Chapter 51 300
Wickham ' s affection for Lydia was just what Elizabeth had expected to find it ; not equal to Lydia ' s for him . She had scarcely needed her present observation to be satisfied , from the reason of things , that their elopement had been brought on by the strength of her love , rather than by his ; and she would have wondered why , without violently caring for her , he chose to elope with her at all , had she not felt certain that his flight was rendered necessary by distress of circumstances ; and if that were the case , he was not the young man to resist an opportunity of having a companion .
Lydia was exceedingly fond of him . He was her dear Wickham on every occasion ; no one was to be put in competition with him . He did every thing best in the world ; and she was sure he would kill more birds on the first of September , than any body else in the country .
One morning , soon after their arrival , as she was sitting with her two elder sisters , she said to Elizabeth :
" Lizzy , I never gave you an account of my wedding , I believe . You were not by , when I told mamma and the others all about it . Are not you curious to hear how it was managed ?"
" No really ," replied Elizabeth ; " I think there cannot be too little said on the subject ."
" La ! You are so strange ! But I must tell you how it went off . We were married , you know , at St . Clement ' s , because Wickham ' s lodgings were in that parish . And it was settled that we should all be there by eleven o ' clock . My uncle and aunt and I were to go together ; and the others were to meet us at the church . Well , Monday morning came , and I was in such a fuss ! I was so afraid , you know , that something would happen to put it off , and then I should have gone quite distracted . And there was my aunt , all the time I was dressing , preaching and talking away just as if she was reading a sermon . However , I did not hear above one word in ten , for I was thinking , you may suppose , of my dear Wickham . I longed to know whether he would be married in his blue coat ."