Philips were now productive of the most interesting
intelligence
Every day added something to their knowledge of the
officers’ names and connections
Their lodgings were not long a secret,
and at length they began to know the officers themselves
Philips
visited them all, and this opened to his nieces a source of felicity
unknown before
They could talk of nothing but officers; and Mr
Bingley’s large fortune, the mention of which gave animation to their
mother, was worthless in their eyes when opposed to the regimentals of
an ensign
After listening one morning to their effusions on this subject, Mr
Bennet coolly observed,--

“From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two
of the silliest girls in the country
“I am astonished, my dear,” said Mrs
Bennet, “that you should be so
ready to think your own children silly
I
had hoped that our sentiments coincided in every particular, but I must
so far differ from you as to think our two youngest daughters uncommonly
foolish.”

“My dear Mr
Bennet, you must not expect such girls to have the sense of
their father and mother
When they get to our age, I dare say they will
not think about officers any more than we do
Bennet was prevented replying by the entrance of the footman with a
note for Miss Bennet; it came from Netherfield, and the servant waited
for an answer
Bennet’s eyes sparkled with pleasure, and she was
eagerly calling out, while her daughter read,--

“Well, Jane, who is it from
Well,
Jane, make haste and tell us; make haste, my love.”

“It is from Miss Bingley,” said Jane, and then read it aloud
Come as soon as you can on the receipt of
     this
My brother and the gentlemen are to dine with the officers
Yours ever,

“CAROLINE BINGLEY.”

“With the officers!” cried Lydia: “I wonder my aunt did not tell us of
_that_.”

“Dining out,” said Mrs
Bennet; “that is very unlucky.”

“Can I have the carriage?” said Jane
Bingley’s chaise to go to Meryton;
and the Hursts have no horses to theirs.”

“I had much rather go in the coach.”

“But, my dear, your father cannot spare the horses, I am sure
They are
wanted in the farm, Mr
Her hopes were answered; Jane had not been gone long before it
rained hard
Her sisters were uneasy for her, but her mother was
delighted
The rain continued the whole evening without intermission;
Jane certainly could not come back
“This was a lucky idea of mine, indeed!” said Mrs
Bennet, more than
once, as if the credit of making it rain were all her own
Till the next
morning, however, she was not aware of all the felicity of her
contrivance
My kind friends will
     not hear of my returning home till I am better
They insist also on
     my seeing Mr
Jones--therefore do not be alarmed if you should hear
     of his having been to me--and, excepting a sore throat and a
     headache, there is not much the matter with me
“Yours, etc.”

“Well, my dear,” said Mr
Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note
aloud, “if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness--if she
should die--it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of
Mr
Bingley, and under your orders.”

“Oh, I am not at all afraid of her dying
People do not die of little
trifling colds
As long as she stays
there, it is all very well
“How can you be so silly,” cried her mother, “as to think of such a
thing, in all this dirt
You will not be fit to be seen when you get
there.”

“I shall be very fit to see Jane--which is all I want.”

“Is this a hint to me, Lizzy,” said her father, “to send for the
horses?”

“No, indeed
I do not wish to avoid the walk
The distance is nothing,
when one has a motive; only three miles
Elizabeth accepted their company, and the three young ladies set off
together
She was shown into the breakfast parlour, where all but Jane were
assembled, and where her appearance created a great deal of surprise
That she should have walked three miles so early in the day in such
dirty weather, and by herself, was almost incredible to Mrs
Hurst and
Miss Bingley; and Elizabeth was convinced that they held her in contempt
for it
She was received, however, very politely by them; and in their
brother’s manners there was something better than politeness--there was
good-humour and kindness
The former was divided between admiration of the
brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion and doubt as to
the occasion’s justifying her coming so far alone
The latter was
thinking only of his breakfast
Her inquiries after her sister were not very favourably answered
Miss
Bennet had slept ill, and though up, was very feverish, and not well
enough to leave her room
She was not equal,
however, to much conversation; and when Miss Bingley left them together,
could attempt little beside expressions of gratitude for the
extraordinary kindness she was treated with