"ihopemydear,"saidmr.bennettohiswifeastheywereatbreakfastthenextmorning,"thatyouhaveorderedagooddinnertoday,becauseihavereasontoexpectanadditiontoourfamilyparty."

"whodoyoumean,mydear?iknowofnobodythatiscoming,iamsure,unlesscharlottelucasshouldhappentocallin,andihopemydinnersaregoodenoughforher.idonotbelievesheoftenseessuchathome."

"thepersonofwhomispeak,isagentlemanandastranger."

mrs.bennet'seyessparkled.—"agentlemanandastranger!itismr.bingley,iamsure.whyjane—youneverdroptawordofthis;youslything!well,iamsureishallbeextremelygladtoseemr.bingley.—but—goodlord!howunlucky!thereisnotabitoffishtobegottoday.lydia,mylove,ringthebell.imustspeaktohill,thismoment."

"itisnotmr.bingley,"saidherhusband;"itisapersonwhomineversawinthewholecourseofmylife."

thisrousedageneralastonishment;andhehadthepleasureofbeingeagerlyquestionedbyhiswifeandfivedaughtersatonce.

afteramusinghimselfsometimewiththeircuriosity,hethusexplained."aboutamonthagoireceivedthisletter,andaboutafortnightagoiansweredit,forithoughtitacaseofsomedelicacy,andrequiringearlyattention.itisfrommycousin,mr.collins,who,wheniamdead,mayturnyoualloutofthishouseassoonashepleases."

"oh!mydear,"criedhiswife,"icannotbeartohearthatmentioned.praydonottalkofthatodiousman.idothinkitisthehardestthingintheworldthatyourestateshouldbeentailedawayfromyourownchildren;andiamsureifihadbeenyou,ishouldhavetriedlongagotodosomethingorotheraboutit."

janeandelizabethattemptedtoexplaintoherthenatureofanentail.theyhadoftenattempteditbefore,butitwasasubjectonwhichmrs.bennetwasbeyondthereachofreason;andshecontinuedtorailbitterlyagainstthecrueltyofsettlinganestateawayfromafamilyoffivedaughters,infavourofamanwhomnobodycaredanythingabout.

"itcertainlyisamostiniquitousaffair,"saidmr.bennet,"andnothingcanclearmr.collinsfromtheguiltofinheritinglongbourn.butifyouwilllistentohisletter,youmayperhapsbealittlesoftenedbyhismannerofexpressinghimself."

"no,thatiamsureishallnot;andithinkitwasveryimpertinentofhimtowritetoyouatall,andveryhypocritical.ihatesuchfalsefriends.whycouldnothekeeponquarrellingwithyou,ashisfatherdidbeforehim?"

"why,indeed,hedoesseemtohavehadsomefilialscruplesonthathead,asyouwillhear."

"hunsford,nearwesterham,kent,

15thoctober.

dearsir,

thedisagreementsubsistingbetweenyourselfandmylatehonouredfatheralwaysgavememuchuneasiness,andsinceihavehadthemisfortunetolosehimihavefrequentlywishedtohealthebreach;butforsometimeiwaskeptbackbymyowndoubts,fearinglestitmightseemdisrespectfultohismemoryformetobeongoodtermswithanyonewithwhomithadalwayspleasedhimtobeatvariance."—"there,mrs.bennet."—"mymindhoweverisnowmadeuponthesubject,forhavingreceivedordinationateaster,ihavebeensofortunateastobedistinguishedbythepatronageoftherighthonourableladycatherinedebourgh,widowofsirlewisdebourgh,whosebountyandbeneficencehaspreferredmetothevaluablerectoryofthisparish,whereitshallbemyearnestendeavourtodemeanmyselfwithgratefulrespecttowardsherladyship,andbeeverreadytoperformthoseritesandceremonieswhichareinstitutedbythechurchofengland.asaclergyman,moreover,ifeelitmydutytopromoteandestablishtheblessingofpeaceinallfamilieswithinthereachofmyinfluence;andonthesegroundsiflattermyselfthatmypresentoverturesofgoodwillarehighlycommendable,andthatthecircumstanceofmybeingnextintheentailoflongbournestatewillbekindlyoverlookedonyourside,andnotleadyoutorejecttheofferedolivebranch.icannotbeotherwisethanconcernedatbeingthemeansofinjuringyouramiabledaughters,andbegleavetoapologiseforit,aswellastoassureyouofmyreadinesstomakethemeverypossibleamends,—butofthishereafter.ifyoushouldhavenoobjectiontoreceivemeintoyourhouse,iproposemyselfthesatisfactionofwaitingonyouandyourfamily,monday,november18th,byfouro'clock,andshallprobablytrespassonyourhospitalitytillthesaturdayse'nnightfollowing,whichicandowithoutanyinconvenience,asladycatherineisfarfromobjectingtomyoccasionalabsenceonasunday,providedthatsomeotherclergymanisengagedtodothedutyoftheday.iremain,dearsir,withrespectfulcomplimentstoyourladyanddaughters,yourwell-wisherandfriend,