That morning an invitation arrived at Longbourn.Mr Bing- ley had fixed the date for the ball he had promised to give at Netherfield,and it was to be on the following Tuesday.Every female in the Bennet family was looking forward to it,even Mary,who lifted her head from her book to say,unsmiling,‘As long as I have my mornings free for serious reading,I do not mind meeting people in the evenings.I consider some relax- ation and amusement is good for everybdy.’