Austen Said:

“I cannot bear to hear that mentioned. Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure, if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it.”

against the cruelty of settling an estate away from a family of five daughters, in favour of a man whom nobody cared anything about.

“No, that I am sure I shall not; and I think it is very impertinent of him to write to you at all, and very hypocritical. I hate such false friends. Why could he not keep on quarreling with you, as his father did before him?”

“There is some sense in what he says about the girls however, and if he is disposed to make them any amends, I shall not be the person to discourage him.”

“You are very kind, I am sure; and I wish with all my heart it may prove so, for else they will be destitute enough. Things are settled so oddly.”

“Ah! sir, I do indeed. It is a grievous affair to my poor girls, you must confess. Not that I mean to find fault with you, for such things I know are all chance in this world. There is no knowing how estates will go when once they come to be entailed.”

they were very well able to keep a good cook,

her daughters had nothing to do in the kitchen.

herself not at all offended;

“That is all very proper and civil, I am sure,”

“and I dare say she is a very agreeable woman. It is a pity that great ladies in general are not more like her. Does she live near you, sir?”

“I think you said she was a widow, sir? Has she any family?”

“Ah!”

“then she is better off than many girls. And what sort of young lady is she? Is she handsome?”

“Has she been presented? I do not remember her name among the ladies at court.”

“As to her younger daughters, she could not take upon her to say — she could not positively answer — but she did not know of any prepossession; her eldest daughter, she must just mention — she felt it incumbent on her to hint, was likely to be very soon engaged.”

their sudden return home, which, as their own carriage had not fetched them, she should have known nothing about, if she had not happened to see Mr. Jones's shop-boy in the street, who had told her that

Mr. Denny had brought him from London,

he was to have a lieutenant's commission in the ——shire.

She had been watching him the last hour,

as he walked up and down the street,

to make her husband call on Mr. Wickham, and give him an invitation also, if the family from Longbourn would come in the evening.

they would have a nice comfortable noisy game of lottery tickets, and a little bit of hot supper afterwards.

Mr. Wickham had accepted their uncle's invitation, and was then in the house.

the probability of their marriage was extremely agreeable to her.

His being such a charming young man, and so rich, and living but three miles from them,

then it was such a comfort to think how fond the two sisters were of Jane, and to be certain that they must desire the connection as much as she could do. It was, moreover, such a promising thing for her younger daughters, as Jane's marrying so greatly must throw them in the way of other rich men; and lastly, it was so pleasant at her time of life to be able to consign her single daughters to the care of their sister, that she might not be obliged to go into company more than she liked.

Lady Lucas might soon be equally fortunate,

“What is Mr. Darcy to me, pray, that I should be afraid of him? I am sure we owe him no such particular civility as to be obliged to say nothing he may not like to hear.”

having spoken so sensibly,

he was a remarkably clever, good kind of young man.

of seeing the whole family soon at Longbourn,

how happy he would make them by eating a family dinner with them at any time, without the ceremony of a formal invitation.

“Oh dear! — yes — certainly. I am sure Lizzy will be very happy — I am sure she can have no objection. Come, Kitty, I want you up stairs.”

“No, no, nonsense, Lizzy. I desire you to stay where you are.”

“Lizzy, I insist upon your staying and hearing Mr. Collins.”

on the happy prospect of their nearer connection.

“But, depend upon it, Mr. Collins,”

“that Lizzy shall be brought to reason. I will speak to her about it myself directly. She is a very headstrong, foolish girl, and does not know her own interest but I will make her know it.”

“Sir, you quite misunderstand me,”

“Lizzy is only headstrong in such matters as these. In everything else she is as good-natured a girl as ever lived. I will go directly to Mr. Bennet, and we shall very soon settle it with her, I am sure.”

“Oh! Mr. Bennet, you are wanted immediately; we are all in an uproar. You must come and make Lizzy marry Mr. Collins, for she vows she will not have him, and if you do not make haste he will change his mind and not have her.”

“Of Mr. Collins and Lizzy. Lizzy declares she will not have Mr. Collins, and Mr. Collins begins to say that he will not have Lizzy.”

“Speak to Lizzy about it yourself. Tell her that you insist upon her marrying him.”

“Yes, or I will never see her again.”

“What do you mean, Mr. Bennet, in talking in this way? You promised me to insist upon her marrying him.”

to persuade her friend Lizzy to comply with the wishes of all her family.

“Pray do, my dear Miss Lucas,”

“for nobody is on my side, nobody takes part with me. I am cruelly used, nobody feels for my poor nerves.”

“Aye, there she comes,”