shopping, and the evening at one of the theatres.
Elizabeth then contrived to sit by her aunt. Their first subject was her

sister; and she was more grieved than astonished to hear, in reply to

her minute inquiries, that though Jane always struggled to support her

spirits, there were periods of dejection. It was reasonable, however, to

hope that they would not continue long. Mrs. Gardiner gave her the

particulars also of Miss Bingley’s visit in Gracechurch Street, and

repeated conversations occurring at different times between Jane and

herself,{192} which proved that the former had, from her heart, given up the

acquaintance.
Mrs. Gardiner then rallied her niece on Wickham’s desertion, and

complimented her on bearing it so well.
“But, my dear Elizabeth,” she added, “what sort of girl is Miss King? I

should be sorry to think our friend mercenary.”
“Pray, my dear aunt, what is the difference in matrimonial affairs,

between the mercenary and the prudent motive? Where does discretion end,

and avarice begin? Last Christmas you were afraid of his marrying me,

because it would be imprudent; and now, because he is trying to get a

girl with only ten thousand pounds, you want to find out that he is

mercenary.”
“If you will only tell me what sort of girl Miss King is, I shall know

what to think.”
“She is a very good kind of girl, I believe. I know no harm of her.”
“But he paid her not the smallest attention till her grandfather’s death

made her mistress of this fortune?”
“No—why should he? If it were not allowable for him to gain my

affections, because I had no money, what occasion could there be for

making love to a girl whom he did not care about, and who was equally

poor?”
“But there seems indelicacy in directing his attentions towards her so

soon after this event.”
“A man in distressed circumstances has not time for all those elegant

decorums which other people may observe. If she does not object to it,

why should we?”