“Take whatever you like,and get away.”
Elizabeth took the letter from his writg-table, and they went upstairs together. Mary and Kitty were both with Mrs. Bennet:one communication would,therefore,do for all.After a slight preparation for good news,the letter was read aloud.Mrs. Bennet could hardly conta herself.As soon as Jane had read Mr.Garder''s hope of Lydia''s beg soon married,her joy burst forth,and every followg sentence added to its exuberance.She was now an irritation as violent from delight,as she had ever been fidgety from alarm and vexation.To know that her daughter would be married was enough.She was disturbed by no fear for her felicity,nor humbled by any remembrance of her misconduct.
“My dear, dear Lydia!”she cried.“This is delightful deed! She will be married!I shall see her aga!She will be married at sixteen!My good,kd brother!I knew how it would be.I knew he would manage everythg!How I long to see her!and to see dear Wickham too!But the clothes,the weddg clothes! I will write to my sister Garder about them directly.Lizzy,my dear, run down to your father,and ask him how much he will give her. Stay,stay,I will go myself.Rg the bell,Kitty,for Hill.I will put on my thgs a moment.My dear,dear Lydia!How merry we shall be together when we meet!”
Her eldest daughter endeavoured to give some relief to the violence of these transports, by leadg her thoughts to the obligations which Mr.Garder''s behaviour laid them all under.
“For we must attribute this happy conclusion,”she added,“ a great measure to his kdness.We are persuaded that he has pledged himself to assist Mr.Wickham with money.”
“Well,”cried her mother,“it is all very right; who should do it but her own uncle? If he had not had a family of his own, I and my children must have had all his money,you know;and it is the first time we have ever had anythg from him, except a few presents.Well!I am so happy!In a short time I shall have a daughter married.Mrs.Wickham!How well it sounds!And she was only sixteen last June.My dear Jane,I am such a flutter, that I am sure I can''t write;so I will dictate,and you write for me. We will settle with your father about the money afterwards;but the thgs should be ordered immediately.”
She was then proceedg to all the particulars of calico,musl, and cambric,and would shortly have dictated some very plentiful orders, had not Jane, though with some difficulty, persuaded her to wait till her father was at leisure to be consulted. One day''s delay,she observed,would be of small importance;and her mother was too happy to be quite so obstate as usual. Other schemes,too,came to her head.
“I will go to Meryton,”said she,“as soon as I am dressed,and tell the good,good news to my sister Philips.And as I come back, I can call on Lady Lucas and Mrs. Long. Kitty, run down and order the carriage.An airg would do me a great deal of good,I am sure.Girls,can I do anythg for you Meryton?Oh!Here comes Hill! My dear Hill, have you heard the good news? Miss Lydia is gog to be married; and you shall all have a bowl of punch to make merry at her weddg.”
Mrs.Hill began stantly to express her joy.Elizabeth received her congratulations amongst the rest,and then,sick of this folly, took refuge her own room,that she might thk with freedom.
Poor Lydia''s situation must, at best, be bad enough; but that it was no worse,she had need to be thankful.She felt it so;and though, lookg forward,neither rational happess nor worldly prosperity could be justly expected for her sister, lookg back to what they had feared,only two hours ago,she felt all the advantages of what they had gaed.
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