The Annotated Pride and Prejudice Read online

  15. pans: qualities or attributes.

  16. mind: mental and emotional character. The word had a less purely intellectual connotation then than it does now.

  17. develops: discover, understand.

  18. mean understanding: inferior intelligence or judgment.

  19. information: education or knowledge.

  20. uncertain temper: unsteady or capricious temperament.

  21. nervous: suffering from nervous disorders.

  22. news: news or gossip about the neighborhood (not news of national affairs).

  Chapter Two

  Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on1 Mr. Bingley. He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid, she had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following manner. Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat,2 he suddenly addressed her with,

  “I hope Mr. Bingley will like it Lizzy.”

  “We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes,” said her mother resentfully, “since we are not to visit.”

  “But you forget, mama,” said Elizabeth, “that we shall meet him at the assemblies,3 and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him.”

  The public nature of assemblies means that, in contrast to the case with an initial formal visit to a strange man, Mrs. Bennet and her daughters can go without Mr. Bennet (in fact, he does not accompany them to the assembly when it occurs). Thus they will not be impeded by Mr. Bennet's apparent reluctance to make Bingley's acquaintance.

  “I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two neices of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of her.”4

  “No more have I,” said Mr. Bennet; “and I am glad to find that you do not depend on her serving you.”

  Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply; but unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.

  “Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven's sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.”

  “Kitty has no discretion in her coughs,” said her father; “she times them ill.”

  “I do not cough for my own amusement,” replied Kitty fretfully.

  “When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?”5

  “To-morrow fortnight.”6

  “Aye, so it is,” cried her mother, “and Mrs. Long does not come back till the day before; so, it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him herself.”

  “Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley to her.”

  “Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted with him myself; how can you be so teazing?”7

  “I honour your circumspection. A fortnight's acquaintance is certainly very little. One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a fortnight. But if we do not venture, somebody else will; and after all, Mrs. Long and her neices must stand their chance; and therefore, as she will think it an act of kindness, if you decline the office,81 will take it on myself.”

  The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, “Nonsense, nonsense!”

  “What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation?” cried he. “Do you consider the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on them, as nonsense? I cannot quite agree with you there.9 What say you, Mary? for you are a young lady of deep reflection I know, and read great10 books, and make extracts.”11

  Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.12

  “While Mary is adjusting her ideas,”13 he continued, “let us return to Mr. Bingley.”

  “I am sick of Mr. Bingley,” cried his wife.

  “I am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tell me so before? If I had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him. It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now.”

  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 chuse,” said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.

  “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 acquaintance every day; but for your sakes, we would do any thing. 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.”14

  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.15

  Fashions of the period. See also p. IS, note 3. [From Iris Brooke, Western European Costume, Seventeenth to Mid-Nineteenth Century (New York, 1940), p. 131]

  1. waited on: called upon.

  2. trimming a hat: decorating a hat, usually by attaching ribbons or feathers or other items to it. Adding decorations to hats, as well as to other articles of dress, was a common practice at the time. Sometimes the trimmings or decorations could cost more than the hat. Jane Austen refers, with evident pleasure, to trimming a hat on numerous occasions in her letters; in one she wonders about, and asks her sister's opinion on, whether flowers or fruit would look better on a hat, making sure to mention that the flowers would cost less (June n, 1799).

  3. assemblies: general social gatherings with dancing and other amusements. They had become popular during the eighteenth century, and by the time of the novel almost every town, except for the very smallest, had assembly rooms built for the specific purpose of accommodating them. Assemblies were generally public, i.e., open to whichever families or individuals could afford to buy tickets or subscriptions.

  4. I have no opinion of her: I have no good opinion of her. Mrs. Bennet fears that Mrs. Long will not introduce them in order to preserve Mr. Bing-ley for her nieces. This competitive suspicion of Mrs. Bennet, revealed also in her fears about Lady Lucas visiting Mr. Bingley, has its foundation in a reality mentioned by Jane Austen at the beginning of Mansfield Park: “there certainly are not so many men of large fortune in the world, as there are pretty women to deserve them.”

  5. The speaker is probably Mr. Bennet. The question seems too calm to be asked by the agitated Mrs. Bennet; in addition, she would probably know when the next ball would happen since, unlike her husband, she likes balls and will attend this one. Jane Austen omits explicit identification of the speaker at other points in the novel. She herself commented on this in a letter concerning Pride and Prejudice: “a ‘said he' or a ‘said she' would sometimes make the Dialogue more immediately clear—but ‘I do not write for such dull Elves'” (January 29, 1813). Her quotation alludes to a concluding passage from Sir Walter Scott's poem “Marmion”: “I do not rhyme to that dull elf/Who cannot imagine to himself, …”

  6. To-morrow fortnight: two weeks from tomorrow.

  7. teazing: teasing, or annoying, irritating.

  8. office: duty, service to another.

  9. Mr. Bennet's professed scrupulousness here about the forms of introduction stands in humorous contrast to his professed indifference to them in the last chapter, when he suggested that his wife or daughters visit Mr. Bingley on their own.

  10. great: large, weighty, important. The description suggests nothing of the quality of the books,
for “great” had not yet developed the meaning of extremely good; in fact, Mr. Bennet is probably mocking Mary for the pretentiousness of her reading.

  11. make extracts: copy out passages from books. The Encyclopaedia Britannica of the time defines an extract as “something copied or collected from a book or paper.” Such copying would be done as an aid to learning. That Mary appears to do it regularly hints at her character, for much of her conversation consists of mechanical repetitions of phrases and passages she has read, ones that she may have memorized through her making of extracts.

  12. This, the first glimpse we have of Mary, provides an excellent summary of her character, for throughout the novel she will strive to speak wisely, and generally fail.

  With Mary, all five Bennet girls have been mentioned. They are, from oldest to youngest: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine/Kitty, and Lydia. At later points in the novel Jane is said to be 22, Elizabeth 20, and Lydia 15; the ages of Mary and Kitty are never stated specifically, but at one point Kitty says she is two years older than Lydia, which would make her 17 and make Mary either 18 or 19.

  The names of all five girls are thoroughly ordinary. This is also true of the last names mentioned so far: Bennet, Bingley, Morris, Lucas, Long. Unlike many novelists who try to express their characters' natures through unusual or symbolic names, Jane Austen always selects those names most likely to be found in normal life. This reflects her commitment to strict realism in all social details.

  13. ideas: thoughts.

  14. This is the first appearance of Lydia, who will later play a crucial role in the novel. The confidence and assertiveness that help determine her later behavior are already evident here.

  15. This reveals some of the ritual of social introductions. Mr. Bennet has visited Mr. Bingley (the established inhabitant, rather than the newcomer, making the first overture); Mr. Bingley is expected to return the visit; after that he can be asked to dinner, the initial visits being only brief calls. Jane Austen insisted on getting such matters right: in a letter criticizing a niece's draft of a novel, she focuses on the niece's failure to have her characters adhere to standard social proprieties, particularly as regards rules about visiting (Sept. 9,1814).

  Chapter Three

  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. Bing-ley. 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 last obliged to accept the second-hand intelligence of their neighbour Lady Lucas. Her report was highly favourable. Sir William had been 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 Nether-field,” 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.1 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.2 The ladies were somewhat more fortunate, for they had the advantage of ascertaining from an upper window, that he wore a blue coat3 and rode a black horse.

  An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched; 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 town4 the following day, and consequently unable to accept the honour of their invitation, &c.5 Mrs. Bennet was quite disconcerted. She could not imagine what business he could have in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire;6 and she began to fear that he might be always 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 being gone to London only to get a large party for the ball; and a report soon followed that Mr. Bing-ley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly. The girls grieved over such a number of ladies; but were comforted the day before the ball by hearing, that instead of twelve, he had brought only six with him from London, his five sisters and a cousin. And when the party entered the assembly room, it consisted of only five altogether; Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man.7

  Mr. Bingley was good looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners. His sisters were fine8 women, with an air of decided fashion.9 His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien; and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year.10 The gentlemen11 pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust12 which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire13 could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend.

  Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room; he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield. Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves. What a contrast between him and his friend! Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, declined being introduced to any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party. His character was decided.14 He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and every body hoped that he would never come there again.15 Amongst the most violent against him was Mrs. Bennet, whose dislike of his general behaviour, was sharpened into particular resentment, by his having slighted one of her daughters.

  Elizabeth Bennet had been obliged, by the scarcity of gentlemen, to sit down for two dances; and during part ofthat time, Mr. Darcy had been standing near enough for her to overhear a conversation between him and Mr. Bingley, who came from the dance for a few minutes, to press his friend to join it.16

  “Come, Darcy,” said he, “I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid17 manner. You had much better dance.”

  “I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room, whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up18 with.”19

  “I would not be so fastidious as you are,” cried Bingley, “for a kingdom! Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life, as I have this evening; and there are several of them you see uncommonly pretty.”

  “You are dancing with the only handsome20 girl in the room,” said Mr. Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.21

  “Oh! she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld! But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty, and I dare say, very agreeable. Do let me ask my partner to introduce you.”

  “Which do you mean?” and turning round, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said, “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour22 at present to give consequence23 to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.”24

  Mr.
Bingley followed his advice. Mr. Darcy walked off; and Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings towards him. She told the story however with great spirit among her friends; for she had a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in any thing ridiculous.25

  The evening altogether passed off pleasantly to the whole family. Mrs. Bennet had seen her eldest daughter much admired by the Netherfield party. Mr. Bingley had danced with her twice, and she had been distinguished26 by his sisters. Jane was as much gratified by this, as her mother could be, though in a quieter way. Elizabeth felt Jane's pleasure. Mary had heard herself mentioned to Miss Bingley as the most accomplished girl in the neighbourhood;27 and Catherine and Lydia had been fortunate enough to be never without partners, which was all that they had yet learnt to care for at a ball. They returned therefore in good spirits to Longbourn, the village where they lived, and of which they were the principal inhabitants.28 They found Mr. Bennet still up. With a book he was regardless of time; and on the present occasion he had a good deal of curiosity as to the event29 of an evening which had raised such splendid expectations. He had rather hoped that all his wife's views30 on the stranger would be disappointed; but he soon found that he had a very different story to hear.

  “Oh! my dear Mr. Bennet,” as she entered the room, “we have had a most delightful evening, a most excellent ball. I wish you had been there. Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it. Every body said how well she looked; and Mr. Bingley thought her quite beautiful, and danced with her twice. Only think oithat my dear; he actually danced with her twice; and she was the only creature in the room that he asked a second time. First of all, he asked Miss Lucas. I was so vexed to see him stand up with her; but, however, he did not admire her at all: indeed, nobody can, you know; and he seemed quite struck with Jane as she was going down the dance.31 So, he enquired who she was, and got intro duced, and asked her for the two next.32 Then, the two third he danced with Miss King, and the two fourth with Maria Lucas, and the two fifth with Jane again, and the two sixth with Lizzy, and the Boulanger ———”33