“But why all this secrecy?Why any fear of detection?Why must their marriage be private?Oh,no,no—this is not likely.His most particular friend,you see by Jane''s account,was persuaded of his never tendg to marry her.Wickham will never marry a woman without some money.He cannot afford it.And what claims has Lydia—what attraction has she beyond youth,health,and good humour that could make him,for her sake,forego every chance of benefitg himself by marryg well? As to what restrat the apprehensions of disgrace the corps might throw on a dishonourable elopement with her,I am not able to judge;for I know nothg of the effects that such a step might produce.But as to your other objection,I am afraid it will hardly hold good. Lydia has no brothers to step forward; and he might image, from my father''s behaviour, from his dolence and the little attention he has ever seemed to give to what was gog forward his family,that he would do as little,and thk as little about it,as any father could do, such a matter.”
“But can you thk that Lydia is so lost to everythg but love of him as to consent to live with him on any terms other than marriage?”
“It does seem,and it is most shockg deed,”replied Elizabeth, with tears her eyes,“that a sister''s sense of decency and virtue such a pot should admit of doubt. But, really, I know not what to say.Perhaps I am not dog her justice.But she is very young;she has never been taught to thk on serious subjects;and for the last half-year,nay,for a twelvemonth—she has been given up to nothg but amusement and vanity. She has been allowed to dispose of her time the most idle and frivolous manner,and to adopt any opions that came her way. Sce the—shire were first quartered Meryton,nothg but love,flirtation,and officers have been her head. She has been dog everythg her power by thkg and talkg on the subject, to give greater—what shall I call it?susceptibility to her feelgs;which are naturally lively enough.And we all know that Wickham has every charm of person and address that can captivate a woman.”
“But you see that Jane,”said her aunt,“does not thk so very ill of Wickham as to believe him capable of the attempt.”
“Of whom does Jane ever thk ill?And who is there,whatever might be their former conduct, that she would thk capable of such an attempt, till it were proved agast them? But Jane knows, as well as I do, what Wickham really is.We both know that he has been profligate every sense of the word;that he has neither tegrity nor honour;that he is as false and deceitful as he is suatg.”
“And do you really know all this?”cried Mrs.Garder,whose curiosity as to the mode of her telligence was all alive.
“I do deed,”replied Elizabeth, colourg.“I told you, the other day, of his famous behaviour to Mr. Darcy; and you yourself,when last at Longbourn,heard what manner he spoke of the man who had behaved with such forbearance and liberality towards him.And there are other circumstances which I am not at liberty—which it is not worth while to relate;but his lies about the whole Pemberley family are endless. From what he said of Miss Darcy I was thoroughly prepared to see a proud,reserved, disagreeable girl.Yet he knew to the contrary himself.He must know that she was as amiable and unpretendg as we have found her.”
“But does Lydia know nothg of this?can she be ignorant of what you and Jane seem so well to understand?”
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