“Donotmakeyourselfuneasy,mylove.WhereveryouandJaneareknownyoumustberespectedandvalued;andyouwillnotappeartolessadvantageforhavingacoupleof—orImaysay,three—verysillysisters.WeshallhavenopeaceatLongbournifLydiadoesnotgotoBrighton.Lethergo,then.ColonelForsterisasensibleman,andwillkeepheroutofanyrealmischief;andsheisluckilytoopoortobeanobjectofpreytoanybody.AtBrightonshewillbeoflessimportanceevenasacommonflirtthanshehasbeenhere.Theofficerswillfindwomenbetterworththeirnotice.Letushope,therefore,thatherbeingtheremayteachherherowninsignificance.Atanyrate,shecannotgrowmanydegreesworse,withoutauthorisingustolockherupfortherestofherlife.”
WiththisanswerElizabethwasforcedtobecontent;butherownopinioncontinuedthesame,andshelefthimdisappointedandsorry.Itwasnotinhernature,however,toincreasehervexationsbydwellingontheShewasconfidentofhavingperformedherduty,andtofretoverunavoidableevils,oraugmentthembyanxiety,wasnopartofherdisposition.
HadLydiaandhermotherknownthesubstanceofherconferencewithherfather,theirindignationwouldhardlyhavefoundexpressionintheirunitedvolubility.InLydiasimagination,avisittoBrightoncomprisedeverypossibilityofearthlyhappiness.Shesaw,withthecreativeeyeoffancy,thestreetsofthatgaybathing-placecoveredwithofficers.Shesawherselftheobjectofattention,totensandtoscoresofthematpresentunknown.Shesawallthegloriesofthecamp—itstentsstretchedforthinbeauteousuniformityoflines,crowdedwiththeyoungandthegay,anddazzlingwithscarlet;and,tocompletetheview,shesawherselfseatedbeneathatent,tenderlyflirtingwithatleastsixofficersatonce.
Hadsheknownhersistersoughttotearherfromsuchprospectsandsuchrealitiesasthese,whatwouldhavebeenhersensations?Theycouldhavebeenunderstoodonlybyhermother,whomighthavefeltnearlythesame.LydiasgoingtoBrightonwasallthatconsoledherforhermelancholyconvictionofherhusbandsneverintendingtogotherehimself.
Buttheywereentirelyignorantofwhathadpassed;andtheirrapturescontinued,withlittleintermission,totheverydayofLydiasleavinghome.
ElizabethwasnowtoseeMr.Wickhamforthelasttime.Havingbeenfrequentlyincompanywithhimsinceherreturn,agitationwasprettywellover;theagitationsofformalpartialityentirelyso.Shehadevenlearnttodetect,intheverygentlenesswhichhadfirstdelightedher,anaffectationandasamenesstodisgustandweary.Inhispresentbehaviourtoherself,moreover,shehadafreshsourceofdispleasure,fortheinclinationhesoontestifiedofrenewingthoseattentionswhichhadmarkedtheearlypartoftheiracquaintancecouldonlyserve,afterwhathadsincepassed,toprovokeher.Shelostallconcernforhiminfindingherselfthusselectedastheobjectofsuchidleandfrivolousgallantry;andwhileshesteadilyrepressedit,couldnotbutfeelthereproofcontainedinhisbelieving,thathoweverlong,andforwhatevercause,hisattentionshadbeenwithdrawn,hervanitywouldbegratified,andherpreferencesecuredatanytimebytheirrenewal.
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