thefirstweekoftheirreturnwassoongone.thesecondbegan.itwasthelastoftheregiment'sstayinmeryton,andalltheyoungladiesintheneighbourhoodweredroopingapace.thedejectionwasalmostuniversal.theeldermissbennetsalonewerestillabletoeat,drink,andsleep,andpursuetheusualcourseoftheiremployments.veryfrequentlyweretheyreproachedforthisinsensibilitybykittyandlydia,whoseownmiserywasextreme,andwhocouldnotcomprehendsuchhard—heartednessinanyofthefamily.

"goodheaven!whatistobecomeofus!whatarewetodo!"wouldtheyoftenexclaiminthebitternessofwoe."howcanyoubesmilingso,lizzy?"

theiraffectionatemothersharedalltheirgrief;sherememberedwhatshehadherselfenduredonasimilaroccasion,fiveandtwentyyearsago.

"iamsure,"saidshe,"icriedfortwodaystogetherwhencolonelmillar'sregimentwentaway.ithoughtishouldhavebrokemyheart."

"iamsureishallbreakmine,"saidlydia.

"ifonecouldbutgotobrighton!"observedmrs.bennet.

"oh,yes!—ifonecouldbutgotobrighton!butpapaissodisagreeable."

"alittlesea—bathingwouldsetmeupforever."

"andmyauntphilipsissureitwoulddomeagreatdealofgood,"addedkitty.

suchwerethekindoflamentationsresoundingperpetuallythroughlongbourn-house.elizabethtriedtobepertedbythem;butallsenseofpleasurewaslostinshame.shefeltanewthejusticeofmr.darcy'sobjections;andneverhadshebeforebeensomuchdisposedtopardonhisinterferenceintheviewsofhisfriend.

butthegloomoflydia'sprospectwasshortlyclearedaway;forshereceivedaninvitationfrommrs.forster,thewifeofthecoloneloftheregiment,toaccompanyhertobrighton.thisinvaluablefriendwasaveryyoungwoman,andverylatelymarried.aresemblanceingoodhumourandgoodspiritshadrecommendedherandlydiatoeachother,andoutoftheirthreemonths'acquaintancetheyhadbeenintimatetwo.

theraptureoflydiaonthisoccasion,heradorationofmrs.forster,thedelightofmrs.bennet,andthemortificationofkitty,arescarcelytobedescribed.whollyinattentivetohersister'sfeelings,lydiaflewaboutthehouseinrestlessecstacy,callingforeveryone'scongratulations,andlaughingandtalkingwithmoreviolencethanever;whilstthelucklesskittycontinuedintheparlourrepiningatherfateintermsasunreasonableasheraccentwaspeevish.

"icannotseewhymrs.forstershouldnotaskmeaswellaslydia,"saidshe,"thoughiamnotherparticularfriend.ihavejustasmuchrighttobeaskedasshehas,andmoretoo,foriamtwoyearsolder."

invaindidelizabethattempttoreasonable,andjanetomakeherresigned.asforelizabethherself,thisinvitationwassofarfromexcitinginherthesamefeelingsasinhermotherandlydia,thatsheconsidereditasthedeathwarrantofallpossibilityofcommonsenseforthelatter;anddetestableassuchastepmustmakeherwereitknown,shecouldnothelpsecretlyadvisingherfathernottolethergo.sherepresentedtohimalltheimproprietiesoflydia'sgeneralbehaviour,thelittleadvantageshecouldderivefromthefriendshipofsuchawomanasmrs.forster,andtheprobabilityofherbeingyetmoreimprudentwithsuchacompanionatbrighton,wherethetemptationsmustbegreaterthanathome.heheardherattentively,andthensaid,"lydiawillneverbeeasytillshehasexposedherselfinsomepublicplaceorother,andwecanneverexpecthertodoitwithsolittleexpenseorinconveniencetoherfamilyasunderthepresentcircumstances."

"ifyouwereaware,"saidelizabeth,"oftheverygreatdisadvantagetousall,whichmustarisefromthepublicnoticeoflydia'sunguardedandimprudentmanner;nay,whichhasalreadyarisenfromit,iamsureyouwouldjudgedifferentlyintheaffair."

"alreadyarisen!"repeatedmr.bennet."what,hasshefrightenedawaysomeofyourlovers?poorlittlelizzy!butdonotbecastdown.suchsqueamishyouthsascannotbeartobeconnectedwithalittleabsurdityarenotwortharegret.come,letmeseethelistofthepitifulfellowswhohavebeenkeptaloofbylydia'sfolly."

"indeedyouaremistaken.ihavenosuchinjuriestoresent,itisnotofpeculiar,butofgeneralevils,whichiamnowcomplaining.ourimportance,ourrespectabilityintheworld,mustbeaffectedbythewildvolatility,theassuranceanddisdainofallrestraintwhichmarklydia'scharacter.excuseme—forimustspeakplainly.ifyou,mydearfather,willnottakethetroubleofcheckingherexuberantspirits,andofteachingherthatherpresentpursuitsarenottobethebusinessofherlife,shewillsoonbebeyondthereachofamendment.hercharacterwillbefixed,andshewill,atsixteen,bethemostdeterminedflirtthatevermadeherselfandherfamilyridiculous.aflirt,too,intheworstandmeanestdegreeofflirtation;withoutanyattractionbeyondyouthandatolerableperson;andfromtheignoranceandemptinessofhermind,whollyunabletowardoffanyportionofthatuniversalcontemptwhichherrageforadmirationwillexcite.inthisdangerkittyisalsocomprehended.shewillfollowwhereverlydialeads.—vain,ignorant,idle,andabsolutelyuncontrolled!oh!mydearfather,canyousupposeitpossiblethattheywillnotbecensuredanddespisedwherevertheyareknown,andthattheirsisterswillnotbeofteninvolvedinthedisgrace?"

mr.bennetsawthatherwholeheartwasinthesubject;andaffectionatelytakingherhand,saidinreply,"donotmakeyourselfuneasy,mylove.whereveryouandjaneareknown,youmustberespectedandvalued;andyouwillnotappeartolessadvantageforhavingacoupleof—orimaysay,three—verysillysisters.weshallhavenopeaceatlongbourniflydiadoesnotgotobrighton.lethergothen.colonelforsterisasensibleman,andwillkeepheroutofanyrealmischief;andsheisluckilytoopoortobeanobjectofpreytoanybody.atbrightonshewillbeoflessimportance,evenasacommonflirt,thanshehasbeenhere.theofficerswillfindwomenbetterworththeirnotice.letushope,therefore,thatherbeingtheremayteachherherowninsignificance.atanyrate,shecannotgrowmanydegreesworsewithoutauthorizingustolockherupfortherestofherlife."

withthisanswerelizabethwasforcedtobecontent;butherownopinioncontinuedthesame,andshelefthimdisappointedandsorry.itwasnotinhernature,however,toincreasehervexationsbydwellingonthem.shewasconfidentofhavingperformedherduty,andtofretoverunavoidableevils,oraugmentthembyanxiety,wasnopartofherdisposition.