to pass many evenings in this manner, in such society; and
indeed I am quite of your opinion. I was never more
annoyed! The insipidity and yet the noise; the nothingness and yet the self-importance of all these people! What
would I give to hear your strictures on them!’
‘Your conjecture is totally wrong, I assure you. My
mind was more agreeably engaged. I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes
in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.’
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Caroline smiled.
‘And what lady has the credit of inspiring such reflections?’ she asked, turning her gaze to my face.
‘Miss Elizabeth Bennet,’ I replied, as I watched her
cross the room.
‘Miss Elizabeth Bennet!’ exclaimed she. ‘I am all
astonishment. How long has she been such a favourite?
And pray when am I to wish you joy?’
‘That is exactly the question which I expected you to
ask,’ I told her. ‘A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it
jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony,
in a moment. I knew you would be wishing me joy.’
‘Nay, if you are so serious about it, I shall consider the
matter as absolutely settled. You will have a charming
mother-in-law, indeed, and of course she will be always
at Pemberley with you.’
I let her speak. It is matter of perfect indifference to
me what she says. If I wish to admire Miss Elizabeth
Bennet, I shall do so, and not all Caroline’s sallies on fine
eyes and mothers-in-law will prevent me.
Tuesday 12th November
Bingley and I dined with the officers this evening.There
is a regiment stationed here, and they are for the most part
well-educated and intelligent men.When we returned to
Netherfield we found Miss Bennet at the house. Caroline
and Louisa had invited her to dine. She had ridden over
on horseback, and an unlucky downpour had soaked her
through. Not surprisingly, she had taken a chill.
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Bingley was at once alarmed, insisting she should stay
the night. His sisters concurred. She retired to bed early,
and Bingley was distracted for the rest of the evening.
I was reminded of the fact that he is still only threeand-twenty, and so he is still at an unsettled age. He is
presently concerned for Miss Bennet’s health, and yet by
Christmas he will be in London, where he will no doubt
forget all about her.
Wednesday 13th November
Miss Bennet was still unwell this morning, and Caroline
and Louisa insisted she stay at Netherfield until she is full
recovered. Whether they would have insisted quite so
vehemently if they had not been bored is doubtful, but
as the weather is poor, and there is nothing for them to
do but stay indoors, they were eager to persuade her to
remain.
Bingley insisted on sending for Mr Jones, the apothecary, as soon as he knew she was no better.
‘Is it really necessary?’ I asked him. ‘Your sisters seem
to think it is nothing more than a sore throat and a
headache.’
‘There is no telling where a sore throat and a
headache might lead,’ said Bingley.
A note was dispatched to Mr Jones, and another to
Miss Bennet’s family, and we settled down to breakfast.
We were still in the breakfast parlour some time later
when there was a disturbance in the hall. Caroline and
Louisa looked up from their cups of chocolate, turning
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enquiring glances on each other and then on their
brother.
‘Who would come calling at this hour, and in this
weather?’ asked Caroline.
Her question was soon answered as the door opened
and Miss Elizabeth Bennet was shown in. Her eyes were
bright and her cheeks were flushed. Her clothes showed
signs of her walk, and her stout boots were covered in
mud.
‘Miss Bennet!’ exclaimed Mr Hurst, looking at her as
though she were an apparition.
‘Miss Bennet!’ echoed Caroline. ‘You have not come
on foot?’ she asked, appalled, staring at her boots, and at
her petticoats, which were six inches deep in mud.
‘Yes,’ she said, as if it was the most natural thing in the
world.
‘To walk three miles so early in the day!’ said Caroline, with a horrified glance towards Louisa.
‘And in such dirty weather!’ exclaimed Louisa, returning her look.
Bingley was troubled by no such astonishment.
‘Miss Elizabeth Bennet, how good of you to come,’ he
said, jumping up and shaking her by the hand. ‘Your sister is very ill, I fear.’
Caroline had by now recovered from her astonishment.
‘Really, Charles, do not distress her,’ she said. She
turned to Miss Bennet.‘It is nothing but a headache and
a sore throat. She did not sleep very well, but she has
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risen this morning. She is feverish, though, and she is not
well enough to leave her room.’
‘You must be cold and wet,’ said Bingley, glancing at
Elizabeth with concern.
‘It is nothing. I often walk out in the morning. The
cold and the wet do not trouble me.Where is Jane? Can
I see her?’
‘Of course,’ said Bingley.‘I will take you to her at once.’
I could not help thinking of the brilliance the exercise had given to her complexion, although I wondered
whether she should have walked so far alone. If her sister
had been dangerously ill, perhaps, but for a cold?
Charles left the room with Miss Bennet. Caroline and
Louisa, feeling it incumbent upon them as hostesses to
go too, followed them. Bingley soon returned, leaving his
sisters in the sick room.
‘We ought to be leaving,’ I said, glancing at the clock.
We had arranged to meet some of the officers for a
game of billiards. I could tell that Bingley did not want
to go, but I persuaded him that he would make himself
ridiculous if he remained indoors because his sister’s
friend had a cold. He looked as though he was about to
protest, but he has a habit of listening to me and took my
advice. I am glad of it. Colonel Forster would have
thought it very odd if he had cancelled the engagement
on so
