“Donotgivewaytouselessalarm,”addedhe;“thoughitisrighttobepreparedfortheworst,thereisnooccasiontolookonitascertain。ItisnotquiteaweeksincetheyleftBrighton。Inafewdaysmore,wemaygainsomenewsofthem;andtillweknowthattheyarenotmarried,andhavenodesignofmarrying,donotletusgivethematteroveraslost。AssoonasIgettotownIshallgotomybrother,andmakehimcomehomewithmetoGracechurchStreet;andthenwemayconsulttogetherastowhatistobedone。”
“Oh!mydearbrother,”repliedMrs。Bennet,“thatisexactlywhatIcouldmostwishfor。Andnowdo,whenyougettotown,findthemout,wherevertheymaybe;andiftheyarenotmarriedalready,makethemmarry。Andasforweddingclothes,donotletthemwaitforthat,buttellLydiasheshallhaveasmuchmoneyasshechoosestobuythem,aftertheyaremarried。And,aboveallthings,keepMr。Bennetfromfighting。TellhimwhatadreadfulstateIamin,thatIamfrightedoutofmywits—andhavesuchtremblings,suchflutterings,alloverme—suchspasmsinmysideandpainsinmyhead,andsuchbeatingsatheart,thatIcangetnorestbynightnorbyday。AndtellmydearLydianottogiveanydirectionsaboutherclothestillshehasseenme,forshedoesnotknowwhicharethebestwarehouses。Oh,brother,howkindyouare!Iknowyouwillcontriveitall。”
ButMr。Gardiner,thoughheassuredheragainofhisearnestendeavoursinthecause,couldnotavoidrecommendingmoderationtoher,aswellinherhopesasherfear;andaftertalkingwithherinthismannertilldinnerwasonthetable,theyalllefthertoventallherfeelingsonthehousekeeper,whoattendedintheabsenceofherdaughters。
Thoughherbrotherandsisterwerepersuadedthattherewasnorealoccasionforsuchaseclusionfromthefamily,theydidnotattempttoopposeit,fortheyknewthatshehadnotprudenceenoughtoholdhertonguebeforetheservants,whiletheywaitedattable,andjudgeditbetterthatoneonlyofthehousehold,andtheonewhomtheycouldmosttrustshouldcomprehendallherfearsandsolicitudeonthesubject。
Inthedining-roomtheyweresoonjoinedbyMaryandKitty,whohadbeentoobusilyengagedintheirseparateapartmentstomaketheirappearancebefore。Onecamefromherbooks,andtheotherfromhertoilette。Thefacesofboth,however,weretolerablycalm;andnochangewasvisibleineither,exceptthatthelossofherfavouritesister,ortheangerwhichshehadherselfincurredinthisbusiness,hadgivenmoreoffretfulnessthanusualtotheaccentsofKitty。AsforMary,shewasmistressenoughofherselftowhispertoElizabeth,withacountenanceofgravereflection,soonaftertheywereseatedattable:
“Thisisamostunfortunateaffair,andwillprobablybemuchtalkedof。Butwemuststemthetideofmalice,andpourintothewoundedbosomsofeachotherthebalmofsisterlyconsolation。”
Then,perceivinginElizabethnoinclinationofreplying,sheadded,“UnhappyastheeventmustbeforLydia,wemaydrawfromitthisusefullesson:thatlossofvirtueinafemaleisirretrievable;thatonefalsestepinvolvesherinendlessruin;thatherreputationisnolessbrittlethanitisbeautiful;andthatshecannotbetoomuchguardedinherbehaviourtowardstheundeservingoftheothersex。”
Elizabethlifteduphereyesinamazement,butwastoomuchoppressedtomakeanyreply。Mary,however,continuedtoconsoleherselfwithsuchkindofmoralextractionsfromtheevilbeforethem。
Intheafternoon,thetwoelderMissBennetswereabletobeforhalf-an-hourbythemselves;andElizabethinstantlyavailedherselfoftheopportunityofmakinganyinquiries,whichJanewasequallyeagertosatisfy。Afterjoiningingenerallamentationsoverthedreadfulsequelofthisevent,whichElizabethconsideredasallbutcertain,andMissBennetcouldnotasserttobewhollyimpossible,theformercontinuedthesubject,bysaying,“ButtellmeallandeverythingaboutitwhichIhavenotalreadyheard。Givemefurtherparticulars。WhatdidColonelForstersay?Hadtheynoapprehensionofanythingbeforetheelopementtookplace?Theymusthaveseenthemtogetherforever。”
“ColonelForsterdidownthathehadoftensuspectedsomepartiality,especiallyonLydiasside,butnothingtogivehimanyalarm。Iamsogrievedforhim!Hisbehaviourwasattentiveandkindtotheutmost。Hewascomingtous,inordertoassureusofhisconcern,beforehehadanyideaoftheirnotbeinggonetoScotland:whenthatapprehensionfirstgotabroad,ithastenedhisjourney。”
“AndwasDennyconvincedthatWickhamwouldnotmarry?Didheknowoftheirintendingtogooff?HadColonelForsterseenDennyhimself?”
“Yes;but,whenquestionedbyhim,Dennydeniedknowinganythingoftheirplans,andwouldnotgivehisrealopinionaboutit。Hedidnotrepeathispersuasionoftheirnotmarrying—andfromthat,Iaminclinedtohope,hemighthavebeenmisunderstoodbefore。”
“AndtillColonelForstercamehimself,notoneofyouentertainedadoubt,Isuppose,oftheirbeingreallymarried?”