And when her sisters abused it as ugly,she added,with perfect unconcern,‘Oh!but there were two or three much uglier in the shop;and when I have bought some prettier coloured satin to trim it with fresh,I think it will be very tolerable.Besides,it will not much signify what one wears this summer,after the-shire have left Meryton,and they are going in a fortnight.’
‘Are they indeed?’cried Elizabeth,with the greatest satisfaction.
‘They are going to be encamped near Brighton;and I do so want papa to take us all there for the summer!It would be such a delicious scheme,and I dare say would hardly cost any thing at all.Mamma would like to go too,of all things!Only think what a miserable summer else we shall have!’
‘Yes,’thought Elizabeth,‘that would be a delightful scheme,indeed,and completely do for us at once.Good heaven!Brighton,and a whole campful of soldiers,to us,who have been overset already by one poor regiment of militia,and the monthly balls of Meryton!’
‘Now I have got some news for you,’said Lydia,as they sat down to table.‘What do you think?It is excellent news,capital news,and about a certain person that we all like.’
Jane and Elizabeth looked at each other,and the waiter was told that he need not stay.Lydia laughed,and said,‘Aye,that is just like your formality and discretion.You thought the waiter must not hear,as if he cared!I dare say he often hears worse things said than I am going to say.But he is an ugly fellow!I am glad he is gone.I never saw such a long chin in my life.Well,but now for my news:it is about dear Wickham;too good for the waiter,is not it?There is no danger of Wickham's marrying Mary King.-There's for you!She is gone down to her uncle at Liverpool;gone to stay.Wickham is safe.’
‘And Mary King is safe!’added Elizabeth;‘safe from a connexion imprudent as to fortune.’
‘She is a great fool for going away,if she liked him.’
‘But I hope there is no strong attachment on either side,’said Jane.
‘I am sure there is not on his.I will answer for it he never cared three straws about her Who could about such a nasty little freckled thing?’
Elizabeth was shocked to think that,however incapable of such coarseness of expression herself,the coarseness of the sentiment was little other than her own breast had formerly harboured and fancied liberal!
As soon as all had ate,and the elder ones paid,the carriage was ordered;and,after some contrivance,the whole party,with all their boxes,workbags,and parcels,and the unwelcome addition of Kitty's and Lydia's purchases,were seated in it.
‘How nicely we are crammed in!’cried Lydia.‘I am glad I bought my bonnet,if it is only for the fun of having another bandbox!Well,now let us be quite comfortable and snug,and talk and laugh all the way home.And in the first place,let us hear what has happened to you all,since you went away.Have you seen any pleasant men?Have you had any flirting?I was in great hopes that one of you would have got a husband before you came back.Jane will be quite an old maid soon,I declare.She is almost three and twenty!Lord,how ashamed I should be of not being married before three and twenty!My aunt Philips wants you so to get husbands,you can't think.She says Lizzy had better have taken Mr Collins;but I do not think there would have been any fun in it.Lord!how I should like to be married before any of you!and then I would chaperon you about to all the balls.Dear me!we had such a good piece of fun the other day at Colonel Forster's.Kitty and me were to spend the day there,and Mrs Forster promised to have a little dance in the evening (by the bye,Mrs Forster and me are such friends!);and so she asked the two Harringtons to come,but Harriet was ill,and so Pen was forced to come by herself;and then,what do you think we did?We dressed up Chamberlayne in women's clothes,on purpose to pass for a lady-only think what fun!Not a soul knew of it but Colonel and Mrs Forster,and Kitty and me,except my aunt,for we were forced to borrow one of her gowns;and you cannot imagine how well he looked!When Denny,and Wickham,and Pratt,and two or three more of the men came in,they did not know him in the least.Lord!how I laughed!and so did Mrs Forster.I thought I should have died.And that made the men suspect something,and then they soon found out what was the matter.’
With such kinds of histories of their parties and good jokes did Lydia,assisted by Kitty's hints and additions,endeavour to amuse her companions all the way to Longbourn.Elizabeth listened as little as she could,but there was no escaping the frequent mention of Wickham's name.
Their reception at home was most kind.Mrs Bennet rejoiced to see Jane in undiminished beauty;and more than once during dinner did Mr Bennet say voluntarily to Elizabeth,
‘I am glad you are come back,Lizzy.’
Their party in the dining room was large,for almost all the Lucases came to meet Maria and hear the news:and various were the subjects which occupied them.Lady Lucas was inquiring of Maria,across the table,after the welfare and poultry of her eldest daughter;Mrs Bennet was doubly engaged,on one hand collecting an account of the present fashions from Jane,who sat some way below her,and on the other,retailing them all to the younger Miss Lucases;and Lydia,in a voice rather louder than any other person's,was enumerating the various pleasures of the morning to any body who would hear her.
