Bedtime reading Pride and Prejudice.docx

Bedtime reading Pride and Prejudice.docx

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BedtimereadingPrideandPrejudice

PrideandPrejudice

　　CHAPTERONE

　　AYoungManofFortune

　　Itiswellknownthroughouttheworldthatasinglemanwantstomarryawife,especiallyifheisrichandsuccessful.

　　Certainly,amotheroffivedaughterswhoareoldenoughtomarryalsothinksalotaboutmarriage.Whenshehearsthatawealthymanhasmovedintoherneighborhood,shewillsurelythinkofhimasafuturehusbandforoneofherdaughters.ThiswastheviewofMrs.BennetofLongbournHouse,whichisnearMerytoninHertfordshire.Mrs.BennethadheardthenewsinFebruary1810thatasingle,wealthymanwasmovingnearthem.Excitedbytheopportunity,shedecidedtotellherhusband.

　　"MydearMr.Bennet,"shesaidtoherhusband,"doyouknowthatsomeoneisfinallyrentingNetherfieldPark?

"

　　Mr.Bennetwassilentanddidnotanswerher.

　　"Don'tyouwanttoknowwhoisthere?

"criedhiswife,impatiently.

　　"Well,I'msureyouwanttotellme."

"Well,"Mrs.Bennetsaidexcitedly,"NetherfieldisbeingrentedbyMr.Bingley.Heisayoung,wealthymanfromthenorth."

　　"Youdon'tsay?

"Mr.Bennetreplied."Ishemarriedorsingle?

"

　　"Oh,single,mydear!

"criedMrs.Bennetexcitedly."Whatagoodfortuneforourdaughters!

"

　　"Whatdoyoumeanbythat?

Whatdoesthishavetodowiththeirfortune?

"

　　"Oh,don'tbesodifficult,mydearMr.Bennet!

"repliedhiswife."I'mjustthinkingthatperhapsMr.Bingleymightmarryoneofourdaughters."

　　"Isthiswhyhehasrentedthehouse?

"herhusbandasked,jokingly.

　　"Whatnonsense!

Still,it'slikelythatifhemeetsoneofourgirls,he'llfallinlove.So,youmustgoandpayhimavisitsoon.It'stheonlyrespectablewayforanintroduction."

　　Mr.Bennetstoodupandlookedathiswife."Idonotwanttodothat,andyoucannotmakeme,Ipromiseyou."

　　"Butwhataboutthefutureofyourdaughters?

"criedhiswife,shocked.

　　"Idon'tseewhyImustvisithim."saidMr.Bennet.

　　"Howdifficultyouare!

"shecried."Icannottakethegirlstovisithimunlessyouhavealreadymethim.It'stheonlycorrectway."

　　"That'snottrueatall,"saidMr.Bennetcalmly."Iwillwritethisyoungmanaletter.Iwilltellhimhehasmypermissiontomarrywhicheverofourdaughtershechooses.AndI'llmakesurethatIsaysomethingverygoodaboutmylittleLizzy."

　　"Youwillnotdosuchathing!

"criedhiswifeangrily."Anyway,Elizabethisnobetterthanourotherdaughters."

　　"Ourdaughters,"repliedMr.Bennet,"haven'tmuchinwayofpraiseorrecommendation.Theydon'tknowverymuchandareoftensilly,likeothergirls.ButLizzyismorecleverandsmarterthanhersisters."

　　"Mr.Bermet,howyoumakemeworry!

SometimesIfeelyouevenenjoyit!

Youdon'tcareaboutmypoornerves."

　　Mr.Bennetwalkedovertothedoorofhislibrary."Youarewrong,mydear,"hesaid."Idohavefeelingsforyournerves.Afterall,theyarelikeoldfriends.Ihavelivedwiththemfortwentyyears."

　　"Oh!

"saidMrs.Bennet.Shewasbeginningtocry."Howyouenjoymakingmeworry!

"

　　"Youwillhavemanyotherchancestoseerichyoungmenmoveintoourneighborhood,mydear.SoIhopeyoucanforgetthis."

　"Youhavenothoughtforyourdaughters.Fiveofthem--five!

AndJaneinhertwenty-thirdyear!

Aretheyalltobeoldmaidsandnevergetmarried?

"

　　"I'msureyouwon'tletthishappen,"hesaid,andthelibrarydoorclosedbehindhim.

TheBennetfamilymettogetherinthedrawingroomafterdinnerthatevening.FourofMr.Bennet'sdaughterswerequitepretty.JanewasthemostbeautifulofthembutElizabeth,whowastwenty,hadmorespirit.Also,Elizabeth'sfinedarkeyesseemedfulloflight.Kittywastheirseventeen-year-olddaughter.Shewasprettyinathinway,Lydiawasalmostsixteenandshewastallwithhealthy,red-coloredcheeks.Nineteen-yearoldMarywastheonlyplainmemberofthefamily.Shewasthin,round-shouldered,andnear-sighted.Becauseshereadtoomanyhooks,shehadtowearglasses.

　　ElizabethwasbusyworkingonahatwhenMr.Bennetsaidtoher:

"IhopeournewneighborMr.Bingleywilllikeit."

　　"AndhowarewetoknowwhetherMr.Bingleylikesitornot,"askedhermother,"ifwecannotvisithim?

"

　　"Don'tworry,Mama,youforgetthatweshallseehimatthetownmeeting,"Elizabethsaid.

"LadyLucaswillintroduceustoMr.Bingleyifyouaskher."saidJane.

　　"LadyLucas,"saidMrs.Bennet,withoutanyhope,"hasherowndaughter.She'llwanthimtomeether."

　　"That'snotaverynicethingtosayabouther,Mama,"saidElizabeth.

　　Mrs.BennetthrewupherarmsandturnedangrilytoElizabeth."Donotspeakbacktome,Elizabeth,"shecried."Mynerveswillnotstandit.AfriendlyintroductionatapublicmeetingwillnotbeasgoodasyourPapaintroducinghimself.Hehasnothoughtforyourfutureatall."

　　Shelookedangrilyacrosstheroomatherhusband.

　　"HowcanweconvinceyoutovisitMr.Bingley,Papa?

"askedElizabeth,nicely.Shehopedtochangeherfather'smind.

　　"Pleasedo,"saidJane.

　　"Ohyes,sir,Ibegyou!

"requestedLydia.

　　"Leavemeoutofthisrequest,Papa,"saidMary,coldly."Idon'twishtogochasingafterMr.Bingley."

　　Mr.Bennet

lookedfromonedaughtertotheother."I'vealreadytoldyou--I'mnotgoingtocallonMr.Bingley,"hesaid.

　　"Yousee!

"criedMrs.Bennet."Hedoesn'tcare!

Oh,mypoorhead!

"ButMrs.Bennet'scomplaininghadnoeffectonherhusband.Sinceshewasstillupset,shebegantoyellatoneofherdaughters."Byheavens,stopcoughing,Kitty!

Youwilltearmypoornervesapart.

"DoyouthinkIcoughbecauseIliketo,Mama?

"saidKitty.

　　"PleaseKitty,yourmother'sbeingdifficult,"remarkedMr.Bennet."LetustalkalittlemoreaboutMr.Bingley..."

　　"No,no,"criedhiswife."NomoreaboutMr.Bingley!

"

　　"I'mquitesorrytohearthat,mydear,"saidherhusband.Hewasenjoyinghimselfverymuch."Whydidn'tyoutellmethisbefore?

"Mr.Bennetsaid,jokingly."IfIhadknown,Iwouldn'thavegonetovisithimyesterdaymorning."

　　"What!

"criedMrs.Bennet"Youwenttovisithim?

"

　　"Oh.Papa!

"exclaimedJane,Elizabeth,KittyandLydia,allatthesametime.

　　"Butmydear,yousaidsostronglythatyouwouldnotgo!

"saidhiswife.

　　"That'sbecauseIhadalreadydoneso,yousee."

　　"Oh,howgoodofyou,mydear!

Iknewyoulovedyourdaughterstoomuchtomissthe

opportunitytomeetwithsuchamanofgoodfortune.Whatagoodjoketoplayonus!

Oh,mydearMr.Bennet,howveryhappyIam!

"

　　"Now,Kitty,youmaycoughasmuchasyouneedto,"saidMr.Bennetashelefttheroom.Hewasverytiredafterdealingwithhiswife.

"Whatafine,thoughtfulfatheryouhave,girls,"saidMrs.Bennetafterthedoorwasshut.

　　Fortherestoftheevening,thegirlsandtheirmotherwonderedhowsoonitwouldbebeforeMr.Bingleyreturnedtheirfather'svisit.

CHAPTERTWO

　　AYoungManofProudManners

Mr.BingleyreturnedMr.Benet'svisitafterafewdays.Theysattogetherabouttenminutesinthelibrary.Mr.Bingleyhadhopedtoseethedaughters.Hehadheardthattheywereverybeautiful.However,hewasonlyabletoseethefather.

　　Mr.Bennetwouldnottellhisdaughtersabouttheyoungman.ButtheyhadinformationfromElizabeth'sfriend,CharlotteLucas.CharlottesaidthatMr.Bingleywasveryhandsome,andhehadaverynicepersonality.Mostimportantly,hewasplanningtogotothenextdanceinMeryton.Thegirlsalllookedforwardtothedance,fordancingwasoftenasuresteptowardsfallinginlove.

　　Onthenightofthedance,Mr.Bingleycamewithhissinglesister,Caroline,hismarriedsister,Mrs.Hurst,andanotheryoungman.CharlesBingleywasindeedverygood-looking,andhadeasy,friendlymanners.Everyonewasinterestedinhisfriend,Mr.Darcy.Hewasafine,tallman.Hisfacewashandsomeandheseemedverynoble.TherewasarumorthatheownedalargepieceoflandatPemberley,inDerbyshire.Later,everyonediscoveredthathewasproud,rude,andthoughtthatotherpeoplewerenotasgoodashim.

Mr.Bingley,ontheotherhand,waslivelyandnotshy.Hedancedeverydance,andseemeddisappointedwhenitwastimeforthedancetofinish.Whatadifferencewithhisfriend!

Mr.DarcyonlydancedoncewithMr.Bingley'ssister;hedidn'tevenasktobeintroducedtoanyotherlady.Atthedanceitwasdecidedthathewastheproudest,mostdisagreeablemanintheworld.

　　Duringthedance,Elizabethhadbeentositdownfortwodances.Mr.DarcyhadbeenstandingnearherandshewasabletolistentoaconversationbetweenhimandMr.Bingley.

　　"Comeon,Darcy,"hesaid."Don'tstandherebyyourself.Wouldn'titbebetterifyouweretodancesomemore?

"

　　"Yoursistersaredancingwithotherpartners,andyouaredancingwiththeonlybeautifulgirlintheroom,"saidMr.Darcy,lookingacrossatJane.

　　"Oh,sheismostbeautiful!

Butoneofhersistersissittingbehindyou,andsheisalsoverypretty.LetmeaskJanetointroduceyou."

　　DarcyturnedaroundandlookedatElizabethuntilElizabethturnedtolookathim.Catchinghereye,hestoppedandcoldlysaid,"Sheisnotprettyenoughformetodancewithher."

Mr.Darcywalkedoff,leavingElizabethfeelinghurt.Shecertainlyhadnofriendlyfeelingsforhim.Mrs.Bennet,whohadalsoheardMr.Darcy'sremark,wasveryangry.

　　Still,thewholeeveningpassedverypleasantlyenoughfortherestofthefamily.Mrs.BennetwashappybecausehereldestdaughterJanewasmuchadmiredbytheNetherfieldparty.Maryhadheardherselfmentionedasthemosteducatedgirlintheneighborhood;andKittyandLydiawerealwaysdancingwithpartnersthroughtheevening.Becauseofthis,theyreturnedhometoLongbourningoodandhappyspirits.

　　"Oh,my