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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?”