The day of his and Lydia's departure soon came,and Mrs.Bennet was forced to submit to a separation,which,as her husband by no means entered into her scheme of their all going to Newcastle,was likely to continue at least a twelvemonth.
The loss of her daughter made Mrs.Bennet very dull for several days.
The subject which had been so warmly canvassed between their parents, about a twelvemonth ago, was now brought forward again.
Mr.Wickham was so perfectly satisfied with this conversation that he never again distressed himself,or provoked his dear sister Elizabeth,by introducing the subject of it;and she was pleased to find that she had said enough to keep him quiet.
Consoled by this resolution,she was the better able to bear her husband's incivility;though it was very mortifying to know that her neighbours might all see Mr. Bingley, in consequence of it, before they did.As the day of his arrival drew near:
“As often as I can. But you know married women have never much time for writing.My sisters may write to me.They will have nothing else to do.”
“Yet it is hard,”she sometimes thought,“that this poor man cannot come to a house which he has legally hired,without raising all this speculation!I will leave him to himself.”
“No,no.You forced me into visiting him last year,and promised, if I went to see him,he should marry one of my daughters.But it ended in nothing,and I will not be sent on a fool's errand again.”