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otherwise I see no occasion for entailing estates from the

female line. It was not thought necessary in Sir Lewis de

Bourgh's family. Do you play and sing, Miss Bennet?'

'A little.'

'Oh then -- some time or other we shall be happy to hear

you. Our instrument is a capital one, probably superior to --

you shall try it some day. Do your sisters play and sing?'

'One of them does.'

'Why did not you all learn? You ought all to have learned.

The Miss Webbs all play, and their father has not so good

an income as yours. Do you draw?'

'No, not at all.'

'What, none of you?'

'Not one.'

'That is very strange. But I suppose you had no oppor-

tunity. Your mother should have taken you to town every

spring for the benefit of masters.'

'My mother would have no objection, but my father hates

London.'

'Has your governess left you?'

'We never had any governess.'

'No governess! How was that possible? Five daughters

brought up at home without a governess! I never heard of

such a thing. Your mother must have been quite a slave to

your education.'

Elizabeth could hardly help smiling, as she assured her

that had not been the case.

'Then who taught you? who attended to you? without a

governess, you must have been neglected.'

'Compared with some families, I believe we were; but

such of us as wished to learn never wanted the means. We

were always encouraged to read, and had all the masters that

were necessary. Those who chose to be idle certainly

might.'

'Ay, no doubt: but that is what a governess will prevent;

and if I had known your mother, I should have advised her

most strenuously to engage one. I always say that nothing

is to be done in education without steady and regular instruc-

tion, and nobody but a governess can give it. It is wonderful

how many families I have been the means of supplying in

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