his wife at least, if not by himself, such a hope was cherished. The

letter was to this effect:—
 “My dear Lizzy, 
“I wish you joy. If you love Mr. Darcy half so well as I do my dear

Wickham, you must be very happy. It is a great comfort to have you

so rich; and when you have nothing else to do, I hope you will

think of us. I am sure Wickham would like a place at court very

much; and I do not think we shall have quite money enough to live

upon without some help. Any place would do of about three or four

hundred a year; but, however, do not speak to Mr. Darcy about it,

if you had rather not.


“Yours,” etc.

As it happened that Elizabeth had much rather not, she endeavoured in

her answer to put an end to every entreaty and expectation of the kind.

Such relief, however, as it was in her power to afford, by the practice

of what might be called economy in her own private expenses, she

frequently sent them. It had always been evident to her that such an

income as theirs, under the direction of two persons so extravagant in

their wants, and heedless of the future, must be very insufficient to

their support; and whenever they changed their quarters, either Jane or

herself were sure of being applied to for some little assistance towards

discharging their bills. Their manner of living, even when the

restoration of peace dismissed them to a home, was unsettled in the

extreme. They were always moving from place to place{475} in quest of a

cheap situation, and always spending more than they ought. His affection

for her soon sunk into indifference: hers lasted a little longer; and,

in spite of her youth and her manners, she retained all the claims to

reputation which her marriage had given her. Though Darcy could never

receive him at Pemberley, yet, for Elizabeth’s sake, he assisted him

further in his profession. Lydia was occasionally a visitor there, when

her husband was gone to enjoy himself in London or Bath; and with the