Sylvanian Pride and Prejudice - Part Two

For those who do not know, it has been an ambition of mine for some time to cast and photograph Jane Austen's delightful Pride and Prejudice, using Sylvanian Families.  This is Part Two of that endeavour - I do plan to post instalments from time to time when I can, and have great hopes of eventually getting through the whole story!

If you missed Part One, I recommend reading that first.  (I also highly recommend seeking out Austen's original book and reading it - it is great fun!  Many people do not realise how much writers such as Austen have influenced modern romantic comedies).

Obviously, the words that follow are not my own, although I have heavily abridged the original text to come up with this version.  I hope you enjoy it.

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In a few days, Mr Bingley returned Mr Bennet’s visit, and sat about ten minutes with him in his library.  He had entertained hopes of being admitted to a sight of the young ladies, of whose beauty he had heard much, but he saw only the father. 

An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched, but an answer arrived which deferred it all.  Mr Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day, and consequently unable to accept their invitation.  Mrs Bennet was quite disconcerted, however Lady Lucas quieted her fears – her report of Mr Bingley was highly favourable.  He was quite young, handsome, extremely agreeable, and to crown the whole, he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party.  Nothing could be more delightful!

When the party entered the assembly room, it consisted of five altogether;  Mr Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man.

Mr Bingley was good looking and gentlemanlike, with easy, unaffected manners.  His sisters were fine women, with an air of decided fashion.  His brother in law, Mr Hurst, merely looked the gentleman, but his friend Mr Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report which was immediately in general circulation, of his having ten thousand a year. 

He was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners turned the tide of his popularity, for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased.

Mr Bingley was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, and talked of giving a ball himself at Netherfield.  

What a contrast between him and his friend!  Mr Darcy danced only once with Mrs Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, and declined being introduced to any other lady.  His character was decided.  He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and every body hoped that he would never come there again.  Among the most violent against him was Mrs Bennet, as he had slighted one of her daughters.

Elizabeth Bennet had been obliged, by the scarcity of gentlemen, to sit down for two dances, and during part of that time, Mr Darcy had been standing near.  Bingley came from the dance for a few minutes, to press his friend to join it.

“Come Darcy,” said he, “I hate to see you standing about in this stupid manner.  You had much better dance.”

“I certainly shall not.  You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner.  At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable.”

“I would not be so fastidious as you are,” cried Bingley, “for a kingdom!  Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life, and there are several of them uncommonly pretty.”

“You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room,” said Mr Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.

“Oh!  she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld!  But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty, and I daresay very agreeable.”

“Which do you mean?” and turning round, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, then coldly said, “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me, and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.  You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.”

Mr Bingley followed his advice.  Mr Darcy walked off, and Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings toward him.  She told the story however with great spirit among her friends, for she had a lively, playful disposition. 

The evening altogether passed off pleasantly to the whole family.  They returned therefore in good spirits to Longbourn.  They found Mr Bennet still up.  

He had rather hoped that all his wife’s views on the stranger would be disappointed, but he soon found that he had a very different story to hear.

“Oh!  my dear Mr Bennet, we have had a most delightful evening.  Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it.  Mr Bingley thought her quite beautiful and danced with her twice.  Only think of that, my dear, he actually danced with her twice, and she was the only creature in the room that he asked a second time.  Oh!  I am quite delighted with him.  He is so excessively handsome!  and his sisters are such charming women.  I never in my life saw any thing more elegant than their dresses-“

Here she was interrupted.  Mr Bennet protested against any description of finery.  She therefore related, with much bitterness of spirit and some exaggeration, the shocking rudeness of Mr Darcy.

“Another time, Lizzy, I would not dance with him, if I were you.”

“I believe, Ma’am,” replied Elizabeth, “I may safely promise you never to dance with him.”

~~~ o ~~~

When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in her praise of Mr Bingley before, expressed to her sister how very much she admired him.

“He is just what a young man ought to be,” said she.  “I was very much flattered by his asking me to dance a second time.  I did not expect such a compliment.”

“Did not you?” replied Elizabeth.  “I did for you.  He could not help seeing that you were about five times as pretty as every other woman in the room, and you never see a fault in any body.  All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes.  Well, he certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him.  And so, you like this man’s sisters too, do you?  Their manners are not equal to his.”

“Certainly not at first.  But they are very pleasing women when you converse with them.  Miss Bingley is to live with her brother and keep his house, and I am much mistaken if we shall not find a very charming neighbour in her.”

Elizabeth listened in silence, but was not convinced.  With more quickness of observation, and less pliancy of temper than her sister, she was very little disposed to approve them.

The manner in which the Netherfield party spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently characteristic.  Bingley had never met with pleasanter people in his life;  every body had been most kind and attentive to him;  and as to Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful. 

Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, and for none of them he had felt the smallest interest.  Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much.

Mrs Hurst and her sister allowed it to be so – but still they admired her and liked her, pronounced her a sweet girl, and one whom they should not object to know more of.  Their brother therefore felt authorised by such commendation to think of her as he chose.

~~~ o ~~~