Pride and Prejudice - First Season

If you please, ma'am!

There are two gentlemen and a lady waiting upon you in the parlour.

One of them is Mr Darcy.

Thank you. Tell them I shall come directly.

Mr Darcy.

I hope that you have not been waiting long.

Not at all.

May I introduce my sister Georgiana?

Georgiana, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

How do you do?

I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Darcy.

- I've heard so much about you. - And I about you.

Mr Bingley is here with us,

and very desirous to see you as well. He insisted on accompanying us.

May I summon him?

Of course! I should like to see him very much.

I understand that you are fond of music, and play very well.

Oh, no. Not play very well.

I mean, but I am very fond of music.

I should dearly love to hear you play and sing.

My brother has told me he has rarely heard anything

that gave him more pleasure.

Well, you shall.

But I warn you, your brother has grossly exaggerated my talents.

No doubt for some mischievous reason.

Oh, no. That could not be so.

My brother never exaggerates. He always tells the absolute truth.

Except that sometimes I think he is a little too kind to me.

An ideal elder brother, then.

Oh, yes! I couldn't imagine a better or a kinder one.

You make me feel quite envious.

I have no brothers at all. Only four sisters.

I should have liked to have a sister.

: Miss Bennet!

I was so delighted when Darcy told me you were not five miles from Pemberley!

How do you do?

- I see you are well. - Very well, thank you.

Good, good, excellent! And your family?

- Very well, sir. - Yes?

Pray, tell me. Are all your sisters still at Longbourn?

All except one. My youngest sister is at Brighton.

Ah.

It seems too long...

..it is too long, since I had the pleasure of speaking to you.

- It must be several months. - It is above eight months at least.

We have not met since the 26th of November,

when we were dancing together at Netherfield.

I think you must be right.

I don't think I can remember a happier time

than those short months I spent in Hertfordshire.

Miss Bennet, my sister has a request to make of you.

Miss Bennet, my brother and I would be honoured

if you and your aunt and uncle would be our guests at Pemberley for dinner.

- Would tomorrow evening be convenient? - Thank you, we shall be delighted.

I can answer for Mr and Mrs Gardiner. We have no fixed engagements.

- And shall we hear you play? - If you insist upon it, yes, you shall.

("VOI, CHE SAPETE" FROM "THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO")

Absolutely marvellous!

Will you not play again? You played that song so beautifully.

Not very beautifully, not faithfully at all.

You must have seen how I fudged and slurred my way

through the difficult passages.

- It's a beautiful instrument, though. - My brother gave it to me.

- He is so good. I don't deserve it. - I am sure you do.

Your brother thinks you do, and as you know, he is never wrong.

Now, it's your turn. Oh, I absolutely insist!

In front of all these people?

I will play, but please don't make me sing.

If you like.

Pray, Miss Eliza, are the Militia still quartered at Meryton?

No, they are encamped at Brighton for the summer.

That must be a great loss for your family.

We're enduring it as best we can, Miss Bingley.

I should have thought one gentleman's absence

might have caused particular pangs.

I can't imagine who you mean.

I understood that certain ladies found the society

of Mr Wickham curiously agreeable.

I'm so sorry. I'm neglecting you.

How can you play with no one to turn the pages.

There, allow me.

: How very ill Eliza Bennet looked this evening!

I've never seen anyone so much altered as she is since the winter.

- Quite so, my dear. - She is grown so brown and coarse.

Louisa and I were agreeing that we should hardly know her.

What do you say, Mr Darcy?

I noticed no great difference.

She is, I suppose, a little tanned.

Hardly surprising when one travels in the summer.

For my part, I must confess, I never saw any beauty in her face.

Her features are not at all handsome. Her complexion has no brilliancy.

Her teeth are tolerable, I suppose,

but nothing out of the common way.

And as for her eyes, which I have sometimes heard called fine,

I could never perceive anything extraordinary in them.

And in her air there is a self-sufficiency

without fashion, which I find intolerable.

I think...

When we first knew her in Hertfordshire,

how amazed we all were to find her a reputed beauty!

I particularly recall you, Mr Darcy,

one night after they had been dining at Netherfield,

saying: "She a beauty? I should as soon call her mother a wit!"

: But afterwards she seemed to improve on you.

I even believe you thought her rather pretty at one time.

Yes, I did. That was only when I first knew her.

For many months now I have considered her

one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.

No, no, the green one.

Yes, that will do.

Good. No, never mind that.

If you please, ma'am. The post's just come.

Thank you, Hannah.

A good girl, that. Very obliging.

Two letters from Jane. At last! I had been wondering why we hadn't...

This one was misdirected at first.

No wonder, for she wrote the direction very ill, indeed!

Would you be angry if I beg you to postpone our outing?

Not at all! Of course you want to read your letters.

We will walk to the church and call back in an hour.

Thank you, you're very kind!

: My dearest Lizzy,

I hope your journey has been as delightful as you anticipated.

We all miss you. Our father most of all, I believe.

I have hardly had time to write.

My nephews and nieces have taken almost every moment!

But they are such dear children.

Our mother indeed finds their exuberance a little trying for her nerves.

Mamma...

She spends much of the day above stairs in her room, or with Mrs Philips.

Dearest Lizzy, since writing the above,

something has occurred of a most unexpected and serious nature.

But I'm afraid of alarming you. Be assured we are all well.

What I have to say relates to poor Lydia.

Lydia!

An express came at twelve last night, just as we were all gone to bed.

: Mr Bennet, what is it? Are we to be murdered in our beds?

: The letter was from Colonel Forster,

to inform us that Lydia was gone off to Scotland with one of his officers.

To own the truth... with Wickham.

Oh, Lydia!

Oh, Mr Bennet, we are all ruined!

You will imagine our surprise and shock.

To Kitty, however, it does not seem so wholly unexpected.

I am very, very sorry. So imprudent a match on both sides!

But I'm willing to hope the best,

and that his character has been misunderstood.

I wish I could believe it.

His choice is disinterested at least.

He must know that our father can give him nothing.

Yes, that is true. But how could he do this?

She is silly enough for anything.

But Wickham to love Lydia?

Marry Lydia?

There is one lady I shall be very loath to part from.

We expect them soon returned from Gretna, man and wife.

I must conclude. I cannot be away from our poor mother long.

I shall write again as soon as I have news.

My dearest Lizzy, I hardly know what to write, but I have bad news!

Imprudent as a marriage would be, we now fear worse:

That it has not taken place.

That Wickham never intended to marry Lydia at all!

Great God, I knew it!

I cannot think so ill of him.

I can. Poor Lydia.

Poor stupid girl!

Colonel Forster said he feared that Wickham was not to be trusted.

: She was then but fifteen years old.

They were traced as far as Clapham.

Father has gone with Colonel Forster to try to discover them.

I cannot help but beg you all to come here as soon as possible!

Oh, yes! Where is my uncle?

If you please, ma'am.

Miss Bennet, I hope this...

I beg your pardon. I must find Mr Gardiner.

- On business that cannot be delayed. - Good God! What is the matter?

Of course I will not detain you, but let me go,

or let the servant go and fetch Mr and Mrs Gardiner.

- You cannot go yourself. - I must...

Come. I insist. This will be for the best. Hello there!

Have Mr and Mrs Gardiner fetched here at once.

- They walked in the direction of... - ..the church.

Yes, sir, at once.

You are not well. May I not call a doctor?

No. I am well. I am well.

Is there nothing you can take for your present relief?

A glass of wine? Can I get you one? Truly, you look very ill.

No, I thank you. There is nothing the matter with me. I am quite well.

I am only distressed by some dreadful news,

which I have just received from Longbourn.

- I am sorry. Forgive me. - No, no.

I have just received a letter from Jane, with such dreadful news.

It cannot be concealed from anyone.

My youngest sister has left all her friends,

has eloped,

has thrown herself into the power...

..of Mr Wickham.

They have run away together from Brighton.

You know him too well to doubt the rest.

She has no money, no connections,