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第143章（第1页）

Marywastheonlydaughterwhoremainedathome;andshewasnecessarilydrawnfromthepursuitofaccomplishmentsbyMrs.Bennetsbeingquiteunabletositalone.Marywasobligedtomixmorewiththeworld，butshecouldstillmoralizeovereverymorningvisit;andasshewasnolongermortifiedbycomparisonsbetweenhersistersbeautyandherown，itwassuspectedbyherfatherthatshesubmittedtothechangewithoutmuchreluctance.

AsforWickhamandLydia，theircharacterssufferednorevolutionfromthemarriageofhersisters.HeborewithphilosophytheconvictionthatElizabethmustnowbecomeacquaintedwithwhateverofhisingratitudeandfalsehoodhadbeforebeenunknowntoher;andinspiteofeverything，wasnotwhollywithouthopethatDarcymightyetbeprevailedontomakehisfortune.ThecongratulatoryletterwhichElizabethreceivedfromLydiaonhermarriage，explainedtoherthat，byhiswifeatleast，ifnotbyhimself，suchahopewascherished.Theletterwastothiseffect:

“MyDearLizzy，

“Iwishyoujoy.IfyouloveMr.DarcyhalfaswellasIdomydearWickham，youmustbeveryhappy.Itisagreatcomforttohaveyousorich，andwhenyouhavenothingelsetodo，Ihopeyouwillthinkofus.IamsureWickhamwouldlikeaplaceatcourtverymuch，andIdonotthinkweshallhavequitemoneyenoughtoliveuponwithoutsomehelp.Anyplacewoulddo，ofaboutthreeorfourhundredayear;buthowever，donotspeaktoMr.Darcyaboutit，ifyouhadrathernot.

“Yours，etc.”

AsithappenedthatElizabethhadmuchrathernot，sheendeavouredinheranswertoputanendtoeveryentreatyandexpectationofthekind.Suchrelief，however，asitwasinherpowertoafford，bythepracticeofwhatmightbecalledeconomyinherownprivateexpences，shefrequentlysentthem.Ithadalwaysbeenevidenttoherthatsuchanincomeastheirs，underthedirectionoftwopersonssoextravagantintheirwants，andheedlessofthefuture，mustbeveryinsufficienttotheirsupport;andwhenevertheychangedtheirquarters，eitherJaneorherselfweresureofbeingappliedtoforsomelittleassistancetowardsdischargingtheirbills.Theirmannerofliving，evenwhentherestorationofpeacedismissedthemtoahome，wasunsettledintheextreme.Theywerealwaysmovingfromplacetoplaceinquestofacheapsituation，andalwaysspendingmorethantheyought.Hisaffectionforhersoonsunkintoindifference;herslastedalittlelonger;andinspiteofheryouthandhermanners，sheretainedalltheclaimstoreputationwhichhermarriagehadgivenher.

ThoughDarcycouldneverreceivehimatPemberley，yet，forElizabethssake，heassistedhimfurtherinhisprofession.Lydiawasoccasionallyavisitorthere，whenherhusbandwasgonetoenjoyhimselfinLondonorBath;andwiththeBingleystheybothofthemfrequentlystayedsolong，thatevenBingleysgoodhumourwasovercome，andheproceededsofarastotalkofgivingthemahinttobegone.

MissBingleywasverydeeplymortifiedbyDarcysmarriage;butasshethoughtitadvisabletoretaintherightofvisitingatPemberley，shedroptallherresentment;wasfonderthaneverofGeorgiana，almostasattentivetoDarcyasheretofore，andpaidoffeveryarrearofcivilitytoElizabeth.

PemberleywasnowGeorgianashome;andtheattachmentofthesisterswasexactlywhatDarcyhadhopedtosee.Theywereabletoloveeachotherevenaswellastheyintended.GeorgianahadthehighestopinionintheworldofElizabeth;thoughatfirstsheoftenlistenedwithanastonishmentborderingonalarmatherlively，sportivemanneroftalkingtoherbrother.He，whohadalwaysinspiredinherselfarespectwhichalmostovercameheraffection，shenowsawtheobjectofopenpleasantry.Hermindreceivedknowledgewhichhadneverbeforefalleninherway.ByElizabethsinstructions，shebegantocomprehendthatawomanmaytakelibertieswithherhusbandwhichabrotherwillnotalwaysallowinasistermorethantenyearsyoungerthanhimself.

LadyCatherinewasextremelyindignantonthemarriageofhernephew;andasshegavewaytoallthegenuinefranknessofhercharacterinherreplytotheletterwhichannounceditsarrangement，shesenthimlanguagesoveryabusive，especiallyofElizabeth，thatforsometimeallintercoursewasatanend.Butatlength，byElizabethspersuasion，hewasprevailedontooverlooktheoffence，andseekareconciliation;and，afteralittlefurtherresistanceonthepartofhisaunt，herresentmentgaveway，eithertoheraffectionforhim，orhercuriositytoseehowhiswifeconductedherself;andshecondescendedtowaitonthematPemberley，inspiteofthatpollutionwhichitswoodshadreceived，notmerelyfromthepresenceofsuchamistress，butthevisitsofheruncleandauntfromthecity.

WiththeGardiners，theywerealwaysonthemostintimateterms.Darcy，aswellasElizabeth，reallylovedthem;andtheywerebotheversensibleofthewarmestgratitudetowardsthepersonswho，bybringingherintoDerbyshire，hadbeenthemeansofunitingthem.