Maximum-assistance view: every word above everyday vocabulary is explained at every appearance; each name is introduced at its first appearance in the chapter.

CHAPTER III.

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 (was enough to get any useful description of Mr. Bingley out of her husband). They attacked him in various ways, with barefaced questions (They came at him in different ways, with blunt questions), ingenious suppositions, and distant surmises (clever guesses, and hints made from a distance); but he eluded the skill of them all (but he slipped past every one of their tricks); and they were at last obliged to accept the second-hand intelligence of their neighbour (and in the end they had to make do with news passed on by their neighbour), Lady Lucas. Her report was highly favourable (What she said about him was very good). Sir William had been delighted with him (Sir William Lucas had been delighted with him). He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, extremely agreeable (He was quite young, very good-looking, and very pleasant), and, to crown the whole, he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party (and, best of all, he meant to come to the next public dance with a big group). Nothing could be more delightful! To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love (Liking dancing was a sure step toward falling in love); and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained (and they had strong hopes of winning Mr. Bingley’s heart).

“If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield (If I can only see one of my daughters happily married and living at Netherfield),” said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, “and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for (I will have nothing left to want).”

In a few days Mr. Bingley returned Mr. Bennet’s visit (Mr. Bingley came to call on Mr. Bennet in return), and sat about ten minutes with him in his library (and sat with him about ten minutes in his study). He had entertained hopes of being admitted to a sight of the young ladies (He had hoped to be shown in to see the young ladies), of whose beauty he had heard much; but he saw only the father (whose good looks he had heard a lot about, but he saw only the father). The ladies were somewhat more fortunate (The women did rather better), for they had the advantage of ascertaining, from an upper window (because they had the benefit of finding out, from an upstairs window), that he wore a blue coat and rode a black horse (that he wore a blue coat and rode a black horse).

An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards despatched (An invitation to dinner was sent off soon after); and already had Mrs. Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to her housekeeping (Mrs. Bennet had already planned the dishes that would show off how well she ran her house), when an answer arrived which deferred it all (when a reply came that put the whole thing off). Mr. Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day (Mr. Bingley had to be in London the next day), and consequently unable to accept the honour of their invitation (and so could not accept their kind invitation), etc. Mrs. Bennet was quite disconcerted (Mrs. Bennet was quite thrown). She could not imagine what business he could have in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire (She could not think what business he could have in London so soon after arriving in Hertfordshire); and she began to fear that he might always be flying about from one place to another (she began to worry that he might always be dashing from place to place), and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be (and never settle down at Netherfield as he should). Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by starting the idea (Lady Lucas calmed her a little by putting forward the idea) of his

]

being gone to London only to get a large party for the ball (that he had gone to London only to collect a large group for the dance); and a report soon followed (and word soon went round) that Mr. Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly (that Mr. Bingley was going to bring twelve women and seven men with him to the dance). The girls grieved over such a number of ladies (The girls were upset at so many women coming); but were comforted the day before the ball by hearing (but were cheered up the day before the dance by hearing) that, instead of twelve, he had brought only six with him from London (that instead of twelve he had brought only six with him from London), his five sisters and a cousin (his five sisters and a cousin). And when the party entered the assembly-room, it consisted of only five altogether (And when the group came into the dance hall there were only five of them in all): Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man (Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the older one, and another young man).

Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike: he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners (he had a pleasant face and an easy, natural way with people). His sisters were fine women, with an air of decided fashion (His sisters were handsome women who clearly followed the fashions). His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman (His sister’s husband, Mr. Hurst, only looked like a gentleman and no more); but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room (but his friend Mr. Darcy soon had the whole room looking at him) by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien (for his fine tall figure, good-looking face and grand bearing), and the report, which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance (and the story, which was going round within five minutes of his coming in), of his having ten thousand a year (that he had ten thousand pounds a year). The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man (The men said he was 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 (and people looked at him with great admiration for about half the evening), till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity (until the way he behaved put people off and turned everyone against him); for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased (because they found he was proud, thought himself better than the people there, and would not be pleased by anything); and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could save him (and all his big estate in Derbyshire could not save him) from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance (from having a cold, unpleasant face), and being unworthy to be compared with his friend (and from not deserving to be set beside his friend).

Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room (had soon got to know all the important people in the room): he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance (he was cheerful and open, danced every dance), was angry that the ball closed so early (was annoyed that the dance ended so early), and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield (and talked of holding one himself at Netherfield). Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves (Such likeable qualities 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 (refused to be introduced to any other woman), and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party. His character was decided (People made up their minds about him). He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world (He was the proudest, most unpleasant man in the world), and everybody hoped that he would never come there again. Amongst the most violent against him was Mrs. Bennet (Among the fiercest against him was Mrs. Bennet), whose dislike of his general behaviour was sharpened into particular resentment (whose dislike of how he behaved in general was sharpened into a personal grudge) by his having slighted one of her daughters (because he had passed over one of her daughters).

Elizabeth Bennet had been obliged (Elizabeth Bennet had been forced), by the scarcity of gentlemen, to sit down for two dances (had had to sit out two dances because there were not enough men); and during part of that time, Mr. Darcy had been standing near enough for her to overhear a conversation between him and Mr. Bingley (Mr. Darcy had been standing close 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 (who left the dancing for a few minutes to push his friend to join in).

“Come, Darcy (Come, Darcy),” said he, “I must have you dance (you must dance). I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner (I hate seeing you standing about on your own like a fool). You had much better dance (You would do far better to dance).”

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

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

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

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

]

“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 (until, meeting her eye, he looked away and said coldly), “She is tolerable: but not handsome enough to tempt me (She is passable, but not good-looking enough to interest me); and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men (and I am in no mood just now to make somebody of a young lady other men have passed over). You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles (You had better go back 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 towards him (Elizabeth was left feeling anything but warm toward him). She told the story, however, with great spirit among her friends (She told the story to her friends with real enjoyment, though); for she had a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous (because she had a lively, playful nature that enjoyed anything absurd).

The evening altogether passed off pleasantly to the whole family (On the whole the evening went well for 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 (and his sisters had singled her out for attention). Jane was as much gratified by this as her mother could be, though in a quieter way (Jane was as pleased by this as her mother could be, though she showed it less). Elizabeth felt Jane’s pleasure. Mary had heard herself mentioned to Miss Bingley as the most accomplished girl in the neighbourhood (Mary had heard herself described to Miss Bingley as the most talented girl in the district); and Catherine and Lydia had been fortunate enough (and Catherine and Lydia had been lucky enough) to be never without partners (had been lucky enough never to be without partners), which was all that they had yet learnt to care for at a ball (which was all they had learned to care about at a dance so far). They returned, therefore, in good spirits to Longbourn, the village where they lived (So they went home in good spirits to Longbourn, the village they lived in), and of which they were the principal inhabitants (and where they were the leading family). They found Mr. Bennet still up. With a book, he was regardless of time (With a book in his hand he took no notice of the time); and on the present occasion he had a good deal of curiosity as to the event of an evening which had raised such splendid expectations (he was quite curious about how an evening that had raised such high hopes had turned out). He had rather hoped that all his wife’s views on the stranger would be disappointed (He had rather hoped his wife’s plans about the stranger would come to nothing); but he soon found that he had a very 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 (we have had a most delightful evening, a splendid dance). I wish you had been there (I wish you had been there). Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it (Jane was admired so much, there was nothing 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 (Just 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 (and she was the only person in the room he asked twice). First of all, he asked Miss Lucas (First of all he asked Miss Lucas). I was so vexed to see him stand up with her (I was so annoyed to see him dance with her); but, however, he did not admire her at all (but, all the same, 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 (and he seemed quite taken with Jane as she moved down the line of dancers). So he inquired who she was, and got introduced, and asked her for the two next (So he asked who she was, got introduced, and asked her for the next two dances). Then, the two third he danced with Miss King (Then the third pair of dances he danced with Miss King), and the two fourth with Maria Lucas (and the fourth pair of dances with Maria Lucas), and the two fifth with Jane again, and the two sixth with Lizzy (and the fifth pair with Jane again, and the sixth pair with Lizzy), and the Boulanger (and the last dance of the night, one where the whole circle joins in)----”

“If he had had any compassion for me,” cried her husband impatiently (her husband cried, out of patience), “he would not have danced half so much! For God’s sake, say no more of his partners. O that he had sprained his ancle in the first dance! (I wish he had twisted his ankle in the first dance!)”

“Oh, my dear,” continued Mrs. Bennet (Mrs. Bennet went on), “I am quite delighted with him (I am quite delighted with him). He is so excessively handsome! (He is so extremely good-looking!) and his sisters are charming women (and his sisters are lovely women). I never in my life saw anything more elegant than their dresses (I never in my life saw anything more stylish than their dresses). I dare say the lace upon Mrs. Hurst’s gown (I expect the lace on Mrs. Hurst’s dress)----”

Here she was interrupted again. Mr. Bennet protested against any description of finery (Mr. Bennet objected to any description of fine clothes). She was therefore obliged to seek another branch of the subject (So she had to find another part of the subject), and related, with much bitterness of spirit, and some exaggeration (and told, very bitterly and with some stretching of the truth), the shocking rudeness of Mr. Darcy (how shockingly rude Mr. Darcy had been).

“But I can assure you,” she added, “that Lizzy does not lose much by not suiting his fancy (that Lizzy loses little by not being to his taste); for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing (because he is a most unpleasant, horrible man, not worth pleasing at all). So high and so conceited, that there was no enduring him! (So lofty and so full of himself that nobody could stand him!) He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great! (He walked here and he walked there, thinking himself so very grand!) Not handsome enough to dance with! I wish you had been there, my dear, to have given him one of your set-downs (to have put him in his place the way you can). I quite detest the man (I really hate the man).”