Chapter 17
The Netherfield ball invitation
English edition
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1 Longbourn stands hushed beneath a grey November sky.
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2 Elizabeth tells Jane Wickham’s account as they walk arm in arm through Longbourn’s shrubbery.
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3 Jane offers a gentle explanation that might absolve both Darcy and Wickham.
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4 Elizabeth affectionately challenges Jane’s determination to excuse everyone.
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5 Jane gently catches Elizabeth’s forearm as she pleads for Darcy’s character.
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6 Elizabeth speaks with bright conviction as she walks through Longbourn’s damp shrubbery.
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7 Jane pauses in Longbourn’s shrubbery, troubled by the suffering Bingley might face.
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8 Caroline and Louisa draw Jane into an intimate seated reunion at Longbourn.
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9 Caroline and Louisa enclose Jane’s bare hands in two elaborate clasps.
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10 Mrs. Bennet’s eager civility hangs in the air after the callers’ departure.
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11 Caroline rises abruptly to leave Longbourn, catching the still-seated Bingley mid-word.
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12 The prospect of the Netherfield ball animates the women at Longbourn.
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13 Elizabeth looks toward the Meryton road, chin on hand, anticipating dancing with Wickham
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14 Mary Bennet solemnly consents to the Netherfield ball, raising a finger
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15 Elizabeth playfully asks Mr. Collins whether he intends to dance at the Netherfield ball.
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16 Mr. Collins bows deeply as he claims Elizabeth for the first two dances.
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17 Elizabeth accepts Mr. Collins’s request for the first two dances with a courteous smile.
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18 Elizabeth suddenly understands the intention behind Mr. Collins’s gallantry.
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19 Mrs. Bennet signals her delighted approval of Mr. Collins's attentions across the drawing-room.
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20 Elizabeth lets Mrs. Bennet’s marriage hint pass unanswered and quietly retreats toward the windows.
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21 Kitty and Lydia kneel at the rain-streaked window, restless for the Netherfield ball
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22 Rain keeps Kitty and Lydia indoors at Longbourn.
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23 A rain-spotted parcel lies open on Longbourn’s work-table.
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24 Elizabeth follows the rain down the glass, her disappointment softened by a barely visible smile.
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25 Lydia counts the rain-bound days on her fingers while Kitty twists a ribbon beside her.
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26 Steady rain pools in the empty lane from Longbourn toward Meryton.
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