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'But you see that Jane,' said her aunt, 'does not think so

ill of Wickham as to believe him capable of the attempt.'

'Of whom does Jane ever think ill? And who is there,

whatever might be their former conduct, that she would be-

lieve capable of such an attempt, till it were proved against

them? But Jane knows, as well as I do, what Wickham

really is. We both know that he has been profligate in

every sense of the word. That he has neither integrity

nor honour. That he is as false and deceitful as he is in-

sinuating.'

'And do you really know all this?' cried Mrs. Gardiner,

whose curiosity as to the mode of her intelligence was all

alive.

'I do, indeed,' replied Elizabeth, colouring. 'I told you

the other day of his infamous behaviour to Mr. Darcy; and

you, yourself, when last at Longbourn, heard in what manner

he spoke of the man who had behaved with such forbearance

and liberality towards him. And there are other circum-

stances which I am not at liberty -- which it is not worth

while to relate; but his lies about the whole Pemberley

family are endless. From what he said of Miss Darcy, I

was thoroughly prepared to see a proud, reserved, dis-

agreeable girl. Yet he knew to the contrary himself. He

must know that she was as amiable and unpretending as we

have found her.'

'But does Lydia know nothing of this; can she be ignorant

of what you and Jane seem so well to understand?'

'Oh yes! -- that, that is the worst of all. Till I was in

Kent, and saw so much both of Mr. Darcy and his relation

Colonel Fitzwilliam, I was ignorant of the truth myself. And

when I returned home the shire was to leave Meryton

in a week or fortnight's time. As that was the case, neither

Jane, to whom I related the whole, nor I, thought it necessary

to make our knowledge public; for of what use could it

apparently be to any one, that the good opinion which all the

neighbourhood had of him should then be overthrown? And

even when it was settled that Lydia should go with Mrs.

Forster, the necessity of opening her eyes to his character

never occurred to me. That _she_ could be in any danger from

the deception never entered my head. That such a conse-

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