A Simplified Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 9

Elizabeth spent most of the night in her sister's room, and in the morning she had the pleasure of being able to send a hopeful answer to the questions from Mr. Bingley she received very early in the morning from a housemaid, and some time later by his sisters' ladies maids. However, despite this change, she asked to have a note sent home to Longbourn, she desired her mother to come visit Jane and tell her opinion on Jane's illness. The note was immediately sent out and quickly answered. Mrs. Bennet, along with her two youngest daughters, reached Netherfield soon after breakfast

If she had found Jane in any real danger, Mrs. Bennet would have been very miserable, but being happy to see Jane's illness was not alarming, she didn't want her to recover too soon, as her returning to health would mean her leaving Netherfield to go home. Therefore, she would not listen to her daughter's suggestion of being carried home, and neither did the doctor, who arrived about the same time. After sitting and speaking for a while with Jane, Miss Bingley appeared and invited her to join them in the breakfast parlour. Bingley met them with hopes that Mrs. Bennet had not found Jane worse than she expected.

"I have indeed sir," was her answer "She is very much too sick to be moved. Dr. Jones says we must not try to move her. We must test your kindness a little longer,"

"Removed!" cried Bingley "It must not be thought of. My sister I am sure, will not even consider Jane's removal."

"You may believe it, Madam," said Miss Bingley, with cold politeness, "that Miss Bennet will receive every possible attention while she remains with us."

Mrs. Bennet was bountiful in her thanks. "I am sure," she added, "If it was not for such good friends, I don't know what would happen to her, for she is very ill indeed, and suffers very much, though with the greatest patience in the world, for she has, without exception, the sweetest spirit I have ever met with. I often tell my other girls they are nothing compared to her. You have a sweet room here, Mr. Bingley, and a charming view over the walk. I don't know place in the country that is equal to Netherfield. I hope you will not leave it in a hurry, for you have a such a short lease.

"Whatever I do is done in a hurry," he replied, "and therefore if I should chose to leave Netherfield I would probably be off in five minutes. At present, however, I consider myself quite planted here

"That is exactly what I would have guessed." said Elizabeth.

"So you begin understand me do you?" he cried, turning towards her.

"Oh yes, I understand you perfectly."

"I wish I could take that as a compliment, but I am afraid its pitiful to be so easily seen through."

"That is usually how it goes, but that does not mean that a deep complex character is more or less respectable than one like yours."

"Lizzy," cried her mother, "remember where you are, and do not speak in the wild manner that you are always doing at home."

"I did not know before," continued Bingley immediately, "that you studied character, it must be an amusing study."

"Yes, but complex characters are the most interesting, they at least have that advantage."

"The country," said Darcy, "Can only supply a few subjects for such a study. In a country neighbourhood you live in such a limited and plain society,"

"But the people themselves change so much that there is always something new to be observed in them

"Yes indeed," cried Mrs. Bennet, offended by how he described a country neighbourhood. "I assure you there is quite as much of that going on in the country as in the city."