Jane Austen is clearly being ironic about their being entitled to this attitude.

13. Money from trade was not genteel in the way that money from land was.

14. His having almost five times the fortune of his sisters is typical for this society, in which men inherited most of the family wealth. It is this fortune that gives him four to five thousand pounds a year in income, for 5% was the most common annual rate of return on property or investments.

15. liberty of a manor: the right to kill game on the lands he is renting. Strict game laws in force at the time confined this right to the wealthy.

16. This is the critical requirement for attaining true gentility. The Bingley family presents a standard example of social climbing. Earlier generations have attained wealth through trade; this generation uses it to gain acceptance among the elite. The expensive schooling of Bingley's sisters, which Bingley probably had also, was a principal means for this, for it enabled its recipients to learn the habits of genteel people and to form friendships with them.

17. more fashion than fortune: more social status than wealth. People like that often married those, like the Bingleys, trying to rise in society. One side gained status, the other money—though in this case, even with Mrs. Hurst's 20,000 pounds, the Hursts are needy enough to prefer living off Bingley.

18. One came of age, and legally became an adult, at twenty-one. Hence Bingley, having done so less than two years ago, is twenty-two.

19. accidental: chance, fortuitous.

20. situation: position or location (especially in relation to its surroundings).

21. Bingley's hastiness and willingness to accept another's word are two of his main characteristics; they will play an important role in the later action, specifically in facilitating Darcy's interference in his affairs.

Bingley's interest in a house in Hertfordshire would be consistent with his position, for those trying to rise socially tended to prefer country houses near London, the main venue for social life and meeting with the elite.

22. No precise information is ever given on how Bingley and Darcy originally became friends. They would not have met at school, since Darcy is in fact six or seven years older. Since they both come from northern England, they presumably met at a social function or through a mutual acquaintance.

23. understanding: intelligence, judgment.

24. fastidious: disdainful, difficult to please.

25. This means Darcy's manners are polite, but also cold and distant.

26. Miss Bennet: Jane Bennet. “Miss + last name” always means the eldest daughter of a family, or at least the eldest unmarried one. For younger daughters a first name is also used; thus Elizabeth is called Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

27. not object to know more of: these words indicate their lack of any real interest in Jane.

Chapter Five

Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Bennets were particularly intimate. Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton,1 where he had made a tolerable fortune and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the King,2 during his mayoralty.3 The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business and to his residence in a small market town; and quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge,4 where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world. For though elated5 by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to every body. By nature inoffensive, friendly and obliging, his presentation at St. James's6 had made him courteous.7

Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever to be a valuable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet. —They had several children. The eldest of them, a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven, was Elizabeth's intimate friend.

That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to talk over a ball was absolutely necessary; and the morning after the assembly brought the former to Longbourn to hear and to communicate.

“You began the evening well, Charlotte,” said Mrs. Bennet with civil self-command8 to Miss Lucas. “You were Mr. Bingley's first choice.”

“Yes; —but he seemed to like his second better.”9

“Oh!—you mean Jane, I suppose—because he danced with her twice. To be sure that did seem as if he admired her —indeed I rather believe he did —I heard something about it—but I hardly know what—something about Mr. Robinson.”

“Perhaps you mean what I overheard between him and Mr. Robinson; did not I mention it to you? Mr. Robinson's asking him how he liked our Meryton assemblies, and whether he did not think there were a great many pretty women in the room, and which he thought the prettiest? and his answering immediately to the last question —Oh! the eldest Miss Bennet beyond a doubt, there cannot be two opinions on that point.”10

“Upon my word! —Well, that was very decided indeed—that does seem as if—but however, it may all come to nothing you know.”

“My overhearings were more to the purpose than yours, Eliza,” said Charlotte. “Mr.