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ment where she was acquainted with everybody, and had so

many favourites.

'She is so fond of Mrs. Forster,' said she, 'It will be quite

shocking to send her away! And there are several of the

young men, too, that she likes very much. The officers may

not be so pleasant in General ____'s regiment.'

His daughter's request, for such it might be considered, of

being admitted into her family again, before she set off for

the north, received at first an absolute negative. But Jane

and Elizabeth, who agreed in wishing, for the sake of their

sister's feelings and consequence, that she should be noticed

on her marriage by her parents, urged him so earnestly, yet

so rationally and so mildly, to receive her and her husband

at Longbourn, as soon as they were married, that he was

prevailed on to think as they thought and act as they wished.

And their mother had the satisfaction of knowing that she

should be able to show her married daughter in the neigh-

bourhood, before she was banished to the north. When Mr.

Bennet wrote again to his brother, therefore, he sent his

permission for them to come; and it was settled that, as soon

as the ceremony was over, they should proceed to Long-

bourn. Elizabeth was surprised, however, that Wickham

should consent to such a scheme; and, had she consulted

only her own inclination, any meeting with him would have

been the last object of her wishes.

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