Heading to Chapter LVI.431
“After a short survey”434
“But now it comes out”442
“The efforts of his aunt”448
“Unable to utter a syllable”457
“The obsequious civility”466
Heading to Chapter LXI.472
The End476

{1}


Chapter I.
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 entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds

of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful

property of some one or other of their daughters.
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that

Netherfield Park is let at last?{2}”
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
“But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she

told me all about it.”
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
“Do not you want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife, impatiently.
“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”


“He came down to see the place”

[Copyright 1894 by George Allen.]

This was invitation enough.
“Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken

by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came

down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much

delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is

to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be

in the house by the end of next week.{3}”
“What is his name?”
“Bingley.”
“Is he married or single?”
“Oh, single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or

five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”
“How so? how can it affect them?”
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “how can you be so tiresome? You

must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”
“Is that his design in settling here?”
“Design? Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he