{{prxprp024.jpg}} || 24 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ||

versation for the evening; and however bare of news the country

in general might be, they always contrived to learn some from

their aunt. At present, indeed, they were well supplied both

with news and happiness by the recent arrival of a militia regiment

in the neighbourhood; it was to remain the whole winter, and

Meryton was the headquarters.

Their visits to Mrs. Philips were now productive of the most

interesting intelligence. -- Every day added something to their

knowledge of the officers' names and connections. Their lodgings

were not long a secret, and at length they began to know the officers

themselves. Mr. Philips visited them all, and this opened to

his nieces a source of felicity unknown before. They could talk

of nothing but officers; and Mr. Bingley's large fortune, the

mention of which gave animation to their mother, was worthless

in their eyes when opposed to the regimentals of an ensign.

After listening one morning to their effusions on this subject,

Mr. Bennet coolly observed,

'From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you

must be two of the silliest girls in the country. I have suspected

it some time, but I am now convinced.'

Catherine was disconcerted, and made no answer; but Lydia,

with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of

Captain Carter, and her hope of seeing him in the course of the

day, as he was going the next morning to London.'

'I am astonished, my dear,' said Mrs. Bennet, 'that you should

be so ready to think your own children silly. If I wished to think

slightingly of anybody's children, it should not be of my own,

however.'

'If my children are silly, I must hope to be always sensible of it.'

'Yes -- but as it happens, they are all of them very clever.'

'This is the only point, I flatter myself, on which we do not

agree. I had hoped that our sentiments coincided in every

particular, but I must so far differ from you as to think our two

youngest daughters uncommonly foolish.'

'My dear Mr. Bennet, you must not expect such girls to have

the sense of their father and mother. When they get to our age,

I dare say they will not think about officers any more than we do.

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