47 Pride And Prejudice - Stephanie Poppins

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Chapter 47 I have been thinking it over again,

Elizabeth,

Said her uncle,

As they drove from the town,

And really,

Upon serious consideration,

I am much more inclined than I was to judge as your eldest sister does of the matter.

It appears to me so very unlikely that any young man should form such a design against a girl,

Who is by no means unprotected or friendless,

And who was actually staying in his colonel's family,

That I am strongly inclined to hope the best.

Could he expect that her friends would not step forward?

Could he expect to be noticed again by the regiment after such an affront to Colonel Forster?

His temptation is not adequate to the risk.

Do you really think so?

Asked Elizabeth,

Brightening up for a moment.

Upon my word,

Said Mrs Gardner,

I begin to be of your uncle's opinion.

It is really too great a violation of decency,

Honour and interest for him to be guilty of it.

I cannot think so very ill of Wickham.

Can you yourself,

Lizzie,

So wholly give him up as to believe him capable of it?

Not,

Perhaps,

Of neglecting his own interest,

But of every other neglect I can believe him capable,

If indeed it should be so,

But I dare not hope it.

Why should they not go on to Scotland,

If that had been the case?

In the first place,

Replied Mr Gardner,

There is absolutely no proof they had not gone to Scotland.

Oh,

But their removing from the Shades into a Hackney coach is such a presumption.

Besides,

No traces of them were to be found on the Barnet Road.

Well then,

Supposing them to be in London.

They may be there,

Though for the purpose of concealment,

For no more exceptional purpose.

It is not likely that money should be very abundant on either side,

And it might strike them they could have been more economically,

Though less expeditiously,

Married in London than in Scotland.

But why all this secrecy?

Why any fear of detection?

Why must their marriage be private?

Oh no,

No,

This is not likely.

His most particular 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,

Forgo every chance of benefiting himself by marrying well?

As to what restraint the apprehension of disgrace in the call might throw on a dishonourable eplopement,

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's 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's 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 twelve-month,

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 come her way.

Since the regiment were first quartered in Meryton,

Nothing but love,

Flirtation and offices 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 are naturally lively enough.

And we all know that Wickham has every charm of person and address that can captivate a woman.

" "'But you see that Jane,

' said her aunt,

"'does not think so ill of Wickham as to believe him capable of the attempt.

' "'Of whom does Jane ever think ill?

And who is there,

Whatever might be their former conduct,

That she would not believe capable of such an attempt till it were proved against them?

' "'But Jane knows as well as I do what Wickham really is.

We both know that he is being profligate in every sense of the word,

That he is neither integrity nor honour,

That he is as false and deceitful as he is insinuating.

' "'And do you really know all this?

' cried Mrs Gardner,

Whose curiosity as to the mode of her intelligence was all alive.

"'I do indeed,

' replied Elizabeth,

Colouring.

"'I told you the other day of his infamous behaviour to Mr Darcy,

And you yourself,

When last at Longbourn,

Heard in what manner he spoke of the man who had behaved with such forbearance and liberality towards him.

And there are other circumstances which I am not at liberty,

Which is not worthwhile,

To relate.

But his lies about the whole Pemberley family are endless.

"'From what he said of Miss Darcy I was thoroughly prepared to see a proud,

Reserved,

Disagreeable girl.

Yet he knew to the contrary himself.

He must know she was as amiable and unpretending as we have found her.

' "'But does Lydia know nothing of this?

Can she be ignorant of what you and Jane seem so well to understand?

' "'Oh yes,

That is the worst of it all.

"'Till I was in Kent and saw so much of both Mr Darcy and his relation,

Colonel Fitzwilliam,

I was ignorant of the truth myself.

"'And when I returned home,

The regiment was to leave Meryton in a week or fortnight's time,

As that was the case neither Jane,

To whom I related the whole,

Nor I,

Thought it necessary to make our knowledge public.

"'For of what use could it apparently be to anyone that the good opinion which all the neighbourhood had of him should then be overthrown?

"'And even when it was settled that Lydia should go with Mrs Forster,

The necessity of opening her eyes to his character never occurred to me.

"'That she could be in any danger from the deception never entered my head.

"'That such a consequence as this should ensue,

You may easily believe,

Was far enough from my thoughts.

"'When they all removed to Brighton,

Therefore,

You had no reason,

I suppose,

To believe them fond of each other?

' "'Not the slightest.

"'I can remember no symptom of affection on either side,

"'and had anything of the kind been perceptible,

You must be aware "'ours is not a family on which you could be thrown away.

' "'When first he entered the corps,

She was ready enough to admire him,

But so we all were.

"'Every girl,

In or near Meryton,

Was out of her senses about him for the first two months,

"'but he never distinguished her by any particular attention,

"'and consequently,

After a moderate period of extravagant and wild admiration,

"'her fancy for him gave way,

And others of the regiment,

Who treated her with more distinction,

"'again became her favourites.

"'It may be easily believed that however little of novelty could be added to their fears,

Hopes and conjectures "'on this interesting subject by its repeated discussion,

"'no other could detain them from it long for the whole of the journey.

"'From Elizabeth's thoughts it was never absent.

"'Fixed there by the keenest of all anguish,

Self-reproach,

"'she could find no interval or ease or forgetfulness.

"'They travelled as expeditiously as possible,

And sleeping one night on the road,

"'reached Longbourn by dinner-time the next day.

"'It was a comfort to Elizabeth to consider that Jane could not have been wearied by long expectations.

"'The little gardeners,

Attracted by the sight of the shades,

"'were standing on the steps of the house as they entered the paddock,

"'and when the carriage drove up to the door,

The joyful surprise that lighted up their faces "'and displayed itself over their whole bodies in a variety of capers and frisks,

"'it was the first pleasing earnest of their welcome.

"'Elizabeth jumped out,

And after giving each of them a hasty kiss,

"'hurried into the vestibule,

Where Jane,

Who came running downstairs from her mother's apartment,

"'immediately met her.

"'Elizabeth,

As she affectionately embraced her,

Whilst tears filled the eyes of both,

"'lost not a moment in asking whether anything had been heard of the fugitives.

"'Not yet,

' replied Jane,

"'but now that my dear uncle is come,

I hope everything will be well.

"'Is my father in town?

' "'Yes,

He went on Tuesday,

So wrote you word.

"'And have you heard from him often?

' "'We have heard only once.

"'He wrote me a few lines on Wednesday to say he'd arrived in safety "'and to give me his directions,

Which I particularly begged him to do.

"'He merely added that he should not write again till he had something of importance to mention.

"'And my mother,

How is she?

How are you all?

' "'My mother is tolerably well,

I trust,

Though her spirits are greatly shaken.

"'She is upstairs and will have great satisfaction in seeing you all.

"'She does not yet leave her dressing-room.

"'Mary and Kitty,

Thank heaven,

Are quite well.

"'But you,

How are you?

' cried Elizabeth.

"'You look pale.

How much you must have gone through!

' "'Her sister,

However,

Assured her of being perfectly well,

"'and their conversation,

Which had been passing while Mr and Mrs Gardner were engaged with their children,

"'was now put to an end by the approach of the whole party.

"'Jane ran to her uncle and aunt and welcomed and thanked them both with alternate smiles and tears.

"'When they were all in the drawing-room,

The questions which Elizabeth had already asked "'were of course repeated by the others,

And they soon found that Jane had no intelligence to give.

"'The sanguine hope of good,

However,

Which the benevolence of her heart suggested,

Had not yet deserted her.

"'She still expected it would all end well,

And that every morning would bring some letter,

"'either from Lydia or her father,

To explain the proceedings and perhaps announce the marriage.

"'Mrs Bennet,

To whose apartment they all repaired,

After a few minutes' conversation together,

"'received them exactly as might be expected,

With tears and lamentations of regret,

"'invective against the villainous conduct of Wickham,

And complaints of her own sufferings and ill-usage,

"'blaming everybody but the person to whose indulgence the errors of her daughter must be principally owing.

"'If I had been able,

' said she,

"'to carry my point of going to Brighton with all my family,

"'this would not have happened,

But poor dear Lydia had nobody to take care of her.

"'Why did the forces ever let her go out of their sight?

I'm sure there was some great neglect on either side.

"'But she is not the kind of girl to do such a thing,

If she had been well looked after.

"'I always thought they were very unfit to have the charge of her,

But I was overruled as I always am.

"'Poor dear child!

And now here's Mr Bennet gone away,

And I know he will fight Wickham whenever he meets him,

"'and then he will be killed,

And what is to become of us all?

"'The Collinses will turn us out before he's cold in his grave,

"'and if you are not kind to us,

Brother,

I don't know what we shall do.

' "'They all exclaimed against such terrific ideas,

And Mr Gardiner,

"'after genuine assurances of his affection for her and all her family,

"'told her he meant to be in London the very next day,

"'and would assist Mr Bennet in every endeavour for recovering Lydia.

"'Do not give way to useless alarm,

' added he.

"'Though it is right to be prepared for the worst,

There's no occasion to look on it as certain.

"'It's not quite a week since they left Brighton.

"'In a few days more,

We may gain some news of them,

"'and till we know they're not married and have no design of marrying,

"'do not let us give the matter over as lost.

"'As soon as I can get to town,

I shall go to my brother and make him come home with me to Greatchurch Street,

"'and then we may consult together as to what is to be done.

' "'Oh,

My dear brother,

' replied Mrs Bennet,

"'that is exactly what I could most wish for.

"'And now do,

When you get to town,

Find them out,

Wherever they may be,

"'and if they are not married already,

Make them marry.

"'And as for wedding clothes,

Do not let them wait for that,

"'but tell Lydia she shall have as much money as she chooses to buy them after they're married.

"'And above all things,

Keep Mr Bennet from fighting.

"'Tell him what a dreadful state I'm in,

That I'm frightened out of my wits,

"'and have such tremblings,

Such flutterings all over me,

"'such spasms in my side,

Pains in my head,

"'and such beatings at heart that I can get no rest by night nor by day.

"'And tell my dear Lydia not to give any directions about her clothes till she's seen me,

"'for she does not know which are the best warehouses.

"'Oh,

Brother,

How kind you are!

I know you will contrive it all.

'" But Mr Gardiner,

Though he assured her again of his earnest endeavours in the cause,

Could not avoid recommending moderation,

As well as in her hopes as her fears.

And after talking with her in this manner till dinner was on the table,

They left her to vent all her feelings on the housekeeper,

Who attended in the absence of her daughters.