CHAPTER LXI.

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Happy for all her maternal feelings was the day on which Mrs. Bennet got

rid of her two most deserving daughters. With what delighted pride she

afterwards visited Mrs. Bingley, and talked of Mrs. Darcy, may be

guessed. I wish I could say, for the sake of her family, that the

accomplishment of her earnest desire in the establishment of so many of

her children produced so happy an effect as to make her a sensible,

amiable, well-informed woman for the rest of her life; though, perhaps,

it was lucky for her husband, who might not have relished domestic

felicity in so unusual a form, that she still was occasionally nervous

and invariably silly.

Mr. Bennet missed his second daughter exceedingly; his affection for her

drew him oftener from home than anything else could do. He delighted in

going to Pemberley, especially when he was least expected.

Mr. Bingley and Jane remained at Netherfield only a twelvemonth. So near

a vicinity to her mother and Meryton relations was not desirable even to

_his_ easy temper, or _her_ affectionate heart. The darling wish of his

sisters was then gratified: he bought an estate in a neighbouring county

to Derbyshire; and Jane and Elizabeth, in addition to every other source

of happiness, were within thirty miles of each other.

Kitty, to her very material advantage, spent the chief of her time with

her two elder sisters. In society so superior to what she had generally

known, her improvement was great. She was not of so ungovernable a

temper as Lydia; and, removed from the influence of Lydia’s example, she

became, by proper attention and management, less irritable, less

ignorant, and less insipid. From the further disadvantage of Lydia’s

society she was of course carefully kept; and though Mrs. Wickham

frequently invited her to come and stay with her, with the promise of

balls and young men, her father would never consent to her going.

Mary was the only daughter who remained at home; and she was necessarily

drawn from the pursuit of accomplishments by Mrs. Bennet’s being quite

unable to sit alone. Mary was obliged to mix more with the world, but

she could still moralize over every morning visit; and as she was no

longer mortified by comparisons between her sisters’ beauty and her own,

it was suspected by her father that she submitted to the change without

much reluctance.

As for Wickham and Lydia, their characters suffered no revolution from

the marriage of her sisters. He bore with philosophy the conviction that

Elizabeth must now become acquainted with whatever of his ingratitude

and falsehood had before been unknown to her; and, in spite of

everything, was not wholly without hope that Darcy might yet be

prevailed on to make his fortune. The congratulatory letter which

Elizabeth received from Lydia on her marriage explained to her that, by

his wife at least, if not by himself, such a hope was cherished. The

letter was to this effect:--

/* “My dear Lizzy, */

“I wish you joy. If you love Mr. Darcy half so well as I do my dear

Wickham, you must be very happy. It is a great comfort to have you

so rich; and when you have nothing else to do, I hope you will

think of us. I am sure Wickham would like a place at court very

much; and I do not think we shall have quite money enough to live

upon without some help. Any place would do of about three or four

hundred a year; but, however, do not speak to Mr. Darcy about it,

if you had rather not.

“Yours,” etc.

As it happened that Elizabeth had much rather not, she endeavoured in

her answer to put an end to every entreaty and expectation of the kind.

Such relief, however, as it was in her power to afford, by the practice

of what might be called economy in her own private expenses, she

frequently sent them. It had always been evident to her that such an

income as theirs, under the direction of two persons so extravagant in

their wants, and heedless of the future, must be very insufficient to

their support; and whenever they changed their quarters, either Jane or

herself were sure of being applied to for some little assistance towards

discharging their bills. Their manner of living, even when the

restoration of peace dismissed them to a home, was unsettled in the

extreme. They were always moving from place to place in quest of a

cheap situation, and always spending more than they ought. His affection

for her soon sunk into indifference: hers lasted a little longer; and,

in spite of her youth and her manners, she retained all the claims to

reputation which her marriage had given her. Though Darcy could never

receive _him_ at Pemberley, yet, for Elizabeth’s sake, he assisted him

further in his profession. Lydia was occasionally a visitor there, when

her husband was gone to enjoy himself in London or Bath; and with the

Bingleys they both of them frequently stayed so long, that even

Bingley’s good-humour was overcome, and he proceeded so far as to _talk_

of giving them a hint to be gone.

Miss Bingley was very deeply mortified by Darcy’s marriage; but as she

thought it advisable to retain the right of visiting at Pemberley, she

dropped all her resentment; was fonder than ever of Georgiana, almost as

attentive to Darcy as heretofore, and paid off every arrear of civility

to Elizabeth.

Pemberley was now Georgiana’s home; and the attachment of the sisters

was exactly what Darcy had hoped to see. They were able to love each

other, even as well as they intended. Georgiana had the highest opinion

in the world of Elizabeth; though at first she often listened with an

astonishment bordering on alarm at her lively, sportive manner of

talking to her brother. He, who had always inspired in herself a respect

which almost overcame her affection, she now saw the object of open

pleasantry. Her mind received knowledge which had never before fallen in

her way. By Elizabeth’s instructions she began to comprehend that a

woman may take liberties with her husband, which a brother will not

always allow in a sister more than ten years younger than himself.

Lady Catherine was extremely indignant on the marriage of her nephew;

and as she gave way to all the genuine frankness of her character, in

her reply to the letter which announced its arrangement, she sent him

language so very abusive, especially of Elizabeth, that for some time

all intercourse was at an end. But at length, by Elizabeth’s persuasion,

he was prevailed on to overlook the offence, and seek a reconciliation;

and, after a little further resistance on the part of his aunt, her

resentment gave way, either to her affection for him, or her curiosity

to see how his wife conducted herself; and she condescended to wait on

them at Pemberley, in spite of that pollution which its woods had

received, not merely from the presence of such a mistress, but the

visits of her uncle and aunt from the city.

With the Gardiners they were always on the most intimate terms. Darcy,

as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were both ever

sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing

her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them.

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