{"id":"01KJRRE0KZ9V2JMDM00SRYK4CP","cid":"bafkreid7iqrxqtbqjlolgdxdwfmtu3r3c73xcuyydq7edub2y33irxzvdq","type":"text_chunk","properties":{"char_end":43663,"char_start":35741,"chunk_index":5,"chunk_total":108,"estimated_tokens":1981,"label":"The End","source_file_key":"pride-and-prejudice","text":"\r\nThe End                                                              476\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[Illustration: ·PRIDE AND PREJUDICE·\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nChapter I.]\r\n\r\n\r\nIt is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession\r\nof a good fortune must be in want of a wife.\r\n\r\nHowever little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his\r\nfirst entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds\r\nof the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful\r\nproperty of some one or other of their daughters.\r\n\r\n“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that\r\nNetherfield Park is let at last?”\r\n\r\nMr. Bennet replied that he had not.\r\n\r\n“But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she\r\ntold me all about it.”\r\n\r\nMr. Bennet made no answer.\r\n\r\n“Do not you want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife, impatiently.\r\n\r\n“_You_ want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”\r\n\r\n[Illustration:\r\n\r\n“He came down to see the place”\r\n\r\n[_Copyright 1894 by George Allen._]]\r\n\r\nThis was invitation enough.\r\n\r\n“Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken\r\nby a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came\r\ndown on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much\r\ndelighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is\r\nto take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be\r\nin the house by the end of next week.”\r\n\r\n“What is his name?”\r\n\r\n“Bingley.”\r\n\r\n“Is he married or single?”\r\n\r\n“Oh, single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or\r\nfive thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”\r\n\r\n“How so? how can it affect them?”\r\n\r\n“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “how can you be so tiresome? You\r\nmust know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”\r\n\r\n“Is that his design in settling here?”\r\n\r\n“Design? Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he\r\n_may_ fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as\r\nsoon as he comes.”\r\n\r\n“I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go--or you may send\r\nthem by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for as you are\r\nas handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the\r\nparty.”\r\n\r\n“My dear, you flatter me. I certainly _have_ had my share of beauty, but\r\nI do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five\r\ngrown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.”\r\n\r\n“In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.”\r\n\r\n“But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into\r\nthe neighbourhood.”\r\n\r\n“It is more than I engage for, I assure you.”\r\n\r\n“But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would\r\nbe for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go,\r\nmerely on that account; for in general, you know, they visit no new\r\ncomers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for _us_ to visit\r\nhim, if you do not.”\r\n\r\n“You are over scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very\r\nglad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my\r\nhearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls--though\r\nI must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.”\r\n\r\n“I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the\r\nothers: and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so\r\ngood-humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving _her_ the preference.”\r\n\r\n“They have none of them much to recommend them,” replied he: “they are\r\nall silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of\r\nquickness than her sisters.”\r\n\r\n“Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You take\r\ndelight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.”\r\n\r\n“You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They\r\nare my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration\r\nthese twenty years at least.”\r\n\r\n“Ah, you do not know what I suffer.”\r\n\r\n“But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four\r\nthousand a year come into the neighbourhood.”\r\n\r\n“It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come, since you will not\r\nvisit them.”\r\n\r\n“Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them\r\nall.”\r\n\r\nMr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour,\r\nreserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had\r\nbeen insufficient to make his wife understand his character. _Her_ mind\r\nwas less difficult to develope. She was a woman of mean understanding,\r\nlittle information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she\r\nfancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her\r\ndaughters married: its solace was visiting and news.\r\n\r\n[Illustration: M^{r.} & M^{rs.} Bennet\r\n\r\n[_Copyright 1894 by George Allen._]]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[Illustration:\r\n\r\n“I hope Mr. Bingley will like it”\r\n\r\n[_Copyright 1894 by George Allen._]]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nCHAPTER II.\r\n\r\n\r\n[Illustration]\r\n\r\nMr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley. He\r\nhad always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his\r\nwife that he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was\r\npaid she had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following\r\nmanner. Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat, he\r\nsuddenly addressed her with,--\r\n\r\n“I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy.”\r\n\r\n“We are not in a way to know _what_ Mr. Bingley likes,” said her mother,\r\nresentfully, “since we are not to visit.”\r\n\r\n“But you forget, mamma,” said Elizabeth, “that we shall meet him at the\r\nassemblies, and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him.”\r\n\r\n“I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces\r\nof her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion\r\nof her.”\r\n\r\n“No more have I,” said Mr. Bennet; “and I am glad to find that you do\r\nnot depend on her serving you.”\r\n\r\nMrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply; but, unable to contain\r\nherself, began scolding one of her daughters.\r\n\r\n“Don’t keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven’s sake! Have a little\r\ncompassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.”\r\n\r\n“Kitty has no discretion in her coughs,” said her father; “she times\r\nthem ill.”\r\n\r\n“I do not cough for my own amusement,” replied Kitty, fretfully. “When\r\nis your next ball to be, Lizzy?”\r\n\r\n“To-morrow fortnight.”\r\n\r\n“Ay, so it is,” cried her mother, “and Mrs. Long does not come back till\r\nthe day before; so, it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for\r\nshe will not know him herself.”\r\n\r\n“Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce\r\nMr. Bingley to _her_.”\r\n\r\n“Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted with him\r\nmyself; how can you be so teasing?”\r\n\r\n“I honour your circumspection. A fortnight’s acquaintance is certainly\r\nvery little. One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a\r\nfortnight. But if _we_ do not venture, somebody else will; and after\r\nall, Mrs. Long and her nieces must stand their chance; and, therefore,\r\nas she will think it an act of kindness, if you decline the office, I\r\nwill take it on myself.”\r\n\r\nThe girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, “Nonsense,\r\nnonsense!”\r\n\r\n“What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation?” cried he. “Do\r\nyou consider the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on\r\nthem, as nonsense? I cannot quite agree with you _there_. What say you,\r\nMary? For you are a young lady of deep reflection, I know, and read\r\ngreat books, and make extracts.”\r\n\r\nMary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.\r\n\r\n“While Mary is adjusting her ideas,” he continued, “let us return to Mr.\r\nBingley.”\r\n\r\n“I am sick of Mr. Bingley,” cried his wife.\r\n\r\n“I am sorry to hear _that_; but why did you not tell me so before?"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KJRRD3TNE5A6AKAVXSRFT9RC","peer_label":"pride-and-prejudice","peer_type":"text","predicate":"derived_from"},{"peer":"01KJRRC2C7K6XERRJES8143XGV","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KJRREYT564P5405ZE4Q76ZF5","peer_label":"mrs bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFJV05JZMJFG32FZ5DMNV","peer_label":"netherfield park","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"estate","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFC6R2K9F9ZSJXPFZP7GQ","peer_label":"mrs long","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYW2V9QH9GNRQRJT67GK","peer_label":"mr bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF2WSZTKE2V2YC4YMG4M4","peer_label":"bingley","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZGM87R12EADFF6YZZG3","peer_label":"jane bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZKG263C7SQSDV3TZ5MX","peer_label":"elizabeth bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY6RHWPTVXJ7SHB3NE6F","peer_label":"lydia bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYTMYM5H9026MPV0AJMX","peer_label":"sir william lucas","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY4KCKYKYTFBWSNR6EZ0","peer_label":"kitty bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYSX336MNFYYQ2MPNB60","peer_label":"lady lucas","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY63WYEJRTN7FS2QXC2P","peer_label":"mary bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFT1018WS5G9BY4HN1RJ4","peer_label":"mr morris","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFT3BSYCCZCMVEFMWMQ4V","peer_label":"chapter ii","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"chapter","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFT3DM1JX70E8R9R65JW5","peer_label":"nieces","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFT3HED32MBDGXMGJ626C","peer_label":"truth universally acknowledged","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFT2K193GNY7QPVQ38JNK","peer_label":"chapter i","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"chapter","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFTAD0FVYFA71RVB5VVF0","peer_label":"assemblies","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"social_event","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:30:03.435Z"}}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:01.183Z","ts":"2026-03-03T02:30:04.411Z","edited_by":{"method":"system","user_id":"01KJ60XQBHJ0GBGTP9X8HXAPPM"}}