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Instead of spending his whole income, Mr. Bennet had laid by an annual sum for the better provision of his children, and of his wife, if she survived him. Now he wanted to discharge the obligation as soon as he could.
When first Mr. Bennet had married, economy was useless, for, of course, they hoped to have a son. Five daughters successively entered the world, but no arrived.
Mr. Bennet had never before supposed that, Wickham could marry his daughter.
The good news spread quickly through the house. It was a fortnight since Mrs. Bennet had been downstairs; but on this happy day she again took her seat at the head of her table. But Mrs. Bennet found, with amazement and horror, that her husband would not give a guinea to buy clothes for his daughter.
Elizabeth was now most heartily sorry that she had told Mr. Darcy about her sister. She began now to comprehend that he was exactly the man who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her.
Mr. Gardiner soon wrote again to his brother. The principal purport of his letter was to inform him that Mr. Wickham decided to quit the place and go to the North.
Mr. Bennet and his daughters saw all the advantages of Wickham’s removal. Jane and Elizabeth wanted to see the couple at Longbourn, as soon as they were married. And their mother was satisfied that she would be able to show her married daughter in the neighbourhood before she was banished to the North. When Mr. Bennet wrote again to his brother, therefore, he sent his permission for them to come; and it was settled, that as soon as the ceremony was over, they should proceed to Longbourn.
They came. The family were assembled in the breakfast room to receive them. Smiles decked the face of Mrs. Bennet as the carriage drove up to the door; her husband looked impenetrably grave; her daughters, alarmed, anxious, uneasy.
Lydia’s voice was heard in the vestibule; she ran into the room. Her mother stepped forwards, embraced her, and gave her hand, with an affectionate smile, to Wickham, who followed his lady; and wished them both joy and love.
Their reception from Mr. Bennet was not so cordial. He scarcely opened his lips. Elizabeth was disgusted, and even Miss Bennet was shocked. Lydia was Lydia still; untamed, unabashed, wild, noisy, and fearless. She turned from sister to sister, demanding their congratulations; and when they all sat down, looked eagerly round the room with a laugh.
The bride and her mother began to talk to each other. Wickham, who sat near Elizabeth, began inquiring after his acquaintance in that neighbourhood. They seemed each of them to have the happiest memories in the world. Nothing of the past was recollected with pain.
“Only think of three months,” cried Lydia, “since I went away; and yet so many things happened.”
Her father lifted up his eyes. Jane was distressed. Elizabeth looked expressively at Lydia; but she, who never heard nor saw anything, gaily continued, “Oh! mamma, do the people here know I am married today? I was afraid they might not.”
Elizabeth could not hear it longer. She got up, and ran out of the room. Lydia wanted to see Mrs. Phillips, the Lucases, and all their other neighbours; she went after dinner to show her ring.
“Well, mamma,” said she, when they were all returned to the breakfast room, “and what do you think of my husband? Is not he a charming man? I am sure my sisters must all envy me. They must all go to Brighton. That is the place to get husbands. What a pity it is, mamma, we did not all go.”
“Very true.”
“You and papa, and my sisters, must come and see us. We shall be at Newcastle all the winter, and I dare say there will be some balls, and I will take care to get good partners for them all.”
“I thank you,” said Elizabeth; “but I do not like your way of getting husbands.”
Lydia was exceedingly fond of her husband. He was her dear Wickham; he did everything best in the world; and she was sure he would kill more birds on the first of September, than anybody else in the country.
One morning, soon after their arrival, as she was sitting with her two elder sisters, she said to Elizabeth:
“Lizzy, I never told you about my wedding. Are you not curious to hear?”
“Not really,” replied Elizabeth.
“You are so strange! But I must tell you. We were married, you know, at St. Clement’s. Well, Monday morning came, and I was in such a hurry! I was so afraid, you know, that something would happen to put it off. And there was my aunt, all the time I was dressing. Well, I was so frightened I did not know what to do, for my uncle went away. But, luckily, he came back again in ten minutes, and then Mr. Darcy was in time.”
“Mr. Darcy!” repeated Elizabeth, in utter amazement.
“Oh, yes! – he came there with Wickham, you know. But gracious me! I quite forgot! I must not say a word about it. I promised them so faithfully! What will Wickham say? It is a secret!”
“If it is a secret,” said Jane, “You may trust us, we will tell nobody.”
“Oh! certainly,” said Elizabeth, though burning with curiosity; “we will ask you no questions.”
“Thank you,” said Lydia, “for if you did, I should certainly tell you all, and then Wickham would be angry.”
Elizabeth stood up and left. Mr. Darcy had been at her sister’s wedding! But why? She took a sheet of paper and wrote a short letter to her aunt, to request an explanation of what Lydia had said.
The answer came very soon.
“Gracechurch street, Sept. 6.
“My dear niece,
“I have just received your letter, and shall devote this whole morning to answering it. I have to tell you something. I must say that your letter made me wonder; I did not expect it from you. I had not imagined such inquiries on your side.
On the very day of my coming home from Longbourn, your uncle had a most unexpected visitor. Mr. Darcy called, and was shut up with him several hours. It was all over before I arrived. He came to tell Mr. Gardiner that he had found out where your sister and Mr. Wickham were, and that he had seen and talked with them both; Wickham repeatedly, Lydia once. Mr. Darcy was sure that it was his fault that he did not tell the world who that Wickham was. He had been some days in town, before he was able to discover them.
So Mr. Darcy saw Wickham, and afterwards insisted on seeing Lydia. He was going to persuade her to quit her present disgraceful situation, and return to her friends, offering his assistance. But Lydia decided to remain where she was. She cared for none of her friends; she wanted no help of his; she would not hear of leaving Wickham. She was sure they should be married some time or other. In his very first conversation with Wickham, he easily learnt that Wickham did not want to marry Lydia at all. Mr. Darcy asked him why he had not married your sister. And he found, in reply to this question, that Wickham wanted to get some money by marriage in some other place. Do you understand?
They met several times, Wickham of course wanted more than he could get. Finally everything was settled between them. Mr. Darcy’s next step was to pay Wickham’s debts, I believe, more than a thousand pounds, another thousand was offered to Lydia.
Mr. Darcy, as Lydia informed you, attended the wedding. He dined with us the next day, and left us on Wednesday or Thursday. Will you be very angry with me, my dear Lizzy, if I say before how much I like him. His understanding and opinions all please me. I thought him very sly; – he hardly ever mentioned your name.
But I must write no more.
“Yours, very sincerely,
“M. Gardiner.”
The contents of this letter made Elizabeth silent. Mr. Darcy was doing so much for her family! He had found Lydia and Wickham, he bribed the man whom he always most wished to avoid. He had done all this for a girl whom he could neither regard nor esteem. Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her. She read over her aunt’s view of him again and again. It pleased her.
The day of Wickham and Lydia’s departure soon came.
“Oh! my dear Lydia,” cried Mrs. Bennet, “when shall we meet again?”
“Oh, lord! I don’t know. Not these two or three years, perhaps.”
“Write to me very often, my dear.”
“As often as I can. But you know married women have never much time for writing. My sisters may write to me. They will have nothing else to do.”
The life went on. The housekeeper at Netherfield had received orders to prepare for the arrival of her master, who was coming down in a day or two, to stay there for several weeks. Mrs. Bennet did not know what to do. She looked at Jane, and smiled and shook her head.
“Well, well, and so Mr. Bingley is coming, sister. Well, so much the better. Not that I care about it, though. He is nothing to us, you know, and I am sure I never want to see him again. But, however, he is very welcome to come to Netherfield, if he likes it. And who knows what may happen? But that is nothing to us. You know, sister, we agreed long ago never to mention a word about it. And so, is it quite certain he is coming?”
Elizabeth was sure Mr. Bingley was in love with Jane. In spite of what her sister declared, she felt that Jane still loves him, too.
Mr. Bingley arrived. But on the third morning after his arrival in Hertfordshire, she saw him, from her dressing-room window.
“There is a gentleman with him, mamma,” said Kitty; “who can it be?”
“I am sure I do not know,” answered her mother.
“Oh!” replied Kitty, “That tall, proud man.”
“Good gracious! Mr. Darcy!”
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