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The village of Longbourn was only one mile from Meryton; a most convenient distance for the young ladies, who were usually going three or four times a week, to pay their duty to their aunt. The two youngest of the family, Catherine and Lydia, went there very often. Meryton was the headquarters for the officers.
Young sisters could talk of nothing but officers; and Mr. Bingley’s large fortune was worthless in their eyes when opposed to the officer’s coat.
After listening one morning to their talking, Mr. Bennet observed:
“You must be two of the silliest girls in the country. I have suspected it some time, but I am now convinced.”
Catherine was disconcerted, and made no answer; but Lydia, with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of Captain Carter, who was going the next morning to London.
“My dear Mrs. Bennet, you must not expect such girls to have the sense of their father and mother,” said Mr. Bennet.
“When they get to our age, I dare say they will not think about officers any more. I remember the time when I liked a red coat myself very well – and, indeed, if a smart young colonel, with five or six thousand a year, should want one of my girls I shall not say “no” to him.”
Suddenly a letter for Miss Bennet arrived; it came from Netherfield, and the servant waited for an answer. Mrs. Bennet’s eyes sparkled with pleasure,
“Well, Jane, who is it from? What is it about? What does he say? Well, Jane, make haste and tell us; make haste, my love.”
“It is from Miss Bingley,” said Jane, and then read it aloud.
“MY DEAR FRIEND, —
“If you are not so kind to dine today with Louisa and me, we will hate each other, because a whole day between two women can never end without a quarrel. Come as soon as you can. My brother and the gentlemen will dine with the officers.
Yours,
“Caroline Bingley”
“With the officers!” cried Lydia.
“Dining out,” said Mrs. Bennet, “that is very unlucky.”
“Can I have the carriage?” said Jane.
“No, my dear, you had better go on horseback, because it seems likely to rain; and then you must stay all night.”
So Jane was therefore obliged to go on horseback, and her mother attended her to the door. Soon it rained hard. Her sisters were worried about her, but her mother was delighted. The rain continued the whole evening; Jane certainly could not come back.
“This was a lucky idea of mine, indeed!” said Mrs. Bennet. But the next morning a servant from Netherfield brought the following note for Elizabeth:
“My dearest Lizzy, —
“I find myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is due to my getting wet through yesterday. My kind friends invited me to stay here. The doctor will come in a while, so do not worry. I have a sore throat and headache.
– Your Jane.”
“Well, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note aloud, “if your daughter should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley.”
“Oh! I am not afraid, people do not die of colds. She will be taken good care of. As long as she stays there, it is all very well. I would go and see her if I could have the carriage.”
Elizabeth decided to go with her, but she could not ride the horse, so she decided to walk. She declared her resolution.
“How can you be so silly,” cried her mother, “in all this dirt!”
“But I shall see Jane – that is all I want. The distance is nothing when one has a motive; only three miles. I shall be back by dinner.”
Elizabeth’s appearance made a great surprise. She was walking three miles so early, in such dirty weather. It was incredible to everybody. She was received, however, very politely by them; and in their brother’s manners there was something better than politeness; there was good humour and kindness. Mr. Darcy said very little, he was thinking of her beauty.
Miss Bennet was not well enough to leave her room. Elizabeth was glad to see her immediately.
When breakfast was over Mr. Bingley’s sisters came; and Elizabeth began to like them, when she saw how much affection they showed for Jane. The doctor came, and examined his patient. He said that she had caught a violent cold; advised her to return to bed. The advice was followed readily. Elizabeth did not quit her room for a moment.
Chapter 8
At five o’clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at half-past six Elizabeth was called to dinner.
Jane was not better. The sisters, on hearing this, repeated three or four times how much they were grieved, how shocking it was to have a bad cold, and how they disliked being ill themselves.
When dinner was over, she returned directly to Jane, and Miss Bingley began to abuse Elizabeth as soon as she was out of the room. Her manners were considered very bad indeed, a mixture of pride and impertinence; she had no conversation[17 - she had no conversation – она не умеет вести беседу], no style, no beauty.
“She has nothing, in short, to recommend her. Of course, she is an excellent walker. I shall never forget her appearance this morning.”
“Why did she come here, because her sister had a cold? Her hair, so untidy!”
“I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked remarkably well, Louisa,” said Bingley; “when she came into the room this morning.”
“To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, above her ankles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! What could she mean by it?”
A short pause followed this speech, and the sisters began again:
“I like Miss Jane Bennet very much, she is really a very sweet girl. But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance for her in the life.”
To this speech Bingley made no answer.
Jane was still very poorly, and Elizabeth would not quit her at all, till late in the evening. On entering the drawing-room she found the whole party playing cards, and was immediately invited to join them. But she declined it, and said she would read a book instead.
“Do you prefer reading to cards? That is very strange.”
“Miss Eliza Bennet,” said Miss Bingley, “despises cards. She is a great reader.”
“Not at all, I am not a great reader,” cried Elizabeth; “and I have pleasure in many things.”
Elizabeth walked towards the table where a few books were lying. “I am astonished,” said Miss Bingley, “that my father has such a small collection of books. What a delightful library you have, Mr. Darcy!”
“It is good,” he replied, “I am always buying books.”
“It is amazing to me,” said Bingley, “how young ladies can have patience to be so educated as they all are.”
“All young ladies educated! My dear Charles, what do you mean?”
“Yes, all of them, I think. They all paint pictures, and net purses. I scarcely know anyone who cannot do all this.”
“ I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation[18 - I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation – Я совершенно не могу согласиться с вашей оценкой] of ladies in general,” said Darcy, “I cannot name five women, that are really educated.”
“Nor I, I am sure,” said Miss Bingley.
“Then,” observed Elizabeth, “in your opinion, who is an educated woman?”
“Oh! No one can be really educated who does not know necessary things. A woman must know music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air[19 - a certain something in her air – определённое своеобразие во внешности] and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions.”
“All this she must possess,” added Darcy, “and the most important thing, she must read a lot.”
The conversation was over, and Elizabeth soon afterwards left the room.
“Elizabeth Bennet,” said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed, “is one of those young ladies who try recommend themselves to the men; and with many men it succeeds.”
Elizabeth joined them again only to say that her sister was worse, and that she could not leave her. Bingley was quite uncomfortable; his sisters declared that they were miserable.
Chapter 9
Elizabeth passed the night in her sister’s room. Suddenly Mrs. Bennet, accompanied by her two youngest girls, came to Netherfield soon after the family breakfast.
If she found Jane in a danger, Mrs. Bennet would have been very miserable. But she was satisfied that her illness was not dangerous. She would not listen, therefore, to her daughter’s proposal of coming home. After sitting a little while with Jane, the mother and three daughters came into the breakfast parlour. Bingley met them with hopes that Mrs. Bennet had not found Miss Bennet worse than she expected.
“Indeed I have, sir,” was her answer. “She is too ill to be moved. We must use your kindness a little longer. You have a sweet room here, Mr. Bingley. I do not know a place in the country that is equal to Netherfield. You will not think of quitting it in a hurry.”
“Whatever I do is done in a hurry,” replied he; “But at present, however, I consider myself as quite fixed here.[20 - I consider myself as quite fixed here. – Мне кажется, что я устроился здесь основательно.]”
“That is exactly what I should have supposed of you,” said Elizabeth.
“You begin to comprehend me, do you?” cried he.
“Oh! yes—I understand you perfectly.”
“Lizzy,” cried her mother, “remember where you are, and do not continue in the wild manner that you use at home.”
“I did not know before,” continued Bingley immediately, “that you were a studier of character. It must be an amusing study.”
“The country,” said Darcy, “can in general supply a few subjects for such a study.”
“Yes, indeed,” cried Mrs. Bennet, offended by his manner of mentioning a country neighbourhood. “I cannot see that London has any great advantage over the country, except the shops and public places. The country is far more pleasant, is it not, Mr. Bingley?”
“When I am in the country,” he replied, “I never wish to leave it; and when I am in town it is the same. They have each their advantages.”
“That is because you have the right disposition. But that gentleman,” looking at Darcy, “seemed to think the country was nothing at all.”
“Indeed, Mamma, you are mistaken,” said Elizabeth, blushing for her mother. “You quite mistook Mr. Darcy. He only meant that there was not such a variety of people to be met with in the country as in the town.”
“Certainly, my dear, but we dine with twenty-four families.”
Elizabeth asked her mother if Charlotte Lucas had been at Longbourn.
“Yes, she came yesterday with her father. What an agreeable man Sir William is, Mr. Bingley, is not he? He has always something to say to everybody.”
“Did Charlotte dine with you?”
“No, she went home. The Lucases are a very good sort of girls, I assure you. It is a pity they are not handsome! Not that I think Charlotte so very plain – she is our friend.”
“She seems a very pleasant young woman.”
“Oh! dear, yes; but you must agree she is very plain. Lady Lucas herself has often said so, and envied me Jane’s beauty[21 - envied me Jane’s beauty – завидовала красоте моей Джейн]. I do not like to boast of my own child, but to be sure, Jane – one does not often see anybody better looking. It is what everybody says. When she was only fifteen, there was a man so much in love with her that my sister-in-law was sure he would make her an offer. But, however, he did not. Perhaps he thought she was too young. However, he wrote some verses on her[22 - he wrote some verses on her – он посвятил ей стихи], and very pretty they were.”
“ I wonder,” said Elizabeth impatiently, “who first discovered the poetry was driving away love!”
“I always thought that the poetry was the food of love,” said Darcy.
“Maybe. Everything nourishes what is strong already. But if it is weak, one good sonnet will kill it.”
Darcy only smiled; Mrs. Bennet began to thank Mr. Bingley for his kindness to Jane, with an apology for troubling him also with Lizzy. Mr. Bingley was very civil in his answer, and forced his younger sister to be civil also, and say what the occasion required.
Lydia was a stout girl of fifteen, with a fine complexion and good-humoured countenance; a favourite with her mother, whose affection had brought her into public at an early age. She had a sort of natural self-consequence. She reminded Mr. Bingley about the ball that he promised to organise. And she added, that it would be the most shameful thing in the world if he did not keep his promise. His answer was delightful to their mother’s ear:
“I am perfectly ready, I assure you, to keep my promise, when your sister is recovered. But you would not wish to dance when she is ill.”
Lydia declared herself satisfied. “Oh! yes – it would be much better to wait till Jane was well, and by that time most likely Captain Carter would be at Meryton again.”
Mrs. Bennet and her daughters then left, and Elizabeth returned instantly to Jane.
Chapter 10
Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley had spent some hours of the morning with Jane, who continued, though slowly, to recover; and in the evening Elizabeth joined their party in the drawing-room. Mr. Darcy was writing, and Miss Bingley, seated near him. Mr. Hurst and Mr. Bingley were playing cards, and Mrs. Hurst was observing their game.
Elizabeth took up some needlework, and was sufficiently amused looking what happened between Darcy and his companion.
“How delighted Miss Darcy will be to receive such a letter!”
He made no answer.
“You write uncommonly fast.”
“You are mistaken. I write rather slowly.”
“Please tell your sister that I want to see her.”
“I have already told her, by your desire[23 - by your desire – по вашему желанию].”
“I am afraid you do not like your pen. Let me mend it for you. I mend pens remarkably well.”
“Thank you – but I always mend myself.”
