Wanting a Wife

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. Un hombre rico y soltero necesita una esposa. Toda madre está de acuerdo.

However little known the feelings of such a man may be when he first enters a neighbourhood, esta verdad is so fixed in the minds of every familia around him that he is considered the rightful propiedad of one or other of their hijas. All los vecinos watch the road for him.

“Querido señor Bennet,” dijo su esposa one day, “¿has oído la noticia? Netherfield Park has been rented por fin!”

El señor Bennet replied that he had not heard it.

“Pues es verdad,” respondió ella; “la señora Long estuvo aquí esta mañana, and she told me all about it.”

El señor Bennet no respondió. He kept reading su libro en silencio.

“¿No quieres saber who has taken la casa?” dijo su esposa, impaciente.

“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”

This was invitation enough. La conversación had begun.

“Why, querido, you must know, la señora Long dice que Netherfield is taken by un joven de gran fortuna from el norte of England. Llegó el lunes in a fine carruaje to see the place, and he was so contento with it that he agreed with el señor Morris inmediatamente. Se muda antes del fin de septiembre, and some of his servants will be in la casa by the end of next week.”

“¿Cómo se llama?”

“Bingley.”

“¿Está casado o soltero?”

“Oh, soltero, querido, claro! Un hombre soltero de gran fortuna — cinco mil al año, five thousand a year! ¡Qué suerte para nuestras chicas!”

“How so? How can it affect las chicas?”

“Querido señor Bennet,” dijo su esposa, “how can you be so tiresome? You must know that estoy pensando en el matrimonio — in his marrying one of them.”

“Is that su plan in settling here?”

“Plan? ¡Dios mío, qué tontería! But puede enamorarse de una de las chicas — he may well fall in love, and therefore tienes que visitarlo as soon as he comes.”

“No veo la razón. Tú y las chicas podéis ir, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be even better; for tú eres tan guapa como ellas, and el señor Bingley might like you best of the whole party.”

“Querido, qué amable — you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of belleza, but I do not pretend to be anything special now. Cuando una mujer tiene cinco hijas, all grown up, she ought to stop thinking of her own belleza.”

“In such cases, una mujer no tiene mucha belleza to think of.”

“But, querido, you really must pay una visita to el señor Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.”

“Eso es más de lo que puedo prometer.”

“Piensa en tus hijas — think what un matrimonio like that would mean for one of them. Sir William y Lady Lucas están decididos a ir, just for that reason; for in general, you know, they pay no visitas to newcomers. Indeed tienes que ir, for it will be impossible for us to pay him una visita if you do not.”

“Tranquila, querida — you worry too much. El señor Bingley estará muy contento de verte; and I will send unas líneas with you to assure him of my hearty consent to el matrimonio, whichever of las chicas he chooses — though I must put in una buena palabra for mi pequeña Lizzy.”

“I desire you will do no such thing,” dijo su esposa. “Lizzy no es mejor que sus hermanas — not a bit better: no es tan guapa como Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia. But she is always tu favorita.”

“Ninguna de ellas vale mucho,” respondió el señor Bennet. “They are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy is quicker — Lizzy es más lista que sus hermanas.”

“Señor Bennet, ¡por favor! ¿Cómo puedes hablar así de tus hijas? You take delight in teasing me. No tienes compasión de mis pobres nervios.”

“You mistake me, querida. Respeto mucho tus nervios. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these veinte años at least.”

“¡Ay, qué sufrimiento! No sabes lo que sufro.”

“But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many jóvenes of cuatro mil al año come into the neighbourhood.”

“It will be no use to us if veinte such men come, since you will not visit them.”

“Depend upon it, querida: when there are veinte, los visitaré a todos.”