Pride and Prejudice and Kitties, стр. 29
Lydia and Wickham were to be banished to the North of England. What a fate for poor Lydia! Mrs. Bennet could not resign herself to it. To make matters worse, Mr. Bennet was too angry with his daughter and Mr. Wickham to allow them to visit Long-bourn before they left for the North. But gradually Jane and Elizabeth persuaded him to allow the couple to visit, though Elizabeth could not imagine how Wickham could present himself to her mother and father with equanimity.
Random cat comments on The Jane Austen Cookbook.
[Elizabeth] began now to comprehend that he was exactly the man, who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes. It was an union that must have been to the advantage of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved; and from his judgement, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance.
But no such happy marriage could now teach the admiring multitude what connubial felicity really was. An union of a different tendency, and precluding the possibility of the other, was soon to be formed in their family.
How Wickham and Lydia were to be supported in tolerable independence, she could not imagine. But how little of permanent happiness could belong to a couple who were only brought together because their passions were stronger than their virtue, she could easily conjecture.
NOTHING COULD EQUAL Mrs. Bennet’s triumphant trills on receiving her dear Lydia and her now-dear Wickham at Long-bourn.
Elizabeth and Jane greeted Lydia in the hallway, after which Lydia raced about in a wilder manner than ever, demanding everyone’s attention and notice. Was she not the luckiest cat in the kingdom? She, the youngest sister, to have found such a handsome partner as Wickham! Did not all her sisters envy her? Mrs. Bennet was scarcely less wild and noisy than Lydia, while her husband stood by looking grave and silent.
During the visit, Mrs. Bennet expressed her disappointment that Lydia and Wickham must remove so far from Longbourn.
“I don’t at all like your going such a long way off,” she added. “Must it be so?”
“Oh, lord! Yes; there is nothing in that,” chirped Lydia. “I shall like it of all things. You and papa and my sisters must come down and see us. We shall be at Newcastle all the winter, and I dare say there will be plenty of balls, and I will take care to get some for my sisters.”
“I should like that beyond anything!” cried her mother. Lydia was exceedingly fond of her new mate. She groomed him and praised his sleek shiny coat and sharp claws. He did every thing best in the world, and she was sure he would kill more birds on the first of September than any other cat in the country.
During her visit, Lydia let it slip to Elizabeth and Jane that Mr. Darcy had been present at the church when she and Wickham joined paws in marriage.
Elizabeth was incredulous; Mr. Darcy present at the church? What was he doing there—he, of all cats? What could it mean? It was exactly a scene, among such creatures, where he had least temptation to go. Conjectures as to the meaning of it, rapid and wild, hurried through her brain; but she was satisfied with none.
Elizabeth could not rest until she knew it all, and she hastily sent an express letter to her aunt in London asking to know the particulars, if her aunt were at liberty to tell her.
And if she is not at liberty, thought Elizabeth, I shall certainly be reduced to stratagems and tricks to find it out.
“And I am Elizabeth Bennet.”
“Lizzy, I never gave you an account of my wedding...
. . .
We were married, you know, at St. Clement’s, because Wickham’s lodgings were in that parish. And it was settled that we should all be there by eleven o’clock. My uncle and aunt and I were to go together; and the others were to meet us at the church. Well, Monday morning came, and I was in such a fuss! I was so afraid you know that something would happen to put it off, and then I should have gone quite distracted. And there was my aunt, all the time I was dressing, preaching and talking away just as if she was reading a sermon. However, I did not hear above one word in ten, for I was thinking, you may suppose, of my dear Wickham. I longed to know whether he would be married in his blue coat. . .
Well, and so just as the carriage came to the door, my uncle was called away upon business to that horrid man Mr. Stone. And then, you know, when once they get together, there is no end of it. Well, I was so frightened I did not know what to do, for my uncle was to give me away; and if we were beyond the hour, we could not be married all day. But, luckily, he came back again in ten minutes time, and then we all set out. However, I recollected afterwards, that if he had been prevented going, the wedding need not be put off, for Mr. Darcy might have done as well.”
“Mr. Darcy!” repeated Elizabeth, in utter amazement.
“Oh, yes—he was to come there with Wickham, you know. But gracious me! I quite forgot! I ought not to have said a word about it. I promised them so faithfully! What will Wickham say? It was to