“Oh! my dear brother,”replied Mrs. Bennet,“that is exactly what I could most wish for.And now do,when you get to town, find them out,wherever they may be;and if they are not married already,make them marry.And as for wedding clothes,do not let them wait for that,but tell Lydia she shall have as much money as she chooses to buy them,after they are married.And,above all things,keep Mr.Bennet from fighting.Tell him what a dreadful state I am in,that I am frighted out of my wits―and have such tremblings,such flutterings,all over me―such spasms in my side and pains in my head,and such beatings at heart,that I can get no rest by night nor by day.And tell my dear Lydia not to give any directions about her clothes till she has seen me,for she does not know which are the best warehouses.Oh,brother,how kind you are!I know you will contrive it all.”
“Yes; but, when questioned by him, Denny denied knowing anything of their plans,and would not give his real opinion about it. He did not repeat his persuasion of their not marrying―and from that, I am inclined to hope, he might have been misunderstood before.”
“And was Denny convinced that Wickham would not marry? Did he know of their intending to go off?Had Colonel Forster seen Denny himself?”
In the afternoon,the two elder Miss Bennets were able to be for half-an-hour by themselves; and Elizabeth instantly availed herself of the opportunity of making any inquiries, which Jane was equally eager to satisfy.After joining in general lamentations over the dreadful sequel of this event,which Elizabeth considered as all but certain,and Miss Bennet could not assert to be wholly impossible,the former continued the subject,by saying,“But tell me all and everything about it which I have not already heard. Give me further particulars.What did Colonel Forster say?Had they no apprehension of anything before the elopement took place?They must have seen them together for ever.”