have not already heard. Give me further particulars. What did Colonel

Forster say? Had they no{355} apprehension of anything before the elopement

took place? They must have seen them together for ever.”
“Colonel Forster did own that he had often suspected some partiality,

especially on Lydia’s side, but nothing to give him any alarm. I am so

grieved for him. His behaviour was attentive and kind to the utmost. He

was coming to us, in order to assure us of his concern, before he had

any idea of their not being gone to Scotland: when that apprehension

first got abroad, it hastened his journey.”
“And was Denny convinced that Wickham would not marry? Did he know of

their intending to go off? Had Colonel Forster seen Denny himself?”
“Yes; but when questioned by him, Denny denied knowing anything of

their plan, and would not give his real opinion about it. He did not

repeat his persuasion of their not marrying, and from that I am

inclined to hope he might have been misunderstood before.”
“And till Colonel Forster came himself, not one of you entertained a

doubt, I suppose, of their being really married?”
“How was it possible that such an idea should enter our brains? I felt a

little uneasy—a little fearful of my sister’s happiness with him in

marriage, because I knew that his conduct had not been always quite

right. My father and mother knew nothing of that; they only felt how

imprudent a match it must be. Kitty then owned, with a very natural

triumph on knowing more than the rest of us, that in Lydia’s last letter

she had prepared her for such a step. She had known, it seems, of their

being in love with each other many weeks.”
“But not before they went to Brighton?”
“No, I believe not.{356}”
“And did Colonel Forster appear to think ill of Wickham himself? Does he

know his real character?”
“I must confess that he did not speak so well of Wickham as he formerly

did. He believed him to be imprudent and extravagant; and since this sad