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On Saturday morning Elizabeth and Mr. Collins met for breakfast a few minutes before the others appeared; and he took the opportunity of paying the parting civilities.
Elizabeth was eager with her thanks and assurances of happiness. She had spent six weeks with great enjoyment; and the pleasure of being with Charlotte, and the kind attentions she had received, must make her feel the obliged. Mr. Collins was gratified, and with a more smiling solemnity replied:
“It gives me great pleasure to hear that you have passed your time not disagreeably. We have certainly done our best. You may, in fact, carry a very favourable report of us into Hertfordshire, my dear cousin.”
Elizabeth could safely say that it was a great happiness to meet them here. Poor Charlotte! it was melancholy to leave her to such society! But she had chosen it with her eyes open; and she did not seem to ask for compassion. Her home and her housekeeping, her parish and her poultry, and all their dependent concerns, had not yet lost their charms.
At length the chaise arrived, the trunks were fastened on, the parcels placed within, and it was pronounced to be ready.
“Good gracious!” cried Maria, after a few minutes’ silence, “it seems but a day or two since we first came! and yet how many things have happened!”
“A great many indeed,” said her companion with a sigh.
“We have dined nine times at Rosings, besides drinking tea there twice! How much I shall have to tell!”
Elizabeth added privately, “And how much I shall have to conceal!”
Their journey was performed without much conversation; and within four hours of their leaving Hunsford they reached Mr. Gardiner’s house, where they were to remain a few days.
Jane looked well, and Elizabeth had little opportunity of studying her spirits. But Jane was to go home with her, and at Longbourn there would be time enough for observation.
After welcoming their sisters, Kitty and Lydia triumphantly displayed a table set out with cold meat, “Is not this nice? Is not this an agreeable surprise?”
“Look here, I have bought this bonnet.” added Lydia. “I do not think it is very pretty; but I decided to buy it anyway. I shall pull it to pieces as soon as I get home, and see if I can make it better. You know, the officers are going to leave Meryton in a fortnight.”
“Are they indeed!” cried Elizabeth, with the greatest satisfaction.
“They are going to Brighton; and I do so want papa to take us all there for the summer! It would be such a delicious plan; and I dare say would not cost anything at all. Only think what a miserable summer else we shall have!”
“Now I have got some news for you,” said Lydia, as they sat down at table. “What do you think? It is excellent news – capital news – and about a certain person we all like!”
Jane and Elizabeth looked at each other, and the waiter was told he need not stay. Lydia laughed, and said:
“You thought the waiter must not hear, as if he cared! I dare say he often hears worse things said than I am going to say. But he is an ugly fellow! I am glad he is gone. I never saw such a long chin in my life. Well, it is about dear Wickham. There is no danger of Wickham’s marrying Mary King. She is gone down to her uncle at Liverpool: gone to stay. Wickham is safe.”
“And Mary King is safe, too!” added Elizabeth.
“She is a great fool for going away, if she liked him.”
“But I hope there is no strong attachment on either side,” said Jane.
“I am glad I bought my bonnet,” cried Lydia. “And in the first place, let us hear what has happened to you all since you went away. Have you seen any pleasant men? Have you had any flirting? I was in great hopes that one of you would have got a husband before you came back. Jane will be an old maid soon, I declare. She is almost twenty-three!”
Mrs. Bennet rejoiced to see Jane; and more than once during dinner did Mr. Bennet say voluntarily to Elizabeth:
“I am glad you are come back, Lizzy.”
Their party in the dining-room was large, for almost all the Lucases came to meet Maria and hear the news. Lydia seldom listened to anybody for more than half a minute.
In the afternoon Lydia was urgent with the rest of the girls to walk to Meryton, and to see how everybody went on; but Elizabeth steadily opposed the plan. Miss Bennet dreaded seeing Mr. Wickham again, and was resolved to avoid it as long as possible.
Elizabeth’s impatience to acquaint Jane with what had happened could no longer be overcome; and she related to her the next morning the scene between Mr. Darcy and herself.
“His sureness of succeeding was wrong,” said she, “but consider how much it must increase his disappointment!”
“Indeed,” replied Elizabeth, “I am heartily sorry for him; but he has other feelings, which will probably soon drive away his regard for me. You do not blame me, however, for refusing him?”
“Blame you! Oh, no.”
“But you will know it, when I tell you what happened the very next day.”
She then spoke of the letter, repeating the whole of its contents. What a stroke was this for poor Jane! It was some time, however, before Jane could smile.
“I do not know when I was more shocked,” said she. “Wickham is so bad! Poor Mr. Darcy! Dear Lizzy, only consider what he must have suffered. Such a disappointment! And poor Wickham! there is such an expression of goodness in his countenance! such an openness and gentleness in his manner! Lizzy, when you first read that letter, I am sure you could not treat the matter as you do now.”
“Indeed, I could not. I was uncomfortable enough, I may say unhappy. And there was no Jane to comfort me! Oh! how I wanted you!”
Elizabeth became calm. She had got rid of two of the secrets which had troubled her for a long time. But she noticed that Jane was not happy. She still loved Bingley.
“Well, Lizzy,” said Mrs. Bennet one day, “what is your opinion now of this sad business of Jane’s? For my part, I am determined never to speak of it again to anybody. Well, he is a very undeserving young man. There is no talk of his coming to Netherfield again in the summer; and I have inquired of everybody, too, who is likely to know.”
“I do not believe he will ever live at Netherfield any more.”
“Oh well! it is just as he chooses. Nobody wants him to come.”
Elizabeth made no answer.
“Well, Lizzy,” continued her mother, soon afterwards, “and so the Collinses live very comfortable, do they? Well, well, I only hope it will last. And what sort of table do they keep? Charlotte is an excellent manager, I dare say. If she is half as sharp as her mother, she is saving enough. There is nothing extravagant in their housekeeping, I dare say.”
“No, nothing at all.”
“A great deal of good management. Yes, yes. They will take care not to outrun their income. They will never be distressed for money. And so, I suppose, they often talk of having Longbourn when your father is dead. I say, whenever that happens.”
“It was a subject which they could not mention before me.”
“I make no doubt they often talk of it between themselves.”
The first week was soon gone. The second began. It was the last of the regiment’s stay in Meryton, and all the young ladies in the neighbourhood were sad. The elder sisters alone were still able to eat, drink, and sleep, and pursue the usual course of their employments. Kitty and Lydia were weeping.
“Good Heaven! what is to become of us? What are we to do?” they often exclaimed. “How can you smile, Lizzy?”
“I am sure I shall break my heart,” said Lydia.
“If we could go to Brighton!” observed Mrs. Bennet.
“Oh, yes! – if we could go to Brighton! But papa is so disagreeable.”
Elizabeth tried to stay apart; but all sense of pleasure was lost in shame. But suddenly Lydia received an invitation from Mrs. Forster, the wife of the colonel of the regiment, to accompany her to Brighton. This friend was a very young woman, and very lately married. A resemblance in good humour and good spirits had recommended her and Lydia to each other.
The rapture of Lydia on this occasion, her adoration of Mrs. Forster, the delight of Mrs. Bennet, and the mortification of Kitty, are scarcely to be described. Lydia flew about the house in restless ecstasy, and laughing and talking with more violence than ever.
“I cannot see why Mrs. Forster should not ask me as well as Lydia,” said Kitty, “Though I am not her particular friend. I am two years older!”
In vain did Elizabeth attempt to make her reasonable. As for Elizabeth herself, this invitation was so far from exciting in her the same feelings as in her mother and Lydia. She said to Mr. Bennet:
“Our importance, my dear father, our respectability in the world must be affected by the Lydia’s wild volatility, by her character. Excuse me, for I must speak plainly. In this danger Kitty also is comprehended. She will follow wherever Lydia leads. Vain, ignorant, idle, and absolutely uncontrolled!”
Mr. Bennet, affectionately taking her hand, said in reply:
“Do not make yourself uneasy, my love. Wherever you and Jane are known you must be respected and valued. We shall have no peace at Longbourn if Lydia does not go to Brighton. Let her go, then. Colonel Forster is a sensible man, and will keep her out of any real mischief; and she is luckily too poor to be an object of prey to anybody. At Brighton the officers will find women better worth their notice.”
In Lydia’s imagination, a visit to Brighton was real earthly happiness. She saw herself the object of attention. She herself seated beneath a tent, tenderly flirting with at least six officers at once.
Elizabeth had to see Mr. Wickham for the last time. On the very last day of the regiment’s remaining at Meryton, he dined, with other of the officers, at Longbourn. She mentioned Colonel Fitzwilliam’s and Mr. Darcy’s staying at Rosings, and asked him, if he was acquainted with the former.
He looked surprised, displeased, alarmed; but with a smile, replied, that he had formerly seen him often; and, after observing that he was a very gentlemanlike man, asked her how she had liked him. Her answer was warmly in his favour. With an air of indifference he soon afterwards added:
“How long did you say he was at Rosings?”
“Nearly three weeks.”
“And you saw him frequently?”
“Yes, almost every day.”
“His manners are very different from his cousin’s.”
“Yes, very different. But I think Mr. Darcy improves.”
“Indeed!” cried Mr. Wickham with a look which did not escape her.
Elizabeth could not repress a smile at this. She saw that he wanted to engage her on the old subject of his grievances.
Lydia returned with Mrs. Forster to Meryton, from whence they were to set out early the next morning. The separation between her and her family was rather noisy than pathetic. Kitty was the only one who shed tears; but she did weep from vexation and envy.
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