Everyone knows that when a single man has a large fortune, people immediately assume he must be looking for a wife.
The moment such a man moves into a new neighborhood, the local families start wondering which of their daughters might have a chance with him.
So when a wealthy young man rented Netherfield Park, the news quickly became the most important subject in the Bennet household.
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” Mrs. Bennet said one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park has finally been rented?”
“No,” Mr. Bennet replied.
“But it has!”
“Mrs. Long was here just now, and she told me everything.”
Mr. Bennet said nothing.
His wife looked at him impatiently.
“Don’t you want to know who rented it?”
“You obviously want to tell me.”
“And I don’t mind listening.”
That was all the encouragement Mrs. Bennet needed.
“Well, Mrs. Long says the new tenant is a very wealthy young man from northern England.”
“He came here on Monday in a carriage with four horses to look at the house.”
“He liked the place so much that he immediately agreed to rent it from Mr. Morris.”
“He’ll move in before the end of September, and some of his servants are supposed to arrive next week.”
“What is his name?”
“Bingley.”
“Is he married?”
“No, of course not!”
“He’s a single man with a fortune of four or five thousand pounds a year.”
“Just imagine what a wonderful opportunity that could be for our girls!”
“How exactly does that affect them?”
Mrs. Bennet stared at him.
“My dear Mr. Bennet, how can you be so difficult?”
“I’m talking about him marrying one of our daughters.”
“Is that why he decided to move here?”
“Why would you say that?”
“I’m not saying he came here specifically to find a wife.”
“But it’s very possible that he may fall in love with one of our girls.”
“So you must go and visit him as soon as he arrives.”
“I don’t see why I have to.”
“You and the girls can visit him.”
“Or you could send the girls without me. That might actually be better.”
“After all, you’re just as pretty as any of them.”
“Mr. Bingley might decide that you’re the most attractive woman in the group.”
Mrs. Bennet smiled.
“My dear, you’re flattering me.”
“I know I was considered pretty when I was younger, but I don’t pretend to be especially beautiful anymore.”
“When a woman has five grown daughters, she should stop worrying about her own beauty.”
Mr. Bennet smiled.
“A woman in that situation doesn’t usually have much beauty left to worry about.”
Mrs. Bennet ignored the insult.
“But you really must visit Mr. Bingley when he comes.”
“I’m not promising anything.”
“Please think about our daughters.”
“Just imagine what a wealthy husband would mean for one of them.”
“Sir William and Lady Lucas are already planning to visit him for exactly that reason.”
“You know they normally don’t visit newcomers.”
“So you have to go.”
“If you don’t, we won’t be able to visit him at all.”
“You’re making far too much of it.”
“I’m sure Mr. Bingley will be delighted to meet you.”
“I’ll even send a little note with you saying that I fully approve of him marrying whichever of our daughters he chooses.”
“Although I should probably put in a special word for my little Lizzy.”
Mrs. Bennet immediately objected.
“Don’t you dare!”
“Lizzy is no better than the others.”
“She isn’t half as beautiful as Jane.”
“And she certainly isn’t half as cheerful and good-natured as Lydia.”
“But you always seem to prefer Lizzy.”
Mr. Bennet shrugged.
“None of them have much to recommend them.”
“They’re all silly and poorly educated, like most young women.”
“But Lizzy is a little quicker and more intelligent than her sisters.”
Mrs. Bennet looked offended.
“How can you speak about your own children like that?”
“You enjoy upsetting me.”
“You have no sympathy for my nerves.”
“My dear, you misunderstand me.”
“I have the greatest respect for your nerves.”
“They’ve been my old friends for years.”
“I’ve heard you talking about them for at least twenty years.”
“You have no idea how much I suffer!”
“I hope you’ll survive it.”
“Perhaps you’ll even live long enough to see many more young men with four thousand pounds a year move into the neighborhood.”
“That won’t help us if you refuse to visit them.”
“Don’t worry.”
“If twenty rich young men move into the neighborhood, I’ll visit every single one of them.”
Mr. Bennet was an unusual man.
He was intelligent and witty, but also sarcastic, reserved, and unpredictable.
After twenty-three years of marriage, Mrs. Bennet still didn’t fully understand him.
His wife, on the other hand, was much easier to understand.
She wasn’t particularly intelligent and had little education or useful knowledge.
Her mood was also unpredictable.
Whenever she was unhappy or upset, she immediately decided that she was suffering from nervous problems.
Her main purpose in life was simple:
She wanted to see all five of her daughters married.
And when she wasn’t thinking about marriage, she enjoyed visiting people and collecting the latest gossip.