7k啦言情小说>傲慢与偏见结局 > 第105章（第1页）
第105章（第1页）
“Ihavebeenthinkingitoveragain，Elizabeth，”saidheruncle，astheydrovefromthetown;“andreally，uponseriousconsideration，IammuchmoreinclinedthanIwastojudgeasyoureldestsisterdoesonthematter。Itappearstomesoveryunlikelythatanyyoungmanshouldformsuchadesignagainstagirlwhoisbynomeansunprotectedorfriendless，andwhowasactuallystayinginhiscolonelsfamily，thatIamstronglyinclinedtohopethebest。Couldheexpectthatherfriendswouldnotstepforward?Couldheexpecttobenoticedagainbytheregiment，aftersuchanaffronttoColonelForster?Histemptationisnotadequatetotherisk!”
“Doyoureallythinkso?”criedElizabeth，brighteningupforamoment。
“Uponmyword，”saidMrs。Gardiner，“Ibegintobeofyourunclesopinion。Itisreallytoogreataviolationofdecency，honour，andinterest，forhimtobeguiltyofit。IcannotthinksoveryillofWickham。Canyouyourself，Lizzy，sowhollygivehimup，astobelievehimcapableofit?”
“Not，perhaps，ofneglectinghisowninterest;butofeveryotherneglectIcanbelievehimcapable。If，indeed，itshouldbeso!ButIdarenothopeit。WhyshouldtheynotgoontoScotlandifthathadbeenthecase?”
“Inthefirstplace，”repliedMr。Gardiner，“thereisnoabsoluteproofthattheyarenotgonetoScotland。”
“Oh!buttheirremovingfromthechaiseintoahackneycoachissuchapresumption!And，besides，notracesofthemweretobefoundontheBarnetroad。”
“Well，then—supposingthemtobeinLondon。Theymaybethere，thoughforthepurposeofconcealment，fornomoreexceptionalpurpose。Itisnotlikelythatmoneyshouldbeveryabundantoneitherside;anditmightstrikethemthattheycouldbemoreeconomically，thoughlessexpeditiously，marriedinLondonthaninScotland。”
“Butwhyallthissecrecy?Whyanyfearofdetection?Whymusttheirmarriagebeprivate?Oh，no，no—thisisnotlikely。Hismostparticularfriend，youseebyJanesaccount，waspersuadedofhisneverintendingtomarryher。Wickhamwillnevermarryawomanwithoutsomemoney。Hecannotaffordit。AndwhatclaimshasLydia—whatattractionhasshebeyondyouth，health，andgoodhumourthatcouldmakehim，forhersake，foregoeverychanceofbenefitinghimselfbymarryingwell?Astowhatrestrainttheapprehensionsofdisgraceinthecorpsmightthrowonadishonourableelopementwithher，Iamnotabletojudge;forIknownothingoftheeffectsthatsuchastepmightproduce。Butastoyourotherobjection，Iamafraiditwillhardlyholdgood。Lydiahasnobrotherstostepforward;andhemightimagine，frommyfathersbehaviour，fromhisindolenceandthelittleattentionhehaseverseemedtogivetowhatwasgoingforwardinhisfamily，thathewoulddoaslittle，andthinkaslittleaboutit，asanyfathercoulddo，insuchamatter。”
“ButcanyouthinkthatLydiaissolosttoeverythingbutloveofhimastoconsenttolivewithhimonanytermsotherthanmarriage?”
“Itdoesseem，anditismostshockingindeed，”repliedElizabeth，withtearsinhereyes，“thatasisterssenseofdecencyandvirtueinsuchapointshouldadmitofdoubt。But，really，Iknownotwhattosay。PerhapsIamnotdoingherjustice。Butsheisveryyoung;shehasneverbeentaughttothinkonserioussubjects;andforthelasthalf-year，nay，foratwelvemonth—shehasbeengivenuptonothingbutamusementandvanity。Shehasbeenallowedtodisposeofhertimeinthemostidleandfrivolousmanner，andtoadoptanyopinionsthatcameinherway。Sincethe—shirewerefirstquarteredinMeryton，nothingbutlove，flirtation，andofficershavebeeninherhead。Shehasbeendoingeverythinginherpowerbythinkingandtalkingonthesubject，togivegreater—whatshallIcallit?susceptibilitytoherfeelings;whicharenaturallylivelyenough。AndweallknowthatWickhamhaseverycharmofpersonandaddressthatcancaptivateawoman。”
“ButyouseethatJane，”saidheraunt，“doesnotthinksoveryillofWickhamastobelievehimcapableoftheattempt。”
“OfwhomdoesJaneeverthinkill?Andwhoisthere，whatevermightbetheirformerconduct，thatshewouldthinkcapableofsuchanattempt，tillitwereprovedagainstthem?ButJaneknows，aswellasIdo，whatWickhamreallyis。Webothknowthathehasbeenprofligateineverysenseoftheword;thathehasneitherintegritynorhonour;thatheisasfalseanddeceitfulasheisinsinuating。”
“Anddoyoureallyknowallthis?”criedMrs。Gardiner，whosecuriosityastothemodeofherintelligencewasallalive。
“Idoindeed，”repliedElizabeth，colouring。“Itoldyou，theotherday，ofhisinfamousbehaviourtoMr。Darcy;andyouyourself，whenlastatLongbourn，heardinwhatmannerhespokeofthemanwhohadbehavedwithsuchforbearanceandliberalitytowardshim。AndthereareothercircumstanceswhichIamnotatliberty—whichitisnotworthwhiletorelate;buthisliesaboutthewholePemberleyfamilyareendless。FromwhathesaidofMissDarcyIwasthoroughlypreparedtoseeaproud，reserved，disagreeablegirl。Yetheknewtothecontraryhimself。Hemustknowthatshewasasamiableandunpretendingaswehavefoundher。”
“ButdoesLydiaknownothingofthis?canshebeignorantofwhatyouandJaneseemsowelltounderstand?”
