Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- General Editor’s Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Chronology
- Introduction
- Note on the Text
- Pride and Prejudice
- Pride and Prejudice: Volume I
- Pride and Prejudice: Volume II
- Pride and Prejudice: Volume III
- Corrections and Emendations to 1813 text
- Appendix 1 Thomas Egerton and the Publication History
- Appendix 2 Legal and Military Background
- Appendix 3 Pemberley and its Models
- Appendix 4 Note on the second and third editions of Pride and Prejudice
- Abbreviations
- Explanatory Notes
Chapter 8
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 December 2020
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- General Editor’s Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Chronology
- Introduction
- Note on the Text
- Pride and Prejudice
- Pride and Prejudice: Volume I
- Pride and Prejudice: Volume II
- Pride and Prejudice: Volume III
- Corrections and Emendations to 1813 text
- Appendix 1 Thomas Egerton and the Publication History
- Appendix 2 Legal and Military Background
- Appendix 3 Pemberley and its Models
- Appendix 4 Note on the second and third editions of Pride and Prejudice
- Abbreviations
- Explanatory Notes
Summary
AT five o’clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at half past six Elizabeth was summoned to dinner. To the civil enquiries which then poured in, and amongst which she had the pleasure of distinguishing themuch superior solicitude of Mr. Bingley’s, she could not make a very favourable answer. Jane was by no means better. The sisters, on hearing this, repeated three or four times how much they were grieved, how shocking it was to have a bad cold, and how excessively they disliked being ill themselves; and then thought no more of the matter: and their indifference towards Jane when not immediately before them, restored Elizabeth to the enjoyment of all her original dislike.
Their brother, indeed, was the only one of the party whom she could regard with any complacency. His anxiety for Jane was evident, and his attentions to herself most pleasing, and they prevented her feeling herself so much an intruder as she believed she was considered by the others. She had very little notice from any but him. Miss Bingley was engrossed by Mr. Darcy, her sister scarcely less so; and as for Mr. Hurst, by whom Elizabeth sat, he was an indolent man, who lived only to eat, drink, and play at cards, who when he found her prefer a plain dish to a ragout, had nothing to say to her.
When dinner was over, she returned directly to Jane, and Miss Bingley began abusing her as soon as she was out of the room. Her manners were pronounced to be very bad indeed, a mixture of pride and impertinence; she had no conversation, no stile, no taste, no beauty. Mrs. Hurst thought the same, and added,
“She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being an excellent walker. I shall never forget her appearance this morning. She really looked almost wild.”
“She did indeed, Louisa. I could hardly keep my countenance. Very nonsensical to come at all! Why must she be scampering about the country, because her sister had a cold? Her hair so untidy, so blowsy!”
“Yes, and her petticoat; I hope you saw her petticoat, six inches deep in mud, I am absolutely certain; and the gown which had been let down to hide it, not doing its office.”
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- Information
- Pride and Prejudice , pp. 38 - 44Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006