Chapter 53

by Jane Austen

　　Mr. Wickham was so perfectly satisfied with this conversationthat he never again distressed himself, or provoked his dearsister Elizabeth, by introducing the subject of it; and she waspleased to find that she had said enough to keep him quiet.The day of his and Lydia's departure soon came, and Mrs. Bennetwas forced to submit to a separation, which, as her husband byno means entered into her scheme of their all going toNewcastle, was likely to continue at least a twelvemonth."Oh! my dear Lydia," she cried, "when shall we meet again?""Oh, lord! I don't know. Not these two or three years,perhaps.""Write to me very often, my dear.""As often as I can. But you know married women have never muchtime for writing. My sisters may write to me. They willhave nothing else to do."Mr. Wickham's adieus were much more affectionate than hiswife's. He smiled, looked handsome, and said many prettythings."He is as fine a fellow," said Mr. Bennet, as soon as they wereout of the house, "as ever I saw. He simpers, and smirks, andmakes love to us all. I am prodigiously proud of him. I defyeven Sir William Lucas himself to produce a more valuableson-in-law."The loss of her daughter made Mrs. Bennet very dull forseveral days."I often think," said she, "that there is nothing so bad asparting with one's friends. One seems so forlorn withoutthem.""This is the consequence, you see, Madam, of marryinga daughter," said Elizabeth. "It must make you bettersatisfied that your other four are single.""It is no such thing. Lydia does not leave me because she ismarried, but only because her husband's regiment happens to beso far off. If that had been nearer, she would not have goneso soon."But the spiritless condition which this event threw her intowas shortly relieved, and her mind opened again to theagitation of hope, by an article of news which then began to bein circulation. The housekeeper at Netherfield had receivedorders to prepare for the arrival of her master, who was comingdown in a day or two, to shoot there for several weeks.Mrs. Bennet was quite in the fidgets. She looked at Jane, andsmiled and shook her head by turns."Well, well, and so Mr. Bingley is coming down, sister,"(for Mrs. Phillips first brought her the news). "Well, somuch the better. Not that I care about it, though. He isnothing to us, you know, and I am sure I never want tosee him again. But, however, he is very welcome to come toNetherfield, if he likes it. And who knows what mayhappen? But that is nothing to us. You know, sister, weagreed long ago never to mention a word about it. And so,is it quite certain he is coming?""You may depend on it," replied the other, "for Mrs. Nichollswas in Meryton last night; I saw her passing by, and went outmyself on purpose to know the truth of it; and she told me thatit was certain true. He comes down on Thursday at the latest,very likely on Wednesday. She was going to the butcher's, shetold me, on purpose to order in some meat on Wednesday, and shehas got three couple of ducks just fit to be killed."Miss Bennet had not been able to hear of his coming withoutchanging colour. It was many months since she had mentionedhis name to Elizabeth; but now, as soon as they were alonetogether, she said,"I saw you look at me to-day, Lizzy, when my aunt told us ofthe present report; and I know I appeared distressed. Butdon't imagine it was from any silly cause. I was only confusedfor the moment, because I felt that I should be looked at.I do assure you that the news does not affect me either withpleasure or pain. I am glad of one thing, that he comes alone;because we shall see the less of him. Not that I am afraid ofmyself, but I dread other people's remarks."Elizabeth did not know what to make of it. Had she not seenhim in Derbyshire, she might have supposed him capable ofcoming there with no other view than what was acknowledged; butshe still thought him partial to Jane, and she wavered as tothe greater probability of his coming there with his friend'spermission, or being bold enough to come without it."Yet it is hard," she sometimes thought, "that this poor mancannot come to a house which he has legally hired, withoutraising all this speculation! I will leave him to himself."In spite of what her sister declared, and really believed to beher feelings in the expectation of his arrival, Elizabeth couldeasily perceive that her spirits were affected by it. Theywere more disturbed, more unequal, than she had often seenthem.The subject which had been so warmly canvassed between theirparents, about a twelvemonth ago, was now brought forwardagain."As soon as ever Mr. Bingley comes, my dear," said Mrs. Bennet,"you will wait on him of course.""No, no. You forced me into visiting him last year, andpromised, if I went to see him, he should marry one of mydaughters. But it ended in nothing, and I will not be sent ona fool's errand again."His wife represented to him how absolutely necessary such anattention would be from all the neighbouring gentlemen, on hisreturning to Netherfield."'Tis an etiquette I despise," said he. "If he wants oursociety, let him seek it. He knows where we live. I will notspend my hours in running after my neighbours every time theygo away and come back again.""Well, all I know is, that it will be abominably rude if you donot wait on him. But, however, that shan't prevent my askinghim to dine here, I am determined. We must have Mrs. Long andthe Gouldings soon. That will make thirteen with ourselves, sothere will be just room at table for him."Consoled by this resolution, she was the better able to bearher husband's incivility; though it was very mortifying to knowthat her neighbours might all see Mr. Bingley, in consequenceof it, before they did. As the day of his arrival drew near,"I begin to be sorry that he comes at all," said Jane to hersister. "It would be nothing; I could see him with perfectindifference, but I can hardly bear to hear it thus perpetuallytalked of. My mother means well; but she does not know, no onecan know, how much I suffer from what she says. Happy shall Ibe, when his stay at Netherfield is over!""I wish I could say any thing to comfort you," repliedElizabeth; "but it is wholly out of my power. You must feelit; and the usual satisfaction of preaching patience to asufferer is denied me, because you have always so much."Mr. Bingley arrived. Mrs. Bennet, through the assistance ofservants, contrived to have the earliest tidings of it, thatthe period of anxiety and fretfulness on her side might be aslong as it could. She counted the days that must intervenebefore their invitation could be sent; hopeless of seeing himbefore. But on the third morning after his arrival inHertfordshire, she saw him, from her dressing-room window,enter the paddock and ride towards the house.Her daughters were eagerly called to partake of her joy. Janeresolutely kept her place at the table; but Elizabeth, tosatisfy her mother, went to the window -- she looked, -- shesaw Mr. Darcy with him, and sat down again by her sister."There is a gentleman with him, mamma," said Kitty; "who can itbe?""Some acquaintance or other, my dear, I suppose; I am sure Ido not know.""La!" replied Kitty, "it looks just like that man that used tobe with him before. Mr. what's-his-name. That tall, proudman.""Good gracious! Mr. Darcy! -- and so it does, I vow. Well,any friend of Mr. Bingley's will always be welcome here, to besure; but else I must say that I hate the very sight of him."Jane looked at Elizabeth with surprise and concern. She knewbut little of their meeting in Derbyshire, and therefore feltfor the awkwardness which must attend her sister, in seeing himalmost for the first time after receiving his explanatoryletter. Both sisters were uncomfortable enough. Each felt forthe other, and of course for themselves; and their mothertalked on, of her dislike of Mr. Darcy, and her resolution tobe civil to him only as Mr. Bingley's friend, without beingheard by either of them. But Elizabeth had sources ofuneasiness which could not be suspected by Jane, to whom shehad never yet had courage to shew Mrs. Gardiner's letter, or torelate her own change of sentiment towards him. To Jane, hecould be only a man whose proposals she had refused, and whosemerit she had undervalued; but to her own more extensiveinformation, he was the person to whom the whole family wereindebted for the first of benefits, and whom she regardedherself with an interest, if not quite so tender, at least asreasonable and just as what Jane felt for Bingley. Herastonishment at his coming -- at his coming to Netherfield, toLongbourn, and voluntarily seeking her again, was almost equalto what she had known on first witnessing his altered behaviourin Derbyshire.The colour which had been driven from her face, returned forhalf a minute with an additional glow, and a smile of delightadded lustre to her eyes, as she thought for that space of timethat his affection and wishes must still be unshaken. But shewould not be secure."Let me first see how he behaves," said she; "it will then beearly enough for expectation."She sat intently at work, striving to be composed, and withoutdaring to lift up her eyes, till anxious curiosity carried themto the face of her sister as the servant was approaching thedoor. Jane looked a little paler than usual, but more sedatethan Elizabeth had expected. On the gentlemen's appearing, hercolour increased; yet she received them with tolerable ease,and with a propriety of behaviour equally free from any symptomof resentment or any unnecessary complaisance.Elizabeth said as little to either as civility would allow, andsat down again to her work, with an eagerness which it did notoften command. She had ventured only one glance at Darcy. Helooked serious, as usual; and, she thought, more as he had beenused to look in Hertfordshire, than as she had seen him atPemberley. But, perhaps he could not in her mother's presencebe what he was before her uncle and aunt. It was a painful,but not an improbable, conjecture.Bingley, she had likewise seen for an instant, and in thatshort period saw him looking both pleased and embarrassed. Hewas received by Mrs. Bennet with a degree of civility whichmade her two daughters ashamed, especially when contrasted withthe cold and ceremonious politeness of her curtsey and addressto his friend.Elizabeth, particularly, who knew that her mother owed to thelatter the preservation of her favourite daughter fromirremediable infamy, was hurt and distressed to a most painfuldegree by a distinction so ill applied.Darcy, after enquiring of her how Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner did, aquestion which she could not answer without confusion, saidscarcely any thing. He was not seated by her; perhaps that wasthe reason of his silence; but it had not been so inDerbyshire. There he had talked to her friends, when he couldnot to herself. But now several minutes elapsed withoutbringing the sound of his voice; and when occasionally, unableto resist the impulse of curiosity, she raised he eyes to hisface, she as often found him looking at Jane as at herself, andfrequently on no object but the ground. More thoughtfulnessand less anxiety to please, than when they last met, wereplainly expressed. She was disappointed, and angry withherself for being so."Could I expect it to be otherwise!" said she. "Yet why didhe come?"She was in no humour for conversation with any one but himself;and to him she had hardly courage to speak.She enquired after his sister, but could do no more."It is a long time, Mr. Bingley, since you went away," said Mrs. Bennet.He readily agreed to it.He readily agreed to it. "I began to be afraid you would never come backagain. People did say you meant to quit the place entirely at Michaelmas;but, however, I hope it is not true. A great many changes havehappened in the neighbourhood, since you went away. Miss Lucasis married and settled. And one of my own daughters.I suppose you have heard of it; indeed, you must have seenit in the papers. It was in The Times and The Courier, Iknow; though it was not put in as it ought to be. It was onlysaid, ``Lately, George Wickham, Esq. to Miss Lydia Bennet,''without there being a syllable said of her father, or the placewhere she lived, or any thing. It was my brother Gardiner'sdrawing up too, and I wonder how he came to make such anawkward business of it. Did you see it?"Bingley replied that he did, and made his congratulations.Elizabeth dared not lift up her eyes. How Mr. Darcy looked,therefore, she could not tell."It is a delightful thing, to be sure, to have a daughterwell married," continued her mother, "but at the same time,Mr. Bingley, it is very hard to have her taken such a way fromme. They are gone down to Newcastle, a place quite northward,it seems, and there they are to stay I do not know how long.His regiment is there; for I suppose you have heard of hisleaving the ----shire, and of his being gone into the regulars.Thank Heaven! he has some friends, though perhaps not somany as he deserves."Elizabeth, who knew this to be levelled at Mr. Darcy, wasin such misery of shame, that she could hardly keep her seat.It drew from her, however, the exertion of speaking, whichnothing else had so effectually done before; and she askedBingley whether he meant to make any stay in the country atpresent. A few weeks, he believed."When you have killed all your own birds, Mr. Bingley,"said her mother, "I beg you will come here, and shoot asmany as you please on Mr. Bennet's manor. I am sure hewill be vastly happy to oblige you, and will save all thebest of the covies for you."Elizabeth's misery increased, at such unnecessary, suchofficious attention! Were the same fair prospect to arise atpresent as had flattered them a year ago, every thing, she waspersuaded, would be hastening to the same vexatious conclusion.At that instant, she felt that years of happiness could notmake Jane or herself amends for moments of such painfulconfusion."The first wish of my heart," said she to herself, "is nevermore to be in company with either of them. Their society canafford no pleasure that will atone for such wretchedness asthis! Let me never see either one or the other again!"Yet the misery, for which years of happiness were to offer nocompensation, received soon afterwards material relief, fromobserving how much the beauty of her sister re-kindled theadmiration of her former lover. When first he came in, he hadspoken to her but little; but every five minutes seemed to begiving her more of his attention. He found her as handsome asshe had been last year; as good natured, and as unaffected,though not quite so chatty. Jane was anxious that nodifference should be perceived in her at all, and was reallypersuaded that she talked as much as ever. But her mind wasso busily engaged, that she did not always know when she wassilent.When the gentlemen rose to go away, Mrs. Bennet was mindful ofher intended civility, and they were invited and engaged todine at Longbourn in a few days time."You are quite a visit in my debt, Mr. Bingley," she added,"for when you went to town last winter, you promised to takea family dinner with us, as soon as you returned. I have notforgot, you see; and I assure you, I was very much disappointedthat you did not come back and keep your engagement."Bingley looked a little silly at this reflection, and saidsomething of his concern at having been prevented by business.They then went away.Mrs. Bennet had been strongly inclined to ask them to stay anddine there that day; but, though she always kept a very goodtable, she did not think any thing less than two courses couldbe good enough for a man on whom she had such anxious designs,or satisfy the appetite and pride of one who had ten thousand ayear.