PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 51

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THEIR sister's wedding
day arrived; and Jane and Elizabeth felt for her probably more than she
felt for herself. The carriage was sent to meet them at ----, and they
were to return in it by dinner-time. Their arrival was dreaded by the
elder Miss Bennets, and Jane more especially, who gave Lydia the feelings
which would have attended herself, had she been the culprit, and was wretched
in the thought of what her sister must endure.

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; the door was thrown open,
  and she ran into the room. Her mother stepped forwards, embraced her,
  and welcomed her with rapture; gave her hand, with an affectionate smile,
  to Wickham, who followed his lady; and wished them both joy with an
  alacrity which shewed no doubt of their happiness.

Their reception from Mr. Bennet, to whom they then turned, was not
  quite so cordial. His countenance rather gained in austerity; and he
  scarcely opened his lips. The easy assurance of the young couple, indeed,
  was enough to provoke him. 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 at length they all sat down, looked eagerly round the room,
  took notice of some little alteration in it, and observed, with a laugh,
  that it was a great while since she had been there.

Wickham was not at all more distressed than herself, but his manners
  were always so pleasing, that had his character and his marriage been
  exactly what they ought, his smiles and his easy address, while he claimed
  their relationship, would have delighted them all. Elizabeth had not
  before believed him quite equal to such assurance; but she sat down,
  resolving within herself to draw no limits in future to the impudence
  of an impudent man. She blushed, and Jane blushed; but the cheeks of
  the two who caused their confusion suffered no variation of colour.

There was no want of discourse. The bride and her mother could neither
  of them talk fast enough; and Wickham, who happened to sit near Elizabeth,
  began enquiring after his acquaintance in that neighbourhood, with a
  good humoured ease which she felt very unable to equal in her replies.
  They seemed each of them to have the happiest memories in the world.
  Nothing of the past was recollected with pain; and Lydia led voluntarily
  to subjects which her sisters would not have alluded to for the world.

"Only think of its being three months," she cried, "since I went
  away; it seems but a fortnight I declare; and yet there have been things
  enough happened in the time. Good gracious! when I went away, I am sure
  I had no more idea of being married till I came back again! though I
  thought it would be very good fun if I was."

Her father lifted up his eyes. Jane was distressed. Elizabeth looked
  expressively at Lydia; but she, who never heard nor saw any thing of
  which she chose to be insensible, gaily continued, "Oh! mamma, do the
  people here abouts know I am married to-day? I was afraid they might
  not; and we overtook William Goulding in his curricle, so I was determined
  he should know it, and so I let down the side-glass next to him, and
  took off my glove, and let my hand just rest upon the window frame,
  so that he might see the ring, and then I bowed and smiled like any
  thing."

Elizabeth could bear it no longer. She got up, and ran out of the
  room; and returned no more, till she heard them passing through the
  hall to the dining parlour. She then joined them soon enough to see
  Lydia, with anxious parade, walk up to her mother's right hand, and
  hear her say to her eldest sister, "Ah! Jane, I take your place now,
  and you must go lower, because I am a married woman."

It was not to be supposed that time would give Lydia that embarrassment
  from which she had been so wholly free at first. Her ease and good spirits
  increased. She longed to see Mrs. Phillips, the Lucases, and all their
  other neighbours, and to hear herself called "Mrs. Wickham" by each
  of them; and in the mean time, she went after dinner to shew her ring,
  and boast of being married, to Mrs. Hill and the two housemaids.

"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. I only hope they may have half
  my good luck. 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; and if I had my will, we should. But my dear Lydia, I
  don't at all like your going such a way off. Must it be so?"

"Oh, lord! yes; -- there is nothing in that. I shall like it of all
  things. You and papa, and my sisters, must come down 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 should like it beyond any thing!" said her mother.

"And then when you go away, you may leave one or two of my sisters
  behind you; and I dare say I shall get husbands for them before the
  winter is over."

"I thank you for my share of the favour," said Elizabeth; "but
  I do not particularly like your way of getting husbands."

Their visitors were not to remain above ten days with them. Mr. Wickham
  had received his commission before he left London, and he was to join
  his regiment at the end of a fortnight.

No one but Mrs. Bennet regretted that their stay would be so short;
  and she made the most of the time by visiting about with her daughter,
  and having very frequent parties at home. These parties were acceptable
  to all; to avoid a family circle was even more desirable to such as
  did think, than such as did not.

Wickham's affection for Lydia was just what Elizabeth had expected
  to find it; not equal to Lydia's for him. She had scarcely needed her
  present observation to be satisfied, from the reason of things, that
  their elopement had been brought on by the strength of her love, rather
  than by his; and she would have wondered why, without violently caring
  for her, he chose to elope with her at all, had she not felt certain
  that his flight was rendered necessary by distress of circumstances;
  and if that were the case, he was not the young man to resist an opportunity
  of having a companion.

Lydia was exceedingly fond of him. He was her dear Wickham on every
  occasion; no one was to be put in competition with him. He did every
  thing best in the world; and she was sure he would kill more birds on
  the first of September, than any body 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 gave you an account of my wedding, I believe. You
  were not by, when I told mamma and the others all about it. Are not
  you curious to hear how it was managed?"

"No really," replied Elizabeth; "I think there cannot be too little
  said on the subject."

"La! You are so strange! But I must tell you how it went off. We
  were married, you know, at St. Clement's, because Wickham's lodgings
  were in that parish. And it was settled that we should all be there
  by eleven o'clock. My uncle and aunt and I were to go together; and
  the others were to meet us at the church. Well, Monday morning came,
  and I was in such a fuss! I was so afraid, you know, that something
  would happen to put it off, and then I should have gone quite distracted.
  And there was my aunt, all the time I was dressing, preaching and talking
  away just as if she was reading a sermon. However, I did not hear above
  one word in ten, for I was thinking, you may suppose, of my dear Wickham.
  I longed to know whether he would be married in his blue coat."

"Well, and so we breakfasted at ten as usual; I thought it would
  never be over; for, by the bye, you are to understand, that my uncle
  and aunt were horrid unpleasant all the time I was with them. If you'll
  believe me, I did not once put my foot out of doors, though I was there
  a fortnight. Not one party, or scheme, or any thing. To be sure London
  was rather thin, but, however, the Little Theatre was open. Well, and
  so just as the carriage came to the door, my uncle was called away upon
  business to that horrid man Mr. Stone. And then, you know, when once
  they get together, there is no end of it. Well, I was so frightened
  I did not know what to do, for my uncle was to give me away; and if
  we were beyond the hour, we could not be married all day. But, luckily,
  he came back again in ten minutes' time, and then we all set out. However,
  I recollected afterwards that if he had been prevented going, the wedding
  need not be put off, for Mr. Darcy might have done as well."

"Mr. Darcy!" repeated Elizabeth, in utter amazement.

"Oh, yes! -- he was to come there with Wickham, you know, But gracious
  me! I quite forgot! I ought not to have said a word about it. I promised
  them so faithfully! What will Wickham say? It was to be such a secret!"

"If it was to be secret," said Jane, "say not another word on the
  subject. You may depend upon my seeking no further."

"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."

On such encouragement to ask, Elizabeth was forced to put it out of
  her power, by running away.

But to live in ignorance on such a point was impossible; or at least
  it was impossible not to try for information. Mr. Darcy had been at
  her sister's wedding. It was exactly a scene, and exactly among people,
  where he had apparently least to do, and least temptation to go. Conjectures
  as to the meaning of it, rapid and wild, hurried into her brain; but
  she was satisfied with none. Those that best pleased her, as placing
  his conduct in the noblest light, seemed most improbable. She could
  not bear such suspense; and hastily seizing a sheet of paper, wrote
  a short letter to her aunt, to request an explanation of what Lydia
  had dropt, if it were compatible with the secrecy which had been intended.

"You may readily comprehend," she added, "what my curiosity must
  be to know how a person unconnected with any of us, and (comparatively
  speaking) a stranger to our family, should have been amongst you at
  such a time. Pray write instantly, and let me understand it -- unless
  it is, for very cogent reasons, to remain in the secrecy which Lydia
  seems to think necessary; and then I must endeavour to be satisfied
  with ignorance."

"Not that I shall, though," she added to herself, as she finished
  the letter; "and my dear aunt, if you do not tell me in an honourable
  manner, I shall certainly be reduced to tricks and stratagems to find
  it out."

Jane's delicate sense of honour would not allow her to speak to Elizabeth
  privately of what Lydia had let fall; Elizabeth was glad of it; -- till
  it appeared whether her inquiries would receive any satisfaction, she
  had rather be without a confidante.

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1. Ebooks list page : 81
2. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 53
3. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 37
4. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 36
5. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 35
6. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 31
7. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 30
8. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 34
9. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 29
10. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 27
11. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 28
12. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 26
13. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 38
14. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 39
15. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 52
16. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Chapter 50