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Chapter XLVII

'I have been thinking it over again, Elizabeth,' said

her uncle, as they drove from the town; 'and really,

upon serious consideration, I am much more inclined

than I was to judge as your eldest sister does of the matter.

It appears to me so very unlikely that any young man

should form such a design against a girl who is by no

means unprotected or friendless, and who was actually stay-

ing in his Colonel's family, that I am strongly inclined to

hope the best. Could he expect that her friends would not

step forward? Could he expect to be noticed again by the

regiment, after such an affront to Colonel Forster? His

temptation is not adequate to the risk.'

'Do you really think so?' cried Elizabeth, brightening up

for a moment.

'Upon my word,' said Mrs. Gardiner, 'I begin to be of your

uncle's opinion. It is really too great a violation of decency,

honour, and interest, for him to be guilty of it. I cannot

think so very ill of Wickham. Can you, yourself, Lizzy, so

wholly give him up, as to believe him capable of it?'

'Not perhaps of neglecting his own interest. But of every

other neglect I can believe him capable. If, indeed, it should

be so! But I dare not hope it. Why should they not go on

to Scotland, if that had been the case?'

'In the first place,' replied Mr. Gardiner, 'there is no

absolute proof that they are not gone to Scotland.'

'Oh, but their removing from the chaise into a hackney

coach is such a presumption! And, besides, no traces of

them were to be found on the Barnet road.'

'Well, then, -- supposing them to be in London. They

may be there, though for the purpose of concealment, for no

more exceptionable purpose. It is not likely that money

should be very abundant on either side; and it might strike

them that they could be more economically, though less

expeditiously, married in London than in Scotland.'

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