“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?”