In the afternoon Lydia was urgent with the rest of the girls to walk to Meryton, and to see how everybody went on; but Elizabeth steadily opposed the scheme.It should not be said that the Miss Bennets could not be at home half a day before they were in pursuit of the officers.There was another reason too for her opposition.She dreaded seeing Mr.Wickham again,and was resolved to avoid it as long as possible.The comfort to her of the regiment's approaching removal was indeed beyond expression. In a fortnight they were to go―and once gone,she hoped there could be nothing more to plague her on his account.
“Oh!Mary,”said she,“I wish you had gone with us,for we had such fun!As we went along,Kitty and I drew up the blinds,and pretended there was nobody in the coach;and I should have gone so all the way,if Kitty had not been sick;and when we got to the George,I do think we behaved very handsomely,for we treated the other three with the nicest cold luncheon in the world,and if you would have gone,we would have treated you too.And then when we came away it was such fun!I thought we never should have got into the coach.I was ready to die of laughter.And then we were so merry all the way home! we talked and laughed so loud,that anybody might have heard us ten miles off!”
But of this answer Lydia heard not a word.She seldom listened to anybody for more than half a minute, and never attended to Mary at all.