Pride and Prejudice; Sense and Sensibility

Chapter 56 The New Couple Goes Home

The wedding of the younger sister came, and both Jane and Elizabeth were worried about her, perhaps more than the younger sister herself.A carriage was sent to fetch the new couple, who would be there at lunchtime.Both sisters were afraid of their coming, Jane especially.She put herself in her place and thought that if Lydia's scandal had happened to her, she would be deeply moved, and when she thought of her sister's distress, she felt all the more uncomfortable.

Here comes the new couple.The whole family gathered in the living room to greet them.When the carriage pulled up in front of the door, Mrs. Bennet was all smiles, and her husband was grave.The daughters were surprised and anxious, and very disturbed.

Only Lydia's voice was heard at the door, and after a while the door opened, and Lydia ran into the room.The mother was overjoyed, and hastened up to welcome her, embraced her, and, with a genial smile, extended her hand to Wickham (who walked behind the bride) to wish them both a happy life.Mrs. Bennet's words spoke so loudly, that she believed they were both bound to be happy.

The new couple then turned to Mr. Bennet, who was less devoted to them than his wife.I saw that his face was extremely serious, and he didn't even open his mouth.The self-sufficiency of the young couple really pissed him off.Elizabeth was disgusted, and even Jane could not help being horrified.Lydia was Lydia—restless, not shy, rowdy, fearless.She walked from one sister to the other, asking them to congratulate her one by one.Finally, when everyone sat down, she quickly scanned the room and saw that there was a slight change in it, so she smiled and said that she hadn't been here for a long time.

Wickham didn't look uncomfortable at all.His appearance had always been pleasant, and if he had been a decent man, and a proper marriage, he would have been pleasing with his smile and ease of conversation.Elizabeth could not believe that he could be so impudent, and she sat down and thought: There is no end to one's shamelessness.She could not help blushing, and Jane blushed too; but the two parties, while others were ashamed of them, did not change their faces.

On this occasion, there is really no need to worry about having nothing to talk about.The bride and her mother felt that there was too little time to say anything, and Wickham, who happened to be sitting beside Elizabeth, asked her how the acquaintances in the neighborhood were doing, and asked her so leisurely that she could not answer fluently.

The couple seemed to be at ease and had no shame.They thought of the past without the slightest distress; and Lydia could not help talking of many things which her sisters would have never been able to say.

Lydia said loudly: "Just think about it, I've been away for three months! It seems like only two weeks. But a lot has happened in such a short time. My God! I've been gone!" At that time, I really didn’t expect to get married this time and come back, but I also thought: If you really get married like this, it would be quite interesting.”

Her father stared, Jane was distressed, and Elizabeth looked at Lydia with a wry look.But Lydia, who didn't ask anything she didn't want to know, went on triumphantly: "Oh, mother, do people around here know that I'm married today? I'm afraid they don't know We all know; we overtook William Godin's carriage on the way, just to let him know that I was married, and let down a window in my own, and took off my gloves, and Put it in the window so that he could see the ring on my finger, and then I nodded and smiled at him."

Elizabeth could bear it no longer, but got up and ran out of the house, and did not return until she heard them pass down the hall and into the dining-room.

When I came to them, I saw Lydia swaying hurriedly to the right of her mother, and said to her elder sister: "Well, Jane, I will take your seat this time, and you must sit at the bottom, because I'm already a married girl."

Lydia, who had been quite unashamed from the beginning, was certainly even more so now.Instead, she cared less and less, and became more and more excited.She wanted very much to see Mrs. Philip, and all the Lucas family, and to call on all the neighbors, and to have her called Mrs. Wickham.Immediately after lunch she showed Mrs. Hill and the other two maids her wedding ring, boasting that she herself was married.

After everyone returned to the sitting room, she said again: "Mom, what do you think of my husband? Isn't he cute? My sisters will definitely envy me, I hope they are half as lucky as me. Who let them Don't go to Brighton, that's the place to find a husband. What a pity, mother, we don't all go together!"

"You are quite right, and in my opinion we should have all gone together long ago. But, Lydia dear, I don't want you to go so far. Do you have to?"

"My God! Of course you have to go, what does that matter. I'm so happy! You and Dad and sisters, you must come and see us. We live in Newcastle all winter Newcastle: a seaport city in the North East of England , on the banks of the Tyne, where most of the coal produced in England is shipped all over the world. There must be many balls there, and I must be responsible for finding good partners for the sisters."

"Then I really don't like it any more!" said the mother.

"You can leave one or two sisters there when you start home, and I promise they will find husbands for them within the winter."

Elizabeth quickly said: "Thank you for your concern, but unfortunately, I don't appreciate your way of finding a husband."

The new couple can only spend ten days with the family.Mr. Wickham had been commissioned before leaving London, and was obliged to report to regimental headquarters within a fortnight.

Mrs. Bennet was the only one who regretted their hasty trip, so she made the most of the time, accompanied her daughter to visit relatives and friends, and often entertained at home.Everyone welcomes these banquets: those who are not in the mood are willing to go to the banquet, but those who are interested are more willing to take this opportunity to go out to relieve boredom.

Sure enough, as Elizabeth expected, Wickham's love for Lydia was not as deep as Lydia's for Wickham.From all the facts it appeared that their elopement was more due to Lydia's love for Wickham than because of Wickham's love for Lydia, which seemed obvious to Elizabeth.As to why he should have eloped with her, since he did not love her very much, Elizabeth was not at all surprised, for she concluded that Wickham's debts had compelled him to run away.Well, for a young man like him, with a woman to accompany him on the road, he certainly doesn't want to miss the opportunity.

Lydia liked him so much that she called 'dear Wickham' to every word she uttered.No one can compare to him, no matter what he does, he is the best in the world. She believes that on September [-]st, he must have shot more birds than anyone else in the country.

They had not been here long, when Lydia, sitting with the two sisters one morning, said to Elizabeth, "I haven't told you, Lizzy, about my marriage. My mother and the others You weren't there when your sisters were talking. Don't you want to hear how this happy event is going?"

"I don't want to hear it, I really don't want to hear it," replied Elizabeth; "I don't think there's much talk of it."

"Dear me! You are a strange fellow! I must tell you what happened. We were married at St. Clement's, you know, because Wickham lived in that parish. It was agreed to be at eleven o'clock." There, I went with my aunt and aunt, and the others were agreed to meet at church. Oh, and I was in such a panic on Monday morning. You know, I was afraid that something might happen and delay the wedding, and I I was really going crazy. I was dressing up, and my aunt kept talking, talking, as if she was preaching. I could only hear one of her ten sentences. As you can imagine, I was thinking about it looking at my dear Wickham. I want to know. Is he going to the wedding in his blue dress?"

"Well, as usual, we had breakfast at ten o'clock that day. I just don't think I can finish a meal, and I must tell you by the way that during my stay with my aunt and aunt, they I've been very unhappy. You won't believe it, but I've been there a fortnight without leaving my house. Not a single party, nothing to do, it's a very dull life. To tell you the truth, London, though It's not too lively, but the small theater is small theater: built in 1720, the address is just north of the current Highmark Theater. In 1821, after the completion of the Highmark Theater, the small theater was demolished. It is still open. Closer to home, the carriage that day Come on, but uncle got that nasty guy named Mr. Stone to tell him to do something. You know, when they meet, they don't want to part. I'm so frightened and don't know what to do, because it needs uncle to marry Well, if we were late, we wouldn't be married that day. Luckily he came back in less than 10 minutes, so we set off together. However, I remembered later that if he was really entangled, he couldn't be separated, and the wedding day wouldn't be. It will be delayed, because there is Mr Darcy to do it for."

Elizabeth was startled, and repeated the words: "Mr. Darcy!"

"Oh, yes! He's going to church with Wickham, too. Good God, I'm so confused! I should never have said a word about it. I've promised them I won't!" Say it! I wonder how Wickham will blame me? It should have been kept a strict secret!"

"If it's a secret," said Jane, "then please don't tell me any more. Don't worry, I will never press you again."

"Oh, I will definitely not question you," Elizabeth said, but she was very curious in her heart. "We will never question you."

"Thank you," said Lydia, "and if you ask any further I shall, of course, tell you the whole story, and it will make Wickham angry."

Her words clearly encouraged Elizabeth to continue asking, so Elizabeth had no choice but to run away, making it impossible for herself to ask.

However, it is impossible to ignore this matter, or at least to inquire about it.Mr. Darcy had attended her sister's wedding!Of course, he is absolutely unwilling to participate in such a scene, such two parties, and has absolutely no reason to participate.She thought about it, and thought of all kinds of weird ideas, but she still couldn't think of a reason.Of course she would like to think for the best, thinking that he was being generous and kind this time, but it was too unrealistic for her to think so.She could not make any sense of it, and was so distressed that she hastily took a piece of paper, and wrote a short letter to her aunt, begging her to explain what Lydia had just slipped, so long as it was consistent with the original As long as the plan to keep the secret can go hand in hand.

She wrote in the letter:

Of course, it is easy for you to understand that he is not related to us, and is quite unfamiliar with our family, so he will attend this wedding with you. How can I not want to inquire about the details?Please write back immediately and let me clear things up.If it were true, as Lydia said, that the matter must be kept secret, I would have to ignore it.

After writing the letter, she said to herself again: "My dear aunt, if you don't tell me the truth, I will have to do everything I can to find out."

Jane is a 12-strong trustworthy person, and she would never secretly tell Elizabeth what Lydia leaked out of her mouth.Elizabeth was very pleased with her style.Now that she had written to ask her aunt, no matter whether the reply would satisfy her or not, at least until she received a reply, it was best not to reveal her thoughts to anyone.

(End of this chapter)