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1He was seriously concerned that a cause of so little advantage to anyone should be forwarded at the sole expense of his
2brother-in-law; and he was determined, if possible, to find out the extent of his assistance, and to discharge the
3obligation as soon as he could. When first Mr. Bennet had married, economy was held to be perfectly useless; for, of
4course, they were to have a son. This son was to join in cutting off the entail, as soon as he should be of age, and the
5widow and younger children would by that means be provided for. Five daughters successively entered the world, but yet
6the son was to come; and Mrs. Bennet, for many years after Lydia's birth, had been certain that he would. This event had
7at last been despaired of, but it was then too late to be saving. Mrs. Bennet had no turn for economy; and her husband's
8love of independence had alone prevented their exceeding their income. Five thousand pounds was settled by marriage
9articles on Mrs. Bennet and the children. But in what proportions it should be divided amongst the latter depended on
10the will of the parents. This was one point, with regard to Lydia at least, which was now to be settled, and Mr. Bennet
11could have no hesitation in acceding to the proposal before him. In terms of grateful acknowledgment for the kindness of
12his brother, though expressed most concisely, he then delivered on paper his perfect approbation of all that was done,
13and his willingness to fulfil the engagements that had been made for him. He had never before supposed that, could
14Wickham be prevailed on to marry his daughter, it would be done with so little inconvenience to himself as by the
15present arrangement. He would scarcely be ten pounds a year the loser, by the hundred that was to be paid them; for,
16what with her board and pocket allowance, and the continual presents in money which passed to her through her mother's
17hands, Lydia's expenses had been very little within that sum. That it would be done with such trifling exertion on his
18side, too, was another very welcome surprise; for his chief wish at present was to have as little trouble in the
19business as possible. When the first transports of rage which had produced his activity in seeking her were over, he
20naturally returned to all his former indolence. His letter was soon despatched; for though dilatory in undertaking
21business, he was quick in its execution. He begged to know further particulars of what he was indebted to his brother;
22but was too angry with Lydia to send any message to her. The good news quickly spread through the house; and with
23proportionate speed through the neighbourhood. It was borne in the latter with decent philosophy. To be sure, it would
24have been more for the advantage of conversation, had Miss Lydia Bennet come upon the town; or, as the happiest
25alternative, been secluded from the world in some distant farm-house. But there was much to be talked of, in marrying
26her; and the good-natured wishes for her well-doing, which had proceeded before from all the spiteful old ladies in
27Meryton, lost but little of their spirit in this change of circumstances, because with such a husband her misery was
28considered certain. It was a fortnight since Mrs. Bennet had been down stairs, but on this happy day she again took her
29seat at the head of her table, and in spirits oppressively high. No sentiment of shame gave a damp to her triumph. The
30marriage of a daughter, which had been the first object of her wishes since Jane was sixteen, was now on the point of
31accomplishment, and her thoughts and her words ran wholly on those attendants of elegant nuptials, fine muslins, new
32carriages, and servants. She was busily searching through the neighbourhood for a proper situation for her daughter;
33and, without knowing or considering what their income might be, rejected many as deficient in size and importance. "Haye
34Park might do," said she, "if the Gouldings would quit it, or the great house at Stoke, if the drawing-room were larger;
35but Ashworth is too far off. I could not bear to have her ten miles from me; and as for Purvis Lodge, the attics are
36dreadful." Her husband allowed her to talk on without interruption while the servants remained. But when they had
37withdrawn, he said to her, "Mrs. Bennet, before you take any, or all of these houses, for your son and daughter, let us
38come to a right understanding. Into one house in this neighbourhood they shall never have admittance. I will not
39encourage the imprudence of either, by receiving them at Longbourn." A long dispute followed this declaration; but Mr.
40Bennet was firm: it soon led to another; and Mrs. Bennet found, with amazement and horror, that her husband would not
41advance a guinea to buy clothes for his daughter. He protested that she should receive from him no mark of affection
42whatever on the occasion. Mrs. Bennet could hardly comprehend it. That his anger could be carried to such a point of
43inconceivable resentment as to refuse his daughter a privilege, without which her marriage would scarcely seem valid,
44exceeded all that she could believe possible. She was more alive to the disgrace, which her want of new clothes must
45reflect on her daughter's nuptials, than to any sense of shame at her eloping and living with Wickham a fortnight before
46they took place. Elizabeth was now most heartily sorry that she had, from the distress of the moment, been led to make
47Mr. Darcy acquainted with their fears for her sister; for since her marriage would so shortly give the proper
48termination to the elopement, they might hope to conceal its unfavourable beginning from all those who were not
49immediately on the spot. She had no fear of its spreading farther, through his means. There were few people on whose
50secrecy she would have more confidently depended; but at the same time there was no one whose knowledge of a sister's
51frailty would have mortified her so much. Not, however, from any fear of disadvantage from it individually to herself;
52for at any rate there seemed a gulf impassable between them. Had Lydia's marriage been concluded on the most honourable
53terms, it was not to be supposed that Mr. Darcy would connect himself with a family, where to every other objection
54would now be added an alliance and relationship of the nearest kind with the man whom he so justly scorned. From such a
55connection she could not wonder that he should shrink. The wish of procuring her regard, which she had assured herself
56of his feeling in Derbyshire, could not in rational expectation survive such a blow as this. She was humbled, she was
57grieved; she repented, though she hardly knew of what. She became jealous of his esteem, when she could no longer hope
58to be benefited by it. She wanted to hear of him, when there seemed the least chance of gaining intelligence. She was
59convinced that she could have been happy with him, when it was no longer likely they should meet. What a triumph for
60him, as she often thought, could he know that the proposals which she had proudly spurned only four months ago would now
61have been gladly and gratefully received! He was as generous, she doubted not, as the most generous of his sex. But
62while he was mortal, there must be a triumph. She began now to comprehend that he was exactly the man who, in
63disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered
64all her wishes. It was an union that must have been to the advantage of both: by her ease and liveliness, his mind might
65have been softened, his manners improved; and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have
66received benefit of greater importance. But no such happy marriage could now teach the admiring multitude what connubial
67felicity really was. An union of a different tendency, and precluding the possibility of the other, was soon to be
68formed in their family. How Wickham and Lydia were to be supported in tolerable independence she could not imagine. But
69how little of permanent happiness could belong to a couple who were only brought together because their passions were
70stronger than their virtue, she could easily conjecture. Mr. Gardiner soon wrote again to his brother. To Mr. Bennet's
71acknowledgments he briefly replied, with assurances of his eagerness to promote the welfare of any of his family; and
72concluded with entreaties that the subject might never be mentioned to him again. The principal purport of his letter
73was to inform them, that Mr. Wickham had resolved on quitting the militia.
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