Chapter 47 265
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 on 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 ?" cried Elizabeth , brightening up for a moment .
" Upon my word ," said Mrs . Gardiner , " 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 . I cannot think so very ill of Wickham . Can you yourself , Lizzy , 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 . Gardiner , " there is no absolute proof that they are not gone to Scotland ."
" Oh ! but their removing from the chaise into a hackney coach is such a presumption ! And , 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 that they could be more economically , though less expeditiously , married in London than in Scotland ."