Five thousand pounds was settled by marriage articles on Mrs. Bennet and the children. But in what proportions it should be divided amongst the latter depended on the will of the parents. This was one point, with regard to Lydia at least, which was now to be settled, and Mr. Bennet could have no hesitation in acceding to the proposal before him. In terms of grateful acknowledgment for the kindness of his brother, though expressed most concisely, he then delivered on paper his perfect approbation of all that was done, and his willingness to fulfil the engagements that had been made for him. He had never before supposed that, could Wickham be prevailed on to marry his daughter, it would be done with so little inconvenience to himself as by the present arrangement. He would scarcely be ten pounds a year the loser, by the hundred that was to be paid them; for, what with her board and pocket allowance, and the continual presents in money which passed to her through her mother's hands, Lydia's expences had been very little within that sum.
當(dāng)年老夫婦的婚約上規(guī)定了班納特太太和子女們一共應(yīng)享有五千磅遺產(chǎn)。至于子女們究竟怎樣分享,得由父母在遺囑上解決,班納特先生毫不猶豫地同意了擺在他面前的那個(gè)建議。他回信給舅爺,多謝他一片好心。他的措辭極其簡(jiǎn)潔,只說(shuō)他對(duì)一切既成事實(shí)都表示贊同,而且舅爺所提出的各項(xiàng)條件,他都愿意照辦。原來(lái)這次說(shuō)服韋翰跟他女兒結(jié)婚一事,竟安排得這樣好,簡(jiǎn)直沒(méi)有帶給他什么麻煩,這實(shí)在是他所意料不到的。雖說(shuō)他每年要付給他們倆一百鎊,可是事實(shí)上他每年還損失不了十鎊,因?yàn)辂惖涎旁诩依镆惨杂瞄_(kāi)銷(xiāo),外加她母親還要貼錢(qián)給她花,計(jì)算起來(lái)每年幾乎也不下于一百鎊。