Pagina 720 van 817

"Well, girls," said she, as soon as they were left to themselves,

"what say you to the day? I think everything has passed off

uncommonly well, I assure you. The dinner was as well dressed as

any I ever saw. The venison was roasted to a turn--and everybody

said, they never saw so fat a haunch. The soup was fifty times

better than what we had at the Lucases' last week; and even Mr.

Darcy acknowledged that the partridges were remarkably well done;

and I suppose he has two or three French cooks at least. And, my

dear Jane, I never saw you look in greater beauty. Mrs. Long said

so too, for I asked her whether you did not. And what do you

think she said besides? 'Ah! Mrs. Bennet, we shall have her at

Netherfield at last!' She did, indeed. I do think Mrs. Long is as

good a creature as ever lived--and her nieces are very pretty

behaved girls, and not at all handsome: I like them

prodigiously."