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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 barefaced1 questions, ingenious suppositions, and distant surmises2; but he eluded3 the skill of them all; and they were at last obliged to accept the second-hand4 intelligence of their neighbour Lady Lucas. Her report was highly favourable5. 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 delightful6! 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 ascertaining7, 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 deferred8 it all. Mr. Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day, and consequently unable to accept the honour of their invitation, &c. 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 soon followed that Mr. Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly. The girls grieved over such a large number of ladies; but were comforted the day before the ball by hearing that, instead of twelve, he had brought only six with him from London, his five sisters and a cousin. And when the party entered the assembly room, it consisted of only five altogether; Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the oldest, and another young man.
1 barefaced | |
adj.厚颜无耻的,公然的 | |
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2 surmises | |
v.臆测,推断( surmise的第三人称单数 );揣测;猜想 | |
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3 eluded | |
v.(尤指机敏地)避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 );逃避;躲避;使达不到 | |
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4 second-hand | |
adj.用过的,旧的,二手的 | |
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5 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
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6 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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7 ascertaining | |
v.弄清,确定,查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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8 deferred | |
adj.延期的,缓召的v.拖延,延缓,推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 );服从某人的意愿,遵从 | |
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9 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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10 mien | |
n.风采;态度 | |
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11 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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12 amiable | |
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 | |
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13 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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14 resentment | |
n.怨愤,忿恨 | |
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15 scarcity | |
n.缺乏,不足,萧条 | |
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16 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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17 detest | |
vt.痛恨,憎恶 | |
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18 uncommonly | |
adv. 稀罕(极,非常) | |
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19 eldest | |
adj.最年长的,最年老的 | |
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20 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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21 catching | |
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住 | |
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22 tempt | |
vt.引诱,勾引,吸引,引起…的兴趣 | |
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23 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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24 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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25 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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26 vexed | |
adj.争论不休的;(指问题等)棘手的;争论不休的问题;烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论 | |
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27 enquired | |
打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 ); 询问; 问问题; 查问 | |
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28 compassion | |
n.同情,怜悯 | |
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29 sprained | |
v.&n. 扭伤 | |
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30 horrid | |
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
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31 conceited | |
adj.自负的,骄傲自满的 | |
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