Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 58

Two days after Mr. Bennet's return, Jane and Elizabeth were walking in the bushes behind the house, when they suddenly saw the housekeeper coming towards them, thinking that she had come to call them back to their mother, they asked She walked over; when she got to the housekeeper, she realized that something had happened. It turned out that she hadn't asked them to go back.She said to Jane: "Miss, please forgive me for interrupting your conversation, but I really want to know the good news you have from the city, so I venture to ask."

"What's the matter with you, Hill? I haven't heard anything from town."

"Well, my dear ladies," asked Hilf, startled, "don't you know that Mr. Gardiner has sent an express letter to the master? The man has been here more than half an hour, and the letter In the hands of the master."

The two sisters ran away, and were so anxious to get home that they didn't even have time to talk.From the hall they ran into the breakfast-room; from there to the study--but there was no sign of their father; and they were going upstairs to see if they were in their mother's room, when the cook told them:

"You are looking for the master, miss, who is going for a walk in the grove."

At this they ran out of the hall again, and across a meadow in pursuit of their father, who was walking thoughtfully towards the woods that bordered the paddock.

Jane, not so light as Elizabeth, nor as able to run as her sister, fell behind quickly, and saw her panting catch up with her father, crying anxiously:

"Oh, father, what kind of news has it come, is it from uncle?"

"Yes, I have a courier from him."

"Oh, what did the letter say? Good news or bad news?"

"Where do you get the good news?" he said, taking out a letter from his pocket. "Perhaps you want to read it."

Elizabeth hastily took the letter from her father.Jane also caught up at this time.

"Read it aloud," said their father, "I hardly understand it myself."

"Dear brother-in-law:

I can now at last tell you something about Lydia, which I hope will generally satisfy you.I had the good fortune to discover their London address not long after you left on Saturday.The specific details will tell you when we meet.It is enough now to know that they have been found, that I have seen them both—" "Then, as I hope," said Jane passionately, "they are married. "

Elizabeth went on to read:
"I have seen them both. They are not married, and I do not see them intending to do so; but I think they will be married before long, if you will fulfill the terms I have boldly negotiated for you. All that is required is to guarantee your youngest daughter her share of the £[-] inheritance after your and my sister's death; Pound sterling. These conditions I thought I could make for you, and I accepted them without hesitation. The reason why I send express mail is to get your answer as soon as possible. You will understand when you know these details, Wickham The situation is not as bad as it is supposed to be. The average person is deluded on this point; and I can happily say that even after paying off all his debts, there is still some money left in my niece's name (excluding her own property). If you will entrust me with full authority over the matter in your honor, as I have stated, I will at once send Haggerston to the proper formalities. There is no need for you to run into town ;stay at Longbourne with peace of mind, and trust my diligence and prudence. Return your opinion as soon as possible, and write it clearly. We think it is better for our niece to marry us, of course, we must ask you I agree. Lydia came to see us today. If there is anything else I will write to you as soon as possible. Goodbye.

Edward Gardiner
Written on Tian'en Temple Street on August 8"

"Is it possible!" cried Elizabeth, "is it possible that he will marry her?"

"Wickenham doesn't look so bad as we thought," said Jane. "I congratulate you, dear father."

"Have you answered your letter?" asked Elizabeth.

"No, but it must be written at once."

So she begged him most earnestly to go back and write without delay.

"Oh! dear father," she begged aloud, "go and write. There is no time for delay in such matters, you know."

"Or let me write it for you," said Jane, "if it bothers you."

"I hate to write that kind of letter," he replied, "but I have to."

So saying, he came back with them and walked towards the house.

"May I ask?" said Elizabeth, "I think my father will agree to these conditions."

"Of course I agree! I'm ashamed that he asked so little."

"They must marry! And that's what he is!"

"Yes, they must marry! There is no other choice. There are only two things I want to know very much: the first is how much your uncle paid in advance to make it happen; the second How can I pay him back the money."

"Pay money! My uncle!" cried Jane. "Father, what do you mean?"

"I would say that a man in his right mind would never marry her for the hundred pounds I gave her a year while I was alive, and the five thousand pounds I gave her when I died."

"Father has a good point," said Elizabeth, "though I hadn't thought of it before. He's got his debts paid off and there's money left over! Oh, it must have been done for him by my uncle! Kindness, what a generosity, I'm just worried that it will hurt himself. A small sum is simply not worth it."

"Yes," said their father, "Wickham's not a fool, and he'd be surprised if he didn't get ten thousand pounds to marry her. I thought him so bad when we were first getting married." , which makes me sad too."

"Ten thousand pounds! God! Even half that is not enough."

Mr. Bennet didn't say a word, and the three of them walked back silently, so preoccupied.The father then went to his study to write letters, and the daughters went into the breakfast room.

"They're really going to be married!" cried Elizabeth, when they were alone. "How wonderful it is! And for that we have to be grateful. Although their marriages were seldom happy." We must rejoice, however, in spite of his despicable character! O Lydia!"

"It comforts me when I think so," said Jane, "and I think that if he hadn't loved Lydia, he would never have married her, though our good uncle must have done a great deal to pay Wickham's debts." But I don't believe that the sum of ten thousand pounds has been advanced. Uncle has several children of his own, and may have several more. How can he get his five thousand pounds? "

"If we knew how much Wickham was in debt," said Elizabeth, "and how much he demanded from our little sister, we could work out exactly how much my uncle had advanced for them both, for Wickham himself had no penny. Uncle and aunt are so kind we shall never be able to repay in our lifetime. They took Lydia into their own home, and gave her protection and decency, and have done so much for her benefit. Sacrifice, how long will we be able to repay this kind of affection. Up to now, Lydia has been with her aunts and uncles! If treating her like this can't make her feel guilty and moved, she will never be worthy of happiness! How would she feel when she saw her aunt for the first time?!"

"We ought to do our best to forget the former faults of both of them," said Jane. "I hope and believe they will be happy. I am willing to believe that his consent to marry her proves that he is beginning to reform. Their mutual Feelings will mature them; I think they'll live in peace and order, and soon their former debauchery will be forgotten."

Elizabeth said: "Their actions were so outrageous that neither you nor anyone else will ever forget them. We don't have to say any more."

Then it occurred to the sisters that their mother probably didn't know anything about it.So they came to the study and asked their father if they could tell their mother about it.He was writing a letter, without even raising his head, he just said coldly:

"As you please."

"May we take uncle's letter and read it to mother?"

"Go ahead and take what you want, just get out of here."

Elizabeth took the letter from the desk, and the sisters went upstairs together.Mary and Kitty were with Mrs. Bennet: so one communication was known to the whole family.After revealing the good news a little bit, Jiying read the letter.Mrs. Bennet couldn't help being delighted.Lydia's brows brimmed with joy when she read the thought of Lydia's probable marriage, and every sentence afterward filled her with rapture.Her spirits were agitated by joy, just as she had been agitated earlier by fright and distress.It was enough for her to know that her daughter was going to be married.As for whether her daughter could be happy, she didn't think too much about it, and she quickly forgot about her daughter's misconduct and embarrassment.

"My dear Lydia!" cried Mrs. Bennet, "how delightful! She's going to be married! I'm going to see her again! She's going to be married at sixteen! Brother! I knew it was going to be like this--I knew my brother would make it all right. How I wish I could see Lydia soon! See Wickham too! But clothes, wedding What about your clothes? I will write to my brothers and sisters about it at once. Lizzy, my daughter, go downstairs to your father and ask him how much he will give her as a dowry. Oh, no, no, I'll go by myself Well done. Kitty, ring the bell and call for Hill. I'll get dressed now. My dear Lydia! How glad we shall be when we meet!"

Her eldest daughter, seeing her in this state of joy, tried to direct the conversation to how she should be thankful for what Mr. Gardiner had done for her family, so that she might calm down a bit.

"We must attribute this happy ending," said Jane, "to a great extent to uncle's wholehearted help. We all think it was he who promised to pay Cobham's debts."

"Oh, that's right," cried her mother, "who would do that but her own uncle? If he hadn't had a family of his own, the money he'd earned would have gone to my daughters and me." Is it? This is the first time we've had a favor from him, except for a few clothes he's sent before. Ah! I'm so happy! I'm going to have a married daughter soon. Wick Mrs. Ham! How handsome that sounds. She just turned sixteen in June. Mother is too excited, Jane, to write; so I dictate you to help her. About money, I will discuss it with my father later; but the required dowry should be ordered at once."

She then proceeded to enumerate a great number of items, muslins, calicoes, and a whole series of orders, if Jane had not managed to persuade her to wait till her father Let's discuss it when we have time.Jane persuaded her that a day or two's delay would make no difference, but her mother's pleasure was less obstinate than usual.Then other thoughts flooded into her mind.

"As soon as I'm dressed I'll go down to Meryton," she said, "to tell my sister, Mrs Philip, the good news. When I get back from there I shall call on Mrs Lucas and Mrs Long. Kitty, go down-stairs and tell them to harness me the carriage. I dare say the air out of doors will do me great good. Girls, have you got any at Meryton? Oh! Here comes Hill. Dear Hill, have you heard the good news? Miss Lydia is to be married; and on her wedding day you will all have a bowl of sweet mixed drink, and have a good time."

Mrs Hill immediately expressed her delight.Elizabeth, like everyone else, accepted Mrs. Hill's congratulations to her family, and then, when she couldn't stand it anymore, she retired to her own room.I want to go by myself.

It was bad enough that poor Lydia had the best of results; but Elizabeth had to thank Heaven for not being too bad.She also really felt a little lucky, although thinking about the future situation, she felt that her sister would neither get happiness in life nor enjoy wealth and glory; she recalled all their worries just two hours ago, and then I can't help but feel that it is a blessing in misfortune to have such an ending.

(End of this chapter)