Chapter 7

TWO days after Mr. Bennet's return, as Jane and Elizabeth
were walking together in the shrubbery behind the house,
they saw the housekeeper coming towards them, and, concluding that she came to call them to their mother, went forward to 
meet her; but, instead of the expected summons,
when they approached her, she said to Miss Bennet, "I beg
your pardon, madam, for interrupting you, but I was in hopes
you might have got some good news from town, so I took the
liberty of coming to ask."
"What do you mean, Hill?  We have heard nothing from
town."
"Dear madam," cried Mrs. Hill, in great astonishment,
"dont you know there is an express come for master from
Mr. Gardiner?  He has been here this half hour, and master
has had a letter."
Away ran the girls, too eager to get in to have time for
speech.  They ran through the vestibule into the breakfast
room; from thence to the library; -- their father was in neither;
 and they were on the point of seeking him up stairs with their
mother, when they were met by the butler, who said,
 "If you are looking for my master, ma'am, he is walking
towards the little copse."
 Upon this information, they instantly passed through the
hall once more, and ran across the lawn after their father, who
was deliberately pursuing his way towards a small wood on
one side of the paddock.
 Jane, who was not so light, nor so much in the habit of
running as Elizabeth, soon lagged behind, while her sister,
panting for breath, came up with him, and eagerly cried out,
"Oh, Papa, what news?  what news?  have you heard from
 my uncle?"
"Yes, I have had a letter from him by express."
 "Well, and what news does it bring?  good or bad?"
"What is there of good to be expected?" said he, taking the
letter from his pocket; "but perhaps you would like to read it."
Elizabeth impatiently caught it from his hand.  Jane now
came up.
"Read it aloud," said their father, "for I hardly know myself
what it is about."
"Gracechurch-street, Monday,
August 2.
"MY DEAR BROTHER,
 "At last I am able to send you some tidings of my niece, and
such as, upon the whole, I hope will give you satisfaction
 Soon after you left me on Saturday, I was fortunate enough
to find out in what part of London they were.  The particulars,
I reserve till we meet.  It is enough to know they are discovered,
I have seen them both -- "
 "Then it is, as I always hoped," cried Jane; "they are married!"
Elizabeth read on; "I have seen them both.  They are not
married, nor can I find there was any intention of being so;
but if you are willing to perform the engagements which I
have ventured to make on your side, I hope it will not be long
before they are.  All that is required of you is, to assure to your
daughter, by settlement, her equal share of the five thousand
pounds, secured among your children after the decease of
yourself and my sister; and, moreover, to enter into an 
engagement of allowing her, during your life, one hundred pounds
per annum.  These are conditions, which, considering every
thing, I had no hesitation in complying with, as far as I
thought myself privileged, for you.  I shall send this by
express, that no time may be lost in bringing me your answer.
You will easily comprehend, from these particulars, that Mr. 
Wickham's circumstances are not so hopeless as they are
generally believed to be.  The world has been deceived in
that respect; and I am happy to say, there will be some little
money, even when all his debts are discharged, to settle on
my niece, in addition to her own fortune.  If, as I conclude will
be the case, you send me full powers to act in your name,
throughout the whole of this business, I will immediately give
directions to Haggerston for preparing a proper settlement.
There will not be the smallest occasion for your coming to
town again; therefore, stay quietly at Longbourn, and depend
an my diligence and care.  Send back your answer as soon as
you can, and be careful to write explicitly.  We have judged it
best, that my niece should be married from this house, of
which I hope you will approve.  She comes to us to-day.  I
shall write again as soon as any thing more is determined on.
Your's, &c.
"EDW.  GARDINER."
"Is it possible!" cried Elizabeth, when she had finished.
"Can it be possible that he will marry her?"
"Wickham is not so undeserving, then, as we have thought
him;' said her sister.  "My dear father, I congratulate you."
"And have you answered the letter?" said Elizabeth.
"No; but it must be done soon."
Most earnestly did she then intreat him to lose no more
time before he wrote.
"Oh!  my dear father," she cried, "come back, and write
immediately.  Consider how important every moment is, in
such a case."
"Let me write for you," said Jane, "if you dislike the trouble
yourself."
 "I dislike it very much," he replied; "but it must be done."
And so saying, he turned back with them, and walked
towards the house.
"And may I ask?" said Elizabeth, "but the terms, I suppose,
must be complied with."
"Complied with!  I am only ashamed of his asking so little."
 "And they must marry!  Yet he is such a man!"
"Yes, yes, they must marry.  There is nothing else to be
done.  But there are two things that I want very much to
know: -- one is, how much money your uncle has laid down,
to bring it about; and the other, how I am ever to pay him."
"Money!  my uncle!" cried Jane, "what do you mean, Sir?"
"'I mean, that no man in his senses, would marry Lydia on
so slight a temptation as one hundred a year during my life,
and fifty after I am gone."
"That is very true," said Elizabeth; "though it had not
occurred to me before.  His debts to be discharged, and 
something still to remain!  Oh!  it must be my uncle's doings!
Generous, good man, I am afraid he has distressed himself.
A small sum could not do all this."
 "No," said her father, "Wickham's a fool, if he takes her with
a farthing less than ten thousand pounds.  I should be sorry to
think so ill of him, in the very beginning of our relationship."
"Ten thousand pounds!  Heaven forbid!  How is half such
a sum to be repaid?"
Mr. Bennet made no answer, and each of them, deep in
thought, continued silent till they reached the house.  Their
father then went to the library to write, and the girls walked
into the breakfast-room.
"And they are really to be married!" cried Elizabeth as soon
as they were by themselves.  "How strange this is!  And for this
we are to be thankful.  That they should marry, small as is
their chance of happiness, and wretched as is his character,
we are forced to rejoice!  Oh, Lydia!"
"I comfort myself with thinking," replied Jane, "that he
certainly would not marry Lydia, if he had not a real regard
for her.  Though our kind uncle has done something towards
clearing him, I cannot believe that ten thousand pounds, or
any thing like it, has been advanced.  He has children of his
own, and may have more.  How could he spare half ten
thousand pounds?"
"If we are ever able to learn what Wickham's debts have
been," said Elizabeth, "and how much is settled on his side
on our sister, we shall exactly know what Mr. Gardiner has
done for them, because Wickham has not sixpence of his own,
The kindncss of my uncle and aunt can never be requited.
Their taking her home, and affording her their personal protection and countenance, is such a sacrifice to her advantage,
as year?  of gratitude cannot enough acknowledge.  By this
time she is actually with them!  If such goodness does not
make her miserable now, she will never deserve to be happy!
What a meeting for her, when she first sees my aunt!"
"We must endeavour to forget all that has passed on either
side," said Jane. "I hope and trust they will yet be happy.  His
consenting to marry her is a proof, I will believe, that he is
come to a right way of thinking.  Their mutual affection will
steady them; and I flatter myself they will settle so quietly,
and live in so rational a manner, as may in time make their
past imprudence forgotten."
"Their conduct has been such," replied Elizabeth, "as
neither you, nor I, nor any body, can ever forget.  It is useless
to talk of it."
It now occurred to the girls that their mother was in
all likelihood perfectly ignorant of what had happened.
They went to the library, therefore, and asked their father,
whether he would not wish them to make it known to
her He was writing, and, without raising his head, coolly
replied,
"Just as you please."
 "May we take my uncle's letter to read to her?"
"Take whatever you like, and get away."
 Elizabeth took the letter from his writing table, and they
went up stairs together.  Mary and Kitty were both with Mrs. 
Bennet: one communication would, therefore, do for all.
After a slight preparation for good news, the letter was read
aloud.  Mrs. Bennet could hardly contain herself.  As soon as
Jane had read Mr. Gardiner's hope of Lydia's being soon
married, her joy burst forth, and every following sentence
added to its exuberance.  She was now in an irritation as
violent from delight, as she had ever been fidgetty from alarm
and vexation.  To know that her daughter would be married
was enough.  She was disturbed by no fear for her felicity, nor
humbled by any remembrance of her misconduct.
"My dear, dear Lydia!" she cried: "This is delightful
indeed! -- She will be married! -- I shall see her again! -- She
will be married at sixteen! -- My good, kind brother! -- I knew
how it would be -- I knew he would manage every thing.  How
I long to see her!  and to see dear Wickham too!  But the
clothes, the wedding clothes!  I will write to my sister Gardiner
about them directly.  Lizzy, my dear, run down to your father,
and ask him how much he will give her.  Stay, stay, I will go
myself.  Ring the bell, Kitty, for Hill.  I will put on my things
in a moment.  My dear, dear Lydia! -- How merry we shall be
 together when we meet!"
Her eldest daughter endeavoured to give some relief to the
violence of these transports, by leading her thoughts to the
obligations which Mr. Gardiner's behaviour laid them all
under.
"For we must attribute this happy conclusion," she added,
in a great measure, to his kindness.  We are persuaded that
he has pledged himself to assist Mr. Wickham with money."
"Well," cried her mother, "it is all very right; who should do
it but her own uncle?  If he had not had a family of his own,
 I and my children must of had all his money you know, and
it is the first time we have ever had any thing from him, except
a few presents.  Well!  I am so happy.  In a short time, I shall
have a daughter married.  Mrs. Wickham!  How well it sounds.
And she was only sixteen last June.  My dear Jane, I am in such
a flutter, that I am sure I can't write; so I will dictate, and you
write for me.  We will settle with your father about the money
afterwards; but the things should be ordered immediately."
She was then proceeding to all the particulars of calico,
muslin, and cambric, and would shortly have dictated some
very plentiful orders, had not Jane, though with some difficulty, persuaded her to wait, till her father was at leisure to be
consulted.  One day's delay she observed, would be of small
importance; and her mother was too happy, to be quite so
obstinate as schemes too came into her head.
"I will go to Meryton," said she, "as soon as I am dressed,
and tell the good, good news to my sister Phillips.  And as I
come back, I can call on Lady Lucas and Mrs. Long.  Kitty,
run down and order the carriage.  An airing would do me a
great deal of good, I am sure.  Girls, can I do any thing for you
in Meryton?  Oh!  here comes Hill.  My dear Hill, have you
heard the good news?  Miss Lydia is going to be married; and
you shall all have a bowl of punch, to make merry at her
wedding."
Mrs. Hill began instantly to express her joy.  Elizabeth
received her congratulations amongst the rest, and then, sick
af this folly, took refuge in her own room, that she might think
with freedom.
Poor Lydia's situation must, at best, be bad enough; but
that it was no worse, she had need to be thankful.  She felt it
so; and though, in looking forward, neither rational happiness
nor worldly prosperity, could be justly expected for her sister;
in looking back to what they had feared, only two hours ago,
she felt all the advantages of what they had gained.