friend, you see by Jane’s account, was persuaded of his never intending

to marry her. Wickham will never marry a woman without some money. He

cannot afford it. And what claims has Lydia, what attractions has she

beyond youth, health, and good humour, that could make him for her sake{347}

forego every chance of benefiting himself by marrying well? As to what

restraint the apprehensions of disgrace in the corps might throw on a

dishonourable elopement with her, I am not able to judge; for I know

nothing of the effects that such a step might produce. But as to your

other objection, I am afraid it will hardly hold good. Lydia has no

brothers to step forward; and he might imagine, from my father’s

behaviour, from his indolence and the little attention he has ever

seemed to give to what was going forward in his family, that he would

do as little and think as little about it, as any father could do, in

such a matter.”
“But can you think that Lydia is so lost to everything but love of him,

as to consent to live with him on any other terms than marriage?”
“It does seem, and it is most shocking, indeed,” replied Elizabeth, with

tears in her eyes, “that a sister’s sense of decency and virtue in such

a point should admit of doubt. But, really, I know not what to say.

Perhaps I am not doing her justice. But she is very young: she has never

been taught to think on serious subjects; and for the last half year,

nay, for a twelvemonth, she has been given up to nothing but amusement

and vanity. She has been allowed to dispose of her time in the most idle

and frivolous manner, and to adopt any opinions that came in her way.

Since the ——shire were first quartered in Meryton, nothing but love,

flirtation, and officers, have been in her head. She has been doing

everything in her power, by thinking and talking on the subject, to give

greater—what shall I call it?—susceptibility to her feelings; which