The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished—that of Mrs.

Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; though when the first tumult of joy

was over, she began to declare that it was what she had expected all the

while.
“How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should

persuade you at last. I was sure you loved your girls too well to

neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! And it is such a

good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning, and never said a

word about it till now.”
“Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose,” said Mr. Bennet; and,

as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.{9}
“What an excellent father you have, girls,” said she, when the door was

shut. “I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness;

or me either, for that matter. At our time of life, it is not so

pleasant, I can tell you, to be making new acquaintances every day; but

for your sakes we would do anything. Lydia, my love, though you are

the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance with you at the next

ball.”
“Oh,” said Lydia, stoutly, “I am not afraid; for though I am the

youngest, I’m the tallest.”
The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would

return Mr. Bennet’s visit, and determining when they should ask him to

dinner.

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“I’m the tallest{10}”


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He rode a black horse.


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. They attacked him

in various ways, with barefaced questions, ingenious suppositions, and

distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all; and they were at{11}

last obliged to accept the second-hand intelligence of their neighbour,

Lady Lucas. Her report was highly favourable. Sir William had been