Mr. Bingley and Jane remained at Netherfield only a twelvemonth. So near

a vicinity to her mother and Meryton relations was not desirable even to

his easy temper, or her affectionate heart. The darling wish of his

sisters was then gratified: he bought an estate in a neighbouring county

to Derbyshire; and Jane and Elizabeth, in addition to every other source

of happiness, were within thirty miles of each other.
Kitty, to her very material advantage, spent the chief of her time with

her two elder sisters. In society so superior to what she had generally

known, her improvement was great. She was not of so ungovernable a

temper as Lydia; and, removed from the influence of Lydia’s example, she

became, by proper attention and management, less irritable, less

ignorant, and less insipid. From the further disadvantage of Lydia’s

society she was of course carefully kept; and though Mrs. Wickham

frequently invited her to come and stay with her, with the promise of

balls and young men, her father would never consent to her going.
Mary was the only daughter who remained at home; and she was necessarily

drawn from the pursuit of accomplishments by Mrs. Bennet’s being quite

unable to sit alone. Mary was obliged to mix more with the world, but

she could still moralize over every morning visit; and as she was no

longer mortified by comparisons between her sisters’ beauty and her own,

it was suspected by her father that she submitted to the change without

much reluctance.
As for Wickham and Lydia, their characters suffered no revolution from

the marriage of her sisters. He bore with philosophy the conviction that

Elizabeth must now become acquainted with whatever of his ingratitude

and{474} falsehood had before been unknown to her; and, in spite of

everything, was not wholly without hope that Darcy might yet be

prevailed on to make his fortune. The congratulatory letter which

Elizabeth received from Lydia on her marriage explained to her that, by