delighted with him. He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, extremely

agreeable, and, to crown the whole, he meant to be at the next assembly

with a large party. Nothing could be more delightful! To be fond of

dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively

hopes of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained.
“If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield,”

said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, “and all the others equally well

married, I shall have nothing to wish for.”
In a few days Mr. Bingley returned Mr. Bennet’s visit, and sat about ten

minutes with him in his library. He had entertained hopes of being

admitted to a sight of the young ladies, of whose beauty he had heard

much; but he saw only the father. The ladies were somewhat more

fortunate, for they had the advantage of ascertaining, from an upper

window, that he wore a blue coat and rode a black horse.
An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards despatched; and already had

Mrs. Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to her

housekeeping, when an answer arrived which deferred it all. Mr. Bingley

was obliged to be in town the following day, and consequently unable to

accept the honour of their invitation, etc. Mrs. Bennet was quite

disconcerted. She could not imagine what business he could have in town

so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire; and she began to fear that

he might always be flying about from one place to another, and never

settled at Netherfield as he ought to be. Lady Lucas quieted her fears a

little by starting the idea of his{12}

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“When the Party entered”
[Copyright 1894 by George Allen.]

being gone to London only to get a large party for the ball; and a

report soon followed that Mr. Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and

seven gentlemen with him to the assembly. The girls grieved over such a

number of{13} ladies; but were comforted the day before the ball by hearing