CHAPTER XIX.
Had Elizabeth's opinion been all drawn from her own family, she couldnot have formed a very pleasing picture of conjugal felicity or domesticcomfort. Her father captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearanceof good humour, which youth and beauty generally give, had married awoman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind, had very early intheir marriage put an end to all real affection for her. Respect,esteem, and confidence, had vanished for ever; and all his views ofdomestic happiness were overthrown. But Mr. Bennet was not of adisposition to seek comfort for the disappointment which his ownimprudence had brought on, in any of those pleasures which too oftenconsole the unfortunate for their folly or their vice. He was fond ofthe country and of books; and from these tastes had arisen his principalenjoyments. To his wife he was very little otherwise indebted, than asher ignorance and folly had contributed to his amusement. This is notthe sort of happiness which a man would in general wish to owe to hiswife; but where other powers of entertainment are wanting, the truephilosopher will derive benefit from such as are given.
Elizabeth, however, had never been blind to the impropriety of herfather's behaviour as a husband. She had always seen it with pain; butrespecting his abilities, and grateful for his affectionate treatment ofherself, she endeavoured to forget what she could not overlook, and tobanish from her thoughts that continual breach of conjugal obligationand decorum which, in exposing his wife to the contempt of her ownchildren, was so highly reprehensible. But she had never felt sostrongly as now, the disadvantages which must attend the children of sounsuitable a marriage, nor ever been so fully aware of the evilsarising from so ill-judged a direction of talents; talents which rightlyused, might at least have preserved the respectability of his daughters,even if incapable of enlarging the mind of his wife.
When Elizabeth had rejoiced over Wickham's departure, she found littleother cause for satisfaction in the loss of the regiment. Their partiesabroad were less varied than before; and at home she had a mother andsister whose constant repinings at the dulness of every thing aroundthem, threw a real gloom over their domestic circle; and, though Kittymight in time regain her natural degree of sense, since the disturbersof her brain were removed, her other sister, from whose dispositiongreater evil might be apprehended, was likely to be hardened in all herfolly and assurance, by a situation of such double danger as a wateringplace and a camp. Upon the whole, therefore, she found, what has beensometimes found before, that an event to which she had looked forwardwith impatient desire, did not in taking place, bring all thesatisfaction she had promised herself. It was consequently necessary toname some other period for the commencement of actual felicity; to havesome other point on which her wishes and hopes might be fixed, and byagain enjoying the pleasure of anticipation, console herself for thepresent, and prepare for another disappointment. Her tour to the Lakeswas now the object of her happiest thoughts; it was her best consolationfor all the uncomfortable hours, which the discontentedness of hermother and Kitty made inevitable; and could she have included Jane inthe scheme, every part of it would have been perfect.
”But it is fortunate,” thought she, ”that I have something to wish for.Were the whole arrangement complete, my disappointment would be certain.But here, by carrying with me one ceaseless source of regret in mysister's absence, I may reasonably hope to have all my expectations ofpleasure realized. A scheme of which every part promises delight, cannever be successful; and general disappointment is only warded off bythe defence of some little peculiar vexation.”
When Lydia went away, she promised to write very often and very minutelyto her mother and Kitty; but her letters were always long expected, andalways very short. Those to her mother, contained little else, than thatthey were just returned from the library, where such and such officershad attended them, and where she had seen such beautiful ornaments asmade her quite wild; that she had a new gown, or a new parasol, whichshe would have described more fully, but was obliged to leave off in aviolent hurry, as Mrs. Forster called her, and they were going to thecamp;--and from her correspondence with her sister, there was still lessto be learnt--for her letters to Kitty, though rather longer, were muchtoo full of lines under the words to be made public.
After the first fortnight or three weeks of her absence, health, goodhumour and cheerfulness began to re-appear at Longbourn. Everything worea happier aspect. The families who had been in town for the winter cameback again, and summer finery and summer engagements arose. Mrs. Bennetwas restored to her usual querulous serenity, and by the middle of JuneKitty was so much recovered as to be able to enter Meryton withouttears; an event of such happy promise as to make Elizabeth hope, that bythe following Christmas, she might be so tolerably reasonable as not tomention an officer above once a day, unless by some cruel and maliciousarrangement at the war-office, another regiment should be quartered inMeryton.
The time fixed for the beginning of their Northern tour was now fastapproaching; and a fortnight only was wanting of it, when a letterarrived from Mrs. Gardiner, which at once delayed its commencement andcurtailed its extent. Mr. Gardiner would be prevented by business fromsetting out till a fortnight later in July, and must be in London againwithin a month; and as that left too short a period for them to go sofar, and see so much as they had proposed, or at least to see it withthe leisure and comfort they had built on, they were obliged to give upthe Lakes, and substitute a more contracted tour; and, according to thepresent plan, were to go no farther northward than Derbyshire. In thatcounty, there was enough to be seen, to occupy the chief of their threeweeks; and to Mrs. Gardiner it had a peculiarly strong attraction. Thetown where she had formerly passed some years of her life, and wherethey were now to spend a few days, was probably as great an object ofher curiosity, as all the celebrated beauties of Matlock, Chatsworth,Dovedale, or the Peak.
Elizabeth was excessively disappointed; she had set her heart on seeingthe Lakes; and still thought there might have been time enough. But itwas her business to be satisfied--and certainly her temper to be happy;and all was soon right again.
With the mention of Derbyshire, there were many ideas connected. It wasimpossible for her to see the word without thinking of Pemberley and itsowner. ”But surely,” said she, ”I may enter his county with impunity,and rob it of a few petrified spars without his perceiving me.”
The period of expectation was now doubled. Four weeks were to pass awaybefore her uncle and aunt's arrival. But they did pass away, and Mr. andMrs. Gardiner, with their four children, did at length appear atLongbourn. The children, two girls of six and eight years old, and twoyounger boys, were to be left under the particular care of their cousinJane, who was the general favourite, and whose steady sense andsweetness of temper exactly adapted her for attending to them in everyway--teaching them, playing with them, and loving them.
The Gardiners staid only one night at Longbourn, and set off the nextmorning with Elizabeth in pursuit of novelty and amusement. Oneenjoyment was certain--that of suitableness as companions; asuitableness which comprehended health and temper to bearinconveniences--cheerfulness to enhance every pleasure--and affectionand intelligence, which might supply it among themselves if there weredisappointments abroad.
It is not the object of this work to give a description of Derbyshire,nor of any of the remarkable places through which their route thitherlay; Oxford, Blenheim, Warwick, Kenelworth, Birmingham, &c. aresufficiently known. A small part of Derbyshire is all the presentconcern. To the little town of Lambton, the scene of Mrs. Gardiner'sformer residence, and where she had lately learned that someacquaintance still remained, they bent their steps, after having seenall the principal wonders of the country; and within five miles ofLambton, Elizabeth found from her aunt, that Pemberley was situated. Itwas not in their direct road, nor more than a mile or two out of it. Intalking over their route the evening before, Mrs. Gardiner expressed aninclination to see the place again. Mr. Gardiner declared hiswillingness, and Elizabeth was applied to for her approbation.
”My love, should not you like to see a place of which you have heard somuch?” said her aunt. ”A place too, with which so many of youracquaintance are connected. Wickham passed all his youth there, youknow.”
Elizabeth was distressed. She felt that she had no business atPemberley, and was obliged to assume a disinclination for seeing it. Shemust own that she was tired of great houses; after going over so many,she really had no pleasure in fine carpets or satin curtains.
Mrs. Gardiner abused her stupidity. ”If it were merely a fine houserichly furnished,” said she, ”I should not care about it myself; but thegrounds are delightful. They have some of the finest woods in thecountry.”
Elizabeth said no more--but her mind could not acquiesce. Thepossibility of meeting Mr. Darcy, while viewing the place, instantlyoccurred. It would be dreadful! She blushed at the very idea; andthought it would be better to speak openly to her aunt, than to runsuch a risk. But against this, there were objections; and she finallyresolved that it could be the last resource, if her private enquiries asto the absence of the family, were unfavourably answered.
Accordingly, when she retired at night, she asked the chambermaidwhether Pemberley were not a very fine place, what was the name of itsproprietor, and with no little alarm, whether the family were down forthe summer. A most welcome negative followed the last question--and heralarms being now removed, she was at leisure to feel a great deal ofcuriosity to see the house herself; and when the subject was revived thenext morning, and she was again applied to, could readily answer, andwith a proper air of indifference, that she had not really any disliketo the scheme.
To Pemberley, therefore, they were to go.
END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.
MATLOCK]
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE:
A Novel.
In Three Volumes.
By the Author of ”Sense and Sensibility.”
VOL. III.
London:Printed for T. Egerton,Military Library, Whitehall.1813.
DOVE-DALE]
PRIDE & PREJUDICE.