Austen Said:

“I am talking of possibilities, Charles.”

“Is Miss Darcy much grown since the spring?”

“will she be as tall as I am?”

“How I long to see her again! I never met with anybody who delighted me so much. Such a countenance, such manners! And so extremely accomplished for her age! Her performance on the pianoforte is exquisite.”

“All young ladies accomplished! My dear Charles, what do you mean?”

“Nor I, I am sure,”

“Then,”

“you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished woman.”

“Oh! certainly,”

“no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half-deserved.”

“I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any.”

“I never saw such a woman. I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe united.”

“Elizabeth Bennet,”

“is one of those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing their own; and with many men, I dare say, it succeeds. But, in my opinion, it is a paltry device, a very mean art.”

her sister was worse, and that she could not leave her.

to have a note sent to Longbourn, desiring her mother to visit Jane, and form her own judgement of her situation.

“Indeed I have, sir,”

“She is a great deal too ill to be moved. Mr. Jones says we must not think of moving her. We must trespass a little longer on your kindness.”

“You may depend upon it, Madam,”

“that Miss Bennet shall receive every possible attention while she remains with us.”

“I am sure,”

“if it was not for such good friends I do not know what would become of her, for she is very ill indeed, and suffers a vast deal, though with the greatest patience in the world, which is always the way with her, for she has, without exception, the sweetest temper I have ever met with. I often tell my other girls they are nothing to her. You have a sweet room here, Mr. Bingley, and a charming prospect over the gravel walk. I do not know a place in the country that is equal to Netherfield. You will not think of quitting it in a hurry, I hope, though you have but a short lease.”

“That is exactly what I should have supposed of you,”

“Oh! yes — I understand you perfectly.”

“That is as it happens. It does not necessarily follow that a deep, intricate character is more or less estimable than such a one as yours.”

“Lizzy,”

“remember where you are, and do not run on in the wild manner that you are suffered to do at home.”

“Yes, but intricate characters are the most amusing. They have at least that advantage.”

“But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever.”

“Yes, indeed,”

“I assure you there is quite as much of that going on in the country as in town.”

“I cannot see that London has any great advantage over the country, for my part, except the shops and public places. The country is a vast deal pleasanter, is it not, Mr. Bingley?”

“Aye — that is because you have the right disposition. But that gentleman,”

“seemed to think the country was nothing at all.”

“Indeed, Mamma, you are mistaken,”

“You quite mistook Mr. Darcy. He only meant that there was not such a variety of people to be met with in the country as in the town, which you must acknowledge to be true.”

“Certainly, my dear, nobody said there were; but as to not meeting with many people in this neighbourhood, I believe there are few neighbourhoods larger. I know we dine with four-and-twenty families.”

if Charlotte Lucas had been at Longbourn since her coming away.

“Yes, she called yesterday with her father. What an agreeable man Sir William is, Mr. Bingley, is not he? So much the man of fashion! So genteel and so easy! He has always something to say to everybody .— That is my idea of good breeding; and those persons who fancy themselves very important, and never open their mouths, quite mistake the matter.”

“No, she would go home. I fancy she was wanted about the mince-pies. For my part, Mr. Bingley, I always keep servants that can do their own work; my daughters are brought up very differently. But everybody is to judge for themselves, and the Lucases are very good sort of girls, I assure you. It is a pity they are not handsome! Not that I think Charlotte so very plain — but then she is our particular friend.”

“Oh! dear, yes; but you must own she is very plain. Lady Lucas herself has often said so, and envied me Jane's beauty. I do not like to boast of my own child, but to be sure, Jane — one does not often see anybody better looking. It is what everybody says. I do not trust my own partiality. When she was only fifteen, there was a man at my brother Gardiner's in town so much in love with her that my sister-in-law was sure he would make her an offer before we came away. But, however, he did not. Perhaps he thought her too young. However, he wrote some verses on her, and very pretty they were.”

“And so ended his affection,”

“There has been many a one, I fancy, overcome in the same way. I wonder who first discovered the efficacy of poetry in driving away love!”

“Of a fine, stout, healthy love it may. Everything nourishes what is strong already. But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away.”

her thanks to Mr. Bingley for his kindness to Jane,

for troubling him also with Lizzy.

having promised on his first coming into the country to give a ball at Netherfield.

it would be the most shameful thing in the world if he did not keep it.

“Oh! yes — it would be much better to wait till Jane was well, and by that time most likely Captain Carter would be at Meryton again. And when you have given your ball,”

“I shall insist on their giving one also. I shall tell Colonel Forster it will be quite a shame if he does not.”