Great Scenes from Great Novels
Great Scenes from Great Novels - An Excellent Father - Jane Austen (Abridged and Simplified)
Great Scenes from Great Novels -An Excellent Father
Jane Austen
(Abridged and Simplified)
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. At least this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families that such a young man is considered as the rightful property of someone or other of their daughters.
Such a family lived at Longbourn, near Netherfield Park. It was the family of the Bennets, consisting of Mr. Bennet and their five daughters Jane, Elizabeth, Lydia, Kitty and Mary.
"My dear Mr. Bennet", said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not. "But it is", returned she;" for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it".
Mr. Bennet made no answer. "Don't you want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently.
"You want to tell me, and I have me objection to hearing it".
This was invitation enough.
"Why my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that a young man of large fortune from the North of England is coming down to settle in the Netherfield Park".
"What is his name?"
"Bingley".
"Is he married or single?"
"Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"
"How so? How can it affect them?
"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife," how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them?
"Is that his design in settling here?"
"Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must pay him a visit as soon as he comes".
"I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party".
"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty"
"In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of"
"But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood".
"It is more than I engage for I assure you".
"But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Our neighbours, Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go merely on that account. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not".
"You are overscrupulous surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls, though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy".
"I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference".
"They have none of them much to recommend them" replied he. "They are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters".
"Mr. Bennet, how can you talk about your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves".
"You mistake me my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least".
"Ha! You do not know what I suffer".
"But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood". "It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come since you will not visit them".
"Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all".
Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Mrs. Bennet, on the other hand, was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. The business of her life was to get her daughter married; its solace was visiting and news.
Mr. Bennet was one of the earliest visitors of Mr. Bingley, although he had always been assuring his wife that he should not go. Till the evening after this visit was paid, his wife had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following manner. Observing his second daughter employed trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her with, "I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy".
"We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes", said her mother resentfully, "since we are not to visit". "But you forget, mama", said Elizabeth, "that we shall meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him".
"I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and have no opinion of her".
"No more have I," said Mr. Bennet; "and I am glad to find that you do not depend on her serving you".
Mrs. Bennet designed not to make any reply; but unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.
"Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven's sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces". "Kitty has no discretion in her coughs," said her father, "she times them ill".
"I do not cough for my amusements" replied Kitty fretfully.
"When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?
"Tomorrow fortnight".
"Aye, so it is," cried her mother," and Mrs. Long does not come back till the day before; so it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him herself".
"Then my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley to her". "Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible when I am not acquainted with him myself; how can you be so teasing?
"If you decline the office, I will take it on myself".
"I am sick of Mr. Bingley", cried his wife.
"I am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tell me so before? If I had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him. It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now".
The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet was thrilled at the news. She could not believe her ears. But when the fit of joy and amazements was over, she began to declare that it was what she had expected all the while. She said to her husband, "How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should persuade you at last. I was sure you loved your girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! And it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning and never said a word about it till now".
"Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose", said Mr. Bennet; and as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife. "What an excellent father you have, girls", said Mrs. Bennet when the door was shut. "I do not know how you will ever make amends for his kindness; or me either, for that matter. At our time of life, it is not so pleasant I can tell you, to be making new acquaintance every day; but for your sakes we would do anything".
The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr. Bennet's visit, and determining when they should ask him to come for dinner.
Such a family lived at Longbourn, near Netherfield Park. It was the family of the Bennets, consisting of Mr. Bennet and their five daughters Jane, Elizabeth, Lydia, Kitty and Mary.
"My dear Mr. Bennet", said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not. "But it is", returned she;" for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it".
Mr. Bennet made no answer. "Don't you want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently.
"You want to tell me, and I have me objection to hearing it".
This was invitation enough.
"Why my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that a young man of large fortune from the North of England is coming down to settle in the Netherfield Park".
"What is his name?"
"Bingley".
"Is he married or single?"
"Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"
"How so? How can it affect them?
"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife," how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them?
"Is that his design in settling here?"
"Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must pay him a visit as soon as he comes".
"I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party".
"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty"
"In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of"
"But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood".
"It is more than I engage for I assure you".
"But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Our neighbours, Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go merely on that account. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not".
"You are overscrupulous surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls, though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy".
"I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference".
"They have none of them much to recommend them" replied he. "They are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters".
"Mr. Bennet, how can you talk about your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves".
"You mistake me my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least".
"Ha! You do not know what I suffer".
"But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood". "It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come since you will not visit them".
"Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all".
Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Mrs. Bennet, on the other hand, was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. The business of her life was to get her daughter married; its solace was visiting and news.
Mr. Bennet was one of the earliest visitors of Mr. Bingley, although he had always been assuring his wife that he should not go. Till the evening after this visit was paid, his wife had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following manner. Observing his second daughter employed trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her with, "I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy".
"We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes", said her mother resentfully, "since we are not to visit". "But you forget, mama", said Elizabeth, "that we shall meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him".
"I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and have no opinion of her".
"No more have I," said Mr. Bennet; "and I am glad to find that you do not depend on her serving you".
Mrs. Bennet designed not to make any reply; but unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.
"Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven's sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces". "Kitty has no discretion in her coughs," said her father, "she times them ill".
"I do not cough for my amusements" replied Kitty fretfully.
"When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?
"Tomorrow fortnight".
"Aye, so it is," cried her mother," and Mrs. Long does not come back till the day before; so it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him herself".
"Then my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley to her". "Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible when I am not acquainted with him myself; how can you be so teasing?
"If you decline the office, I will take it on myself".
"I am sick of Mr. Bingley", cried his wife.
"I am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tell me so before? If I had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him. It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now".
The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet was thrilled at the news. She could not believe her ears. But when the fit of joy and amazements was over, she began to declare that it was what she had expected all the while. She said to her husband, "How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should persuade you at last. I was sure you loved your girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! And it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning and never said a word about it till now".
"Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose", said Mr. Bennet; and as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife. "What an excellent father you have, girls", said Mrs. Bennet when the door was shut. "I do not know how you will ever make amends for his kindness; or me either, for that matter. At our time of life, it is not so pleasant I can tell you, to be making new acquaintance every day; but for your sakes we would do anything".
The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr. Bennet's visit, and determining when they should ask him to come for dinner.
Tags : #great stories for children ruskin bond, #great stories for children, #101 all time great stories, #great stories in easy english, #great stories by nobel prize winners, #all time great stories deep trivedi, #adrishya stories of great indian spies, #great stories by ruskin bond, #collection of 50 great short stories, #all time great stories deep trivedi, #great detective stories, # all time great stories, #great horror stories, #great stories, #josiah the great the true story of the man who would be king, #the great kapok tree story book, #stories great leaders tell, #life stories of great people, #stories of great leaders, #great the major story, #making great stories happen, #the great indian obsession the untold story of india's engineers, #ruskin bond great stories for 16year old, #portfolio of great indian business stories, #great big story t shirt, #the shadow of the great game the untold story of india's partition, #great short stories of the world, #democracy's xi the great indian cricket story, #great inspiring stories, #great moral stories, # great short stories
){kind=link}
Post a Comment
0 Comments