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'Lizzy, when you first read that letter, I am sure you could

not treat the matter as you do now.'

'Indeed I could not. I was uncomfortable enough, I was

very uncomfortable -- I may say unhappy. And with no one

to speak to of what I felt, no Jane to comfort me, and say

that I had not been so very weak, and vain, and nonsensical,

as I knew I had! Oh, how I wanted you!'

'How unfortunate that you should have used such very

strong expressions in speaking of Wickham to Mr. Darcy,

for now they _do_ appear wholly undeserved.'

'Certainly. But the misfortune of speaking with bitterness

is a most natural consequence of the prejudices I had been

encouraging. There is one point on which I want your

advice. I want to be told whether I ought, or ought not, to

make our acquaintance in general understand Wickham's

character.'

Miss Bennet paused a little, and then replied, 'Surely there

can be no occasion for exposing him so dreadfully. What is

your own opinion?'

'That it ought not to be attempted. Mr. Darcy has not

authorised me to make his communication public. On the

contrary, every particular relative to his sister was meant to

be kept as much as possible to myself; and if I endeavour to

undeceive people as to the rest of his conduct, who will

believe me? The general prejudice against Mr. Darcy is so

violent, that it would be the death of half the good people in

Meryton, to attempt to place him in an amiable light. I am

not equal to it. Wickham will soon be gone; and, therefore,

it will not signify to anybody here what he really is. Some

time hence it will be all found out, and then we may laugh at

their stupidity in not knowing it before. At present I will

say nothing about it.'

'You are quite right. To have his errors made public

might ruin him for ever. He is now, perhaps, sorry for what

he has done, and anxious to re-establish a character. We

must not make him desperate.'

The tumult of Elizabeth's mind was allayed by this conver-

sation. She had got rid of two of the secrets which had

weighed on her for a fortnight, and was certain of a willing

listener in Jane, whenever she might wish to talk again of

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