{{prxprp196.jpg}} || 196 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ||

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

very uncomfortable, I may say unhappy. And wuh 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 en*

couraging. -- 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

authorized 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 any body

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 conversa^

tion. 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 either. But there was

still sometliing lurking behind, of which prudence forbad the

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