TwodaysafterMr. Bennet's return, asJaneandElizabethwerewalkingtogetherintheshrubberybehindthehouse, theysawthehousekeepercomingtowardsthem, and, concludingthatshecametocallthemtotheirmother, wentforwardtomeether; but, insteadoftheexpectedsummons, whentheyapproachedher, shesaidtoMissBennet, "I begyourpardon, madam, forinterruptingyou, but I wasinhopesyoumighthavegotsomegoodnewsfromtown, so I tookthelibertyofcomingtoask."
"Readitaloud," saidtheirfather, "for I hardlyknowmyselfwhatitisabout."
13
"GracechurchStreet, Monday, August 2.
14
"MYDEARBROTHER,
15
"Atlast I amabletosendyousometidingsofmyniece, andsuchas, uponthewhole, I hopeitwillgiveyousatisfaction. SoonafteryouleftmeonSaturday, I wasfortunateenoughtofindoutinwhatpartofLondontheywere. Theparticulars I reservetillwemeet; itisenoughtoknowtheyarediscovered. I haveseenthemboth—"
16
"Thenitisas I alwayshoped," criedJane; "theyaremarried!"
17
Elizabethreadon:
18
"I haveseenthemboth. Theyarenotmarried, norcan I findtherewasanyintentionofbeingso; butifyouarewillingtoperformtheengagementswhich I haveventuredtomakeonyourside, I hopeitwillnotbelongbeforetheyare. Allthatisrequiredofyouis, toassuretoyourdaughter, bysettlement, herequalshareofthefivethousandpoundssecuredamongyourchildrenafterthedeceaseofyourselfandmysister; and, moreover, toenterintoanengagementofallowingher, duringyourlife, onehundredpoundsperannum. Theseareconditionswhich, consideringeverything, I hadnohesitationincomplyingwith, asfaras I thoughtmyselfprivileged, foryou. I shallsendthisbyexpress, thatnotimemaybelostinbringingmeyouranswer. Youwilleasilycomprehend, fromtheseparticulars, thatMr. Wickham's circumstancesarenotsohopelessastheyaregenerallybelievedtobe. Theworldhasbeendeceivedinthatrespect; and I amhappytosaytherewillbesomelittlemoney, evenwhenallhisdebtsaredischarged, tosettleonmyniece, inadditiontoherownfortune. If, as I concludewillbethecase, yousendmefullpowerstoactinyournamethroughoutthewholeofthisbusiness, I willimmediatelygivedirectionstoHaggerstonforpreparing a propersettlement. Therewillnotbethesmallestoccasionforyourcomingtotownagain; thereforestayquietatLongbourn, anddependonmydiligenceandcare. Sendbackyouranswerasfastasyoucan, andbecarefultowriteexplicitly. Wehavejudgeditbestthatmynieceshouldbemarriedfromthishouse, ofwhich I hopeyouwillapprove. Shecomestousto-day. I shallwriteagainassoonasanythingmoreisdeterminedon. Yours, etc.,
"I mean, thatnomaninhissenseswouldmarryLydiaonsoslight a temptationasonehundred a yearduringmylife, andfiftyafter I amgone."
35
"Thatisverytrue," saidElizabeth; "thoughithadnotoccurredtomebefore. Hisdebtstobedischarged, andsomethingstilltoremain! Oh! itmustbemyuncle's doings! Generous, goodman, I amafraidhehasdistressedhimself. A smallsumcouldnotdoallthis."
36
"No," saidherfather; "Wickham's a foolifhetakesherwith a farthinglessthantenthousandpounds. I shouldbesorrytothinksoillofhim, intheverybeginningofourrelationship."
37
"Tenthousandpounds! Heavenforbid! Howishalfsuch a sumtoberepaid?"
38
Mr. Bennetmadenoanswer, andeachofthem, deepinthought, continuedsilenttilltheyreachedthehouse. Theirfatherthenwentontothelibrarytowrite, andthegirlswalkedintothebreakfast-room.
"I comfortmyselfwiththinking," repliedJane, "thathecertainlywouldnotmarryLydiaifhehadnot a realregardforher. Thoughourkindunclehasdonesomethingtowardsclearinghim, I cannotbelievethattenthousandpounds, oranythinglikeit, hasbeenadvanced. Hehaschildrenofhisown, andmayhavemore. Howcouldhesparehalftenthousandpounds?"
41
"IfhewereeverabletolearnwhatWickham's debtshavebeen," saidElizabeth, "andhowmuchissettledonhissideonoursister, weshallexactlyknowwhatMr. Gardinerhasdoneforthem, becauseWickhamhasnotsixpenceofhisown. Thekindnessofmyuncleandauntcanneverberequited. Theirtakingherhome, andaffordinghertheirpersonalprotectionandcountenance, issuch a sacrificetoheradvantageasyearsofgratitudecannotenoughacknowledge. Bythistimesheisactuallywiththem! Ifsuchgoodnessdoesnotmakehermiserablenow, shewillneverdeservetobehappy! What a meetingforher, whenshefirstseesmyaunt!"
42
"Wemustendeavourtoforgetallthathaspassedoneitherside," saidJane: "I hopeandtrusttheywillyetbehappy. Hisconsentingtomarryheris a proof, I willbelieve, thatheiscometo a rightwayofthinking. Theirmutualaffectionwillsteadythem; and I flattermyselftheywillsettlesoquietly, andliveinsorational a manner, asmayintimemaketheirpastimprudenceforgotten."
43
"Theirconducthasbeensuch," repliedElizabeth, "asneitheryou, nor I, noranybodycaneverforget. Itisuselesstotalkofit."
"Mydear, dearLydia!" shecried. "Thisisdelightfulindeed! Shewillbemarried! I shallseeheragain! Shewillbemarriedatsixteen! Mygood, kindbrother! I knewhowitwouldbe. I knewhewouldmanageeverything! How I longtoseeher! andtoseedearWickhamtoo! Buttheclothes, theweddingclothes! I willwritetomysisterGardineraboutthemdirectly. Lizzy, mydear, rundowntoyourfather, andaskhimhowmuchhewillgiveher. Stay, stay, I willgomyself. Ringthebell, Kitty, forHill. I willputonmythingsin a moment. Mydear, dearLydia! Howmerryweshallbetogetherwhenwemeet!"
"Forwemustattributethishappyconclusion," sheadded, "in a greatmeasuretohiskindness. WearepersuadedthathehaspledgedhimselftoassistMr. Wickhamwithmoney."
52
"Well," criedhermother, "itisallveryright; whoshoulddoitbutherownuncle? Ifhehadnothad a familyofhisown, I andmychildrenmusthavehadallhismoney, youknow; anditisthefirsttimewehaveeverhadanythingfromhim, except a fewpresents. Well! I amsohappy! In a shorttime I shallhave a daughtermarried. Mrs. Wickham! Howwellitsounds! AndshewasonlysixteenlastJune. MydearJane, I aminsuch a flutter, that I amsure I can't write; so I willdictate, andyouwriteforme. Wewillsettlewithyourfatheraboutthemoneyafterwards; butthethingsshouldbeorderedimmediately."
"I willgotoMeryton," saidshe, "assoonas I amdressed, andtellthegood, goodnewstomysisterPhilips. Andas I comeback, I cancallonLadyLucasandMrs. Long. Kitty, rundownandorderthecarriage. Anairingwoulddome a greatdealofgood, I amsure. Girls, can I doanythingforyouinMeryton? Oh! HerecomesHill! MydearHill, haveyouheardthegoodnews? MissLydiaisgoingtobemarried; andyoushallallhave a bowlofpunchtomakemerryatherwedding."