Chapter 61
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 any thing 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 farther 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 every thing, 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 as 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. Your's, c." As it happened that Elizabeth had
much rather not, she endeavoured in her answer to put an end to
every intreaty 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 expences, 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;
her's 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 farther 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 staid 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 dropt 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 farther
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.