Pride and Prejudice - Chaelisa Edition

Chapter 12

In consequence of an agreement between the sisters, Roseanne wrote the next morning to their mother, to beg that the carriage might be sent for them in the course of the day. But Mrs. Park, who had calculated on her daughters remaining at Netherfield till the following Tuesday, which would exactly finish Jennie’s week, could not bring herself to receive them with pleasure before. Her answer, therefore, was not propitious, at least not to Roseanne’s wishes, for she was impatient to get home. Mrs. Park sent them word that they could not possibly have the carriage before Tuesday; and in her postscript it was added, that if Miss Kim and her sister pressed them to stay longer, she could spare them very well. Against staying longer, however, Roseanne was positively resolved—nor did she much expect it would be asked; and fearful, on the contrary, as being considered as intruding themselves needlessly long, she urged Jennie to borrow Miss Kim’s carriage immediately, and at length it was settled that their original design of leaving Netherfield that morning should be mentioned, and the request made.

The communication excited many professions of concern; and enough was said of wishing them to stay at least till the following day to work on Jennie; and till the morrow their going was deferred. Ms. Kim Miyeon was then sorry that she had proposed the delay, for her jealousy and dislike of one sister much exceeded her affection for the other.

The master of the house heard with real sorrow that they were to go so soon, and repeatedly tried to persuade Miss Park that it would not be safe for her—that she was not enough recovered; but Jennie was firm where she felt herself to be right.

To Miss Manoban it was welcome intelligence—Roseanne had been at Netherfield long enough. She attracted her more than she liked—and Ms. Kim Miyeon was uncivil to her, and more teasing than usual to herself. She wisely resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration should now escape her, nothing that could elevate her with the hope of influencing her felicity; sensible that if such an idea had been suggested, her behaviour during the last day must have material weight in confirming or crushing it. Steady to her purpose, she scarcely spoke ten words to her through the whole of Saturday, and though they were at one time left by themselves for half-an-hour, she adhered most conscientiously to her book, and would not even look at her.

On Sunday, after morning service, the separation, so agreeable to almost all, took place. Ms. Kim Miyeon’s civility to Roseanne increased at last very rapidly, as well as her affection for Jennie; and when they parted, after assuring the latter of the pleasure it would always give her to see her either at Longbourn or Netherfield, and embracing her most tenderly, she even shook hands with the former. Roseanne took leave of the whole party in the liveliest of spirits.

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They were not welcomed home very cordially by their mother. Mrs. Park wondered at their coming, and thought them very wrong to give so much trouble, and was sure Jennie would have caught cold again. But their father, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see them; he had felt their importance in the family circle. The evening conversation, when they were all assembled, had lost much of its animation, and almost all its sense by the absence of Jennie and Roseanne.

They found Wheein, as usual, deep in the study of thorough-bass and human nature; and had some extracts to admire, and some new observations of threadbare morality to listen to. Hyejin and Solar had information for them of a different sort. Much had been done and much had been said in the regiment since the preceding Wednesday; several of the officers had dined lately with their uncle, a private had been flogged, and it had actually been hinted that Colonel Forster was going to be married.