Nodiver d.o.o. · Pride & Prejudice · page 520 of 640

Pride & Prejudice – page 520

JANE AUSTEN

before he left London, and he was to join his regiment

at the end of a fortnight.

No one but Mrs. Bennet regretted that their stay

would be so short; and she made the most of the time

by visiting about with her daughter, and having very

frequent parties at home. These parties were acceptable

to all; to avoid a family circle was even more desirable

to such as did think, than such as did not.

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 observa-

tion 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.

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