whenjaneandelizabethwerealone,theformer,whohadbeencautiousinherpraiseofmr.bingleybefore,expressedtohersisterhowverymuchsheadmiredhim.

"heisjustwhatayoungmanoughttobe,"saidshe,"sensible,goodhumoured,lively;andineversawsuchhappymanners!—somuchease,withsuchperfectgoodbreeding!"

"heisalsohandsome,"repliedelizabeth,"whichayoungmanoughtlikewisetobe,ifhepossiblycan.hischaracteristherebycomplete."

"iwasverymuchflatteredbyhisaskingmetodanceasecondtime.ididnotexpectsuchacompliment."

"didnotyou?ididforyou.butthatisonegreatdifferencebetweenus.complimentsalwaystakeyoubysurprise,andmenever.whatcouldbemorenaturalthanhisaskingyouagain?hecouldnothelpseeingthatyouwereaboutfivetimesasprettyaseveryotherwomenintheroom.nothankstohisgallantryforthat.well,hecertainlyisveryagreeable,andigiveyouleavetolikehim.youhavelikedmanyastupiderperson."

"dearlizzy!"

"oh!youareagreatdealtooapt,youknow,tolikepeopleingeneral.youneverseeafaultinanybody.alltheworldaregoodandagreeableinyoureyes.ineverheardyouspeakillofahumanbeinginmylife."

"iwouldwishnottobehastyincensuringanyone;butialwaysspeakwhatithink."

"iknowyoudo;anditisthatwhichmakesthewonder.withyourgoodsense,tobehonestlyblindtothefolliesandnonsenseofothers!affectationofcandouriscommonenough;—onemeetsiteverywhere.buttobecandidwithoutostentationordesign—totakethegoodofeverybody'scharacterandmakeitstillbetter,andsaynothingofthebad—belongstoyoualone.andso,youlikethisman'ssisterstoo,doyou?theirmannersarenotequaltohis."

"certainlynot;atfirst.buttheyareverypleasingwomenwhenyouconversewiththem.missbingleyistolivewithherbrotherandkeephishouse;andiammuchmistakenifweshallnotfindaverycharmingneighbourinher."

elizabethlistenedinsilence,butwasnotconvinced.theirbehaviourattheassemblyhadnotbeencalculatedtopleaseingeneral;andwithmorequicknessofobservationandlesspliancyoftemperthanhersister,andwithajudgment,too,unassailedbyanyattentiontoherself,shewasverylittledisposedtoapprovethem.theywereinfactveryfineladies,notdeficientingoodhumourwhentheywerepleased,norinthepowerofbeingagreeablewheretheychoseit;butproudandconceited.theywereratherhandsome,hadbeeneducatedinoneofthefirstprivateseminariesintown,hadafortuneoftwentythousandpounds,wereinthehabitofspendingmorethantheyought,andofassociatingwithpeopleofrank;andwerethereforeineveryrespectentitledtothinkwellofthemselves,andmeanlyofothers.theywereofarespectablefamilyinthenorthofengland;acircumstancemoredeeplyimpressedontheirmemoriesthanthattheirbrother'sfortuneandtheirownhadbeenacquiredbytrade.

mr.bingleyinheritedpropertytotheamountofnearlyanhundredthousandpoundsfromhisfather,whohadintendedtopurchaseanestate,butdidnotlivetodoit.—mr.bingleyintendeditlikewise,andsometimesmadechoiceofhiscounty;butashewasnowprovidedwithagoodhouseandthelibertyofamanor,itwasdoubtfultomanyofthosewhobestknewtheeasinessofhistemper,whetherhemightnotspendtheremainderofhisdaysatnetherfield,andleavethenextgenerationtopurchase.

hissisterswereveryanxiousforhishavinganestateofhisown;butthoughhewasnowestablishedonlyasatenant,missbingleywasbynomeansunwillingtopresideathistable,norwasmrs.hurst,whohadmarriedamanofmorefashionthanfortune,lessdisposedtoconsiderhishouseasherhomewhenitsuitedher.mr.bingleyhadnotbeenofagetwoyears,whenhewastemptedbyanaccidentalrecommendationtolookatnetherfieldhouse.hedidlookatitandintoitforhalfanhour,waspleasedwiththesituationandtheprincipalrooms,satisfiedwithwhattheownersaidinitspraise,andtookitimmediately.

betweenhimanddarcytherewasaverysteadyfriendship,inspiteofagreatoppositionofcharacter.—bingleywasendearedtodarcybytheeasiness,openness,ductilityofhistemper,thoughnodispositioncouldofferagreatercontrasttohisown,andthoughwithhisownheneverappeareddissatisfied.onthestrengthofdarcy'sregardbingleyhadthefirmestreliance,andofhisjudgmentthehighestopinion.inunderstanding,darcywasthesuperior.bingleywasbynomeansdeficient,butdarcywasclever.hewasatthesametimehaughty,reserved,andfastidious,andhismanners,thoughwellbred,werenotinviting.inthatrespecthisfriendhadgreatlytheadvantage.bingleywassureofbeinglikedwhereverheappeared;darcywascontinuallygivingoffence.

themannerinwhichtheyspokeofthemerytonassemblywassufficientlycharacteristic.bingleyhadnevermetwithpleasanterpeopleorprettiergirlsinhislife;everybodyhadbeenmostkindandattentivetohim,therehadbeennoformality,nostiffness;hehadsoonfeltacquaintedwithalltheroom;andastomissbennet,hecouldnotconceiveanangelmorebeautiful.darcy,onthecontrary,hadseenacollectionofpeopleinwhomtherewaslittlebeautyandnofashion,fornoneofwhomhehadfeltthesmallestinterest,andfromnonereceivedeitherattentionorpleasure.missbennetheacknowledgedtobepretty,butshesmiledtoomuch.

mrs.hurstandhersisterallowedittobeso—butstilltheyadmiredherandlikedher,andpronouncedhertobeasweetgirl,andonewhomtheyshouldnotobjecttoknowmoreof.missbennetwasthereforeestablishedasasweetgirl,andtheirbrotherfeltauthorisedbysuchcommendationtothinkofherashechose.