Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice. Адаптированная книга для чтения на английском языке. Intermediate

A wealthy man, if he is single, must need a wife. This is a universal truth.

Therefore, when such a man first arrives in some neighborhood, all the families in that neighborhood are sure that he must marry one of their daughters.

Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet had five daughters, so, as soon as she had heard that Netherfield Park had been let, Mrs. Bennet came to her husband and told him about it.

Mr. Bennet was silent.

«Don't you want to know who has taken it?» his wife asked excitedly.

Her husband said that he had no objection to hearing what she wanted to tell him.

In a happily excited manner Mrs. Bennet told him that Netherfield was taken by a single young man from the north of England. His name was Bingley, and his income was four or five thousand a year.

«What a fine thing for our girls!» she exclaimed.

«Why? How does it concern them?»

«My dear Mr. Bennet», replied his wife, «how tiring you are! You very well know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them».

«Is that why he has decided to settle here?»

«What nonsense you are talking! But I think he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes».

«I can't see why I should. You and the girls may go, or, better still, you may send them by themselves. You are as beautiful as any of them, and Mr. Bingley may like you the best of the party».

«Don't flatter me, my dear. I can't pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to stop thinking of her own beauty».

«It can only happen to a woman who has never had much beauty at all».

«But, Mr. Bennet, you must indeed go and pay Mr. Bingley a visit when he comes into the neighborhood».

«It is more than I can promise, I assure you».

«But think of your daughters. What good fortune it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas don't usually visit newcomers, but they decided to go now, just for that reason, for their daughter's sake. Indeed you must go. If you don't go, it will be impossible for us to visit him».

«You are over-scrupulous, my dear. I'm sure Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a note by you in which I'll assure him that I will give my hearty consent whichever of the girls he chooses to marry; though I will put in a good word for my little Lizzy».

«You shouldn't do anything like that. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and she is not half so beautiful as Jane, and not half so cheerful as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference».

«None of them have much to recommend them», replied he, «they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy is more quick-witted than her sisters».

«Mr. Bennet, how can you say such nasty things about your own children? You like to annoy me so much. You have no compassion for my poor nerves».

«On the contrary, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have listened to your talking about them with great compassion these last twenty years at least».

«Ah, you do not know how much I suffer».

Mr. Bennet expressed his hope that his wife would live long and see many single young men of four thousand a year in the neighborhood.

«Since you will not visit them, it will be of no use to us, if twenty such men should come».

«I can assure you, my dear Mrs. Bennet, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all».

Mr. Bennet was such a strange mixture of personality traits, sarcastic humor, reserve, and whims, that for twenty three years of their married life his wife hadn't been able to understand his character. Her mind was of a simpler structure. She was a woman of a very average intelligence, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was displeased, she imagined herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its consolation was visiting and gossip.

Mr. Bennet paid a visit to Mr. Bingley in the morning, but he didn't say anything about it to his wife. He had always intended to visit him, but till the evening after the visit was paid she had no knowledge of it. In the evening Lizzy, his second daughter, was trimming a hat, and he suddenly said:

«I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy».

«We won't be able to know what Mr. Bingley likes», said her mother angrily, «since we are not to visit».

«But you forget, mamma», said Elizabeth, «that we'll meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long promised to introduce him».

«Mrs. Long has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I do not believe her», her mother said.

Mr. Bennet agreed with her. But Mrs. Bennet was so annoyed that she began scolding one of her daughters.

«Stop coughing so, Kitty, for Heaven's sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves».

«I do not amuse myself by coughing», replied Kitty uneasily. «When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?»

«In a fortnight».

«But Mrs. Long does not come back till the day before the ball», cried her mother, «so she won't be able to introduce him: she will not know him herself».

«Then, my dear», her husband said, «you will introduce your friend to Mr. Bingley».

«It's impossible, Mr. Bennet. I am not acquainted with him myself».

«A fortnight's acquaintance is certainly very little. One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a fortnight. But Mrs. Long and her nieces must have their chance; and, therefore, if you don't do it, I will take it on myself».

The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only «Nonsense, nonsense!»

«I cannot quite agree with you there», he said. «Do you consider the forms of introduction as nonsense? What will you say, Mary? You are a young lady of deep thought, I know, and read great books».

Mary wished to say something sensible, but knew not how.

«While Mary is thinking what to say», he continued, «let us return to Mr. Bingley».

«I am sick of Mr. Bingley», exclaimed his wife.

«I'm sorry. If I had known that this morning, I certainly would not have visited him», her husband said. «But I have paid the visit, so we cannot escape the acquaintance now».

The ladies were surprised as much as he wished; Mrs. Bennet most of all; though soon she said that she had expected it all the time.

«My dear Mr. Bennet, I knew you loved your girls so much! Well, how pleased I am!»

«Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you want», said Mr. Bennet. And he left the room, tired of his wife's joyful exclamations.

«You have a wonderful father, girls!» said she, when the door was closed. «I do not know how you will ever repay him for his kindness; or me, either. At our age it is not so pleasant to be making new acquaintances every day; but for your sakes, we would do anything. Lydia, my love, though you are the youngest, I'm sure Mr. Bingley will dance with you at the next ball».

«Oh!» said Lydia confidently, «I am not afraid. Though I am the youngest, I'm the tallest».

How soon Mr. Bingley would return Mr. Bennet's visit, and when they should ask him to dinner were the most important subjects of the ladies' evening conversation.

Mrs. Bennet and all her five daughters tried hard to get some satisfactory description of Mr. Bingley from Mr. Bennet. They attacked him in various ways: with direct questions, open suppositions, and unclear guesses. But he escaped the skill of them all, and they at last turned to their neighbor, Lady Lucas. Her description was highly favourable. Sir William had been delighted with him. He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, very pleasant and, most important, he was going to the next assembly with a large party. It was most delightful! If a man was fond of dancing, he was certainly able to fall in love; and Mr. Bingley's heart was the subject of very exciting hopes.