"compliedwith!iamonlyashamedofhisaskingsolittle."

"andtheymustmarry!yetheissuchaman!"

"yes,yes,theymustmarry.thereisnothingelsetobedone.buttherearetwothingsthatiwantverymuchtoknow:—oneis,howmuchmoneyyourunclehaslaiddowntobringitabout;andtheother,howiamevertopayhim."

"money!myuncle!"criedjane,"whatdoyoumean,sir?"

"imeanthatnomaninhissenseswouldmarrylydiaonsoslightatemptationasonehundredayearduringmylife,andfiftyafteriamgone."

"thatisverytrue,"saidelizabeth;"thoughithadnotoccurredtomebefore.hisdebtstobedischarged,andsomethingstilltoremain!oh!itmustbemyuncle'sdoings!generous,goodman;iamafraidhehasdistressedhimself.asmallsumcouldnotdoallthis."

"no,"saidherfather,"wickham'safool,ifhetakesherwithafarthinglessthantenthousandpounds.ishouldbesorrytothinksoillofhimintheverybeginningofourrelationship."

"tenthousandpounds!heavenforbid!howishalfsuchasumtoberepaid?"

mr.bennetmadenoanswer,andeachofthem,deepinthought,continuedsilenttilltheyreachedthehouse.theirfatherthenwenttothelibrarytowrite,andthegirlswalkedintothebreakfast-room.

"andtheyarereallytobemarried!"criedelizabeth,assoonastheywerebythemselves."howstrangethisis!andforthiswearetobethankful.thattheyshouldmarry,smallasistheirchanceofhappiness,andwretchedasishischaracter,weareforcedtorejoice!oh,lydia!"

"icomfortmyselfwiththinking,"repliedjane,"thathecertainlywouldnotmarrylydiaifhehadnotarealregardforher.thoughourkindunclehasdonesomethingtowardsclearinghim,icannotbelievethattenthousandpounds,oranythinglikeit,hasbeenadvanced.hehaschildrenofhisown,andmayhavemore.howcouldhesparehalftenthousandpounds?"

"ifweareeverabletolearnwhatwickham'sdebtshavebeen,"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,noranybody,caneverforget.itisuselesstotalkofit."

itnowoccurredtothegirlsthattheirmotherwasinalllikelihood,perfectlyignorantofwhathadhappened.theywenttothelibrary,therefore,andaskedtheirfatherwhetherhewouldnotwishthemtomakeitknowntoher.hewaswriting,and,withoutraisinghishead,coollyreplied,

"justasyouplease."

"maywetakemyuncle'slettertoreadtoher?"

"takewhateveryoulike,andgetaway."

elizabethtooktheletterfromhiswritingtable,andtheywentupstairstogether.maryandkittywerebothwithmrs.bennet:onecommunicationwould,therefore,doforall.afteraslightpreparationforgoodnews,theletterwasreadaloud.mrs.bennetcouldhardlycontainherself.assoonasjanehadreadmr.gardiner'shopeoflydia'sbeingsoonmarried,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.gardiner'sbehaviourlaidthemallunder.

"forwemustattributethishappyconclusion,"sheadded,"inagreatmeasuretohiskindness.wearepersuadedthathehaspledgedhimselftoassistmr.wickhamwithmoney."

"well,"criedhermother,"itisallveryright;whoshoulddoitbutherownuncle?ifhehadnothadafamilyofhisown,iandmychildrenmusthavehadallhismoney,youknow,anditisthefirsttimewehaveeverhadanythingfromhim,exceptafewpresents.well!iamsohappy.inashorttime,ishallhaveadaughtermarried.mrs.wickham!howwellitsounds.andshewasonlysixteenlastjune.mydearjane,iaminsuchaflutterthatiamsureican'twrite;soiwilldictate,andyouwriteforme.wewillsettlewithyourfatheraboutthemoneyafterwards;butthethingsshouldbeorderedimmediately."

shewasthenproceedingtoalltheparticularsofcalico,muslin,andcambric,andwouldshortlyhavedictatedsomeveryplentifulorders,hadnotjane,thoughwithsomedifficulty,persuadedhertowaittillherfatherwasatleisuretobeconsulted.oneday'sdelay,sheobserved,wouldbeofsmallimportance;andhermotherwastoohappytobequitesoobstinateasusual.otherschemes,too,cameintoherhead.

"iwillgotomeryton,"saidshe,"assoonasiamdressed,andtellthegood,goodnewstomysisterphillips.andasicomeback,icancallonladylucasandmrs.long.kitty,rundownandorderthecarriage.anairingwoulddomeagreatdealofgood,iamsure.girls,canidoanythingforyouinmeryton?oh!herecomeshill.mydearhill,haveyouheardthegoodnews?misslydiaisgoingtobemarried;andyoushallallhaveabowlofpunchtomakemerryatherwedding."

mrs.hillbeganinstantlytoexpressherjoy.elizabethreceivedhercongratulationsamongsttherest,andthen,sickofthisfolly,tookrefugeinherownroom,thatshemightthinkwithfreedom.

poorlydia'ssituationmust,atbest,bebadenough;butthatitwasnoworse,shehadneedtobethankful.shefeltitso;andthough,inlookingforward,neitherrationalhappinessnorworldlyprosperitycouldbejustlyexpectedforhersister,inlookingbacktowhattheyhadfeared,onlytwohoursago,shefeltalltheadvantagesofwhattheyhadgained.