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$Title{Works of Jane Austen
Pride And Prejudice: Chapters 35 - 47}
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$Author{Austen, Jane}
$Affiliation{Instructor Of English, Rutgers University}
$Subject{elizabeth
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lydia
jane
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$Date{}
$Log{See Lydia Shows Off Her Bonnet*0124401.scf
See Elizabeth Studies Darcy's Portrait*0124402.scf
}
Title:       Works of Jane Austen
Book:        Pride and Prejudice
Author:      Austen, Jane
Critic:      Fitzpatrick, William J.
Affiliation: Instructor Of English, Rutgers University

Pride And Prejudice: Chapters 35 - 47

Chapter XXXV

     The next morning, while out walking, Elizabeth is pursued by Darcy who
hands her a letter and leaves. In it Darcy attempts to justify his actions. He
explains that he had been unaware that a marriage between Bingley and Jane was
in the offing until Sir William Lucas hinted at it at the ball at
Netherfield. Since he could observe no sign that Jane had any special regard
for Bingley, he felt free to try to dissuade his friend from imprudently
pursuing her. It was not especially the low connections to which he objected,
but rather to the "total want of propriety" so often displayed by her mother,
her three younger sisters, and occasionally, even by her father. He admits
that the conduct of Jane and Elizabeth was beyond reproach. He, therefore,
conspired with Bingley's sisters to prevent his return from London and
endeavored to persuade his friend of Jane's indifference to him. This last is
what made Bingley yield. Darcy further admits (with some guilt) to having
concealed from Bingley the fact that Jane had come to London. He regrets
having unknowingly hurt Jane's feelings, but he does not think it necessary to
apologize for his motives.

     He considers the accusation that he acted unjustly to Wickham as a
charge much more serious since it would mean having gone against the wishes of
his father and injured a friend. But, he asserts that Wickham was a vicious
character from the first and that after having been supported handsomely by
the elder Mr. Darcy, who had hoped that he would enter the church, Wickham
informed Darcy that he had decided instead to take up law and agreed to resign
all claim to assistance in the church in exchange for the sum of three
thousand pounds. After three years of idleness and dissipation, Wickham wrote
to Darcy to claim the living in the church which his father had wanted for
him. Darcy refused. Last summer in London, with the aid of her housekeeper,
Mrs. Younge, Wickham persuaded Georgiana Darcy to elope with him. She
confessed her intention to her brother, who managed to thwart Wickham's plan.
Darcy considers Wickham's motive to have been his sister's fortune and revenge
on himself. He says that Elizabeth may confirm his story by consulting Colonel
Fitzwilliam.

Comment:

     The reader will note that Elizabeth was wrong about Darcy's primary
motive for breaking up the romance between Bingley and Jane (it was less her
"connections" than the rudeness of her family) - as she has been wrong about a
number of things.

     It would be a mistake to conclude that Darcy's pride is all snobbishness.
His reasons for not wanting to marry into the crudities of Elizabeth's family
are obviously cogent. But he also has a good case for preferring a family more
on a level with his own. As the scion of a very old and wealthy family, he has
the obligation of conserving its aristocratic traditions. One does not marry
an individual merely; one marries a family. Therefore, Darcy is properly on
guard, even though he may be overproud.

Chapter XXXVI

     Elizabeth reads Darcy's letter with great excitement and confused
emotion. Her strong prejudice against him causes her to disbelieve the first
part of his letter. But she is stunned by Darcy's account of Wickham. She is
reluctant to reverse completely her own opinion of Wickham's worth. She
re-reads Darcy's account of him carefully, and recalls everything about
Wickham's conduct and everything he has told her. She now wonders at the
impropriety of Wickham's relating such an intimate story to her, a stranger,
at their first meeting (see Chapter XVI). She detects also inconsistencies
between Wickham's boast of having no fear of seeing Darcy and his refusal to
attend the ball, between his caution while Darcy was at Netherfield and his
indiscriminate discussion of history after Darcy left Netherfield (see
Chapters XXI and XXXV). And Wickham had told her that out of respect for the
father, he did not expose the son. His pursuit of Miss King now appears in a
different, a mercenary light (see Chapters XXVI and XXVII). She knows of
nothing in Darcy's past conduct that would show him to be unprincipled or
unjust. Finally, she concludes with shame that she has been blindly prejudiced
and foolish. "How despicably have I acted." It is ironic that she who had
taken such pride in her cleverness and discernment should have been so
mistaken about the characters of others. She sees that she has been misled by
appearances (see Chapter XVII), that she had been flattered by Wickham's
attentions and offended by Darcy's slight at their first meeting. (See her
remark in Chapter V about his having offended her pride.) "Till this moment I
never knew myself."

     Further, she recalls her conversation with Charlotte about revealing
one's feelings for another, and Jane's modesty in displaying hers (Chapter
VI). She begins to believe Darcy's assertion that he did not believe that
Bingley's growing love was returned by Jane.

     She acknowledges with shame Darcy's comments about the ill-bred behavior
of her family, especially on the night of the Netherfield ball (Chapter
XVIII). She considers how she and her sister Jane must suffer from the
improper conduct of their family. After wandering along the lane for two
hours, she returns to the parsonage to find that Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy
had called to take their leave.

Comment:

     From the point of view of Elizabeth, the action of the book consists in
her education - in life and in self-knowledge - in her progress in
self-discovery as she is forced to penetrate the deceptive appearances of
others and her own deceiving pride. When she declares, "Till this moment I
never knew myself," we have come to the very heart of the book, to the
beginning of the end of Elizabeth's pathos. From this point on, Elizabeth
sheds her prejudice; she begins to be completely honest with herself.

     In the masterly catalogue of deception and self-deception of these last
two chapters, the author reviews and recapitulates everything that went
before. Elizabeth and the reader are now able to perceive the real order of
all the events in the first half of the book, which she had so falsely
misinterpreted. Of course, a great deal remains to happen before Elizabeth's
feelings are fully clarified. This climactic chapter and the intensely
emotional chapter XXIV should be read very carefully.

Chapter XXXVII

     Mr. Darcy and the Colonel leave Rosings the next morning. The party at
Hunsford is then invited to dine with Lady Catherine. Elizabeth is amused to
think of how Lady Catherine would have reacted had she been presented to her
by Darcy as her future niece. Lady Catherine tells Elizabeth to stay longer,
but she declines. Her Ladyship then instructs the girls on the necessity of
having a servant with them when they travel because it is improper for young
women to be alone. Elizabeth replies that her uncle is sending a servant for
her.

     Elizabeth reads Darcy's letter over again and again. Her feelings are a
mixture of indignation for the manner in which he proposed to her and anger
at herself for having unjustly condemned him. Although she does not at all
regret her refusal of Darcy's proposal, she does feel sorry for having caused
him grief and she has a certain admiration for his character and even
gratitude for his declaration of love. She thinks about the defects of her
family. Her mother indulges her two ignorant and vain daughters, Kitty and
Lydia, in their frivolity. They are superficial flirts, chasing after officers
in Meryton. Her father does nothing to discipline them.

     In view of the fact that Darcy was persuaded that Jane did not return
Bingley's affection, Elizabeth is forced to clear Bingley of all blame for
what happened. The blame for Jane's unhappiness lies entirely with "the folly
and indecorum of her own family." These thoughts, together with the
revelations of Wickham's character and history, make Elizabeth extremely
depressed. At the end of the week, after having received minute instructions
on packing and traveling from Lady Catherine, Maria Lucas and Elizabeth take
their leave of her and set out for home.

Comment:

     This is one of the innumerable examples of Elizabeth's penchant for
reflection and self-analysis. Her passionate ratiocination is perhaps the
book's distinctive quality.

Chapter XXXVIII

     On the morning of her departure, Mr. Collins makes an elaborate speech
to Elizabeth in which he expresses his hope that she enjoyed herself at
Hunsford, alluding as always to the great advantage of being in the company
of the great Lady Catherine. As if to point up to Elizabeth what she has lost
in having refused him, he wishes her as much happiness in marriage as he and
Charlotte have found.

     Elizabeth feels sorry to leave her friend, Charlotte, in such a dull and
uninteresting company - though Charlotte knew exactly what she was doing when
she married Mr. Collins. Maria Lucas and Elizabeth set out for home. In the
coach, Maria Lucas remarks that they will have a great deal to tell about
their many visits to Rosings. Elizabeth thinks that she will have a great deal
to conceal. They reach London and spend a few days with the Gardiners.
Elizabeth decides to wait until they return to Longbourn before she says
anything to her sister of what happened in Hunsford, because she has to plan
carefully in order not to hurt Jane by revealing the real reason for Bingley's
having failed to pursue her.

Chapter XXXIX

     After a few days (it is now the second week in May), the three young
ladies set out for home. Mr. Bennet has sent Kitty and Lydia in his carriage
to meet them at a town along the way. Lydia and Kitty have ordered a lunch for
their sisters. They must borrow the money from them to pay for it, because
they have spent theirs in town on some gaudy bonnets. Lydia informs them that
the regiment encamped near Meryton will depart for Brighton in a fortnight.
Mrs.Bennet would like to go there for a family outing. Lydia further announces
that "dear Wickham," whom they all like, is not, after all, going to marry
Miss King, who is leaving the vicinity for Liverpool. Elizabeth says that for
Mary King it would have been an imprudent marriage. Lydia's coarse remarks
remind Elizabeth that she, herself, took pleasure in the thought that the
only reason Wickham left her for Miss King was her money (see Chapter XXVI).
On their way back to Longbourn, Lydia chatters incessantly about flirting,
husband - hunting, officers, and other trivia.

[See Lydia Shows Off Her Bonnet: Lydia: 'Look here, I have bought this bonnet.
I do not think it is very pretty; but I thought I might as well buy it as
not.']

     The Lucases join the Bennets in welcoming the girls back home. Lydia
continues to prate on about officers. In the afternoon she tries to get the
rest of the girls to walk to Meryton but Elizabeth manages to dissuade them.
She wishes to avoid seeing Wickham. She is glad that the regiment will soon
be gone and that her father does not approve of her mother's idea of an
outing to Brighton.

Comment:

     The main function of this chapter is to reveal the character of Lydia
and, thereby, prepare the reader for events to come.

Chapter XL

     Elizabeth is impatient to talk to Jane about what happened at Hunsford,
and the next morning she tells her everything except what directly concerned
Jane's relations with Bingley. Jane is shocked at the news and reluctant to
believe anything bad of Wickham. But Elizabeth convinces her. Jane remarks
on the deceptiveness of appearances. Elizabeth confesses that her first
dislike for Darcy was without any reason - the consequences of prejudice. The
girls cannot betray Mr. Darcy's confidence by telling anyone the story of
Georgiana and Wickham, and they decide not to attempt to enlighten anyone
with information about Wickham's true character.

     Elizabeth notices that Jane is not happy and must still be thinking of
Bingley. Mrs. Bennet comments bitterly about what he has done to her daughter.
She questions Elizabeth about the Collinses and laments the fact that they are
to receive Mr. Bennet's estate.

Chapter XLI

     As the departure of the regiment approaches, Kitty and Lydia become
increasingly miserable. Their mother sympathizes with them and remarks how
she, too, once cried for a departed regiment when she was a young girl.
Witnessing the unseemly behavior of Lydia and Kitty and her idiotic mother's
encouragement of them, Elizabeth feels with shame the justice of what Darcy
had said about her family.

     Lydia receives an invitation from Colonel Forster's wife, a young woman
of a similar temperament, to accompany her to Brighton. Elizabeth then goes to
her father to try to get him to forbid Lydia's going on what would be an
imprudent - even dangerous - trip. She says further that unless he will take
her education in hand, her flirtatiousness will bring dishonor on herself and
her family and lead Kitty, also, astray. Her father, however, though he agrees
with Elizabeth's characterization of her sister, sees no point in upsetting
the family peace by refusing Lydia. Lydia looks forward to a wild time of
flirting with the officers at Brighton. Her mother is very happy for her.

     Wickham has given evidence of renewing his attentions to Elizabeth but
she has no interest in him and finds him disgustingly affected and
superficial. On the day before the regiment leaves, Wickham and some other
officers dine with the Bennets. Elizabeth, wishing to disturb Wickham,
mentions that she met Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy at Rosings. She indicates
that she has a better appreciation of Darcy's character. Upset at what appears
to be her change of mind, Wickham proceeds to attack Darcy, but she will not
pursue the subject. For the rest of the evening Wickham (perhaps fearing that
Elizabeth may know the truth) does not attempt to talk to Elizabeth. When the
party is over, Lydia goes with Mrs. Forster to Meryton. Mrs. Bennet rejoices
in the good luck of her daughter.

Chapter XLII

     Elizabeth's father had apparently married the simple-minded Mrs. Bennet
for her good looks. Very early in their marriage he began to lose interest in
her. He took refuge in his books and the countryside, and was amused by the
follies of his wife and daughters. Elizabeth was fully aware of her father's
failure in his duties to his children. His contempt for his wife's
intelligence and breeding was a poor example for his daughters, whose
cultivation (with the exception of Elizabeth) he tended to ignore.

     Although glad that Wickham has left, Elizabeth is distressed at the
thought of Lydia among the officers at Brighton, a resort town on the English
Channel. But she happily anticipates her own trip to the lake country in the
North with her aunt and uncle this summer. Mrs. Gardiner writes to say that
the trip will be delayed until July and that it must be shortened because of
Mr. Gardiner's business obligations. They will not be able to go as far as
the lakes. They will go no farther north than the county of Derby (which Mrs.
Gardiner is especially anxious to see because she had once lived there). The
mention of Derbyshire makes Elizabeth think of Pemberley, Darcy's estate.

     In mid-July, the Gardiners arrive at Longbourn, leave their four children
in the care of Jane and the Bennets, and depart the next day on their trip.
In the course of their excursion, they arrive at the town of Lambton in
Derbyshire. The Gardiners express the wish to visit Pemberley, which is just
five miles away. Mrs. Gardiner reminds Elizabeth that because Wickham spent
his youth there, she also might like to see it. Elizabeth is unwilling to risk
seeing Darcy, but when she learns that he is away, she agrees to the visit.

Chapter XLIII

     They find Pemberley House in a beautiful setting. The care of the old
estate reveals the good taste of its owner. The travelers apply to the
housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, for permission to tour the house. Elizabeth
observes that the rooms are much more elegant than at Rosings. She thinks how
she might have been the mistress of Pemberley House; but then she considers
that she would not have been allowed to invite her aunt and uncle (who are in
trade) to visit her. This last thought keeps her from regret. Mrs. Reynolds
informs them that Mr. Darcy is expected tomorrow with a group of friends. In
one of old Mr. Darcy's rooms, Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth see a picture of
Wickham. The housekeeper indicates that he did not turn out well. Mrs.
Reynolds is extravagant in her praise of Darcy. She comments on the gentleness
of his disposition, his generosity and good looks, and his devotion to his
sister. Elizabeth cannot believe that this is the same man she knows. She
studies with fascination a portrait of Darcy and wonders if he is indeed as he
is described by his housekeeper.

[See Elizabeth Studies Darcy's Portrait: Elizabeth stood several minutes
before the picture, in earnest contemplation.]

     As they are walking across the lawn away from the house, Darcy suddenly
appears from the direction of the stables. He and Elizabeth are both
embarrassed, but he treats her with great courtesy and then takes his leave.
Elizabeth is overcome with shame and fear lest Darcy should think that she
came to Pemberley on purpose that he might see her. She is confused and
surprised at the gentleness of his greeting. She cannot help wondering if he
might just possibly still have some affection for her. She and the Gardiners
go on to explore part of the estate. In a little while, they are suddenly
surprised to see Mr. Darcy approaching them. After greeting Elizabeth, he asks
to be introduced to her friends, and she takes delight in presenting to him
her aunt and uncle. After what Darcy had said at Hunsford about her
"connections," Elizabeth is proud to observe his surprise at their
intelligence, taste, and good breeding. Darcy invites Mr. Gardiner to fish in
his stream while he is in the neighborhood. Elizabeth feels complimented and
again wonders what can be the meaning of this. She takes the opportunity to
explain to Darcy that they had come to Pemberley fully expecting that he would
not arrive until the next day. He replies that some business required him to
ride on ahead of his party, Mr. Bingley and his sisters, who will arrive the
next day. Darcy's sister, Georgiana, is also with them, and he requests
permission to introduce his sister. That Darcy wishes to encourage his
sister's acquaintance with Elizabeth is the highest compliment. Finally, after
Darcy's polite invitation to stop in the house is refused, the visitors derive
off in their carriage.

     The Gardiners are very much impressed by Darcy's politeness. Mrs.
Gardiner wonders why Elizabeth said that he was so disagreeable and how he
could have been so cruel to Wickham. Elizabeth now cautiously explains -
without going into details - that Wickham had been lying about Darcy's
injustice.

     Elizabeth is preoccupied with the thought that Darcy wishes her to be
acquainted with his sister.

Comment:

     Darcy's struggle with his pride, of which he spoke in Chapter XXXIV, was
only imperfectly won at the time of his proposal. Thus, he had to remind
Elizabeth of the obstacles to his marrying her even as he asked for her hand.
Now we see a calmer Darcy (and Elizabeth) who has apparently begun completely
to resolve the emotional struggle that began in Chapter VI. Because she has
rid herself of her prejudice, Elizabeth is able to discern Darcy's interest in
her.

Chapter XLIV

     It had been agreed that Mr. Darcy would bring his sister to meet
Elizabeth the day after her arrival at Pemberley, but Darcy and she come to
the inn where Elizabeth is staying the very day of their arrival. The
Gardiners quickly conclude that Darcy is very much in love with their niece.
Elizabeth finds Georgiana (who is just sixteen) a very shy person and not at
all the proud and disagreeable girl Wickham had described to her. Bingley then
arrives; he is as charming as ever, and Elizabeth wonders if he is still
interested in Jane. She notices there does not seem to be anything between
Bingley and Miss Darcy. Elizabeth is astonished to see Darcy cordially seeking
the acquaintance of the very relations whom he had acknowledged to be the
obstacle to his affection for Elizabeth. She and her companions are invited to
dinner at Pemberley two nights hence.

     Although sure that Darcy is in love with their niece, the Gardiners
discreetly refrain from inquiring into her feelings. They also decide that
everything that the housekeeper (who had known Darcy since he was four years
old) had told them of his good nature must be believed. The travelers hear
that Wickham is known in town to have left many debts behind him, which Mr.
Darcy paid.

     Elizabeth lies awake and examines her feelings about Darcy. She decides
that for the proud Darcy to have been so cordial to her and her relatives,
after all that she had said at Hunsford to offend him, can indeed be due only
to ardent love. Flattered and happy, she admits to admiring him. And she
wonders how much she returns his feeling.

     Elizabeth and her aunt decide to repay Miss Darcy's very courteous visit
by calling on her the next morning while Mr. Gardiner goes fishing.

Comment:

     The change in Darcy brings on a change in Elizabeth. But as she explores
her feelings, there is no trace of that former quickness of opinion that
sometimes proved to be prejudice. This time, she will make no mistakes.

Chapter XLV

     Elizabeth and her aunt are received at Pemberley by Georgiana, Bingley's
sister, and Mrs. Annesley, who lives with Miss Darcy in London. When Darcy
learns that the ladies are visiting Georgiana, he leaves for Mr. Gardiner to
his fishing and returns to the house. His effort to bring Georgiana and
Elizabeth together is obvious. The jealous Miss Bingley fears Elizabeth, and
is ignorant of Georgiana's attempted elopement with Wickham. She tries to
embarrass Elizabeth by suggesting that the departure of the regiment from
Hartfordshire is a loss to her family. This evokes the thought of Wickham and
embarrasses Darcy and his sister, as well as Elizabeth.

Comment:

     One of the innumerable ironies in the book: Miss Bingley intends to call
to Darcy's attention that Elizabeth may be partial to Wickham, but she
succeeds only in reminding him of the dreadful secret of Georgiana's near
folly. Elizabeth's discretion in guarding his secret must endear her to him.

     Elizabeth and her aunt leave shortly. Caroline Bingley immediately
proceeds to criticize Elizabeth's appearance, dress, person, and character.
But Darcy shocks her by replying that he has long considered her
"one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance." Mrs. Gardiner and her niece
are both silently eager to talk about Darcy and his interest in Elizabeth.

Chapter XIVI

     The next morning Elizabeth receives two letters from Jane (one had
been misdirected). In the first letter, Jane writes that she has heard from
Colonel Forster that Lydia has run off to Scotland with Wickham. Kitty seems
to have been aware of their interest in each other, but told no one. Jane is
shocked by the imprudence of such a match, for Lydia can bring Wickham no
fortune. In the second letter, Jane says that everyone is not certain that
Wickham really intends to marry Lydia. Colonel Forster does not believe that
they have gone to Scotland (as Lydia had written in a note to his wife).
Wickham's friend, Denny, indicated that Wickham never intended to go to
Scotland or to marry Lydia. It is believed instead that Wickham and Lydia
have gone to London. Mr. Bennet is going to London with Colonel Forster to
try to find his daughter. Jane asks that the Gardiners and Elizabeth return
to assist the family in this crisis.

     Elizabeth runs down to see if she can catch her aunt and uncle, who have
just gone out. As she reaches the door, she finds Mr. Darcy coming to call on
her. He suggests that she send a servant after the Gardiners, and he is very
much moved by Elizabeth's obvious distress. She tells him what has happened
and blames herself for not having told her family about Wickham's character.
Darcy is extremely sympathetic. Elizabeth thinks that now, surely, in the
face of such a disgrace to her family, Darcy must suppress whatever
affection for her he has left. And Elizabeth now begins to understand that she
loves him. But the humiliation that Lydia's behavior has brought to her
family drives out all other thoughts. When Darcy leaves, Elizabeth thinks
how unlikely that she will ever see him again, and she considers the irony
of her having despised him when he asked for her hand and of her new
affection for him now, when there is no hope.

Comment:

     The reader will observe the parallel between Lydia's behavior with
Wickham and that of Darcy's sister (see Chapter XXV). Thus. Darcy must be
aware that a handsome and unscrupulous cad like Wickham can affect young
girls of very good family, as well as a vulgar flirt like Lydia. Georgiana's
character is manifestly superior to Lydia's. But Elizabeth's is also clearly
better than that of the Bingley girls and Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

     The author comments that Elizabeth's affection for Darcy is founded on
admiration and gratitude, on a knowledge of his character. This is quite
unlike that of the "love-at-first-sight" feeling she experienced with
Wickham.

Comment:

     Elizabeth, it appears, has learned her lesson in prudence. Although she
has not gone as far as Charlotte in ridding herself of romantic feelings, she
sees that emotion (affection) must be guided by a knowledge that penetrates
appearances. This passage should be read carefully, for it explicates the
theme that emotion (feeling) should always be governed by reason.

     Elizabeth has no hope that Wickham will marry Lydia. Although she never
noticed any attachment between them, she realizes that with a little
encouragement, Lydia would attach herself to anyone. She is the product of a
neglectful and indulgent upbringing.

     Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner return, hear the news, and agree to depart
immediately. On hearing that Elizabeth has told Darcy the news, Mrs.
Gardiner wonders about the nature of the relationship between
her niece and the master of Pemberley. In an hour they are on the road to
Longbourn.

Chapter XLVII

     Riding back in the carriage, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner (who are ignorant of
the full extent of Wickham's past) express the hope that he surely intends to
marry Lydia - a girl who had been living with his own Colonel's family. But
Elizabeth counters with more cogent arguments. If he wants to marry her, why
should there be a secret marriage? Why would his friend, Denny, say that he
never intended to marry Lydia? Wickham would never marry a woman without
money. And in view of Mr. Bennet's lack of interest in his family, he might
well think that he has little to fear from her father. Furthermore because of
Lydia's careless upbringing and her hot spirits, it cannot be assumed that she
had a guarantee of marriage. Wickham is entirely without honor, and so
Elizabeth feels it is unlikely the affair can have a respectable end.

     Elizabeth hints to her aunt and uncle that she has other reasons that she
cannot reveal for suspecting the worst of Wickham. She mentions his having
deceived Elizabeth into believing that Georgiana was proud and disagreeable.
Elizabeth confesses that she and Jane decided not to make their knowledge
of Wickham's character and past public. She had no reason to think that there
might be an attachment between Lydia and Wickham. Throughout the journey
home, Elizabeth blames herself for not having revealed what she knew about
Wickham.

     The next evening, they reach Longbourn. Jane has heard nothing of the
two runaways. Her father is still in London. Her mother is tearful, and
bitterly blames Wickham for what he has done (and anyone else, except
herself, who had spoiled Lydia, encouraged her flirtations and her
ill-advised trip to Brighton). She claims that if the whole family had gone
to Brighton as she had wanted, this would never have happened. She
anticipates her husband's being killed in a duel with Wickham and worries
about the Collinses then turning them out of their home. Mr. Gardiner
promises to go to London the next day to help his brother-in-law. His sister
asks him to tell Lydia that she can buy all her wedding clothes after she is
married. Mary contributes some pious moralizing to the discussion.

     Jane tells Elizabeth that Lydia had written to Kitty (who said nothing
at the time) some weeks ago about Wickham and her being in love. Elizabeth
remarks that if she and Jane had told what they knew about him, this could
not have happened. Jane then reads the note Lydia left to Colonel Forster's
wife. Lydia lightheartedly informs Harriet Forster that she will soon be
signing her name "Lydia Wickham." Elizabeth says this at least shows that
Lydia thought she was going to be married. Word of what has happened seems to
have spread throughout the neighborhood. Lady Lucas has been over to offer her
sympathy.

     It seems that Wickham had left behind him several debts in Meryton.