Chapter 47 267
" Of whom does Jane ever think ill ? And who is there , whatever might be their former conduct , that she would think 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 has been profligate in every sense of the word ; that he has neither integrity nor honour ; that he is as false and deceitful as he is insinuating ."
" And do you really know all this ?" cried Mrs . Gardiner , 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 it is not worth while 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 that 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 , that is the worst of all . Till I was in Kent , and saw so much both of Mr . Darcy and his relation Colonel Fitzwilliam , I was ignorant of the truth myself . And when I returned home , the ----shire 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 any one , 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 could ensue , you may easily believe , was far enough from my thoughts ."