Pride and Prejudice and Kitties, стр. 30

ELIZABETH WAS VERY soon satisfied by receiving a long letter from her Aunt Gardiner, and promptly carried her treasure off to a little copse to peruse it in privacy. Her aunt began by expressing surprise that Elizabeth required an explanation for Mr. Darcy’s presence at Lydia’s wedding, implying that she, Aunt Gardiner, believed Elizabeth and Darcy to be on such intimate terms as to have no secrets between them.

Mrs. Gardiner went on to acquaint Lizzy with all that had happened concerning Mr. Darcy: Almost the next day after Elizabeth and the Gardiners quit Derbyshire, Darcy himself had left Pemberley and made his way to London. There, by sense and scents, he discovered where Lydia and Wickham were hiding. His motive for hunting them down was to compel Wickham to make his union with Lydia respectable. For their flight, Mr. Darcy felt he was solely to blame. Had he not been too proud to lay his private actions open to the world, Lydia would never have run away with Wickham. But Mr. Darcy had preserved a haughty silence; his upstanding cat character, he had believed, should speak for itself. Therefore, since he was responsible for the infamous and injurious elopement, he alone must be responsible for the remedy.

Mr. Darcy had first tried to persuade Lydia to return to her family, Mrs. Gardiner related, even offering her his most luxurious cat carrier to take her to Longbourn. But Lydia had declined; she was perfectly happy with her dear Wickham and needed none of Mr. Darcy’s help. She was sure their match would be made respectable sometime or other, and it did not matter much when.

Mr. Darcy soon discovered that Wickham had very different feelings. He cherished the hope of a more advantageous match with another cat. In spite of this, he was receptive to Mr. Darcy’s offer of a lifetime supply of wet food and a comfortable kennel to share with Lydia.

After Darcy acquainted Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner with all these particulars, Mr. Gardiner expressed his earnest desire of helping to pay for Wickham’s keep. Mr. Darcy, however, showed himself to be as obstinate as a cat generally is and took all the trouble of arranging things between Lydia and Wickham himself.

Both Lydia and Wickham had access to the Gardiners’ house while awaiting their final union. Aunt Gardiner had lectured her niece repeatedly in a most serious manner about the evil of running away with Wickham, but Lydia merely laid her ears back and pretended not to hear.

Her aunt concluded her letter by telling Elizabeth how very much she liked Mr. Darcy and how easy and pleasing his manners were. All he needed was playfulness and that, if chose his partner prudently, would not be lacking.

This letter threw Elizabeth into such a flutter of spirits that she had to roll around the grass and chase a rabbit into the underbrush before she could compose herself. Was Darcy’s motive for putting to rights matters between Lydia and Wickham due only to mistaken pride? Or did he still harbor passionate feelings towards her? Elizabeth was trotting around the park, reflecting on this question, when Wickham caught up with her. He asked whether she had seen Mr. Darcy at Lambton and what she thought of his sister, Georgiana.

Elizabeth replied that she had seen Mr. Darcy and that she found his sister delightful, though rather shy. Wickham replied with a low growl. He went on to inquire if she had visited the village of Kympton. “I ask,” he said, “because that was where old Mr. Darcy promised me a house in which to pass my days in pastoral tran-quility. But, as you know, his son chose to disregard his late father’s wishes. Oh, the snug parsonage with its sunny morning room and the many mice—how I would have loved it!”

“I heard,” replied Elizabeth, “that you told Mr. Darcy that you did not wish to live a retired life and were compensated accordingly.”

Wickham’s eyes widened and he uttered a silent meow. “Come, Mr. Wickham,” said Elizabeth, “let us not quarrel about the past.”

They then went inside, while Wickham tried to compose his features, and succeeded only in looking very silly.

Wickham, my dear, is that Mr. Darcy scratching at the door?

“I fancy, Lizzy, that obstinacy is the real defect of his character after all. He has been accused of many faults at different times, but this is the true one. Nothing was to be done that he did not do himself; though I am sure (and I do not speak it to be thanked, therefore say nothing about it), your uncle would most readily have settled the whole. They battled it together for a long time, which was more than either the gentleman or lady concerned in it deserved. But at last your uncle was forced to yield, and instead of being allowed to be of use to his niece, was forced to put up with only having the probable credit of it, which went sorely against the grain; and I really believe your letter this morning gave him great pleasure, because it required an explanation that would rob him of his borrowed feathers, and give the praise where it was due.”

POOR MRS. BENNET was reduced to a pitiable state when the time came for Lydia and Wickham to leave for the North. Her spirits remained low after their departure and she spent several days hiding under the bed. But then came news of a most promising nature; Mr. Bingley was expected back at Netherfield for a few weeks of bird hunting!

All Mrs. Bennet’s former ambitions for Jane and Bingley were instantly reanimated. Jane pretended to be engrossed with a juicy fly, while her mother meowed noisily of her expectations, her schemes for her eldest daughter to spring on Mr. Bingley in the shrubbery, and her plans to invite him to dinner of chicken-flavored catnip and roasted mouse as