飘天文学

第113章（第1页）

Mr.Bennetmadenoanswer，andeachofthem，deepinthought，continuedsilenttilltheyreachedthehouse.Theirfatherthenwentontothelibrarytowrite，andthegirlswalkedintothebreakfast-roo

“Andtheyarereallytobemarried!”criedElizabeth，assoonastheywerebythemselves.“Howstrangethisis!Andforthiswearetobethankful.Thattheyshouldmarry，smallasistheirchanceofhappiness，andwretchedasishischaracter，weareforcedtorejoice.Oh，Lydia!”

“Icomfortmyselfwiththinking，”repliedJane，“thathecertainlywouldnotmarryLydiaifhehadnotarealregardforher.Thoughourkindunclehasdonesomethingtowardsclearinghim，Icannotbelievethattenthousandpounds，oranythinglikeit，hasbeenadvanced.Hehaschildrenofhisown，andmayhavemore.Howcouldhesparehalftenthousandpounds?”

“IfwewereeverabletolearnwhatWickhamsdebtshavebeen，”saidElizabeth，“andhowmuchissettledonhissideonoursister，weshallexactlyknowwhatMr.Gardinerhasdoneforthem，becauseWickhamhasnotsixpenceofhisown.Thekindnessofmyuncleandauntcanneverberequited.Theirtakingherhome，andaffordinghertheirpersonalprotectionandcountenance，issuchasacrificetoheradvantageasyearsofgratitudecannotenoughacknowledge.Bythistimesheisactuallywiththem!Ifsuchgoodnessdoesnotmakehermiserablenow，shewillneverdeservetobehappy!Whatameetingforher，whenshefirstseesmyaunt!”

“Wemustendeavourtoforgetallthathaspassedoneitherside，”saidJane:“Ihopeandtrusttheywillyetbehappy.Hisconsentingtomarryherisaproof，Iwillbelieve，thatheiscometoarightwayofthinking.Theirmutualaffectionwillsteadythem;andIflattermyselftheywillsettlesoquietly，andliveinsorationalamanner，asmayintimemaketheirpastimprudenceforgotten.”

“Theirconducthasbeensuch，”repliedElizabeth，“asneitheryou，norI，noranybodycaneverforget.Itisuselesstotalkofit.”

Itnowoccurredtothegirlsthattheirmotherwasinalllikelihoodperfectlyignorantofwhathadhappened.Theywenttothelibrary，therefore，andaskedtheirfatherwhetherhewouldnotwishthemtomakeitknowntoher.Hewaswritingand，withoutraisinghishead，coollyreplied:

“Justasyouplease.”

“Maywetakemyuncleslettertoreadtoher?”

“Takewhateveryoulike，andgetaway.”

Elizabethtooktheletterfromhiswriting-table，andtheywentupstairstogether.MaryandKittywerebothwithMrs.Bennet:onecommunicationwould，therefore，doforall.Afteraslightpreparationforgoodnews，theletterwasreadaloud.Mrs.Bennetcouldhardlycontainherself.AssoonasJanehadreadMr.GardinershopeofLydiasbeingsoonmarried，herjoyburstforth，andeveryfollowingsentenceaddedtoitsexuberance.Shewasnowinanirritationasviolentfromdelight，asshehadeverbeenfidgetyfromalarmandvexation.Toknowthatherdaughterwouldbemarriedwasenough.Shewasdisturbedbynofearforherfelicity，norhumbledbyanyremembranceofhermisconduct.

“Mydear，dearLydia!”shecried.“Thisisdelightfulindeed!Shewillbemarried!Ishallseeheragain!Shewillbemarriedatsixteen!Mygood，kindbrother!Iknewhowitwouldbe.Iknewhewouldmanageeverything!HowIlongtoseeher!andtoseedearWickhamtoo!Buttheclothes，theweddingclothes!IwillwritetomysisterGardineraboutthemdirectly.Lizzy，mydear，rundowntoyourfather，andaskhimhowmuchhewillgiveher.Stay，stay，Iwillgomyself.Ringthebell，Kitty，forHill.Iwillputonmythingsinamoment.Mydear，dearLydia!Howmerryweshallbetogetherwhenwemeet!”

Hereldestdaughterendeavouredtogivesomerelieftotheviolenceofthesetransports，byleadingherthoughtstotheobligationswhichMr.Gardinersbehaviourlaidthemallunder.

“Forwemustattributethishappyconclusion，”sheadded，“inagreatmeasuretohiskindness.WearepersuadedthathehaspledgedhimselftoassistMr.Wickhamwithmoney.”

“Well，”criedhermother，“itisallveryright;whoshoulddoitbutherownuncle?Ifhehadnothadafamilyofhisown，Iandmychildrenmusthavehadallhismoney，youknow;anditisthefirsttimewehaveeverhadanythingfromhim，exceptafewpresents.Well!Iamsohappy!InashorttimeIshallhaveadaughtermarried.Mrs.Wickham!Howwellitsounds!AndshewasonlysixteenlastJune.MydearJane，Iaminsuchaflutter，thatIamsureIcantwrite;soIwilldictate，andyouwriteforme.Wewillsettlewithyourfatheraboutthemoneyafterwards;butthethingsshouldbeorderedimmediately.”

Shewasthenproceedingtoalltheparticularsofcalico，muslin，andcambric，andwouldshortlyhavedictatedsomeveryplentifulorders，hadnotJane，thoughwithsomedifficulty，persuadedhertowaittillherfatherwasatleisuretobeconsulted.Onedaysdelay，sheobserved，wouldbeofsmallimportance;andhermotherwastoohappytobequitesoobstinateasusual.Otherschemes，too，cameintoherhead.

“IwillgotoMeryton，”saidshe，“assoonasIamdressed，andtellthegood，goodnewstomysisterPhilips.AndasIcomeback，IcancallonLadyLucasandMrs.Long.Kitty，rundownandorderthecarriage.Anairingwoulddomeagreatdealofgood，Iamsure.Girls，canIdoanythingforyouinMeryton?Oh!HerecomesHill!MydearHill，haveyouheardthegoodnews?MissLydiaisgoingtobemarried;andyoushallallhaveabowlofpunchtomakemerryatherwedding.”

Mrs.Hillbeganinstantlytoexpressherjoy.Elizabethreceivedhercongratulationsamongsttherest，andthen，sickofthisfolly，tookrefugeinherownroom，thatshemightthinkwithfreedo

PoorLydiassituationmust，atbest，bebadenough;butthatitwasnoworse，shehadneedtobethankful.Shefeltitso;andthough，inlookingforward，neitherrationalhappinessnorworldlyprosperitycouldbejustlyexpectedforhersister，inlookingbacktowhattheyhadfeared，onlytwohoursago，shefeltalltheadvantagesofwhattheyhadgained.

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