Chapter 19

HAPPY for all her maternal feelings was the day on which
Mrs. Bennet got rid of her two most deserving daughters.
With what delighted pride she afterwards visited Mrs. 
Bingley and talked of Mrs. Darcy may be guessed.  I wish I
could say, for the sake of her family, that the accomplishment
of her earnest desire in the establishment of so many of her
children, produced so happy an effect as to make her a sensible,
amiable, well-informed woman for the rest of her life; though
perhaps it was lucky for her husband, who might not have
relished domestic felicity in so unusual a form, that she still
was occasionally nervous and invariably silly.
Mr. Bennet missed his second daughter exceedingly; his
affection for her drew him oftener from home than any thing
else could do.  He delighted in going to Pemberley, especially
when he was least expected.
Mr. Bingley and Jane remained at Netherfield only a
twelvemonth.  So near a vicinity to her mother and Meryton
relations was not desirable even to his easy temper, or her
affectionate heart.  The darling wish of his sisters was then
gratified; he bought an estate in a neighbouring county to
Derbyshire, and Jane and Elizabeth, in addition to every
other source of happiness, were within thirty miles of each
other.
Kitty, to her very material advantage, spent the chief of her
time with her two elder sisters.  In society so superior to what
she had generally known, her improvement was great.  She
was not of so ungovernable a temper as Lydia, and, removed
from the influence of Lydia's example, she became, by proper
attention and management, less irritable, less ignorant, and
less insipid.  From the farther disadvantage of Lydia's society
she was of course carefully kept, and though Mrs. Wickham
frequently invited her to come and stay with her, with the
promise of balls and young men, her father would never consent 
to her going.
Mary was the only daughter who remained at home; and
she was necessarily drawn from the pursuit of accomplishments 
by Mrs. Bennet's being quite unable to sit alone.  Mary
was obliged to mix more with the world, but she could still
moralize over every morning visit; and as she was no longer
mortified by comparisons between her sisters' beauty and her
own, it was suspected by her father that she submitted to the
change without much reluctance.
As for Wickham and Lydia, their characters suffered no
revolution from the marriage of her sisters.  He bore with
philosophy the conviction that Elizabeth must now become
acquainted with whatever of his ingratitude and falsehood
had before been unknown to her; and in spite of every thing,
was not wholly without hope that Darcy might yet be prevailed 
on to make his fortune.  The congratulatory letter which
Elizabeth received from Lydia on her marriage, explained to
her that, by his wife at least, if not by himself, such a hope was
cherished.  The letter was to this effect:
"MY DEAR LlZZY,
"I wish you joy.  If you love Mr. Darcy half as well as
I do my dear Wickham, you must be very happy.  It is a
great comfort to have you so rich, and when you have
nothing else to do, I hope you will think of us.  I am sure
Wickham would like a place at court very much, and I do
not think we shall have quite money enough to live upon
without some help.  Any place would do, of about three or
four hundred a year; but however, do not speak to Mr. 
Darcy about it, if you had rather not.
"Yours, &c."
 As it happened that Elizabeth had much rather not, she
endeavoured in her answer to put an end to every intreaty
and expectation of the kind.  Such relief, however, as it was
in her power to afford, by the practice of what might be called
economy in her own private expences, she frequently sent
them.  It had always been evident to her that such an income
as theirs, under the direction of two persons so extravagant in
their wants, and heedless of the future, must be very insufficient 
to their support; and whenever they changed their
quarters, either Jane or herself were sure of being applied to,
for some little assistance towards discharging their bills.  Their
manner of living, even when the restoration of peace dismissed them to a home, was unsettled in the extreme.  They
were always moving from place to place in quest of a cheap
situation, and always spending more than they ought.  His
affection for her soon sunk into indifference; her's lasted a
little longer; and in spite of her youth and her manners, she
retained all the claims to reputation which her marriage had
given her.
Though Darcy could never receive him at Pemberley, yet,
for Elizabeth's sake, he assisted him farther in his profession.
Lydia was occasionally a visitor there, when her husband was
gone to enjoy himself in London or Bath; and with the
Bingleys they both of them frequently staid so long, that even
Bingley's good humour was overcome, and he proceeded so
far as to talk of giving them a hint to be gone.
 Miss Bingley was very deeply mortified by Darcy's marriage; 
 but as she thought it advisable to retain the right of
visiting at Pemberley, she dropt all her resentment; was
fonder than ever of Georgiana, almost as attentive to Darcy
as heretofore, and paid off every arrear of civility to Elizabeth.
Pemberley was now Georgiana's home; and the attachment 
of the sisters was exactly what Darcy had hoped to see.
They were able to love each other, even as well as they
intended.  Georgiana had the highest opinion in the world of
Elizabeth; though at first she often listened with an astonishment bordering on alarm, at her lively, sportive, manner of
talking to her brother.  He, who had always inspired in herself 
a respect which almost overcame her affection, she now
saw the object of open pleasantry.  Her mind received knowledge which had never before fallen in her way.  By Elizabeth's
instructions she began to comprehend that a woman may take
liberties with her husband, which a brother will not always
allow in a sister more than ten years younger than himself.
Lady Catherine was extremely indignant on the marriage
of her nephew; and as she gave way to all the genuine frankness 
of her character, in her reply to the letter which announced
its arrangement, she sent him language so very abusive, especially of Elizabeth, that for some time all intercourse was at an
end.  But at length, by Elizabeth's persuasion, he was prevailed
on to overlook the offence, and seek a reconciliation; and, after
a little farther resistance on the part of his aunt, her resentment gave way, either to her affection for him, or her curiosity
to see how his wife conducted herself; and she condescended
to wait on them at Pemberley, in spite of that pollution which
its woods had received, not merely from the presence of such
a mistress, but the visits of her uncle and aunt from the city.
With the Gardiners, they were always on the most intimate
terms.  Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they
were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the
persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the
means of uniting them.

FINIS