hear a conversation between him and
Mr. Bingley, who came from the dance for a few minutes, to press his friend to
join it. 

“Come, Darcy,” said he, “I must have you dance. I hate to
see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had much better
dance.” 

“I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, unless I
am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this it
would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another
woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with.” 

“I would not be so fastidious as you are,” cried Mr.
Bingley, “for a kingdom! Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant
girls in my life as I have this evening; and there are several of them you see
uncommonly pretty.” 

“YOU are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room,”
said Mr. Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet. 

“Oh! She is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld! But
there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty,
and I dare say very agreeable. Do let me ask my partner to introduce you.” 

“Which do you mean?” and turning round he looked for a
moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly
said: “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt ME; I am in no humour
at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.
You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting
your time with me.” 

Mr. Bingley followed his advice. Mr. Darcy walked off; and
Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings toward him. She told the
story, however, with great spirit among her friends; for she had a lively,
playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous. 

The evening altogether passed off pleasantly to the whole
family. Mrs. Bennet had seen her eldest daughter much admired by the
Netherfield party. Mr. Bingley had danced with her twice, and she had been
distinguished by his sisters. Jane was as much gratified by this as her mother
could be, though in a quieter way. Elizabeth felt Jane’s pleasure. Mary had
heard herself mentioned to Miss Bingley as the most accomplished girl in the
neighbourhood; and Catherine and Lydia had been fortunate enough never to be
without partners, which was all that they had yet learnt to care for at a ball.
They returned, therefore, in good spirits to Longbourn, the village where they
lived, and of which they were the principal inhabitants. They found Mr. Bennet
still up. With a book he was regardless of time; and on the present occasion he
had a good deal of curiosity as to the events of an evening which had raised
such splendid expectations. He had rather hoped that his wife’s views on the
stranger would be disappointed; but he soon found out that he had a different
story to hear. 

“Oh! my dear Mr. Bennet,” as she entered the room, “we have
had a most delightful evening, a most excellent ball. I wish you had been
there. Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it. Everybody said how well
she looked; and Mr. Bingley thought her quite beautiful, and danced with her
twice! Only think of THAT, my dear; he actually danced with her twice! and she
was the only creature in the room that he asked a second time. First of all, he
asked Miss Lucas. I was so vexed to see him stand up with her! But, however, he
did not admire her at all; indeed, nobody can, you know; and he seemed quite
struck with Jane as she was going down the dance. So he inquired who she was,
and got introduced, and asked her for the two next. Then the two third he
danced with Miss King, and the two fourth with Maria Lucas, and the two fifth
with Jane again, and the two sixth with Lizzy, and the BOULANGER–“ 

“If he had had any compassion for ME,” cried her husband
impatiently, “he would not have danced half so much! For God’s sake, say no
more of his partners. O that he had sprained his ankle in the first place!” 

“Oh! my dear, I am quite delighted with him. He is so
excessively handsome! And his sisters are charming women. I never in my life
saw anything more elegant than their dresses. I dare say the lace upon Mrs.
Hurst’s gown–“ 

Here she was interrupted again. Mr. Bennet protested against
any description of finery. She was therefore obliged to seek another branch of
the subject, and related, with much bitterness of spirit and some exaggeration,
the shocking rudeness of Mr. Darcy. 

“But I can assure you,” she added, “that Lizzy does not lose
much by not suiting HIS fancy; for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not
at all worth pleasing. So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him!
He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great! Not
handsome enough to dance with! I wish you had been there, my dear, to have
given him one of your set-downs. I quite detest the man.”  

61
Articles
Pride And Prejudice
4.7
Famous book by jane austen, pride and prejudice. Pride and Prejudice follows the turbulent relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a rich aristocratic landowner. They must overcome the titular sins of pride and prejudice in order to fall in love and marry.
1

Chapter 1

5 May 2023
49
1
11

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 ent

2

Chapter 2

6 May 2023
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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

3

Chapter 3

6 May 2023
4
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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 atta

4

Chapter 4

6 May 2023
3
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When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister just how very much she admired him. “He is just what a young man oug

5

Chapter 5

8 May 2023
3
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Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Bennets were particularly intimate. Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune, and ri

6

Chapter 6

8 May 2023
4
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The ladies of Longbourn soon waited on those of Netherfield. The visit was soon returned in due form. Miss Bennet’s pleasing manners grew on the goodwill of Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; and though the

7

Chapter 7

8 May 2023
2
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Mr. Bennet’s property consisted almost entirely in an estate of two thousand a year, which, unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed, in default of heirs male, on a distant relation; and their mo

8

Chapter 8

8 May 2023
2
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At five o’clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at half-past six Elizabeth was summoned to dinner. To the civil inquiries which then poured in, and amongst which she had the pleasure of distingui

9

Chapter 9

9 May 2023
2
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Elizabeth passed the chief of the night in her sister’s room, and in the morning had the pleasure of being able to send a tolerable answer to the inquiries which she very early received from Mr. Bingl

10

Chapter 10

9 May 2023
1
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The day passed much as the day before had done. Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley had spent some hours of the morning with the invalid, who continued, though slowly, to mend; and in the evening Elizabeth jo

11

Chapter 11

9 May 2023
1
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When the ladies removed after dinner, Elizabeth ran up to her sister, and seeing her well guarded from cold, attended her into the drawing-room, where she was welcomed by her two friends with many pro

12

Chapter 12

9 May 2023
1
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In consequence of an agreement between the sisters, Elizabeth wrote the next morning to their mother, to beg that the carriage might be sent for them in the course of the day. But Mrs. Bennet, who had

13

Chapter 13

9 May 2023
0
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“I hope, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet to his wife, as they were at breakfast the next morning, “that you have ordered a good dinner to-day, because I have reason to expect an addition to our family party

14

Chapter 14

9 May 2023
0
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During dinner, Mr. Bennet scarcely spoke at all; but when the servants were withdrawn, he thought it time to have some conversation with his guest, and therefore started a subject in which he expected

15

Chapter 15

9 May 2023
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Mr. Collins was not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society; the greatest part of his life having been spent under the guidance of an illitera

16

Chapter 16

9 May 2023
0
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As no objection was made to the young people’s engagement with their aunt, and all Mr. Collins’s scruples of leaving Mr. and Mrs. Bennet for a single evening during his visit were most steadily resist

17

Chapter 17

9 May 2023
0
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Elizabeth related to Jane the next day what had passed between Mr. Wickham and herself. Jane listened with astonishment and concern; she knew not how to believe that Mr. Darcy could be so unworthy of

18

Chapter 18

9 May 2023
0
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Till Elizabeth entered the drawing-room at Netherfield, and looked in vain for Mr. Wickham among the cluster of red coats there assembled, a doubt of his being present had never occurred to her. The c

19

Chapter 19

10 May 2023
0
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The next day opened a new scene at Longbourn. Mr. Collins made his declaration in form. Having resolved to do it without loss of time, as his leave of absence extended only to the following Saturday,

20

Chapter 20

10 May 2023
0
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Mr. Collins was not left long to the silent contemplation of his successful love; for Mrs. Bennet, having dawdled about in the vestibule to watch for the end of the conference, no sooner saw Elizabeth

21

Chapter 21

10 May 2023
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The discussion of Mr. Collins’s offer was now nearly at an end, and Elizabeth had only to suffer from the uncomfortable feelings necessarily attending it, and occasionally from some peevish allusions

22

Chapter 22

10 May 2023
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The Bennets were engaged to dine with the Lucases and again during the chief of the day was Miss Lucas so kind as to listen to Mr. Collins. Elizabeth took an opportunity of thanking her. “It keeps him

23

Chapter 23

10 May 2023
0
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Elizabeth was sitting with her mother and sisters, reflecting on what she had heard, and doubting whether she was authorised to mention it, when Sir William Lucas himself appeared, sent by his daughte

24

Chapter 24

10 May 2023
0
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Miss Bingley’s letter arrived, and put an end to doubt. The very first sentence conveyed the assurance of their being all settled in London for the winter, and concluded with her brother’s regret at n

25

Chapter 25

10 May 2023
1
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After a week spent in professions of love and schemes of felicity, Mr. Collins was called from his amiable Charlotte by the arrival of Saturday. The pain of separation, however, might be alleviated on

26

Chapter 26

11 May 2023
0
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Mrs. Gardiner’s caution to Elizabeth was punctually and kindly given on the first favourable opportunity of speaking to her alone; after honestly telling her what she thought, she thus went on: “You

27

Chapter 27

11 May 2023
0
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With no greater events than these in the Longbourn family, and otherwise diversified by little beyond the walks to Meryton, sometimes dirty and sometimes cold, did January and February pass away. Marc

28

Chapter 28

11 May 2023
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Every object in the next day’s journey was new and interesting to Elizabeth; and her spirits were in a state of enjoyment; for she had seen her sister looking so well as to banish all fear for her hea

29

Chapter 29

11 May 2023
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Mr. Collins’s triumph, in consequence of this invitation, was complete. The power of displaying the grandeur of his patroness to his wondering visitors, and of letting them see her civility towards hi

30

Chapter 30

11 May 2023
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Sir William stayed only a week at Hunsford, but his visit was long enough to convince him of his daughter’s being most comfortably settled, and of her possessing such a husband and such a neighbour as

31

Chapter 31

11 May 2023
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Colonel Fitzwilliam’s manners were very much admired at the Parsonage, and the ladies all felt that he must add considerably to the pleasures of their engagements at Rosings. It was some days, however

32

Chapter 32

11 May 2023
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Elizabeth was sitting by herself the next morning, and writing to Jane while Mrs. Collins and Maria were gone on business into the village, when she was startled by a ring at the door, the certain sig

33

Chapter 33

11 May 2023
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More than once did Elizabeth, in her ramble within the park, unexpectedly meet Mr. Darcy. She felt all the perverseness of the mischance that should bring him where no one else was brought, and, to pr

34

Chapter 34

11 May 2023
0
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When they were gone, Elizabeth, as if intending to exasperate herself as much as possible against Mr. Darcy, chose for her employment the examination of all the letters which Jane had written to her s

35

Chapter 35

11 May 2023
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Elizabeth awoke the next morning to the same thoughts and meditations which had at length closed her eyes. She could not yet recover from the surprise of what had happened; it was impossible to think

36

Chapter 36

11 May 2023
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If Elizabeth, when Mr. Darcy gave her the letter, did not expect it to contain a renewal of his offers, she had formed no expectation at all of its contents. But such as they were, it may well be supp

37

Chapter 37

11 May 2023
0
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The two gentlemen left Rosings the next morning, and Mr. Collins having been in waiting near the lodges, to make them his parting obeisance, was able to bring home the pleasing intelligence, of their

38

Chapter 38

12 May 2023
0
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On Saturday morning Elizabeth and Mr. Collins met for breakfast a few minutes before the others appeared; and he took the opportunity of paying the parting civilities which he deemed indispensably nec

39

Chapter 39

12 May 2023
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It was the second week in May, in which the three young ladies set out together from Gracechurch Street for the town of —-, in Hertfordshire; and, as they drew near the appointed inn where Mr. Bennet’

40

Chapter 40

12 May 2023
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Elizabeth’s impatience to acquaint Jane with what had happened could no longer be overcome; and at length, resolving to suppress every particular in which her sister was concerned, and preparing her t

41

Chapter 41

12 May 2023
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The first week of their return was soon gone. The second began. It was the last of the regiment’s stay in Meryton, and all the young ladies in the neighbourhood were drooping apace. The dejection was

42

Chapter 42

12 May 2023
0
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Had Elizabeth’s opinion been all drawn from her own family, she could not have formed a very pleasing opinion of conjugal felicity or domestic comfort. Her father, captivated by youth and beauty, and

43

Chapter 43

12 May 2023
0
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Elizabeth, as they drove along, watched for the first appearance of Pemberley Woods with some perturbation; and when at length they turned in at the lodge, her spirits were in a high flutter. The par

44

Chapter 44

12 May 2023
0
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Elizabeth had settled it that Mr. Darcy would bring his sister to visit her the very day after her reaching Pemberley; and was consequently resolved not to be out of sight of the inn the whole of that

45

Chapter 45

12 May 2023
0
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Convinced as Elizabeth now was that Miss Bingley’s dislike of her had originated in jealousy, she could not help feeling how unwelcome her appearance at Pemberley must be to her, and was curious to kn

46

Chapter 46

12 May 2023
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Elizabeth had been a good deal disappointed in not finding a letter from Jane on their first arrival at Lambton; and this disappointment had been renewed on each of the mornings that had now been spen

47

Chapter 47

12 May 2023
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“I have been thinking it over again, Elizabeth,” said her uncle, as they drove from the town; “and really, upon serious consideration, I am much more inclined than I was to judge as your eldest sister

48

Chapter 48

12 May 2023
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The whole party were in hopes of a letter from Mr. Bennet the next morning, but the post came in without bringing a single line from him. His family knew him to be, on all common occasions, a most neg

49

Chapter 49

12 May 2023
0
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Two days after Mr. Bennet’s return, as Jane and Elizabeth were walking together in the shrubbery behind the house, they saw the housekeeper coming towards them, and, concluding that she came to call t

50

Chapter 50

13 May 2023
0
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Mr. Bennet had very often wished before this period of his life that, instead of spending his whole income, he had laid by an annual sum for the better provision of his children, and of his wife, if s

51

Chapter 51

13 May 2023
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Their sister’s wedding day arrived; and Jane and Elizabeth felt for her probably more than she felt for herself. The carriage was sent to meet them at —-, and they were to return in it by dinner-time.

52

Chapter 52

13 May 2023
0
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Elizabeth had the satisfaction of receiving an answer to her letter as soon as she possibly could. She was no sooner in possession of it than, hurrying into the little copse, where she was least likel

53

Chapter 53

13 May 2023
0
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Mr. Wickham was so perfectly satisfied with this conversation that he never again distressed himself, or provoked his dear sister Elizabeth, by introducing the subject of it; and she was pleased to fi

54

Chapter 54

13 May 2023
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As soon as they were gone, Elizabeth walked out to recover her spirits; or in other words, to dwell without interruption on those subjects that must deaden them more. Mr. Darcy’s behaviour astonished

55

Chapter 55

13 May 2023
0
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A few days after this visit, Mr. Bingley called again, and alone. His friend had left him that morning for London, but was to return home in ten days time. He sat with them above an hour, and was in r

56

Chapter 56

13 May 2023
0
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One morning, about a week after Bingley’s engagement with Jane had been formed, as he and the females of the family were sitting together in the dining-room, their attention was suddenly drawn to the

57

Chapter 57

13 May 2023
0
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The discomposure of spirits which this extraordinary visit threw Elizabeth into, could not be easily overcome; nor could she, for many hours, learn to think of it less than incessantly. Lady Catherine

58

Chapter 58

13 May 2023
0
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Instead of receiving any such letter of excuse from his friend, as Elizabeth half expected Mr. Bingley to do, he was able to bring Darcy with him to Longbourn before many days had passed after Lady Ca

59

Chapter 59

13 May 2023
0
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“My dear Lizzy, where can you have been walking to?” was a question which Elizabeth received from Jane as soon as she entered their room, and from all the others when they sat down to table. She had o

60

Chapter 60

13 May 2023
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Elizabeth’s spirits soon rising to playfulness again, she wanted Mr. Darcy to account for his having ever fallen in love with her. “How could you begin?” said she. “I can comprehend your going on char

61

Chapter 61

13 May 2023
0
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Happy for all her maternal feelings was the day on which Mrs. Bennet got rid of her two most deserving daughters. With what delighted pride she afterwards visited Mrs. Bingley, and talked of Mrs. Darc

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