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 V.

Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Bennets were particularly intimate (A short walk from Longbourn lived a family the Bennets were especially close to). Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton (Sir William Lucas had once been a shopkeeper in Meryton), where he had made a tolerable fortune (where he had made a reasonable amount of money), and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king during his mayoralty (and won the honour of a knighthood by making a speech to the king while he was mayor). The distinction had, perhaps, been felt too strongly (He had, perhaps, felt that honour too keenly). It had given him a disgust to his business and to his residence in a small market town (It had made him sick of his business and of living in a small market town); and, quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton (and, giving up both, he had moved with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton), denominated from that period Lucas Lodge (called from that time on Lucas Lodge); where he could think with pleasure of his own importance (where he could enjoy thinking about how important he was), and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world (and, free of business, spend his whole time being polite to everybody). For, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious (Because, although his new rank pleased him, it did not make him look down on people); on the contrary, he was all attention to everybody (just the opposite, he gave everyone his full attention). By nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging (Harmless by nature, friendly and eager to help), his presentation at St. James’s had made him courteous (being presented at the royal court had made him a man of polished manners).

Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman (Lady Lucas was a very good sort of woman), not too clever to be a valuable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet (not so clever that she stopped being a useful neighbour to Mrs. Bennet). They had several children. The eldest of them, a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven, was Elizabeth’s intimate friend (The oldest of them, a level-headed, clever young woman of about twenty-seven, was Elizabeth’s close friend).

That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to talk over a ball was absolutely necessary (It was absolutely necessary that the Lucas girls and the Bennet girls should meet to talk over a dance); and the morning after the assembly brought the former to Longbourn to hear and to communicate (and the morning after the dance brought the Lucas girls to Longbourn to hear news and to pass some on).

“You began the evening well, Charlotte (You started the evening well, Charlotte),” said Mrs. Bennet, with civil self-command, to Miss Lucas (Mrs. Bennet said to Miss Lucas, keeping herself politely in check). “You were Mr. Bingley’s first choice (You were Mr. Bingley’s first pick).”

“Yes; but he seemed to like his second better (but he seemed to like his second one better).”

“Oh, you mean Jane, I suppose (Oh, you mean Jane, I suppose), because he danced with her twice. To be sure that did seem as if he admired her (It certainly did look as if he admired her)--indeed, I rather believe he did--I heard something about it (I heard something about it)--but I hardly know what (but I hardly know what)--something about Mr. Robinson.”

“Perhaps you mean what I overheard between him and Mr. Robinson (Perhaps you mean what I heard between him and Mr. Robinson): did not I mention it to you? (didn’t I tell you about it?) Mr. Robinson’s asking him how he liked our Meryton assemblies (Mr. Robinson asking him how he liked our Meryton dances), and whether he did not think there were a great many pretty women in the room (and whether he did not think there were a great many pretty women in the room), and which he thought the prettiest? (and which one he thought the prettiest) and his answering immediately to the last question (and his answering the last question at once), ‘Oh, the eldest Miss Bennet, beyond a doubt (Oh, the oldest Miss Bennet, no question about it): there cannot be two opinions on that point (there cannot be two views on that).’”

“Upon my word! Well, that was very decided, indeed (Well I never! That was very definite indeed)--that does seem as if--but, however, it may all come to nothing, you know (but, all the same, it may come to nothing, you know).”

“My overhearings were more to the purpose than yours, Eliza (What I overheard was more to the point than what you overheard, Eliza),” said Charlotte. “Mr. Darcy is not so well worth listening to as his friend, is he? (Mr. Darcy is not as worth listening to as his friend, is he?) Poor Eliza! to be only just tolerable (to be only just passable).”

“I beg you will not put it into Lizzy’s head to be vexed by his ill-treatment (Please don’t put it in Lizzy’s head to be upset by his bad treatment of her), for he is such a disagreeable man that it would be quite a misfortune to be liked by him (because he is such an unpleasant man that being liked by him would be bad luck). Mrs. Long told me last night that he sat close to her for half an hour without once opening his lips (that he sat right next to her for half an hour without once opening his mouth).”

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“Are you quite sure, ma’am? Is not there a little mistake? (Are you quite sure, madam? Isn’t there some mistake?)” said Jane (said Jane, the oldest sister). “I certainly saw Mr. Darcy speaking to her.”

“Ay, because she asked him at last how he liked Netherfield (Yes, because in the end she asked him how he liked Netherfield), and he could not help answering her (and he could not avoid answering her); but she said he seemed very angry at being spoke to (but she said he seemed very annoyed at being spoken to).”

“Miss Bingley told me (Miss Bingley told me),” said Jane, “that he never speaks much unless among his intimate acquaintance (that he never says much except among people he knows well). With them he is remarkably agreeable (With them he is remarkably pleasant).”

“I do not believe a word of it, my dear (I don’t believe a word of it, my dear). If he had been so very agreeable, he would have talked to Mrs. Long (If he were so very pleasant, he would have talked to Mrs. Long). But I can guess how it was; everybody says that he is eat up with pride (everybody says he is eaten up with pride), and I dare say he had heard somehow that Mrs. Long does not keep a carriage (and I expect he had heard somehow that Mrs. Long does not own a carriage), and had to come to the ball in a hack chaise (and had to come to the dance in a hired carriage).”

“I do not mind his not talking to Mrs. Long (I don’t mind his not talking to Mrs. Long),” said Miss Lucas, “but I wish he had danced with Eliza (but I wish he had danced with Eliza).”

“Another time, Lizzy (Another time, Lizzy),” said her mother, “I would not dance with him, if I were you (I wouldn’t dance with him if I were you).”

“I believe, ma’am, I may safely promise you never to dance with him (I think, madam, I can safely promise you never to dance with him).”

“His pride (His pride),” said Miss Lucas, “does not offend me so much as pride often does (does not offend me as much as pride usually does), because there is an excuse for it (because there is a reason for it). One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour (It is no surprise that so fine a young man, with birth, money and everything in his favour), should think highly of himself (should think well of himself). If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud (If I can put it that way, he has a right to be proud).”

“That is very true,” replied Elizabeth (Elizabeth answered), “and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine (and I could easily forgive his pride if he had not wounded mine).”

“Pride,” observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity of her reflections (said Mary, who prided herself on how solid her thinking was), “is a very common failing, I believe (is a very common fault, I believe). By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed (From everything I have read, I am sure it is very common indeed); that human nature is particularly prone to it (that human beings are particularly given to it), and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency (and that very few of us do not hug some quiet satisfaction with ourselves) on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary (on account of some quality or other, real or imagined). Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously (Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used to mean the same). A person may be proud without being vain (A person can be proud without being vain). Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity to what we would have others think of us (Pride has more to do with our own opinion of ourselves; vanity with what we want others to think of us).”

“If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy,” cried a young Lucas, who came with his sisters (cried one of the young Lucas boys, who had come with his sisters), “I should not care how proud I was (I would not care how proud I was). I would keep a pack of foxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine every day (I would keep a pack of hunting dogs and drink a bottle of wine every day).”

“Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought (Then you would drink far more than you should),” said Mrs. Bennet; “and if I were to see you at it, I should take away your bottle directly (and if I saw you doing it, I would take your bottle away at once).”

The boy protested that she should not; she continued to declare that she would (The boy insisted she would not; she kept saying she would); and the argument ended only with the visit (and the argument only ended when the visit did).