ihavebeenthinkingitoveragain,elizabeth,"saidheruncleastheydrovefromthetown;"andreally,uponseriousconsideration,iammuchmoreinclinedthaniwastojudgeasyoureldestsisterdoesofthematter.itappearstomesoveryunlikelythatanyyoungmanshouldformsuchadesignagainstagirlwhoisbynomeansunprotectedorfriendless,andwhowasactuallystayinginhiscolonel'sfamily,thatiamstronglyinclinedtohopethebest.couldheexpectthatherfriendswouldnotstepforward?couldheexpecttobenoticedagainbytheregiment,aftersuchanaffronttocolonelforster?histemptationisnotadequatetotherisk."

"doyoureallythinkso?"criedelizabeth,brighteningupforamoment.

"uponmyword,"saidmrs.gardiner,"ibegintobeofyouruncle'sopinion.itisreallytoogreataviolationofdecency,honour,andinterest,forhimtobeguiltyofit.icannotthinksoveryillofwickham.canyou,yourself,lizzy,sowhollygivehimupastobelievehimcapableofit?"

"notperhapsofneglectinghisowninterest.butofeveryotherneglecticanbelievehimcapable.if,indeed,itshouldbeso!butidarenothopeit.whyshouldtheynotgoontoscotland,ifthathadbeenthecase?"

"inthefirstplace,"repliedmr.gardiner,"thereisnoabsoluteproofthattheyarenotgonetoscotland."

"oh!buttheirremovingfromthechaiseintoanhackneycoachissuchapresumption!and,besides,notracesofthemweretobefoundonthebarnetroad."

"well,then—supposingthemtobeinlondon.theymaybethere,though,forthepurposeofconcealment,fornomoreexceptionablepurpose.itisnotlikelythatmoneyshouldbeveryabundantoneitherside;anditmightstrikethemthattheycouldbemoreeconomically,thoughlessexpeditiously,marriedinlondon,thaninscotland."

"butwhyallthissecrecy?whyanyfearofdetection?whymusttheirmarriagebeprivate?oh!no,no,thisisnotlikely.hismostparticularfriend,youseebyjane'saccount,waspersuadedofhisneverintendingtomarryher.wickhamwillnevermarryawomanwithoutsomemoney.hecannotaffordit.andwhatclaimshaslydia,whatattractionshasshebeyondyouth,health,andgoodhumour,thatcouldmakehim,forhersake,forgoeverychanceofbenefitinghimselfbymarryingwell?astowhatrestrainttheapprehensionofdisgraceinthecorpsmightthrowonadishonourableelopementwithher,iamnotabletojudge;foriknownothingoftheeffectsthatsuchastepmightproduce.butastoyourotherobjection,iamafraiditwillhardlyholdgood.lydiahasnobrotherstostepforward;andhemightimagine,frommyfather'sbehaviour,fromhisindolenceandthelittleattentionhehaseverseemedtogivetowhatwasgoingforwardinhisfamily,thathewoulddoaslittle,andthinkaslittleaboutit,asanyfathercoulddoinsuchamatter."

"butcanyouthinkthatlydiaissolosttoeverythingbutloveofhim,astoconsenttolivewithhimonanyothertermsthanmarriage?"

"itdoesseem,anditismostshockingindeed,"repliedelizabeth,withtearsinhereyes,"thatasister'ssenseofdecencyandvirtueinsuchapointshouldadmitofdoubt.but,really,iknownotwhattosay.perhapsiamnotdoingherjustice.butsheisveryyoung;shehasneverbeentaughttothinkonserioussubjects;andforthelasthalfyear,nay,foratwelvemonth,shehasbeengivenuptonothingbutamusementandvanity.shehasbeenallowedtodisposeofhertimeinthemostidleandfrivolousmanner,andtoadoptanyopinionsthatcameinherway.sincethe—shirewerefirstquarteredinmeryton,nothingbutlove,flirtation,andofficershavebeeninherhead.shehasbeendoingeverythinginherpower,bythinkingandtalkingonthesubject,to—givegreaterwhatshallicallit?—susceptibilitytoherfeelings,whicharenaturallylivelyenough.andweallknowthatwickhamhaseverycharmofpersonandaddressthatcancaptivateawoman."

"butyouseethatjane,"saidheraunt,"doesnotthinksoillofwickhamastobelievehimcapableoftheattempt."

"ofwhomdoesjaneeverthinkill?andwhoisthere,whatevermightbetheirformerconduct,thatshewouldbelievecapableofsuchanattempt,tillitwereprovedagainstthem?butjaneknows,aswellasido,whatwickhamreallyis.webothknowthathehasbeenprofligateineverysenseoftheword.thathehasneitherintegritynorhonour.thatheisasfalseanddeceitful,asheisinsinuating."

"anddoyoureallyknowallthis?"criedmrs.gardiner,whosecuriosityastothemodeofherintelligencewasallalive.

"ido,indeed,"repliedelizabeth,colouring."itoldyoutheotherday,ofhisinfamousbehaviourtomr.darcy;andyou,yourself,whenlastatlongbourn,heardinwhatmannerhespokeofthemanwhohadbehavedwithsuchforbearanceandliberalitytowardshim.andthereareothercircumstanceswhichiamnotatliberty—whichitisnotworthwhiletorelate;buthisliesaboutthewholepemberleyfamilyareendless.fromwhathesaidofmissdarcy,iwasthoroughlypreparedtoseeaproud,reserved,disagreeablegirl.yetheknewtothecontraryhimself.hemustknowthatshewasamiableandunpretendingaswehavefoundher."

"butdoeslydiaknownothingofthis?canshebeignorantofwhatyouandjaneseemsowelltounderstand?"

"oh,yes!—that,thatistheworstofall.tilliwasinkent,andsawsomuchbothofmr.darcyandhisrelation,colonelfitzwilliam,iwasignorantofthetruthmyself.andwhenireturnedhome,the—shirewastoleavemerytoninaweekorfortnight'stime.asthatwasthecase,neitherjane,towhomirelatedthewhole,nori,thoughtitnecessarytomakeourknowledgepublic;forofwhatusecoulditapparentlybetoanyonethatthegoodopinionwhichalltheneighbourhoodhadofhimshouldthenbeoverthrown?andevenwhenitwassettledthatlydiashouldgowithmrs.forster,thenecessityofopeninghereyestohischaracterneveroccurredtome.thatshecouldbeinanydangerfromthedeceptionneverenteredmyhead.thatsuchaconsequenceasthisshouldensue,youmayeasilybelievewasfarenoughfrommythoughts."

"whentheyallremovedtobrighton,therefore,youhadnoreason,isuppose,tobelievethemfondofeachother."

"nottheslightest.icanremembernosymptomofaffectiononeitherside;andhadanythingofthekindbeenperceptible,youmustbeawarethatoursisnotafamilyonwhichitcouldbethrownaway.whenfirstheenteredthecorps,shewasreadyenoughtoadmirehim;butsoweallwere.everygirlinornearmerytonwasoutofhersensesabouthimforthefirsttwomonths;butheneverdistinguishedherbyanyparticularattention,andconsequently,afteramoderateperiodofextravagantandwildadmiration,herfancyforhimgaveway,andothersoftheregimentwhotreatedherwithmoredistinctionagainbecameherfavourites."

itmaybeeasilybelievedthat,howeverlittleofnoveltycouldbeaddedtotheirfears,hopes,andconjectures,onthisinterestingsubjectbyitsrepeateddiscussion,noothercoulddetainthemfromitlong,duringthewholeofthejourney.fromelizabeth'sthoughtsitwasneverabsent.fixedtherebythekeenestofallanguish,self-reproach,shecouldfindnointervalofeaseorforgetfulness.

theytravelledasexpeditiouslyaspossible;and,sleepingonenightontheroad,reachedlongbournbydinner-timethenextday.itwasacomforttoelizabethtoconsiderthatjanecouldnothavebeenweariedbylongexpectations.

thelittlegardiners,attractedbythesightofachaise,werestandingonthestepsofthehouseastheyenteredthepaddock;andwhenthecarriagedroveuptothedoor,thejoyfulsurprisethatlighteduptheirfaces,anddisplayeditselfovertheirwholebodiesinavarietyofcapersandfrisks,wasthefirstpleasingearnestoftheirwelcome.

elizabethjumpedout;and,aftergivingeachofthemanhastykiss,hurriedintothevestibule,wherejane,whocamerunningdownstairsfromhermother'sapartment,immediatelymether.

elizabeth,assheaffectionatelyembracedher,whilsttearsfilledtheeyesofboth,lostnotamomentinaskingwhetheranythinghadbeenheardofthefugitives.

"notyet,"repliedjane."butnowthatmydearuncleiscome,ihopeeverythingwillbewell."

"ismyfatherintown?"

"yes,hewentontuesday,asiwroteyouword."

"andhaveyouheardfromhimoften?"

"wehaveheardonlyonce.hewrotemeafewlinesonwednesday,tosaythathehadarrivedinsafety,andtogivemehisdirections,whichiparticularlybeggedhimtodo.hemerelyaddedthatheshouldnotwriteagaintillhehadsomethingofimportancetomention."

"andmymother—howisshe?howareyouall?"

"mymotheristolerablywell,itrust;thoughherspiritsaregreatlyshaken.sheisupstairs,andwillhavegreatsatisfactioninseeingyouall.shedoesnotyetleaveherdressing-room.maryandkitty,thankheaven!arequitewell."

"butyou—howareyou?"criedelizabeth."youlookpale.howmuchyoumusthavegonethrough!"

hersister,however,assuredherofherbeingperfectlywell;andtheirconversation,whichhadbeenpassingwhilemr.andmrs.gardinerwereengagedwiththeirchildren,wasnowputanendtobytheapproachofthewholeparty.janerantoheruncleandaunt,andwelcomedandthankedthemboth,withalternatesmilesandtears.

whentheywereallinthedrawingroom,thequestionswhichelizabethhadalreadyaskedwereofcourserepeatedbytheothers,andtheysoonfoundthatjanehadnointelligencetogive.thesanguinehopeofgood,however,whichthebenevolenceofherheartsuggested,hadnotyetdesertedher;shestillexpectedthatitwouldallendwell,andthateverymorningwouldbringsomeletter,eitherfromlydiaorherfather,toexplaintheirproceedings,andperhapsannouncethemarriage.

mrs.bennet,towhoseapartmenttheyallrepaired,afterafewminutesconversationtogether,receivedthemexactlyasmightbeexpected;withtearsandlamentationsofregret,invectivesagainstthevillainousconductofwickham,andcomplaintsofherownsufferingsandillusage;blamingeverybodybutthepersontowhoseill-judgingindulgencetheerrorsofherdaughtermustbeprincipallyowing.

"ifihadbeenable,"saidshe,"tocarrymypointofgoingtobrighton,withallmyfamily,thiswouldnothavehappened;butpoordearlydiahadnobodytotakecareofher.whydidtheforsterseverlethergooutoftheirsight?iamsuretherewassomegreatneglectorotherontheirside,forsheisnotthekindofgirltodosuchathing,ifshehadbeenwelllookedafter.ialwaysthoughttheywereveryunfittohavethechargeofher;butiwasover-ruled,asialwaysam.poordearchild!andnowhere'smr.bennetgoneaway,andiknowhewillfightwickhamwhereverhemeetshim,andthenhewillbekilled,andwhatistobecomeofusall?thecollinseswillturnusout,beforeheiscoldinhisgrave;andifyouarenotkindtous,brother,idonotknowwhatweshalldo."

theyallexclaimedagainstsuchterrificideas;andmr.gardiner,aftergeneralassurancesofhisaffectionforherandallherfamily,toldherthathemeanttobeinlondontheverynextday,andwouldassistmr.bennetineveryendeavourforrecoveringlydia.