HILL—(the Housekeeper at Longbourn).
MARTHA—(the Maid at Mr. Collins's Parsonage).
| [ACT I] | |
| The Drawing-Room at Longbourn | |
| [ACT II] | |
| The Orangery at Netherfield | |
| One Month Later | |
| [ACT III] | |
| Mr. Collins's Parsonage at Hunsford | |
| Three Months Later | |
| [ACT IV] | |
| The Shrubbery at Longbourn | |
| One Week Later | |
| Place: England | Time: 1796 |
"In the novels of the last hundred years there are vast numbers of young ladies with whom it might be a pleasure to fall in love,—but to live with and to marry, I do not know that any of them can come into competition with Elizabeth Bennet."—George Saintsbury. Preface to the Peacock Edition of "Pride and Prejudice."
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
A PLAY
ACT I
The drawing-room at Longbourn. At the back, wide glass doors open upon a terrace which overlooks an English landscape. It is winter, and coals are burning in the fireplace. On each side of the glass doors are rounded recesses with windows. On one side of the room a door opens into the library. On the other side is a door to the hall—the chief entrance of the house. The room is handsomely furnished in eighteenth century style. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are discovered sitting on either side of the table. Mrs. Bennet is knitting—Mr. Bennet reading.
Mrs. Bennet.
[After a slight pause and laying down her knitting.]