Chapter 3 9
Chapter 3
Not all that Mrs . Bennet , however , with the assistance of her five daughters , could ask on the subject , was sufficient to draw from her husband any satisfactory description of Mr . Bingley . They attacked him in various ways--with barefaced questions , ingenious suppositions , and distant surmises ; but he eluded the skill of them all , and they were at last obliged to accept the second-hand intelligence of their neighbour , Lady Lucas . Her report was highly favourable . Sir William had been delighted with him . He was quite young , wonderfully handsome , extremely agreeable , and , to crown the whole , he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party . Nothing could be more delightful ! To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love ; and very lively hopes of Mr . Bingley ' s heart were entertained .
" If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield ," said Mrs . Bennet to her husband , " and all the others equally well married , I shall have nothing to wish for ."
In a few days Mr . Bingley returned Mr . Bennet ' s visit , and sat about ten minutes with him in his library . He had entertained hopes of being admitted to a sight of the young ladies , of whose beauty he had heard much ; but he saw only the father . The ladies were somewhat more fortunate , for they had the advantage of ascertaining from an upper window that he wore a blue coat , and rode a black horse .
An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched ; and already had Mrs . Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to her housekeeping , when an answer arrived which deferred it all . Mr . Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day , and , consequently , unable to accept the honour of their invitation , etc . Mrs . Bennet was quite disconcerted . She could not imagine what business he could have in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire ; and she began to fear that he might be always flying about from one place to another , and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be . Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by starting the idea of his being gone to London only to get a large party for the ball ; and a report