{{prxprp274.jpg}} || 274 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ||

strength of her love, rather than by his; and she would have

wondered why, without violently caring for her, he chose to

elope with her at all, had she not felt certain that his flight was

rendered necessary by distress of circumstances; and if that were

the case, he was not the young man to resist an opportunity of

having a companion.

Lydia was exceedingly fond of him. He was her dear Wickham

on every occasion; no one was to be put in competition with him.

He did everything best in the world; and she was sure he would

kill more birds on the first of September, than any body else in

the country.

One morning, soon after their arrival, as she was sitting with

her two elder sisters, she said to Elizabeth,

'Lizzy, I never gave you an account of my wedding, I believe.

You were not by, when I told mamma, and the others, all about it.

Are not you curious to hear how it was managed?'

'No, really,' replied Elizabeth; 'I think there cannot be too little

said on the subject.'

'La! You are so strange! But I must tell you how it went off.

We were married, you know, at St. Clement's, because Wick'

ham's lodgings were in that parish. And it was settled that we

should all be there by eleven o'clock. My uncle and aunt and

I were to go together; and the others were to meet us at the

church. Well, Monday morning came, and I was in such a

fuss! I was so afraid you know that something would happen

to put it off, and then I should have gone quite distracted. And

there was my aunt, all the time I was dressing, preaching and

talking away just as if she was reading a sermon. However,

I did not hear above one word in ten, for I was thinking, you"

may suppose, of my dear Wickham. I longed to know whether

he would be married in his blue coat.

'Well, and so we breakfasted at ten, as usual; I thought it

would never be over; for, by the bye, you are to understand, that

my uncle and aunt were horrid unpleasant all the time I was

with them. If you '11 believe me, I did not once put my foot

out of doors, though I was there a fortnight. Not one party, or

scheme, or any thing! To be sure London was rather thin, but

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