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第105章（第1页）

“Ihavebeenthinkingitoveragain，Elizabeth，”saidheruncle，astheydrovefromthetown;“andreally，uponseriousconsideration，IammuchmoreinclinedthanIwastojudgeasyoureldestsisterdoesonthematter。Itappearstomesoveryunlikelythatanyyoungmanshouldformsuchadesignagainstagirlwhoisbynomeansunprotectedorfriendless，andwhowasactuallystayinginhiscolonelsfamily，thatIamstronglyinclinedtohopethebest。Couldheexpectthatherfriendswouldnotstepforward?Couldheexpecttobenoticedagainbytheregiment，aftersuchanaffronttoColonelForster?Histemptationisnotadequatetotherisk!”

“Doyoureallythinkso?”criedElizabeth，brighteningupforamoment。

“Uponmyword，”saidMrs。Gardiner，“Ibegintobeofyourunclesopinion。Itisreallytoogreataviolationofdecency，honour，andinterest，forhimtobeguiltyofit。IcannotthinksoveryillofWickham。Canyouyourself，Lizzy，sowhollygivehimup，astobelievehimcapableofit?”

“Not，perhaps，ofneglectinghisowninterest;butofeveryotherneglectIcanbelievehimcapable。If，indeed，itshouldbeso!ButIdarenothopeit。WhyshouldtheynotgoontoScotlandifthathadbeenthecase?”

“Inthefirstplace，”repliedMr。Gardiner，“thereisnoabsoluteproofthattheyarenotgonetoScotland。”

“Oh!buttheirremovingfromthechaiseintoahackneycoachissuchapresumption!And，besides，notracesofthemweretobefoundontheBarnetroad。”

“Well，then—supposingthemtobeinLondon。Theymaybethere，thoughforthepurposeofconcealment，fornomoreexceptionalpurpose。Itisnotlikelythatmoneyshouldbeveryabundantoneitherside;anditmightstrikethemthattheycouldbemoreeconomically，thoughlessexpeditiously，marriedinLondonthaninScotland。”

“Butwhyallthissecrecy?Whyanyfearofdetection?Whymusttheirmarriagebeprivate?Oh，no，no—thisisnotlikely。Hismostparticularfriend，youseebyJanesaccount，waspersuadedofhisneverintendingtomarryher。Wickhamwillnevermarryawomanwithoutsomemoney。Hecannotaffordit。AndwhatclaimshasLydia—whatattractionhasshebeyondyouth，health，andgoodhumourthatcouldmakehim，forhersake，foregoeverychanceofbenefitinghimselfbymarryingwell?Astowhatrestrainttheapprehensionsofdisgraceinthecorpsmightthrowonadishonourableelopementwithher，Iamnotabletojudge;forIknownothingoftheeffectsthatsuchastepmightproduce。Butastoyourotherobjection，Iamafraiditwillhardlyholdgood。Lydiahasnobrotherstostepforward;andhemightimagine，frommyfathersbehaviour，fromhisindolenceandthelittleattentionhehaseverseemedtogivetowhatwasgoingforwardinhisfamily，thathewoulddoaslittle，andthinkaslittleaboutit，asanyfathercoulddo，insuchamatter。”

“ButcanyouthinkthatLydiaissolosttoeverythingbutloveofhimastoconsenttolivewithhimonanytermsotherthanmarriage?”

“Itdoesseem，anditismostshockingindeed，”repliedElizabeth，withtearsinhereyes，“thatasisterssenseofdecencyandvirtueinsuchapointshouldadmitofdoubt。But，really，Iknownotwhattosay。PerhapsIamnotdoingherjustice。Butsheisveryyoung;shehasneverbeentaughttothinkonserioussubjects;andforthelasthalf-year，nay，foratwelvemonth—shehasbeengivenuptonothingbutamusementandvanity。Shehasbeenallowedtodisposeofhertimeinthemostidleandfrivolousmanner，andtoadoptanyopinionsthatcameinherway。Sincethe—shirewerefirstquarteredinMeryton，nothingbutlove，flirtation，andofficershavebeeninherhead。Shehasbeendoingeverythinginherpowerbythinkingandtalkingonthesubject，togivegreater—whatshallIcallit?susceptibilitytoherfeelings;whicharenaturallylivelyenough。AndweallknowthatWickhamhaseverycharmofpersonandaddressthatcancaptivateawoman。”

“ButyouseethatJane，”saidheraunt，“doesnotthinksoveryillofWickhamastobelievehimcapableoftheattempt。”

“OfwhomdoesJaneeverthinkill?Andwhoisthere，whatevermightbetheirformerconduct，thatshewouldthinkcapableofsuchanattempt，tillitwereprovedagainstthem?ButJaneknows，aswellasIdo，whatWickhamreallyis。Webothknowthathehasbeenprofligateineverysenseoftheword;thathehasneitherintegritynorhonour;thatheisasfalseanddeceitfulasheisinsinuating。”

“Anddoyoureallyknowallthis?”criedMrs。Gardiner，whosecuriosityastothemodeofherintelligencewasallalive。

“Idoindeed，”repliedElizabeth，colouring。“Itoldyou，theotherday，ofhisinfamousbehaviourtoMr。Darcy;andyouyourself，whenlastatLongbourn，heardinwhatmannerhespokeofthemanwhohadbehavedwithsuchforbearanceandliberalitytowardshim。AndthereareothercircumstanceswhichIamnotatliberty—whichitisnotworthwhiletorelate;buthisliesaboutthewholePemberleyfamilyareendless。FromwhathesaidofMissDarcyIwasthoroughlypreparedtoseeaproud，reserved，disagreeablegirl。Yetheknewtothecontraryhimself。Hemustknowthatshewasasamiableandunpretendingaswehavefoundher。”

“ButdoesLydiaknownothingofthis?canshebeignorantofwhatyouandJaneseemsowelltounderstand?”