The next morning, however, made an alteration; for in a quarter of an hour's tete-a-tete with Mrs. Bennet before breakfast, a conversation beginning with his parsonage-house, and leading naturally to the avowal of his hopes, that a mistress might be found for it at Longbourn, produced from her, amid very complaisant smiles and general encouragement, a caution against the very Jane he had fixed on. "As to her _younger_ daughters, she could not take upon her to say--she could not positively answer--but she did not _know_ of any prepossession; her _eldest_ daughter, she must just mention--she felt it incumbent on her to hint, was likely to be very soon engaged."
Dans un bref entretien qu’il eut avant le déjeuner avec Mrs. Bennet il lui laissa entrevoir ses espérances, a quoi celle-ci répondit avec force sourires et mines encourageantes qu’elle ne pouvait rien affirmer au sujet de ses plus jeunes filles, mais que l’aînée, – c’était son devoir de l’en prévenir, – serait sans doute fiancée d’ici peu.