{{prxprp244.jpg}} || 244 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ||
that Wickham has every charm of person and address that can
captivate a woman.'
'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 believe
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 insinuating.'
'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 circumstances 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, disagreeable 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 ot
opening her eyes to his character never occurred to me. That she
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