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snug, and talk and laugh all the way home. And in the first

place, let us hear what has happened to you all since you

went away. Have you seen any pleasant men? Have you

had any flirting? I was in great hopes that one of you would

have got a husband before you came back. Jane will be

quite an old maid soon, I declare. She is almost three-and-~

twenty! Lord! how ashamed I should be of not being

married before three-and-twenty! My aunt Philips wants

you so to get husbands, you can't think. She says Lizzy had

better have taken Mr. Collins; but _I_ do not think there would

have been any fun in it. Lord! how I should like to be

married before any of you! and then I would _chaperon_ you

about to all the balls. Dear me! we had such a good piece

of fun the other day at Colonel Forster's! Kitty and me were

to spend the day there, and Mrs. Forster promised to have a

little dance in the evening (by the bye, Mrs. Forster and me

are _such_ friends!); and so she asked the two Harringtons to

come; but Harriet was ill, and so Pen was forced to come by

herself; and then, what do you think we did? We dressed

up Chamberlayne in woman's clothes, on purpose to pass for a

lady, -- only think what fun! Not a soul knew of it, but

Colonel and Mrs. Forster, and Kitty and me, except my aunt,

for we were forced to borrow one of her gowns; and you

cannot imagine how well he looked! When Denny, and

Wickham, and Pratt, and two or three more of the men came

in, they did not know him in the least. Lord! how I laughed!

and so did Mrs. Forster. I thought I should have died. And

_that_ made the men suspect something, and then they soon

found out what was the matter.'

With such kind of histories of their parties and good

jokes did Lydia, assisted by Kitty's hints and additions,

endeavour to amuse her companions all the way to Long-

bourn. Elizabeth listened as little as she could, but

there was no escaping the frequent mention of Wick-

ham's name.

Their reception at home was most kind. Mrs. Bennet

rejoiced to see Jane in undiminished beauty; and more than

once during dinner did Mr. Bennet say voluntarily to

Elizabeth,--

'I am glad you are come back, Lizzy.'

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