Chapter 2

Mr Bennet was one of the first to visit Mr Bingley. He had always intended to visit him, though he told his wife every day that he would not go. On the evening after the visit she still did not know that he had gone. Then, watching his second daughter who was busy trimming a hat, Mr Bennet suddenly said:

Thope Mr Bingley will like it, Elizabeth." 'We shall never know what Mr Bingley likes, her mother said angrily.

"We are not going to visit him. 'But you forget, Mamma, said Elizabeth, 'that we shall meet him at the assembly balls. Mrs Long has promised to introduce him.'

"When is your next ball at Meryton, Lizzy?' asked Kitty.

In a fortnight."

"That's right!' cried her mother. And Mrs Long will be away until the day before the ball. So she will not know Mr Bingley herself by then, and she will not be able to introduce him.

"Then, my dear, you may be able to introduce Mr Bingley to her

Impossible, Mr Bennet, impossible! I shall not know him myself. Why do

you tease so? I am tired of Mr Bingley!

'I am sorry to hear that. Why didn't you tell me before? If I had known that

this morning I certainly would not have visited him. It is very unlucky.

But as I have actually been to his house we shall have to know him now!

The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wanted. Mrs Bennet was probably more surprised than any of them, though she soon began to say that she had expected this all the time.

'How good it was of you, my dear Mr Bennet! But I knew I should persuade you to do it. I was sure you loved the girls too much to miss such a chance. Well, how pleased I am! What an excellent father you have, girls. I don't know how you will ever repay him for his kindness; or me, either. At our age it is not very pleasant making new friends every day, but we would do anything to help you. Lydia, my love, I am sure Mr Bingley will dance with you at the next ball, although you are the youngest

I am sure of it said Lydia boldly, 'because I am the tallest, although I am the youngest

All the questions of Mrs Bennet and her five daughters could not persuade Mr Bennet to describe Mr Bingley to them. He refused to give any information at all. At last they had to ask their neighbour, Lady Lucas. Her news was excellent. Sir William had been delighted with Mr Bingley. He was quite young, very handsome, extremely pleasant and, best of all, he intended to come to the next ball with a large party of friends. Nothing could be more delightful. Enjoyment of dancing was a step towards falling in love. There were high hopes of winning Mr Bingley's heart.

'If I can see one of my daughters living at Netherfield, and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing more to wish for," said Mrs Bennet to her husband.

In a few days Mr Bingley came to visit Mr Bennet and sat in the library with him for about ten minutes. He had hoped to see the young ladies, about whose beauty he had heard a great deal; but he only saw their father. The ladies were luckier. They saw from an upstairs window that he wore a blue coat and rode a black horse.

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