Mrs. Bennet had designed to keep the two Netherfield gentlemen to

supper; but their carriage was, unluckily, ordered before any of the

others, and she had no opportunity of detaining them.
“Well, girls,” said she, as soon as they were left to themselves, “what

say you to the day? I think everything has passed off uncommonly well, I

assure you. The dinner was as well dressed as any I ever saw. The

venison was roasted to a turn—and everybody said, they never saw so fat

a haunch. The soup was fifty times better than what we had at the

Lucases’ last week; and even Mr. Darcy acknowledged that the partridges

were{420} remarkably well done; and I suppose he has two or three French

cooks at least. And, my dear Jane, I never saw you look in greater

beauty. Mrs. Long said so too, for I asked her whether you did not. And

what do you think she said besides? ‘Ah! Mrs. Bennet, we shall have her

at Netherfield at last!’ She did, indeed. I do think Mrs. Long is as

good a creature as ever lived—and her nieces are very pretty behaved

girls, and not at all handsome: I like them prodigiously.”

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“Mrs. Long and her nieces.”


{421}
Mrs. Bennet, in short, was in very great spirits: she had seen enough of

Bingley’s behaviour to Jane to be convinced that she would get him at

last; and her expectations of advantage to her family, when in a happy

humour, were so far beyond reason, that she was quite disappointed at

not seeing him there again the next day, to make his proposals.
“It has been a very agreeable day,” said Miss Bennet to Elizabeth. “The

party seemed so well selected, so suitable one with the other. I hope we

may often meet again.”
Elizabeth smiled.
“Lizzy, you must not do so. You must not suspect me. It mortifies me. I

assure you that I have now learnt to enjoy his conversation as an

agreeable and sensible young man without having a wish beyond it. I am

perfectly satisfied, from what his manners now are, that he never had