Pride and Prejudice; Sense and Sensibility

Chapter 41
In the second week of May, three young ladies set off from Tennessee Street together to a certain town in Hertfordshire. Mr. Bennet had arranged with them a small inn and dispatched the carriage. Pick them up there.Once there, they saw Kitty and Lydia watching them from the upstairs dining-room, which showed that the coachman had arrived punctually.The two girls had been waiting there for more than an hour, happily visiting a hatter's shop opposite, watching the sentinels, and making some courgette salad.

After they had welcomed the two sisters, they triumphantly laid out some dishes (these are cold dishes that are always available in small inns), and shouted: "How good is this? You haven't even thought about it, have you?"

Lydia added: "We mean to be hosts, but we need you to lend us money, and all our own money is spent in the shop over there."

Having said that, she showed them the things she had bought. "Look, I've bought this hat. I don't think it's too pretty; but I thought I'd do well to have one. I'm going to take it apart and make it over again when I get home, and you'll see if I can clean it up." better."

Her sisters said her hat was ugly, but she didn't care, and said, "Well, there are two or three more ugly hats in that shop. I'll go and buy some pretty satin, Refurbish it, and you'll get by. Besides, the militia in the Midlands are leaving in a fortnight, and as soon as they're out of Meryton, it doesn't matter what you wear in summer."

"They're going away, are they?" cried Elizabeth with great satisfaction.

"They're going to be stationed at Brighton. Brighton: a famous seaside health resort in the south-east of England. Go, I wish papa would take us all there to cool off! It's a wonderful plan, and maybe it won't cost any money. Mother." We must go too! Think about it, how miserable our summer will be!"

"That's right," thought Elizabeth, "that's a very good plan, and it's going to keep us busy in no time. Good heavens! A poor militia at Meryton and a few balls a month alone will do the trick." How can we afford Brighton and the whole battalion!"

When they were all seated, Lydia said: "Now I have some news to tell you. Guess what it is? It's very good news, first-class news, and it's about what we all like of someone."

Jane and Elizabeth looked at each other, then sent the waiter away.

So Lydia smiled and said, "Why, you are very careful. You think the waiter must not hear it, as if he wants to hear it! I believe he usually hears a lot more than I have to say." This is even worse. But he's an ugly monster! I'm glad he's gone. I've never seen him with such a long chin. Oh, and now I'm on the news--it's about the lovely Will News from Wickham. Waiters don't deserve to hear it, do they? Wickham is no longer in danger of marrying Mary King—very good news! The girl has gone to her uncle in Liverpool— Not coming back. Wickham is safe."

"It should be said that Mary King is safe!" Elizabeth went on. "She has escaped a rash marriage at last."

"She would be a fool if she liked him and went away."

"I hope they don't have too much affection on either side," said Jane.

"I'm sure he won't have deep feelings in this regard."

"I can assure you he doesn't think of her at all. Who cares for such a freckled, nasty little thing?"

Elizabeth thought that she would never have spoken so rudely herself;When she thought of this, she was shocked.

After eating, the sisters settled the bill and ordered to prepare the carriage.After much arrangement, the ladies loaded into the carriage, with their trunks, sewing-bags, parcels, and other unwelcome purchases of Katie and Lydia.

"How much we squeeze together like this!" cried Lydia. "I'm glad I bought a hat, and it would be fun to add a hat-box! Well, let's cuddle a little more." Comfortable, talking and laughing back home. First of all, please tell me what happened to you after you left home. Have you met any men you like? Have you hooked up with others? I really Hope one of you brought a husband back. I say, Jane is going to be a spinster soon. She's going to be 23! My God, if I can't get married before 23, what a disgrace! Aunt Lips wants you to hurry up and get a husband, don't you think? She said, I don't think it would be much fun if Lizzy married Mr. Collins. Good God! I wish I could get ahead of either of you. Marry! I can take you to all kinds of balls. My God! We got a big joke that day at Colonel Foster's! Katie and I were going to be there all day Good day (what a friend Mrs. Foster and I were!) she invited both Miss Harringtons to come. But Hayley was ill and Ping had to come alone; so you guess we What to do? We put Chamberlain in women's clothes to make people think he was a woman. Just think about it, how interesting! Except me and the Colonel, Mrs. Foster, Katie and my aunt and others I don't know. As for my aunt, she only knew about it because we borrowed a long dress from her. You can't imagine how much he looks like! Danny, Wickham, Pratt and two or three others When the guy walks in, they don't recognize him at all. Good God! I laughed so hard, and Mrs. Foster laughed so hard. I almost died laughing. That's what got the men suspicious, They soon figured it out."

So Lydia told the story of the ball, and told the jokes, and Katie added to her, and all the way was merry.Elizabeth tried not to listen, but the mention of Wickham's name was inevitable.

The family received them with the utmost kindness.Mrs. Bennet was delighted to see Jane in her undiminished beauty.

During dinner, Mr. Bennet could not help saying to Elizabeth again and again: "I am so glad you are back, Lizzy."

There were a lot of people in their restaurant, and almost the whole Lucas family came to pick Maria up, listen to the news by the way, and asked various questions.Mrs. Lucas asked Maria across the table how her eldest daughter was doing, whether she was raising chickens or ducks.Mrs. Bennet was extraordinarily busy, as Jane sat next to her, and she was constantly asking her about the fashions of the day, which she passed on to the young Lucas ladies.Lydia, speaking louder than anyone else, was telling anyone who would listen to the delights of the morning.

"Oh, Mary," she said, "it would be fun if you came with us! As we went along, Katie and I lowered the curtains and it looked like an empty car, and if Katie wasn't motion sick it would be And so we arrive at our destination. We did a pretty good job at George's, and we treated the three of them to the most beautiful cold cuts in the world; and if you go, we will treat you too. So much fun! I thought we couldn't fit in a car like that anyway. I was dying laughing. We had such a good time on the way home! We were talking and laughing so loud we could hear it ten miles away !"

Upon hearing these words, Mary replied solemnly: "My good sister, I didn't mean to spoil your scenery on purpose. To be honest, your fun will of course cater to the preferences of ordinary women, but I can't move my heart. I think Reading books is a lot more fun than that."

But Lydia took her words on deaf ears.She didn't like to hear what anyone said, let alone Mary, and she ignored her at all.

In the afternoon, Lydia insisted that her sisters accompany her to Meryton, to see how her friends were doing there, but Elizabeth firmly objected, so as not to let gossip about the Bennet ladies After staying at home for less than half a day, she was going to chase the officers; in fact, she objected, and there was another reason.She dreaded seeing Wickham again.She has made up her mind to avoid him as much as possible if she can.The militia was about to be transferred, and she really felt an indescribable relief.They were going to be gone in four weeks, and she hoped that they would be gone in peace, that she would not be tormented by Wickham.

Within hours of her arrival she found her parents discussing repeatedly the plan of going to Brighton which Lydia had mentioned to them at the inn.Elizabeth saw that her father had no intention of giving in at all, but his answer was ambiguous. Therefore, although her mother often encountered difficulties, she did not give up this time, and hoped that her wish would finally be fulfilled.

(End of this chapter)