Pride and Prejudice in Osten. Book Pride and Prejudice read online

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28.01.17 11:13

Before the most famous novel Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" - a fact confirmed by sources, saw the light of day, the author had to be patient. She started working at the age of 20, and received a published book only at 37 years old. Well, the success of the book is undeniable - it is still being filmed and reread with pleasure.

The novel was published on January 28, 1813, that is, exactly 204 years ago. If anyone has forgotten, we remind you of the contents. A girl meets a guy who seems to her like an arrogant rude man. Therefore, when he asks for her hand in marriage, the girl refuses, although she has tender feelings for him. It all ends with a wedding (despite the resistance of the groom's relatives). The bride receives a bonus: her newly-made husband is fabulously rich (although she herself is without a dowry). Even if you know the novel by heart, these facts about Pride and Prejudice are unlikely to be familiar to you.

"Pride and Prejudice": facts about a novel for all times

The main character Elizabeth Bennet is similar to the writer, because Austen was also rejected due to the fact that Jane was given a small dowry. At the age of 20, the future celebrity flirted with a young man, Tom Lefroy. He was well-mannered, handsome and pleasant, but Austen’s own social status had deteriorated. And the Lefroy family “rejected” the potential bride. Unlike your own sad story(Jane remained old maid), she awarded Elizabeth a happy ending.

Another similar feature: in real life Jane was very close to her sister Cassandra, and in the book, Elizabeth and the eldest of the five Bennet daughters, Jane, best friends. When the writer died, Cassandra wrote: “The sun of my life has faded.”

Where does the surname Darcy come from and what is his net worth?

Nowadays, the surname of the main male character, “Darcy,” has become a household name, but readers of “Pride and Prejudice” - this is an obvious fact - do not think about its origin. In the early 1800s, every self-respecting person knew that Darcy was a derivative of the French surname D'Arcy (Arcy is a village in France), which was brought by the Normans led by William the Conqueror and received by an ancient family of peers.

The name Fitzwilliam was also not chosen by chance: during Austen’s youth, this was a real and very respected wealthy family, whose estate could compete with Buckingham Palace. So "Fitzwilliam Darcy" also meant noble birth, and wealth.

Wait, what kind of wealth is there - after all, in the book it is written in black and white that Mr. Darcy’s income was 10 thousand pounds a year. Is this a lot? But wait to be disappointed! In 2013, it was estimated that, given the financial changes that have occurred since early XIX century, this amount would now reach 12 million pounds (or 18.7 million dollars). And this is only interest from much larger amount. So Miss Bennet really was lucky.

Wickham and Lydia ran away to the Las Vegas of their time

Why Wickham ran off with 15-year-old Lydia Bennet is puzzling. Why get involved with even a poor noblewoman, when there are plenty of available ladies, and no one will force you to marry. Austen was too prim to write directly: Lydia was a sort of well-developed “cat” for her age, a sexually attractive, sociable, cheerful teenager. So the seducer could not resist. True, he had to pay for his lust: he took Lydia down the aisle.

Lydia's escape with Wickham is one of the most bitter pages that her parents had to endure. But why did the fugitives go specifically to Scotland (to Gretna Green)? It's simple: in Scotland (unlike England) it was allowed to get married before the age of 21 and without parental blessing. Gretna Green is a city almost on the border, the closest to it. In a modern version of the novel, Lydia’s letter to her sister would sound like this: “I’m going to Las Vegas” (where the marriage process is also extremely simplified).

The writer thought her book was too frivolous

Where did the title of the novel Pride and Prejudice come from? “The facts state that Austen borrowed a quotation from Cecilia Fanny Burney: “The whole wretched business,” said Dr. Lister, “was the result of pride and prejudice...If pride and prejudice were the cause of misery, then good and evil were wonderfully balanced.”

Interesting fact: "Pride and Prejudice" is considered by many as a satire on women who really want to get married (including advantageously). This is a classic, and a very moral one at that. But Austen herself was worried that her work was not serious enough: “The book is too light, bright and sparkling.” But the image of Elizabeth Bennet completely suited the writer; she was very proud of the heroine.

Difficulties with the publisher and excessive modesty

The first draft of the book was completed by Austen at age 21. In 1797, her father sent the manuscript to the publisher Thomas Cadell, but he sent the novel back without even reading it, with an insulting remark. Jane didn't back down. When she managed to publish the book “Senses and Sensibility”, there was a chance to “push” another novel. Austen was already looked at as a professional, and what she dreamed of happened - the book was published in 1813.

Jane sold the copyright of Pride and Prejudice to publishers for £110, although she said in a letter that she wanted £150. The price was reduced, but she did not object, agreeing to a one-time payment. Austen could not imagine how wrong she was: the book became a bestseller, brought in a lot of profit, and in 1817 was reprinted for the third time. But Jane could no longer claim interest or royalties.

Austen was clearly not only modest in this regard: the novel was published anonymously. She only dared to point out that the author wrote “Sense and Sensibility.” Her name was revealed to the world (after her death) by the writer’s brother.

Classic adaptations and films based on them

Known fact: Pride and Prejudice has been adapted several times. The most popular version is the 1995 miniseries with Colin Firth. And someone likes it better feature film with Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen and Rosamund Pike, which competed for 4 Oscars. These are the classic versions.

There are many films based on the novel. For example, “Bridget Jones's Diary” (the author of this book was inspired by Austen’s work) or the Indian melodrama “Bride and Prejudice”. But the latest paraphrase for today, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” which starred Lily James, Lena Headey, Matt Smith, Charles Dance, became one of the biggest failures of 2016. It collected only $16 million against a budget of $28 million. Apparently, the public did not appreciate the zombie adventures of the Bennet sisters!

Current page: 1 (book has 29 pages in total) [available reading passage: 7 pages]

Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice

Novel

Section I

It is a generally accepted truth that a single young man - and with a lot of money at that - should certainly strive to get married.

However little may be known about the feelings and views of such a person when he first appears in a new place, this truth is so firmly seated in the heads of the members of the surrounding families that the newcomer is looked upon as the legal property of this or that girl.

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” the wife once turned to her husband, “have you heard that Netherfield Park is finally being rented out?”

Mr. Bennett replied that he had not heard.

“It’s for rent,” she said again, “because Mrs. Long was just there and told me all about it.”

Mr. Bennet replied.

– Don’t you wonder who took it?! – his wife exclaimed impatiently.

– You just wanted to talk about it, and I don’t mind.

His words sounded like encouragement.

“So you should know, my dear, that - according to Mrs. Long - Netherfield was rented by some rich young man from the north of England. He arrived on Monday in a phaeton drawn by four to look around; and he liked this place so much that he immediately agreed on everything with Mr. Morris: to move in by Michaelmas and send some of the servants there before the end of next week.

- And what is his name?

- Bingley.

– Is he married or single?

- Oh, of course, single, my dear! A bachelor with an income of four or five thousand a year. For our girls this is just a godsend!

– I don’t understand what they have to do with it?

“Dear Mr. Bennet,” said his wife. – You simply amaze me with your lack of understanding! Is it really difficult to understand what I think about his marriage to one of them?

– Does he intend to get married and settle here?

- Intention? Nonsense! What does this have to do with it! But it may well happen that he will fall in love with one of them, so you should definitely pay him a visit as soon as he appears.

– I don’t see a suitable reason for this. Why don’t you and the girls go without me, or maybe even let them go on their own - and that would be even better, because you are as beautiful as they are, so Mr. Bingley will choose you out of the whole society.

- My dear, you flatter me. Once upon a time I was really good, but now I don’t pretend to be anything extraordinary. When a woman has five grown daughters, she should not be concerned with her beauty.

- Alas, in such cases women usually have nothing to worry about.

“But, my dear, why don’t you really go and see Mr. Bingley when he gets here?”

- Yes, I’m telling you - there is no reason.

“But think about our daughters.” Just imagine how well one of them could be installed! William and Lady Lucas will certainly go on this very occasion, otherwise, you know, they do not pay visits to new arrivals. You just have to go, otherwise how can we go there if you don’t go there?

- Do not exaggerate. I have no doubt that Mr. Bingley will be glad to see you anyway; and I will send him a note with you, in which I will express my joyful agreement with his desire to marry whichever of our girls he likes best, although I simply cannot help but say a few kind words for my little Lizzie.

“I hope you won’t do anything like that.” Why is she better than others? Her beauty is far from Jane, and her cheerful disposition is far from Lydia. And for some reason you always prefer her.

“Mr. Bennet, how can you speak so disparagingly of your own children?” Or do you just like to deliberately annoy me? You don't respect my weak nerves at all.

- Darling, you misunderstood me. Your weak nerves cause me extreme respect. They are my old friends. For the last twenty years, all I have heard is how fondly you remember them.

“You just don’t know how much I suffer!”

“However, I hope that you will recover and still have time to see many young people coming here with an income of four thousand pounds.”

- Yes, even if there are at least twenty of them, it will still be of no use until you visit them.

“I give you my word, my dear, that when there are twenty of them here, I will certainly visit them all.”

Mr. Bennet was such a strange combination of intelligence, sarcasm, reserve and mischief that even twenty years of married life were not enough for his wife to fully understand his character. Her own character was not so difficult to understand. She was a narrow-minded, poorly educated and capricious woman. When she was dissatisfied with something, she pretended that she had a nervous breakdown. She considered it her life's work to marry off her daughters; her consolation is visiting guests and gossiping.

Section II

In fact, Mr. Bennet was looking forward to Mr. Bingley's arrival. He had a long-standing intention to visit him, although he stubbornly assured his wife that he had no intention of doing this; so she only found out about it after the visit had already been made. This fact became known as follows. Watching his second daughter finishing her hat, Mr. Bennet suddenly turned to her and said:

“Lizzy, I hope Mr. Bingley likes this.”

“How do we know what exactly Mr. Bingley will like,” his wife answered displeasedly. - We are not going to see him.

“But don’t forget, mother,” said Elizabeth, “that we will see him at the ball, and Mrs. Long promised to introduce him to us.”

“I don’t believe Mrs. Long will do something like that.” She herself needs to marry off two of her nieces. She is a selfish and insincere woman, I do not value her highly.

“Me too,” said Mr. Bennet. “And I’m glad to know that you don’t expect such a favor from her.”

Mrs. Bennet did not deign to answer him, but she could not contain her irritation and began to scold one of her daughters.

- Why did you cough so much, Kitty?! Shut up, for God's sake, have at least a little pity on my nerves. You just tear them to pieces.

“Kitty coughs without due respect to you,” said the father, “she does it clearly out of place.”

“You'd think I'm doing this for my own pleasure,” Kitty replied irritably.

- When is your next ball, Lizzie?

- Two weeks from tomorrow.

- Yeah, that's how it is! – exclaimed her mother. “But Mrs. Long won’t be back until the day before, so it turns out that she won’t be able to introduce him to us, because she won’t have time to meet him herself.”

“So, my dear, now you will have the opportunity to introduce Mr. Bingley to your friend.”

“No, Mr. Bennet, it’s impossible; I don’t know him; and why are you teasing, huh?

– I pay tribute to your discretion. A two-week acquaintance is really very little. You can't really get to know a person in two weeks. But if we don’t do it, someone else will; Mrs. Long and her nieces should also be given a chance, shouldn’t we? She will certainly perceive this as a sign of goodwill on our part, and if you do not fulfill this duty, then I will fulfill it.

The girls stared at their father in surprise. And Mrs. Bennet could only squeeze out:

– This is just some kind of nonsense!

– What do you want to say with your emotional exclamation?! - asked Mr. Bennet. - Do you think this is stupid? important procedure How's the meeting?! This is where I just can’t agree with you. What do you say, Mary? You, as far as I know, are a thoughtful young girl, you read smart books and take notes.

Mary wanted to say something very smart, but didn't know how to say it.

“While Mary gathers her thoughts,” he continued, “let’s return to Mr. Bingley.”

“Your Mr. Bingley is already on my mind,” exclaimed Mrs. Bennet.

– It’s very sad to hear this; but why didn’t you tell me this before? If I had known about this this morning, I would not have gone to see him. It turned out inappropriate, but I still paid him a visit, and now you will not be able to avoid meeting him.

The ladies were at first puzzled and then delighted; This was precisely the effect Mr. Bennet had hoped for. Mrs. Bennet reacted most emotionally to this news, although later, when the first joyful indignation subsided, she announced that this was just what she had been waiting for.

That's so kind of you, my dear Mr. Bennet. But I had no doubt that, in the end, I would be able to convince you. I knew: you love our girls so much that you would definitely make this acquaintance. Oh, how glad I am! You joked so well that you went to see him this morning, and you only told us about it now.

“Now, Kitty,” said Mr. Bennet, “you can cough as much as you like.” - Having said this, he left the room because he was tired of his wife’s enthusiastic exclamations.

“Girls, you have such a wonderful father,” she said when the door closed behind him. “I don’t even know how you can thank him for his kindness; for that matter, I don’t know how I can thank him myself. To tell the truth, at our age it is not easy to make new acquaintances, but for your sake we are ready to do anything. Lydia, dear, although you are young, I think that at the ball that is about to take place, Mr. Bingley will definitely dance with you.

“Nothing,” Lydia said decisively. “I’m not afraid of him at all; I am the youngest, but also the tallest.

The rest of the evening was spent in guessing as to how quickly Mr. Bingley would return his visit, and in determining the day on which he could be invited to dinner.

Section III

No matter how hard Mrs. Bennet, supported by her daughters, tried to question her husband as much as possible, she could not get enough out of him to form any more or less satisfactory idea of ​​​​Mr. Bingley. They ran at him with different sides: asked frank questions, made cunning assumptions and hidden hints; but he skillfully avoided them; and, in the end, they had to be content with secondary information received from their neighbor, Mrs. Lucas. Her information was very positive. Mr. William liked Mr. Bingley extremely. He was very young, amazingly handsome, very friendly and - in addition to all this - he was going to arrive at the planned ball in the company of his many friends. You can't hope for the best! From the love of dancing it is not so far from love, so hopes for Mr. Bingley's love were expressed the greatest.

“If I have to see one of my daughters marry happily and live in Netherfield,” said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, “and the others be so lucky to marry as well, then there is nothing more I can wish for.”

A few days later Mr. Bingley paid Mr. Bennet a visit and sat with him for ten minutes in his library. He hoped that he would be blessed with a meeting with girls about whose beauty he had already heard a lot, but he only met their father. The girls themselves were a little luckier, because they could see him from the second floor window: he was wearing a blue jacket, and he rode a black horse.

Soon after this he was invited to dinner; and Mrs. Bennet was already considering what dishes that would do credit to her skill in housekeeping she would serve at the table, when an answer came that forced her to postpone dinner indefinitely. The next day Mr. Bingley had to be in the city, so there was no way he could accept such an honorable invitation; and further in the same spirit. Mrs. Bennet was upset. She could not understand what kind of business such as this could have appeared in London if he had only arrived in Hertfordshire yesterday; she had fears that perhaps this was how he lived - jumping from place to place and never settling properly in Netherfield. Madame Lucas allayed her fears somewhat by putting forward the idea that he had gone to London only to gather a large company for the planned ball; Soon a rumor spread that Mr. Bingley was to bring twelve women and seven gentlemen with him. Such a number of ladies worried Mr. Bennet's daughters; but the day before the ball they calmed down when they heard that only six people had come with him from London - his five sisters and his cousin. And when the arriving company entered the dance room, it turned out that it consisted of only five people: Mr. Bingley, two sisters, the husband of the eldest of them and another young man.

Mr. Bingley was handsome and noble-looking; he had a pleasant appearance and a relaxed, natural manner. His sisters were elegant and fashionably dressed women, and there was a certain charm about them. His son-in-law, Mr. Hurst, looked like a gentleman, but nothing more; however, his friend, Mr. Darcy, soon attracted the attention of everyone in the room with his elegant, tall figure, handsome features, noble appearance, and also with the rumor of his ten thousand pounds a year, which spread in the room as soon as he entered it has entered. The men unanimously declared that he looked like a real man, while the ladies declared that he was even more handsome than Mr. Bingley; for half an evening they looked at him with extreme admiration, until his manners aroused universal condemnation; as a result, the tide of his popularity rolled in the opposite direction. It turned out that he was arrogant, that he considered himself higher than the surrounding society, everything only caused him irritation; now even a large estate in Derbyshire could not save him: they agreed that his face was repulsive and unpleasant and could not be compared with his friend.

Mr. Bingley soon became acquainted with all the principal persons who were present at the ball; he was lively and at ease, did not miss a single dance, expressed dissatisfaction that the ball ended early, and said that he himself would organize a ball in Netherfield. Such pleasant qualities spoke for themselves. What a striking difference between him and his friend! Mr. Darcy danced only twice - once with Mrs. Hurst, and the second with Miss Bingley, did not allow himself to be recommended to other ladies, and spent the rest of the evening pacing the room and talking from time to time with someone from his company. Everything was clear about his character. It was extremely pompous, unpleasant person, and everyone hoped that he would never come to them again. One of his most ardent opponents was Mrs. Bennet, whose dissatisfaction with his general behavior intensified and turned into a very specific indignation at his blatant disregard of one of her daughters.

Due to a shortage of men, Elizabeth Bennet had to miss two dances; Part of this time Mr. Darcy stood not far from her, and she overheard a conversation between him and Mr. Bingley, who interrupted his dancing for a moment and came up to persuade his friend to dance also.

“Come on, Darcy,” he said. - Listen to me, let's go dance. I can't watch you standing here alone like a complete idiot. You'd better dance.

- In no case. You know I can't stand it, except when I already know my partner. For now, I don’t see any possibility for this. Your sisters are busy, and dancing with any of the other women in this room would be a real punishment for me.

- For God's sake, don't be so picky! - exclaimed Bingley. “Honestly, I have never met so many nice girls than this evening; some of the ones you have seen are very beautiful.

“That girl you're dancing with now is the only really pretty woman in this room,” said Mr. Darcy, glancing at the eldest of the Bennet sisters.

- ABOUT! She is the most magical creature I have ever danced with! But one of her sisters is sitting just behind you; she is pretty and seems to be very nice. Let my partner introduce you.

- Who are you speaking about? - turning around, Mr. Darcy quickly looked at Elizabeth, caught her gaze, then looked away and said coldly: “She’s nothing at all, but not good enough to attract me, while I’m not in the mood to help out young girls humiliated by other men.” . Better go back to your partner and enjoy her smiles, because with me you are wasting your time.

Mr. Bingley heeded the advice. Mr. Darcy left, leaving Elizabeth with not very warm feelings about him. However, she told this story to her friends extremely condescendingly, because she was a person of a lively and playful nature, so everything funny amused her.

For their family as a whole, this evening was pleasant. Mrs. Bennet saw that her eldest daughter was very much liked by the whole Netherfield company. Mr. Bingley danced with her twice, and his sisters also noticed her. Jane was no less happy about this than her mother, but not as emotional. Elizabeth was happy for Jane. Mary heard someone speaking to Miss Bingley refer to her as the most educated girl in District; Catherine and Lydia were also lucky: they were invited to dance every now and then, so the need for a constant presence of gentlemen was so far the main impression they had about this ball. Therefore they are all in good mood returned to Longburn - the village in which they lived and of which they were the main inhabitants. It turned out that Mr. Bennett was still awake. Picking up a book, he forgot about time; on this occasion the events of the evening, which led to such pleasant hopes, aroused his great interest. Mr. Bennet hoped that all his wife's ideas about the new arrivals would turn out to be false; but very soon he became convinced that he would have to listen to a completely different story.

- Oh, dear Mr. Bennet! - exclaimed the wife, entering the room, - the evening was wonderful, the ball was simply wonderful. It's a pity that you weren't with us. Everyone was delighted with Jane, everyone really liked her. Everyone said she looked beautiful; Mr. Bingley also thinks she's absolutely adorable and even danced with her twice! Jane was the only woman among those present, whom he invited for the second time. First he invited Miss Lucas. It was extremely unpleasant for me to watch him dance with her; however, he didn’t like her at all - perhaps no one liked her at all, which, by the way, is not surprising. When Jane began to dance, she simply amazed him. So he asked who she was, asked to be introduced to her, and invited her to the next dance. The third - he danced with Miss King, the fourth - with Maria Lucas, the fifth - again with Jane, the sixth - with Lizzie, and Boulanger...

“If he had at least a little sympathy for me,” her husband exclaimed impatiently, “he wouldn’t have danced so much!” Please don't count his partners. God! And why didn't he just sprain his ankle during the first dance?!

- Yes, be it for you, dear! – Mrs. Bennet continued. – I’m simply delighted with him. He is so handsome, so handsome! And his sisters are simply charming women; Never in my life have I seen such elegant dresses as theirs. I dare say that the lace on Mrs. Hearst's dress was...

Here she was interrupted again: Mr. Bennet protested against any description of the decorations. His wife, therefore, was forced to look for another branch of this topic and told - with bitterness in her voice and with some exaggeration - about the amazing rudeness of Mr. Darcy.

“But I assure you,” she added, “Lizzie did not lose much by not responding to his capricious imagination, because he is an extremely unpleasant person, simply terrible, not worth pleasing at all.” So pompous, so vain - just obnoxious! I walked here and there, imagining myself big shot. Just think - she’s not beautiful enough to dance with him! It’s a pity, my dear, that you weren’t there - you would definitely have knocked his arrogance down. I just can't stand him.

Section IV

When Jane and Elizabeth were left alone, the former, who had previously been in no hurry to praise Mr. Bingley, now admitted to her sister how much she liked him.

“He is what a young man should be: reasonable, friendly, lively; and what wonderful manners he has! I have never met anyone like them before - such ease, such impeccable manners!

“I was so pleased when he asked me to dance for the second time.” I never expected such a compliment.

- Oh really? But I hoped - instead of you. This, in fact, is one of the significant differences between us. Compliments always take you by surprise, but never me. What could be more natural for him to do than to invite you back? He just couldn't help but see that you were five times more attractive than any other woman in the room. This does not require special gallantry. Yes, he is really very attractive, even if you like him, I don’t mind. You often liked types much stupider than him.

- Lizzie, dear, what are you doing?

- Nothing! You're just too inclined to sympathize with people in general. You don't see any flaws in anyone. Everyone in the world seems kind and pleasant to you. Never in my life have I heard you speak badly about anyone.

“I’m just never in a hurry to judge someone, although I always say what I think.”

– I know that it is so; This is what surprises me most of all. With your sound mind - and to be so blind to the narrow-mindedness and stupidity of other people! Conspicuous kindness is a fairly common phenomenon: it is found everywhere. But to be good without pretense and premeditation, to see only goodness in everyone and even exaggerate its true extent, without noticing bad traits - only you are capable of this. So, that means you and his sisters liked him, right? And by the way, their manners are worse than his.

– At first it seems so. But if you talk to them, it turns out that they are very friendly women. Miss Bingley will live with her brother and manage the household; and I have almost no doubt that in her person we will have a wonderful neighbor.

Elizabeth listened in silence, and was not convinced by what she heard. General behavior Mr. Bingley's sisters' ball was not designed to please. Elizabeth was smarter, more observant and not as pliable as Jane, moreover, her judgment was not influenced by signs of sympathy from anyone, and therefore she was little inclined to have a positive attitude towards these ladies. Yes, they really were elegant and sophisticated girls, they lacked goodwill, they were able to seem pleasant when they needed it, but they remained pompous and vain. Mr. Bingley's sisters were quite beautiful, they received their education at one of the best private institutes for noble maidens in London, they had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds and the habit of living in grand style; They communicated with people of position, so they had every reason to have a good opinion of themselves and a bad opinion of others. They came from a respectable family living in northern England; and this circumstance was impressed upon their memory even more deeply than the fact that their wealth, as well as that of their brother, had been acquired through trade.

Mr. Bingley inherited a fortune worth about one hundred thousand pounds from his father, who intended to acquire the estate, but died before he could do so. Mr. Bingley also intended to acquire an estate, sometimes choosing the county in which he lived; but now that he had rented a decent mansion and received the right to hunt, everyone who knew his carefree disposition well began to fear that he would spend the rest of his life in Netherfield, and would shift the matter of acquiring the estate onto the shoulders of the next generation.

His sisters really wanted him to have his own mansion, and although Mr. Bingley settled in Netherfield as a guest, Miss Bingley was not at all averse to playing the role of mistress there; this also applied to Mrs. Hurst, who married a man (more noble than rich) who had absolutely no intention of considering his house her home if she did not consider it so. Less than two years after Mr. Bingley came of age, he was advised to look at Netherfield House, and he succumbed to temptation. He looked inside and out for half an hour, was satisfied with the arrangement of the main rooms and the owner's praise of the estate, and immediately agreed to rent it.

Connected him with Mr. Darcy strong friendship, despite the great difference in their characters. Darcy fell in love with Bingley for the ease, openness and pliability of his character, which was very different from his own, and seemed to completely satisfy him. Bingley was a firm believer in the power of Darcy's friendship and had the utmost respect for his opinion. Darcy was superior to Bingley in his mental abilities. It's not that the latter lacked intelligence, but Darcy was really very smart. But at the same time he was dismissive, reserved, carefully capricious, and his manners, despite their grace, were not very friendly. It was from this point of view that his friend had a great advantage. Bingley could count on the sympathy of others wherever he was, but Darcy - everywhere - irritated those around him.

Characteristic in this regard was the way they described the Meryton ball. Never in his life had Bingley met such pleasant people or such pretty girls; everyone treated him with extreme friendliness and attention; there was no formality, no stiffness, very quickly he became acquainted with everyone present in the room; as for Miss Bennet, he had never imagined that a woman could be so divinely beautiful. Darcy, on the contrary, saw a gathering of people who were not very handsome, dressed out of fashion, in whom he had no interest and from whom he received neither pleasure nor expressions of sympathy. Yes, he did not deny that Miss Bennet was pretty, but, in his opinion, she smiled too much.

Mrs. Hurst and her sister did not object and added that they were delighted with her, that they liked her, and came to the final conclusion that Miss Bennet was a pretty girl about whom they would not mind knowing more. So the sisters assigned Miss Bennet the status of a pretty girl, and their brother realized that this approving description gave him the right to think of her as he pleased.

“Remember, if our sorrows stem from Pride and Prejudice, then we also owe deliverance from them to Pride and Prejudice, for good and evil are so wonderfully balanced in the world.”

These words indeed fully reveal the intent of Jane Austen's novel.

The provincial family is, as they say, “middle-class”: the father of the family, Mr. Bennet, is of quite noble blood, phlegmatic, prone to a stoically doomed perception of both the life around him and himself; He treats his own wife with particular irony: Mrs. Bennet really cannot boast of either origin, intelligence, or upbringing. She is frankly stupid, blatantly tactless, extremely limited and, accordingly, has a very high opinion of her own person. The Bennett couple have five daughters: the eldest, Jane and Elizabeth, will become central heroines novel.

The action takes place in a typical English province. IN small town Meriton, in Hertfordshire, receives sensational news: one of the richest estates in the Netherfield Park district will no longer be empty: it has been rented by a rich young man, a “metropolitan thing” and aristocrat, Mr. Bingley. To all of his above-mentioned advantages was added one more, the most significant, truly priceless: Mr. Bingley was single. And the minds of the surrounding mothers were darkened and confused by this news for a long time; the intelligence (or rather, the instinct!) of Mrs. Bennet in particular. It's a joke - five daughters! However, Mr. Bingley does not arrive alone; he is accompanied by his sisters, as well as his inseparable friend, Mr. Darcy. Bingley is simple-minded, trusting, naive, open to communication, devoid of any snobbery and ready to love everyone. Darcy is the complete opposite of him: proud, arrogant, withdrawn, filled with the consciousness of his own exclusivity, belonging to a select circle.

The relationships that develop between Bingley - Jane and Darcy - Elizabeth are quite consistent with their characters. In the first, they are permeated with clarity and spontaneity, both are simple-minded and trusting (which at first will become the soil on which mutual feelings arise, then the reason for their separation, then will bring them together again). For Elizabeth and Darcy, everything will turn out to be completely different: attraction and repulsion, mutual sympathy and equally obvious mutual hostility; in a word, the same “pride and prejudice” (of both!) that will bring them a lot of suffering and mental anguish, through which they will painfully, while never “giving up on their faces” (that is, from themselves), make their way to each other . Their first meeting will immediately indicate mutual interest, or rather, mutual curiosity. Both are equally extraordinary: just as Elizabeth differs sharply from the local young ladies - in her sharpness of mind, independence of judgments and assessments, so Darcy - in her upbringing, manners, and restrained arrogance - stands out among the crowd of officers of the regiment stationed in Meryton, the very same ones who, with their uniforms and epaulettes, brought together drive the younger Miss Bennet, Lydia and Kitty crazy. However, at first, it is Darcy’s arrogance, his emphasized snobbery, when with all his behavior, in which cold politeness for a sensitive ear can, not without reason, sound almost offensive - it is these properties that cause Elizabeth both hostility and even indignation. For if the pride inherent in both of them immediately (internally) brings them together, then Darcy’s prejudices and his class arrogance can only push Elizabeth away. Their dialogues - during rare and chance meetings at balls and in drawing rooms - are always a verbal duel. A duel between equal opponents is invariably courteous, never going beyond the bounds of decency and secular conventions.

Mr. Bingley's sisters, quickly discerning the mutual feeling that has arisen between their brother and Jane Bennet, do everything to alienate them from each other. When the danger begins to seem completely inevitable to them, they simply “take” him to London. Subsequently, we learn that Darcy played a very significant role in this unexpected escape.

As it should be in a “classic” novel, the main story line acquires numerous branches. So, at some point, his cousin Mr. Collins appears in Mr. Bennet's house, who, according to the English laws of primogeniture, after the death of Mr. Bennet, who has no male heirs, should take possession of their Longbourn estate, as a result of which Mrs. Bennet and her daughters may find themselves homeless. The letter received from Collins, and then his own appearance, testify to how limited, stupid and self-confident this gentleman is - precisely because of these merits, as well as another, very important one: the ability to flatter and please - who managed to receive a parish in the estate of a noble Ladies Lady de Bourgh. Later it turns out that she is Darcy’s own aunt - only in her arrogance, unlike her nephew, there will not be a glimmer of living human feeling, nor the slightest ability for emotional impulse. Mr. Collins comes to Longbourn not by chance: having decided, as required by his rank (and Lady de Bourg too), to enter into a legal marriage, he chose the family of his cousin Bennett, confident that he would not be refused: after all, his marriage to one of Miss Bennet will automatically make the happy chosen one the rightful mistress of Longbourn. His choice, of course, falls on Elizabeth. Her refusal plunges him into the deepest amazement: after all, not to mention his personal merits, with this marriage he was going to benefit the whole family. However, Mr. Collins was comforted very soon: Elizabeth's closest friend, Charlotte Lucas, turns out to be more practical in all respects and, having considered all the advantages of this marriage, gives Mr. Collins her consent. Meanwhile, another person appears in Meryton, a young officer of the Wickham regiment stationed in the city. Appearing at one of the balls, he impresses Elizabeth with enough strong impression: charming, helpful, and at the same time intelligent, able to please even such an outstanding young lady as Miss Bennet. Elizabeth develops special trust in him after she realizes that he knows Darcy - the arrogant, insufferable Darcy! - and not just a sign, but, according to Wickham’s own stories, a victim of his dishonesty. The aura of a martyr, suffering due to the fault of a person who arouses such hostility in her, makes Wickham even more attractive in her eyes.

Some time after the sudden departure of Mr. Bingley with his sisters and Darcy, the elder Miss Bennets themselves end up in London - to stay in the house of their uncle Mr. Gardiner and his wife, a lady for whom both nieces have sincere spiritual affection. And from London, Elizabeth, already without her sister, goes to her friend Charlotte, the same one who became the wife of Mr. Collins. At Lady de Bourgh's house, Elizabeth encounters Darcy again. Their conversations at the table, in public, again resemble a verbal duel - and again Elizabeth turns out to be a worthy rival. And if you consider that the action takes place at the turn of the 18th - 19th centuries, then such insolence from the lips of a young lady - on the one hand a lady, on the other - a dowry - may seem like real freethinking: “You wanted to embarrass me, Mr. Darcy... but I’m not at all afraid of you... Stubbornness does not allow me to show cowardice when others want it. When someone tries to intimidate me, I become even more impudent.” But one fine day, when Elizabeth is sitting alone in the living room, Darcy suddenly appears on the threshold; “All my struggle was in vain! Nothing comes of it. I can't cope with my feeling. Know that I am endlessly fascinated by you and that I love you!” But Elizabeth rejects his love with the same determination with which she once rejected the claims of Mr. Collins. When asked by Darcy to explain both her refusal and her hostility towards him, so unconcealed by her, Elizabeth talks about Jane’s happiness being destroyed because of him, and about Wickham being insulted by him. Again - a duel, again - a scythe on a stone. For even when making an offer, Darcy cannot (and does not want!) to hide the fact that when making it, he still always remembers that by marrying Elizabeth, he will thereby inevitably “enter into kinship with those who are so below him on the social ladder." And it is these words (although Elizabeth understands no less than him how limited her mother is, how ignorant her younger sisters are, and suffers from this much more than he does) that hurt her unbearably. In the scene of their explanation, equal temperaments clash, equal to “pride and prejudice.” The next day, Darcy hands Elizabeth a voluminous letter - a letter in which he explains to her his behavior towards Bingley (with the desire to save his friend from the very misalliance for which he is now ready himself!) - explains, without looking for excuses for himself, without hiding his active role in this matter; but the second is the details of the “Wickham case”, which present both of its participants (Darcy and Wickham) in a completely different light. In Darcy's story, it is Wickham who turns out to be both a deceiver and a low, dissolute, dishonest person. Darcy’s letter stuns Elizabeth - not only with the truth revealed in it, but, no less, with her awareness of her own blindness, the shame she experienced for the involuntary insult that she inflicted on Darcy: “How shameful I acted!.. I, who was so proud of my insight and so relying on her own common sense! With these thoughts, Elizabeth returns home to Longbourn. And from there, together with Aunt Gardiner and her husband, he goes on a short trip around Derbyshire. Among the attractions lying on their way is Pemberley; a beautiful old estate, owned by... Darcy. And although Elizabeth knows for certain that the house should be empty these days, it is at the moment when Darcy’s housekeeper proudly shows them the interior decoration that Darcy appears on the threshold again. Over the course of several days that they constantly meet - either in Pemberley or in the house where Elizabeth and her companions were staying - he invariably amazes everyone with his courtesy, friendliness, and ease of manner. Is this really the same proud Darcy? However, Elizabeth’s own attitude towards him also changed, and where previously she was ready to see only shortcomings, she is now quite inclined to find many advantages. But then an event occurs: from a letter received from Jane, Elizabeth learns that their younger sister, the unlucky and frivolous Lydia, ran away with a young officer - none other than Wickham. This way - in tears, in confusion, in despair - Darcy finds her in the house, alone. Not remembering herself from grief, Elizabeth talks about the misfortune that befell their family (dishonor is worse than death!), and only then, when, having bowed dryly, he unexpectedly abruptly leaves, she realizes what happened. Not with Lydia - with herself. After all, now she will never be able to become Darcy’s wife - she, whose own sister has forever disgraced herself, thereby placing an indelible mark on the whole family. Especially on his unmarried sisters. She hurriedly returns home, where she finds everyone in despair and confusion. Uncle Gardiner quickly goes in search of the fugitives to London, where he unexpectedly quickly finds them. Then, even more unexpectedly, he persuades Wickham to marry Lydia. And only later, from a casual conversation, Elizabeth learns that it was Darcy who found Wickham, it was he who forced him (with the help of a considerable amount of money) to marry the girl he seduced. After this discovery, the action rapidly approaches a happy ending. Bingley returns to Netherfield Park with his sisters and Darcy. Bingley proposes to Jane. Another explanation takes place between Darcy and Elizabeth, this time the last one. Having become Darcy's wife, our heroine becomes the full-fledged mistress of Pemberley - the very place where they first understood each other. A young sister Darcy Georgiana, with whom Elizabeth “established the intimacy that Darcy was counting on, Darcy understood from her experience that a woman can afford to treat her husband in a way that her younger sister cannot treat her brother.”

Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice

BOOK ONE

Everyone knows that a young man who has the means must look for a wife.

No matter how little the intentions and views of such a person are known after he has settled in a new place, this truth so firmly takes hold of the minds of families living nearby that they immediately begin to look at him as the legitimate prey of one or another neighbor’s daughter.

Dear Mr. Bennet,” Mrs. Bennet said to her husband one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park will finally no longer be empty?”

Mr. Bennett replied that he had not heard that.

Nevertheless, it is so,” she continued. - Mrs. Long just came in and told me this news!

Mr. Bennet said nothing.

Would you like to know who our new neighbor will be? - his wife asked impatiently.

I’m ready to listen to you if you really want to tell me about it.

Nothing more was required of him.

“Well, listen, my dear,” Mrs. Bennet continued. - Netherfield, according to Mrs. Long, was taken by a very rich young man from the North of England. On Monday he arrived there in a carriage drawn by four horses, examined the estate and was so delighted that he immediately agreed on everything with Mr. Morris. He is moving in time for Michaelmas, and some of his servants will arrive there at the end of next week.

And what is his name?

Is he married or single?

Single, dear, that's the point, single! A young bachelor with an income of four or five thousand a year! Isn't it a good opportunity for our girls?

How so? Does this have anything to do with them?

“Dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “you are simply unbearable today.” Of course you understand that I mean his marriage to one of them.

Hmm, is that his plan?

Plans! My God, you will say sometimes! But it may well happen that he falls in love with one of them. Therefore, as soon as he arrives, you will need to pay him a visit.

I admit, I don’t see sufficient reasons for this. Go yourself and the girls. Or send them alone - that might be even better. Otherwise, he will suddenly decide to fall in love with you - after all, you are no less attractive than any of our daughters.

You flatter me, my dear. Once upon a time I was indeed not unattractive. But now, alas, I no longer pretend to be known as a beauty. A woman who has five grown daughters should not think too much about her own beauty.

Under these circumstances, a woman does not often have so much beauty left that she has to think much about it.

But, my friend, you should certainly visit Mr. Bingley as soon as he appears.

I'm unlikely to take this on.

But think about our girls. Just imagine how well one of them will be built. You will see that Sir William and Lady Lucas will immediately hurry to Netherfield. And for what, do you think? Of course, for the sake of their Charlotte - you know, they don’t really like to visit strangers. You should definitely go - after all, we ourselves can’t visit him without it.

You are too scrupulous. I think Mr. Bingley will be glad to see you. Do you want me to give you a note for him with a promise to marry him to whichever of my daughters he likes best? Perhaps I'll just have to put in a good word for my little Lizzie.

I hope you don't do this. Lizzie is no better than your other daughters. I am sure she is not half as beautiful as Jane, and much less good-natured than Lydia. But for some reason you always give preference to her!

“None of my daughters are particularly remarkable,” he replied. “They are just as stupid and ignorant as all the other girls at that age.” It's just that Lizzie is a little more useful than her sisters.

Mr. Bennet, how dare you insult your own children like that? You take pleasure in tormenting me. Of course, you have nothing to do with my frayed nerves.

You are wrong, my dear. I have long been accustomed to taking them into account. After all, they are my old friends. It’s not for nothing that you’ve been talking to me about them for at least twenty years.

Oh, you can’t even imagine how I suffer.

I hope you will still live to see the time when there will be many young people in the area with an income of at least four thousand a year.

Even if there are twenty of them, what good are they if you still refuse to go to them?

Well, if there are twenty of them, my dear, then, of course, I’ll get together right away and visit them all.

Mr. Bennet's character so intricately combined liveliness of mind and a penchant for irony, isolation and eccentricity that in twenty-three years life together his wife still could not get used to him. It was much easier to understand her nature. She was an ignorant woman with insufficient intelligence and an unstable mood. When she was dissatisfied with something, she believed that her nerves were not in order. Her goal in life was to get her daughters married. Her only entertainment was visits and news.

Mr. Bennet was still one of the first to visit Mr. Bingley. In truth, from the very beginning he had in mind to pay him a visit, although he kept assuring his wife that he would never go to him. And she remained completely unaware of his intentions until the end of the day when the visit took place. The true state of affairs was revealed as follows. Watching his second daughter decorate her hat with ribbons, Mr. Bennet suddenly remarked:

I hope Mr. Bingley likes this, Lizzy.

“We’ll never know what Mr. Bingley likes and doesn’t like,” her mother said irritably, “if we don’t have to go to Netherfield.”

But you forget, mother,” said Elizabeth, “that we will meet him at the ball, and Mrs. Long promised to introduce us.”

Oh no, Mrs. Long would never do that. She herself has two nieces. I can't stand this prude and selfish thing!

“Me too,” said Mr. Bennet. “It’s so nice that you don’t depend on her in this important matter.”

Mrs. Bennet did not deign to answer; but, unable to contain her irritation, she attacked one of the daughters:

For God's sake, Kitty, stop coughing like that! Just think a little about my nerves. They won't stand it.

“Kitty doesn’t count for anything,” said the father. - She always coughs inappropriately.

“I didn’t cough for pleasure,” Kitty was offended.

When is your next ball, Lizzie?

In two weeks.

“Oh, that’s how it is,” exclaimed the mother. - So Mrs. Long will return only on the eve of the ball! How will she introduce him to us if she doesn’t even have time to meet him before?

Then, my dear, you can be of service to your friend by introducing her to Mr. Bingley.

It’s impossible, Mr. Bennett, it’s impossible, since I won’t know him myself. You're just kidding me!

Your discretion does you credit. Of course, such a short acquaintance means almost nothing. What judgment can be made about a person within two weeks? However, if we don't introduce her to Mr. Bingley, someone else will. For me, let Mrs. Long and her nieces try their luck too. I’m even ready to take on such a good deed if you really don’t like it.

The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet muttered:

What nonsense!

What does your expressive remark mean, madam? - he asked in surprise. - Do you consider the custom absurd, according to which, before dealing with stranger, should he be presented to you? Or do you not like the existing order of such presentation? I'm afraid our views differ slightly on this matter. What do you think about this, Mary? You are such a sensible girl, you read learned books and even make extracts from them.

Volume one

Chapter I

A bachelor who has a decent fortune must have a need to get a wife - everyone in the world recognizes this as true.

No matter how little the feelings or judgments of such a bachelor may be known when he first appears in the neighborhood, this truth takes root so firmly in the minds of neighboring families that these families consider the said bachelor to be the legal property of their daughters.

“Dear Mr. Bennet,” his wife said one fine day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park has finally been commissioned?”

Mr. Bennett replied that he had not heard about it.

“However, it has been handed over,” she said. “Mistress Long just visited us; she told me everything.”

Mr. Bennett did not honor this with a response.

- Don’t you really want to find out who took it? – his wife cried impatiently.

“You want to tell me about this, and I don’t mind listening to you.”

She was quite satisfied with this impulse.

“Well, my dear, let it be known to you that Mrs. Long said that Netherfield was taken by a very wealthy young man from the north of England; as if he arrived on Monday in a carriage drawn by four and was so enchanted that he made an agreement with Mr. Morris immediately; as if he will take over before Michaelmas, and other servants will arrive at the house by the end of next week.

- What is his name?

- Bingley.

- Married, single?

- Ah! single, darling, still single! A bachelor, and also a rich man - four or five thousand a year. What a wonderful gift for our girls!

- How is this possible? what do they have to do with it?

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” answered his wife, “why are you so boring?” I am thinking about him marrying one of them, which you cannot but understand.

- And he settled here with such a plan?

- By design! what nonsense, what are you saying! But it is extremely likely that he Maybe fall in love with one of them, and therefore, as soon as he arrives, you should visit him.

- I don’t see a reason. You and the girls can go, or send them alone. This, perhaps, will be for the best - you, my dear, compete with them in beauty and of the entire delegation you may like Mr. Bingley more than anyone else.

- Darling, you flatter me. Of course, I am deprived of beauty was not, however, now I don’t at all pretend to be extraordinary. A lady with five adult daughters should give up thoughts of her own beauty.

- IN similar cases a lady is often devoid of beauty, and therefore there is nothing to think about.

“However, my dear, when Mr. Bingley arrives, you should see him.”

- I assure you, this goes beyond the scope of my duties.

“But think about your daughters.” Just think how wonderful such a match would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas intend to visit Mr. Bingley solely for such reasons - they, you know, are not in the habit of visiting visitors. You should definitely go, because if you refuse, we won’t be able to visit him. We.

-You are overly scrupulous. I think Mr. Bingley will be glad to see you; I will send him a couple of lines, assuring him of my sincere consent to the marriage, no matter which child of mine he chooses; However, I should put in a good word for my little Lizzie.

- No, please don’t do anything like that. Lizzie is not a bit better than anyone else; and certainly not half as beautiful as Jane, and not half as cheerful as Lydia. And yet you always give preference to her.

“There is no particular reason to praise them,” Mr. Bennett answered. “They are stupid and ignorant, like any girls; Lizzie is smarter than her sisters.

- Mr. Bennett, how can you insult your children in such a manner? You tease me and enjoy it. You have no sympathy at all for my frayed nerves.

– You are mistaken, my dear. I have the deepest respect for your nerves. We have been friends with them for a long time. For at least twenty years I have heard how lovingly you speak about them.

- Ah! You cannot understand my suffering.

“I hope, however, that you will recover and live to see the day when crowds of young people with four thousand a year begin to swarm in the surrounding area.”

“It’s of no use to us, even if twenty young people arrive, because you don’t want to visit them.”

“You have no doubt, my dear, when there are twenty of them, I will visit everyone.”

Mr. Bennet was such a strange mixture of irascibility, sarcastic wit, coldness and eccentricity that Mrs. Bennet did not even have twenty-three years to understand his character. Solving her character was not such a difficult task. Mrs. Bennett had a narrow mind, little knowledge and an unstable temperament. Being dissatisfied, she considered herself nervous. Her life's work was arranging daughter marriages; The joy is visits and gossip.

Chapter II

Mr. Bennett was one of the first to visit Mr. Bingley. Mr. Bennett intended to do this, although until the very end he assured his wife that he would not go, and until the evening of that day Mrs. Bennett had no idea about the visit. This was revealed in the following manner. Watching his second daughter finishing her hat, Mr. Bennett suddenly turned to his child and said:

“I hope Mr. Bingley likes this, Lizzy.”

- How do we know? What Mr. Bingley likes it,” her mother was indignant, “since we won’t visit him.”

“But you forget, mother,” Elizabeth noted, “that we will meet him at the ball, and Mrs. Long promised to introduce him.”

“I don’t think Miss Long will do anything like that.” She herself has two nieces. She is a selfish and hypocritical lady, and I cannot say a good word about her.

“So am I,” added Mr. Bennet, “and I am pleased to hear that you do not rely on her services.”

Mrs. Bennett did not deign to answer; however, unable to restrain herself, she attacked one of the daughters:

“Stop coughing, Kitty, for the love of all that is holy!” Have pity on my nerves at least a little. You tear them to shreds.

“Kitty is showing indiscretion by coughing,” her father noted. - Poorly chooses the moment to cough.

“I don’t cough for fun,” Kitty said indignantly.

- When is your next ball, Lizzie?

- In fifteen days.

- That's it! - her mother cried. “And Mrs. Long will return only the day before, and therefore will not be able to introduce Mr. Bingley, since she herself will not be familiar with him.”

“In this way, my dear, you can gain an advantage over your friend and introduce Mr. Bingley to her.

“This is impossible, Mr. Bennett, simply impossible, because I don’t know him either; Why are you teasing me so cruelly?

“I commend your discretion.” Of course, two weeks of dating means almost nothing. How is it possible to know a person in two weeks? But if we don't take the risk We, someone else will do this, but Mrs. Long and her nieces still have to try their luck; in this way, since she considers this good deed, I will take on this responsibility if you refuse.

The girls looked at their father. Mrs. Bennett replied only:

- Nonsense, complete nonsense!

-What do you mean by this emphatic exclamation? - he cried. – Do you consider official acquaintance and the importance of it nonsense? IN this I can’t quite agree with you. What do you say, Mary? I know that you are a young lady of deep knowledge, you read thick books and take notes.

Mary would like to say something reasonable, but nothing came to her mind.

“While Mary puts her thoughts in order,” Mr. Bennet continued, “let’s return to Mr. Bingley.”

“Mr. Bingley makes me sick!” - his wife screamed.

– This I'm sorry to hear; Why didn’t you tell me before? If I had known about this this morning, I, of course, would not have visited him. What a misfortune; but now, since I visited him, we cannot avoid meeting each other.

The subsequent amazement of the ladies is what Mr. Bennet desired; Mrs. Bennet's amazement, perhaps, surpassed that of the others, however, as soon as the first burst of joy had passed, her wife declared that this was what she had expected from the very beginning.

“How kind you are, my dear Mr. Bennet!” But I knew that in the end I would persuade you. I didn’t doubt it for a second - you love your girls too much, you couldn’t neglect such an acquaintance. Oh, how happy I am! and how well you joked - you set off in the morning, but until that moment you didn’t say a word.

“From now on, Kitty, you can cough as much as you like,” said Mr. Bennet, and with these words he left the room, exhausted by his wife’s delight.

“What a wonderful father you have, girls,” she noted as soon as the door closed. “And I don’t really know how to thank you for his kindness; I don’t know how to thank him. At our age, I assure you, it is not so pleasant to make new acquaintances every day; but for your sake we are ready to do anything. Lydia, dear, you, of course, youngest, but at the next ball Mr. Bingley will probably dance with you.

- ABOUT! – Lydia answered decisively. - But I’m not afraid. I, Certainly, the youngest, but the tallest.

The rest of the evening was spent wondering how soon Mr. Bingley would return his visit, and wondering when to invite him to dinner.

Chapter III

However, no matter how much Mrs. Bennet asked, urged on by her five daughters, she was never able to extract a satisfactory description of Mr. Bingley from her husband. The ladies attacked Mr. Bennett in a variety of ways: with direct questions, witty suggestions, vague guesses; he, however, evaded their combined cunning, and in the end the ladies had to be content with the opinion received from Lady Lucas. Her review was very favorable. Sir William is delighted with Mr. Bingley. He is very young, remarkably handsome, incredibly sweet and, to top it all, is going to be at the next ball with a large company. What could be more amazing? A penchant for dancing is partly a step towards falling in love, and therefore very radiant expectations arose regarding Mr. Bingley’s heart.

“If only I could see how one of my daughters settled happily in Netherfield,” Mrs. Bennet said to her husband, “and all the others also married successfully, I would have nothing to wish for.”

A few days later, Mr. Bingley came to Mr. Bennet for a return visit and sat with the owner of the house in the library for about ten minutes. Mr. Bingley hoped to see the young ladies, about whose beauty he had heard a lot, but he only contemplated their father. Perhaps the ladies were luckier: from the upper window they saw that Mr. Bingley was dressed in a blue coat and riding a black horse.

An invitation to dinner soon followed; Mrs. Bennet was already composing dishes that would benefit from her talent for housekeeping, but then an answer came that delayed these plans. Mr. Bingley must be in the city the next day, and therefore will not be able to accept such an honorable invitation for him, etc. Mrs. Bennet was overcome with extreme dissatisfaction. She did not comprehend what business could call him to the city so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire, and she suspected that Mr. Bingley was probably constantly flitting here and there and would never settle in Netherfield as he should. Lady Lucas partly allayed her fears by suggesting that Mr. Bingley had gone to London only to bring a large company to the ball, and information soon arrived that Mr. Bingley would bring with him twelve ladies and seven gentlemen. The girls were sad about such a multitude of ladies, but on the eve of the ball they were consoled when they heard that Mr. Bingley would not bring twelve ladies from London, but only six to five sisters and a cousin. The group that entered the ballroom consisted of only five: Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the elder sister's husband and another young man.

Mr. Bingley was handsome and noble; he had a pleasant appearance and ease, devoid of affectation. His sisters turned out to be sophisticated ladies of a purely secular appearance. His son-in-law, Mr. Hurst, simply looked like a gentleman; however, his friend Mr. Darcy soon attracted the attention of the entire assembly with his elegance and tall stature, handsome features, noble countenance, and within five minutes the rumor had spread that he had ten thousand a year. Gentlemen declared him a model of masculinity, ladies declared that he prettier than Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Darcy was looked at with considerable admiration for half the evening, until his manners gave rise to annoyance, which quelled the surge of his popularity, for Mr. Darcy turned out to be a proud man, who did not condescend to society and did not accept offers of friendship, and therefore, no a huge estate in Derbyshire did not prevent him from having a very unattractive, gloomy appearance and being unworthy of comparison with a friend.

Mr. Bingley soon became acquainted with all the most important people; he was lively and open, danced every dance, became angry when the evening ended too early, and mentioned that he would not mind giving a ball at Netherfield. Such attractive features speak for themselves. How opposite he is to his friend! Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with the young Mrs. Bingley, did not want to be introduced to any other lady, and wandered around the hall for the rest of the evening, occasionally speaking with one of his acquaintances. Mr Darcy was sentenced. One of the proudest, most unpleasant people in the world, and everyone hoped that he would not appear here again. Among his most zealous enemies was Mrs. Bennet, whose hostility to his behavior was especially aggravated since Mr. Darcy showed disdain for one of the lady's daughters.

Due to the small number of gentlemen, Elizabeth Bennet was forced to sit in a chair for two dances; For some time Mr. Darcy was nearby, and Elizabeth overheard his conversation with Mr. Bingley, who interrupted the dancing for a few minutes in order to attract his friend to the fun.

“Come, Darcy,” said Mr. Bingley, “I think you should dance.” It’s unbearable to see you standing here alone in such a stupid manner. Dancing is much more enjoyable.

- Of course, I will abstain. You know how much I don’t like it if I don’t know my partner. In such a meeting this will be unbearable. Your sisters are busy, and there is not a single woman in the hall with whom dancing will not be God’s punishment.

– I wouldn’t be picky if I were you! - Bingley cried. – Word of honor, I have never met so many nice girls before, and some are extremely pretty.

- With the only one beautiful girl“You’re dancing,” answered Mr. Darcy, fixing his gaze on the elder Bennet sister.

- Oh, in my life I have never seen a more beautiful creature! But sitting behind you is one of her sisters - she is very pretty and, dare I say, very pleasant. Let me ask my partner - she will introduce you.

– Who are you talking about? - Turning around, Mr. Darcy looked at Elizabeth, caught her gaze, looked away and coldly said: “She’s not bad, but she’s not beautiful enough to tempt me; Nowadays I’m not in the mood to honor the attention of ladies whom others have neglected. Better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles - with me you are just wasting time.

Mr. Bingley followed this advice. Mr. Darcy walked away; Elizabeth had no warm feelings for him at all. She, however, retold this story to her friends with considerable enthusiasm, since she had a cheerful and playful disposition and enjoyed curiosities.

All in all, the whole family had a wonderful evening. Mrs. Bennet watched the guests from Netherfield admire her eldest daughter. Mr. Bingley danced with Jane twice, and besides, his sisters noticed her. Jane enjoyed it just as much as her mother, albeit more quietly. Elizabeth empathized with her sister's joy. Mary heard herself recommended to young Mrs. Bingley as the most cultured girl in the area; But luck did not leave Katherine and Lydia without partners, and this was the only thing the girls were interested in at the balls. Thus, in good spirits, everyone returned to their home at Longbourn, the only manor house in that village. When they returned, they found that Mr. Bennett had not yet gone to bed. Immersed in a book, he forgot about time, and in this case he harbored considerable curiosity about the evening, which he looked forward to with such delight. Mr. Bennett, perhaps, hoped that all his wife’s expectations regarding the newcomer would be deceived, but he was soon told a completely different story.

“Ah, dear Mr. Bennet,” said Mrs. Bennet, crossing the threshold, “we spent an absolutely charming evening, the ball turned out to be absolutely wonderful.” It's a pity you weren't there. Our Jane was so admired - what could be better? Everyone said how wonderful she looked, and Mr. Bingley thought she was very beautiful and danced with her twice. You just think about it, dear, he danced with her twice, honestly, and only she in the whole hall invited her a second time. At first he invited the young Mrs. Lucas. I was angry when I saw them together, but, nevertheless, he did not admire her at all - in fact, who wants to admire her, you know; and Jane, I think, delighted him even when she was walking with her partner. Well, he asked who she was, was introduced, and asked her to the next two dances. Then he danced the third couple with the young Mrs. King, the fourth with Maria Lucas, the fifth again with Jane, the sixth with Lizzie, and Boulanger...

“If only he had the slightest sympathy for to me“,” her husband cried impatiently, “he would have danced half as long.” Oh, why didn't he sprain his ankle in the first dance!

“Oh, my dear,” continued Mrs. Bennet, “I really liked him.” So extraordinarily beautiful! and his sisters are charming. In my life I have never seen anything more elegant than their toilets. And the lace on Mrs. Hirst’s dress...

She was interrupted again. Mr. Bennett objected to any description of the outfits. Therefore, his wife had to look for a different turn in the conversation and, with considerable causticity and some exaggeration, tell about the terrible rudeness of Mr. Darcy.

“But I assure you,” she added, “Lizzie loses little by not satisfying her tastes.” this man, because he is extremely repulsive, disgusting and not at all worth being courteous. So arrogant, so self-confident - it’s simply unbearable. He wandered and wandered around the hall, imagining that he was all majestic! Not beautiful enough to dance with! It’s a pity that you weren’t there, my dear, you would have reined him in as best you know how. I didn't like him at all.

Chapter IV

As soon as Jane and Elizabeth were alone, elder sister, who had previously admired Mr. Bingley with reserve, told how she admired him.

- He is what he should be young man, - she said. – Reasonable, soft, cheerful; and I have never seen such wonderful manners - such cordiality and such perfection of education!

“And besides, he is handsome,” answered Elizabeth, “as a young man should also be if he is capable.” So, his character is perfect.

“I was very flattered that he invited me a second time.” I didn't expect such a compliment.

- Is it true? A I expected. This is the difference between us. You compliments always take you by surprise, me never. What could be more natural than inviting you again? You are five times more beautiful than any lady in the audience - he’s not blind. In order to see this, he does not need gallantry. So, he is very nice, and I allow you to have sympathy for him. You liked dumber people too.

- Lizzie, honey!

“You know, you are too inclined to love people in general.” You don't see weaknesses in anyone. Everything seems good and pleasant to you. I have never heard you speak ill of anyone in my life.

– I would not want to condemn a person rashly; however, I always say what is in my heart.

- I know; This and amazing. WITH yours soundness - and such genuine blindness to other people's vices and nonsense! The feigned generosity of the soul is quite widespread - you meet it everywhere. But to be generous without arrogance or premeditation, to be able to recognize the good in any character, exalt it, and keep silent about the bad - you alone are capable of this. And by the way, did you like his sisters too? They behave differently.

– Of course, we didn’t like it – at first. But they are very nice ladies if you talk to them. Mrs. Bingley will live with her brother and keep house, and I will be greatly mistaken if she does not turn out to be a very nice neighbor.

Elizabeth listened in silence, but did not give in: the ladies at the ball did not want to be friendly with everyone; being more insightful than her sister and less pliable, and also having judgments not clouded by attention to her own person, Elizabeth was extremely little inclined to approve of these ladies. Yes, they were very elegant, not without complacency in a moment of pleasure, not without a talent for courtesy, if that was their goal, but proud and self-satisfied. They were quite handsome, went to one of the first private boarding schools in the city, had an inheritance of twenty thousand pounds, had a habit of spending more than they should, and moved in high society, and therefore, no matter how you look at it, they had the right to value themselves highly and not Don't put everyone else in the dust. They were the daughters of a respected family from the north of England - a circumstance that was imprinted on their memory more clearly than the fact that their own inheritance, as well as that of their brother, was acquired by trade.

From his father, who intended to buy the estate, but did not live to do so, Mr. Bingley inherited property, which was valued at almost a hundred thousand pounds. Mr. Bingley intended to dispose of the money in a similar manner and sometimes chose a county; but since he now had a fine house and hunting rights, it seemed doubtful to many of those who knew Mr. Bingley well that he would not spend the rest of his days at Netherfield, and leave the purchase to the next generation.

His sisters were impatiently waiting for him to acquire his own estate; but although Mr. Bingley was now only a tenant at Netherfield, young Mrs. Bingley had no objection to sitting at the head of his table, and Mrs. Hurst, who had married a man of rank rather than fortune, was no less inclined to lay the house Mr. Bingley with hers when it seemed convenient to her. And two years had not passed since Mr. Bingley came of age, when a chance recommendation tempted him to look at Netherfield. Mr. Bingley looked at it and looked at it for half an hour, was pleased with the surroundings and the master's rooms, satisfied with the praises of the house lavished by the owner, and rented Netherfield immediately.

Despite the great difference in character, Bingley and Darcy had a very strong friendship. Mr. Bingley fell in love with his friend for his ease, openness, and pliability, although a disposition more different from Darcy’s was impossible, and although the latter did not show dissatisfaction with his character. Bingley certainly relied on Darcy's friendship and valued his opinion highly. Darcy surpassed him in health. Bingley was by no means stupid, but Darcy had a sharp mind. At the same time, he was arrogant, cold and dismissive, and his manners, although they showed a brilliant upbringing, were not conducive to intimacy. In this respect, his friend had the greatest advantage. Bingley was liked by everyone wherever he appeared, but Darcy was invariably considered offensive.

Their conversation at the Meryton ball seems quite typical. Bingley had never met such nice people and pretty girls in his life, everyone was extremely kind and attentive to him, not the slightest formality, not the slightest stiffness, soon he seemed to have become acquainted with the whole room; as for young Mrs. Bennet, he could not imagine a more beautiful angel. Darcy, on the contrary, contemplated a crowd of people, almost completely deprived of beauty and completely devoid of nobility, not a single person was of the slightest interest to him, and not a single one gave him attention or joy. Young Mrs. Bennet is a beauty, Darcy admitted, but she smiles beyond measure.

Mrs. Hurst and her sister did not dispute this, but they admired their new acquaintance, had sympathy for her and proclaimed her a nice girl with whom they would not mind getting to know each other better. So, young Mrs. Bennet established herself as a nice girl, and the brother of the above-mentioned ladies considered that this praise gave him the right to think about her as he wished.

Michaelmas Day - September 29, opening one of the quarters of the year; On this day, in particular, the quarterly rent was paid.

Boulanger (French) is a dance that came to England from France and was one of the cotillion figures, danced in a circle formed in pairs, with a change of partners.