Thefirstweekoftheirreturnwassoongone。Thesecondbegan。ItwasthelastoftheregimentsstayinMeryton,andalltheyoungladiesintheneighbourhoodweredroopingapace。Thedejectionwasalmostuniversal。TheelderMissBennetsalonewerestillabletoeat,drink,andsleep,andpursuetheusualcourseoftheiremployments。VeryfrequentlyweretheyreproachedforthisinsensibilitybyKittyandLydia,whoseownmiserywasextreme,andwhocouldnotcomprehendsuchhard-heartednessinanyofthefamily。
“GoodHeaven!whatistobecomeofus?Whatarewetodo?”wouldtheyoftenexclaiminthebitternessofwoe。“Howcanyoubesmilingso,Lizzy?”
Theiraffectionatemothersharedalltheirgrief;sherememberedwhatshehadherselfenduredonasimilaroccasion,five-and-twentyyearsago。
“Iamsure,”saidshe,“IcriedfortwodaystogetherwhenColonelMillersregimentwentaway。IthoughtIshouldhavebrokenmyheart。”
“IamsureIshallbreakmine,”saidLydia。
“IfonecouldbutgotoBrighton!”observedMrs。Bennet。
“Oh,yes!—ifonecouldbutgotoBrighton!Butpapaissodisagreeable。”
“Alittlesea-bathingwouldsetmeupforever。”
“AndmyauntPhillipsissureitwoulddomeagreatdealofgood,”addedKitty。
SuchwerethekindoflamentationsresoundingperpetuallythroughLongbournHouse。Elizabethtriedtobedivertedbythem;butallsenseofpleasurewaslostinshame。ShefeltanewthejusticeofMr。Darcysobjections;andneverhadshebeensomuchdisposedtopardonhisinterferenceintheviewsofhisfriend。
ButthegloomofLydiasprospectwasshortlyclearedaway;forshereceivedaninvitationfromMrs。Forster,thewifeofthecoloneloftheregiment,toaccompanyhertoBrighton。Thisinvaluablefriendwasaveryyoungwoman,andverylatelymarried。AresemblanceingoodhumourandgoodspiritshadrecommendedherandLydiatoeachother,andoutoftheirthreemonthsacquaintancetheyhadbeenintimatetwo。
TheraptureofLydiaonthisoccasion,heradorationofMrs。Forster,thedelightofMrs。Bennet,andthemortificationofKitty,arescarcelytobedescribed。Whollyinattentivetohersistersfeelings,Lydiaflewaboutthehouseinrestlessecstasy,callingforeveryonescongratulations,andlaughingandtalkingwithmoreviolencethanever;whilstthelucklessKittycontinuedintheparlourrepinedatherfateintermsasunreasonableasheraccentwaspeevish。
“IcannotseewhyMrs。ForstershouldnotaskmeaswellasLydia,”saidshe,“ThoughIamnotherparticularfriend。Ihavejustasmuchrighttobeaskedasshehas,andmoretoo,forIamtwoyearsolder。”
InvaindidElizabethattempttomakeherreasonable,andJanetomakeherresigned。AsforElizabethherself,thisinvitationwassofarfromexcitinginherthesamefeelingsasinhermotherandLydia,thatsheconsidereditasthedeathwarrantofallpossibilityofcommonsenseforthelatter;anddetestableassuchastepmustmakeherwereitknown,shecouldnothelpsecretlyadvisingherfathernottolethergo。SherepresentedtohimalltheimproprietiesofLydiasgeneralbehaviour,thelittleadvantageshecouldderivefromthefriendshipofsuchawomanasMrs。Forster,andtheprobabilityofherbeingyetmoreimprudentwithsuchacompanionatBrighton,wherethetemptationsmustbegreaterthanathome。Heheardherattentively,andthensaid:
“Lydiawillneverbeeasyuntilshehasexposedherselfinsomepublicplaceorother,andwecanneverexpecthertodoitwithsolittleexpenseorinconveniencetoherfamilyasunderthepresentcircumstances。”
“Ifyouwereaware,”saidElizabeth,“oftheverygreatdisadvantagetousallwhichmustarisefromthepublicnoticeofLydiasunguardedandimprudentmanner—nay,whichhasalreadyarisenfromit,Iamsureyouwouldjudgedifferentlyintheaffair。”
“Alreadyarisen?”repeatedMr。Bennet。“What,hasshefrightenedawaysomeofyourlovers?PoorlittleLizzy!Butdonotbecastdown。Suchsqueamishyouthsascannotbeartobeconnectedwithalittleabsurdityarenotwortharegret。Come,letmeseethelistofpitifulfellowswhohavebeenkeptaloofbyLydiasfolly。”
“Indeedyouaremistaken。Ihavenosuchinjuriestoresent。Itisnotofparticular,butofgeneralevils,whichIamnowcomplaining。Ourimportance,ourrespectabilityintheworldmustbeaffectedbythewildvolatility,theassuranceanddisdainofallrestraintwhichmarkLydiascharacter。Excuseme,forImustspeakplainly。Ifyou,mydearfather,willnottakethetroubleofcheckingherexuberantspirits,andofteachingherthatherpresentpursuitsarenottobethebusinessofherlife,shewillsoonbebeyondthereachofamendment。Hercharacterwillbefixed,andshewill,atsixteen,bethemostdeterminedflirtthatevermadeherselforherfamilyridiculous;aflirt,too,intheworstandmeanestdegreeofflirtation;withoutanyattractionbeyondyouthandatolerableperson;and,fromtheignoranceandemptinessofhermind,whollyunabletowardoffanyportionofthatuniversalcontemptwhichherrageforadmirationwillexcite。InthisdangerKittyalsoiscomprehended。ShewillfollowwhereverLydialeads。Vain,ignorant,idle,andabsolutelyuncontrolled!Oh!mydearfather,canyousupposeitpossiblethattheywillnotbecensuredanddespisedwherevertheyareknown,andthattheirsisterswillnotbeofteninvolvedinthedisgrace?”
Mr。Bennetsawthatherwholeheartwasinthesubject,andaffectionatelytakingherhandsaidinreply: