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Слушаем и читаем
Pride and Prejudice
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Chapter 51
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Their sister’s wedding day arrived;
3
and Jane and Elizabeth felt for her probably more than she felt for herself.
4
The carriage was sent to meet them at ——,
5
and they were to return in it by dinner-time.
6
Their arrival was dreaded by the elder Miss Bennets,
7
and Jane more especially,
8
who gave Lydia the feelings which would have attended herself,
9
had she been the culprit,
10
and was wretched in the thought of what her sister must endure.
11
They came.
12
The family were assembled in the breakfast room to receive them.
13
Smiles decked the face of Mrs. Bennet as the carriage drove up to the door;
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her husband looked impenetrably grave;
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her daughters,
16
alarmed,
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anxious,
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uneasy.
19
Lydia’s voice was heard in the vestibule;
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the door was thrown open,
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and she ran into the room.
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Her mother stepped forwards,
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embraced her,
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and welcomed her with rapture;
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gave her hand,
26
with an affectionate smile,
27
to Wickham,
28
who followed his lady;
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and wished them both joy with an alacrity which shewed no doubt of their happiness.
30
Their reception from Mr. Bennet,
31
to whom they then turned,
32
was not quite so cordial.
33
His countenance rather gained in austerity;
34
and he scarcely opened his lips.
35
The easy assurance of the young couple,
36
indeed,
37
was enough to provoke him.
38
Elizabeth was disgusted,
39
and even Miss Bennet was shocked.
40
Lydia was Lydia still;
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untamed,
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unabashed,
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wild,
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noisy,
45
and fearless.
46
She turned from sister to sister,
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demanding their congratulations;
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and when at length they all sat down,
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looked eagerly round the room,
50
took notice of some little alteration in it,
51
and observed,
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with a laugh,
53
that it was a great while since she had been there.
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Wickham was not at all more distressed than herself,
55
but his manners were always so pleasing,
56
that had his character and his marriage been exactly what they ought,
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his smiles and his easy address,
58
while he claimed their relationship,
59
would have delighted them all.
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Elizabeth had not before believed him quite equal to such assurance;
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but she sat down,
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resolving within herself to draw no limits in future to the impudence of an impudent man.
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She blushed,
64
and Jane blushed;
65
but the cheeks of the two who caused their confusion suffered no variation of colour.
66
There was no want of discourse.
67
The bride and her mother could neither of them talk fast enough;
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and Wickham,
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who happened to sit near Elizabeth,
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began inquiring after his acquaintance in that neighbourhood,
71
with a good humoured ease which she felt very unable to equal in her replies.
72
They seemed each of them to have the happiest memories in the world.
73
Nothing of the past was recollected with pain;
74
and Lydia led voluntarily to subjects which her sisters would not have alluded to for the world.
75
“Only think of its being three months,”
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she cried,
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“since I went away;
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it seems but a fortnight I declare;
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and yet there have been things enough happened in the time.
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Good gracious!
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when I went away,
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I am sure I had no more idea of being married till I came back again!
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though I thought it would be very good fun if I was.”
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Her father lifted up his eyes.
85
Jane was distressed.
86
Elizabeth looked expressively at Lydia;
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but she,
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who never heard nor saw anything of which she chose to be insensible,
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gaily continued,
90
“Oh!
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mamma,
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do the people hereabouts know I am married to-day?
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I was afraid they might not;
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and we overtook William Goulding in his curricle,
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so I was determined he should know it,
96
and so I let down the side-glass next to him,
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and took off my glove,
98
and let my hand just rest upon the window frame,
99
so that he might see the ring,
100
and then I bowed and smiled like anything.”
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Elizabeth could bear it no longer.
102
She got up,
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and ran out of the room;
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and returned no more,
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till she heard them passing through the hall to the dining parlour.
106
She then joined them soon enough to see Lydia,
107
with anxious parade,
108
walk up to her mother’s right hand,
109
and hear her say to her eldest sister,
110
“Ah!
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Jane,
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I take your place now,
113
and you must go lower,
114
because I am a married woman.”
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It was not to be supposed that time would give Lydia that embarrassment from which she had been so wholly free at first.
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Her ease and good spirits increased.
117
She longed to see Mrs. Phillips,
118
the Lucases,
119
and all their other neighbours,
120
and to hear herself called “Mrs. Wickham”
121
by each of them;
122
and in the mean time,
123
she went after dinner to show her ring,
124
and boast of being married,
125
to Mrs. Hill and the two housemaids.
126
“Well,
127
mamma,”
128
said she,
129
when they were all returned to the breakfast room,
130
“and what do you think of my husband?
131
Is not he a charming man?
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I am sure my sisters must all envy me.
133
I only hope they may have half my good luck.
134
They must all go to Brighton.
135
That is the place to get husbands.
136
What a pity it is,
137
mamma,
138
we did not all go.”
139
“Very true;
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and if I had my will,
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we should.
142
But my dear Lydia,
143
I don’t at all like your going such a way off.
144
Must it be so?”
145
“Oh,
146
lord!
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yes;—
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there is nothing in that.
149
I shall like it of all things.
150
You and papa,
151
and my sisters,
152
must come down and see us.
153
We shall be at Newcastle all the winter,
154
and I dare say there will be some balls,
155
and I will take care to get good partners for them all.”
156
“I should like it beyond anything!”
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said her mother.
158
“And then when you go away,
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you may leave one or two of my sisters behind you;
160
and I dare say I shall get husbands for them before the winter is over.”
161
“I thank you for my share of the favour,”
162
said Elizabeth;
163
“but I do not particularly like your way of getting husbands.”
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