Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends.

He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never come there again.

and, as to Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful.

Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much.

"Pride," observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity of her reflections, "is a very common failing,

Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."

"If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy," cried a young Lucas, who came with his sisters, "I should not care how proud I was. I would keep a pack of foxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine a day."

there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement.

Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life."

'Keep your breath to cool your porridge'; and I shall keep mine to swell my song."

"Nothing is more deceitful," said Darcy, "than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast."

The power of doing anything with quickness is always prized much by the possessor, and often without any attention to the imperfection of the performance.

to remember at night all the foolish things that were said in the morning.

Darcy were not such a great tall fellow, in comparison with myself, I should not pay him half so much deference.

He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.

"I have not the smallest objection to explaining them," said he, as soon as she allowed him to speak. "You either choose this method of passing the evening because you are in each other's confidence, and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking; if the first, I would be completely in your way, and if the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire."

He began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention.

There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.

We do not suffer by accident.

Elizabeth's courage did not fail her.

"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

But she had chosen it with her eyes open; and though evidently regretting that her visitors were to go, she did not seem to ask for compassion.

Well, my comfort is, I am sure Jane will die of a broken heart; and then he will be sorry for what he has done."

angry people are not always wise;

"I think you are in very great danger of making him as much in love with you as ever."

"If any young men come for Mary or Kitty, send them in, for I am quite at leisure."