Pride And Prejudice Book Read [EXCLUSIVE]

I just finished watching the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie and I'm in love. So I wanna try reading the book but I went into a bookstore a few days ago there are a few options like Collins Classic, Penguin classics and oxford world classics. Idk which to choose.

An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards despatched; and already hadMrs. Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to herhousekeeping, when an answer arrived which deferred it all. Mr. Bingleywas obliged to be in town the following day, and consequently unable toaccept the honour of their invitation, etc. Mrs. Bennet was quitedisconcerted. She could not imagine what business he could have in townso soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire; and she began to fear thathe might always be flying about from one place to another, and neversettled at Netherfield as he ought to be. Lady Lucas quieted her fears alittle by starting the idea of his{12}

Pride And Prejudice Book Read

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When breakfast was over, they were joined by the sisters; and Elizabethbegan to like them herself, when she saw how much affection andsolicitude they showed for Jane. The apothecary came; and havingexamined his patient, said, as might be supposed, that she had caught aviolent cold, and that they must endeavour to{44} get the better of it;advised her to return to bed, and promised her some draughts. The advicewas followed readily, for the feverish symptoms increased, and her headached acutely. Elizabeth did not quit her room for a moment, nor werethe other ladies often absent; the gentlemen being out, they had in factnothing to do elsewhere.

She then ran gaily off, rejoicing, as she rambled about, in the hope ofbeing at home again in a day or two. Jane was already so much recoveredas to intend leaving her room for a couple of hours that evening.{69}

They found Mary, as usual, deep in the study of thorough bass and humannature; and had some new extracts to admire and some new observations ofthreadbare morality to listen to. Catherine and Lydia had informationfor them of a different sort. Much had been done, and much had been saidin the regiment since the preceding Wednesday; several of the officershad dined lately with their uncle; a private had been flogged; and ithad actually been hinted that Colonel Forster was going to be married.{78}

Mr. Wickham was the happy man towards whom almost every female eye wasturned, and Elizabeth was{98} the happy woman by whom he finally seatedhimself; and the agreeable manner in which he immediately fell intoconversation, though it was only on its being a wet night, and on theprobability of a rainy season, made her feel that the commonest,dullest, most threadbare topic might be rendered interesting by theskill of the speaker.

This information made Elizabeth smile, as she thought of poor MissBingley. Vain indeed must be all her attentions, vain and useless heraffection for his sister and her praise of himself, if he were alreadyself-destined to another.

Nothing that she could say, however, had any influence. Her mother wouldtalk of her views in the same intelligible tone. Elizabeth blushed andblushed again with shame and vexation. She could not help frequentlyglancing her eye at Mr. Darcy, though every glance convinced her of whatshe dreaded; for though he was not always looking at her mother, she wasconvinced that his attention was invariably fixed by her. The expressionof his face changed gradually from indignant contempt to a composed andsteady gravity.

When at length they arose to take leave, Mrs. Bennet was most pressinglycivil in her hope of seeing the whole family soon at Longbourn; andaddressed herself particularly to Mr. Bingley, to assure him how happyhe would make them, by eating a family dinner with them at any time,without the ceremony of a formal invitation. Bingley was all gratefulpleasure; and he readily engaged for taking the earliest opportunity ofwaiting on her after his return from London, whither he was obliged togo the next day for a short time.

With proper civilities, the ladies then withdrew; all of them equallysurprised to find that he meditated a quick return. Mrs. Bennet wishedto understand by it that he thought of paying his addresses to one ofher younger girls, and Mary might have been prevailed on to accept him.She rated his abilities much higher than any of the others: there was asolidity in his reflections which often struck her; and though by nomeans so clever as herself, she thought that, if encouraged to read andimprove himself by such an example as hers, he might become a veryagreeable companion. But on the following morning every hope of thiskind was done away. Miss Lucas called soon after breakfast, and in aprivate conference with Elizabeth related the event of the day before.

Elizabeth, feeling it incumbent on her to relieve him from so unpleasanta situation, now put herself forward to confirm his account, bymentioning her prior knowledge of it from Charlotte herself; andendeavoured to put a stop to the exclamations of her mother and sisters,by the earnestness of her congratulations to Sir William, in which shewas readily joined by Jane, and by making a variety of remarks on thehappiness that might be expected from the match, the excellent characterof Mr. Collins, and the convenient distance of Hunsford from London.

Jane confessed herself a little surprised at the match: but she saidless of her astonishment than of her earnest desire for their happiness;nor could Elizabeth persuade her to consider it as improbable. Kitty andLydia were far from envying Miss Lucas, for Mr. Collins was only aclergyman; and it affected them in no other way than as a piece of newsto spread at Meryton.

Be not alarmed, madam, on receiving this letter, by the apprehension ofits containing any repetition of those sentiments, or renewal of thoseoffers, which were last night so disgusting to you. I write without anyintention of paining you, or humbling myself, by dwelling on wishes,which, for the happiness of both, cannot be too soon forgotten; and theeffort which the formation and the perusal of this letter must occasion,should have been spared, had not my character required it to be written{245}and read. You must, therefore, pardon the freedom with which I demandyour attention; your feelings, I know, will bestow it unwillingly, but Idemand it of your justice.

At length the chaise arrived, the trunks were fastened on, the parcelsplaced within, and it was pronounced to be ready. After an affectionateparting between the friends, Elizabeth was attended to the carriage byMr. Collins; and as they walked down the garden, he was commissioningher with his best respects to all her family, not forgetting his thanksfor the kindness he had received at Longbourn in the winter, and hiscompliments to Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, though unknown. He then handed{270}her in, Maria followed, and the door was on the point of being closed,when he suddenly reminded them, with some consternation, that they hadhitherto forgotten to leave any message for the ladies of Rosings.

Elizabeth said no more; but her mind could not acquiesce. Thepossibility of meeting Mr. Darcy, while viewing the place, instantlyoccurred. It would be dreadful! She blushed at the very idea; andthought it would be better to speak openly to her aunt, than to run sucha risk. But against this there were objections; and she finally resolvedthat it could be the last resource, if her private inquiries as to theabsence of the family were unfavourably answered.

Accordingly, when she retired at night, she asked the chambermaidwhether Pemberley were not a very fine place, what was the name of itsproprietor, and, with no little alarm, whether the family were down forthe summer? A most welcome negative followed the last question; and heralarms being now removed, she was at leisure to feel a great deal ofcuriosity to see the house herself; and when the subject was revived thenext morning, and she was again applied to, could readily answer, andwith a proper air of indifference, that she had not really any disliketo the scheme.

They descended the hill, crossed the bridge, and drove to the door; and,while examining the nearer aspect of the house, all her apprehension ofmeeting its owner returned. She dreaded lest the chambermaid had beenmistaken. On applying to see the place, they were admitted into thehall; and Elizabeth, as they waited for the housekeeper, had leisure towonder at her being where she was.

Mr. Gardiner, whose manners were easy and pleasant,{305} encouraged hercommunicativeness by his questions and remarks: Mrs. Reynolds, eitherfrom pride or attachment, had evidently great pleasure in talking of hermaster and his sister.

Elizabeth listened, wondered, doubted, and was impatient for more. Mrs.Reynolds could interest her on no other point. She related the subjectsof the pictures, the dimensions of the rooms, and the price of thefurniture in vain. Mr. Gardiner, highly amused by the kind of familyprejudice, to which he attributed her excessive commendation of hermaster, soon led again to the subject; and she dwelt with energy on hismany merits, as they proceeded together up the great staircase.

They were within twenty yards of each other; and so abrupt was hisappearance, that it was impossible to avoid his sight. Their eyesinstantly met, and the cheeks of each were overspread with the deepestblush. He absolutely started, and for a moment seemed immovable fromsurprise; but shortly recovering himself, advanced towards the party,and spoke to Elizabeth,{309} if not in terms of perfect composure, at leastof perfect civility.

Elizabeth, on her side, had much to do. She wanted to ascertain thefeelings of each of her visitors, she wanted to compose her own, and tomake herself agreeable to all; and in the latter object, where shefeared most to fail, she was most sure of success, for those to{321} whomshe endeavoured to give pleasure were pre-possessed in her favour.Bingley was ready, Georgiana was eager, and Darcy determined, to bepleased.

Their visitors stayed with them above half an hour; and when they aroseto depart, Mr. Darcy called on his sister to join him in expressingtheir wish of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, and Miss Bennet, to dinnerat Pemberley, before they left the country. Miss Darcy, though with adiffidence which marked her little in the habit of giving invitations,readily obeyed. Mrs. Gardiner looked at her niece, desirous of knowinghow she, whom the invitation most concerned, felt disposed as to itsacceptance, but Elizabeth had turned away her head. Presuming, however,that this studied avoidance spoke rather a momentary embarrassment thanany dislike of the proposal, and seeing in her husband, who was fond ofsociety, a perfect willingness to accept it, she ventured to engage forher attendance, and the day after the next was fixed on. 006ab0faaa