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Pride & Prejudice – page 542

JANE AUSTEN

But the spiritless condition which this event threw

her into was shortly relieved, and her mind opened

again to the agitation of hope, by an article of news

which then began to be in circulation. The housekeeper

at Netherfield had received orders to prepare for the

arrival of her master, who was coming down in a day

or two, to shoot there for several weeks. Mrs. Bennet

was quite in the fidgets. She looked at Jane, and smiled

and shook her head by turns.

“Well, well, and so Mr. Bingley is coming down,

sister,” (for Mrs. Phillips first brought her the news).

“Well, so much the better. Not that I care about it,

though. He is nothing to us, you know, and I am sure I

never want to see him again. But, however, he is very

welcome to come to Netherfield, if he likes it. And who

knows what may happen? But that is nothing to us. You

know, sister, we agreed long ago never to mention a

word about it. And so, is it quite certain he is coming?”

“You may depend on it,” replied the other, “for

Mrs. Nicholls was in Meryton last night; I saw her

passing by, and went out myself on purpose to know

the truth of it; and she told me that it was certain true.

He comes down on Thursday at the latest, very likely

on Wednesday. She was going to the butcher’s, she told

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