Mrs. Bennet, having failed to extract a direct description of Mr. Bingley from her husband, relies on Lady Lucas’s glowing report: the new tenant of Netherfield is young, handsome, agreeable, and will attend the upcoming assembly with a large party. Mrs. Bennet dreams of marrying one of her daughters to him. Mr. Bingley soon returns Mr. Bennet’s visit, sitting briefly in the library, and later sends an invitation to dinner which is postponed because he must travel to town the next day. Lady Lucas calms Mrs. Bennet’s worries by explaining the trip is to fetch a ballroom party. The news arrives that Bingley will bring a party of twelve, later revised to six: his five sisters and a cousin. At the assembly, the party actually consists of only five—Bingley, his two sisters, his brother‑in‑law Mr. Hurst, and a young man. Bingley is described as good‑looking, personable, and eager to dance; his sisters are fashionable, and Mr. Hurst merely appears gentlemanly. Their companion, Mr. Darcy, makes a striking entrance: tall, handsome, and rumored to have an income of ten thousand a year. The assembled gentlemen admire his appearance, but his proud, disagreeable manners quickly turn opinion against him. Bingley quickly becomes popular, dancing every dance and expressing a wish to host his own ball at Netherfield. Darcy, however, dances only twice—once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley—refuses introductions to any other lady, and spends the evening walking the room, earning the unanimous verdict that he is the “proudest, most disagreeable man in the world.” Mrs. Bennet despises Darcy, especially after he slighted one of her daughters. Elizabeth, forced to sit for two dances due to a shortage of gentlemen, overhears a conversation in which Darcy refuses to dance with her, calling her “tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me.” Bingle urges him to dance, but Darcy departs, leaving Elizabeth angry yet amused enough to recount the episode to her friends. The ball concludes happily for the Bennet family: Jane receives much admiration and dances twice with Bingley, earning praise from his sisters; Mary learns she has been called the most accomplished girl by Miss Bingley; Kitty and Lydia each find partners. The Bennet children return home in good spirits. Mr. Bennet, still up reading, is asked by an enthusiastic Mrs. Bennet to recount the evening. She exuberantly describes Bingley’s many dances—first with Miss Lucas, then Miss King, Maria Lucas, Jane (twice), and finally Elizabeth—while disparaging Darcy’s arrogance. Mr. Bennet, irritated, complains about the number of dances and dismisses any further talk of finery, prompting Mrs. Bennet to focus on Darcy’s rudeness and her scorn for him.