Chapter47"IHAVEbeenthinkingitoveragain,Elizabeth,"saidheruncleastheydrovefromthetown; "andreally,uponseriousconsideration,IammuchmoreinclinedthanIwastojudgeasyoureldestsisterdoesofthematter.Itappearstomesoveryunlikelythatanyyoungmanshouldformsuchadesignagainstagirlwhoisbynomeansunprotectedorfriendless,andwhowasactuallystayinginhiscolonel'sfamily,thatIamstronglyinclinedtohopethebest.Couldheexpectthatherfriendswouldnotstepforward?Couldheexpecttobenoticedagainbytheregiment,aftersuchanaffronttoColonelForster?Histemptationisnotadequatetotherisk.""Doyoureallythinkso?"criedElizabeth,brighteningupforamoment."Uponmyword,"saidMrs.Gardiner, "Ibegintobeofyouruncle'sopinion.Itisreallytoogreataviolationofdecency,honour,andinterest,forhimtobeguiltyofit.IcannotthinksoveryillofWickham.Canyou,yourself,Lizzy,sowhollygivehimupastobelievehimcapableofit?""Notperhapsofneglectinghisowninterest.ButofeveryotherneglectIcanbelievehimcapable.If,indeed,itshouldbeso!ButIdarenothopeit.WhyshouldtheynotgoontoScotland,ifthathadbeenthecase?""Inthefirstplace,"repliedMr.Gardiner, "thereisnoabsoluteproofthattheyarenotgonetoScotland.""Oh!buttheirremovingfromthechaiseintoanhackneycoachissuchapresumption!And,besides,notracesofthemweretobefoundontheBarnetroad.""Well,then--supposingthemtobeinLondon.Theymaybethere,though,forthepurposeofconcealment,fornomoreexceptionablepurpose.Itisnotlikelythatmoneyshouldbeveryabundantoneitherside;anditmightstrikethemthattheycouldbemoreeconomically,thoughlessexpeditiously,marriedinLondon,thaninScotland.""Butwhyallthissecrecy?Whyanyfearofdetection?Whymusttheirmarriagebeprivate?Oh!no,no,thisisnotlikely.Hismostparticularfriend,youseebyJane'saccount,waspersuadedofhisneverintendingtomarryher.Wickhamwillnevermarryawomanwithoutsomemoney.Hecannotaffordit.AndwhatclaimshasLydia,whatattractionshasshebeyondyouth,health,andgoodhumour,thatcouldmakehim,forhersake,forgoeverychanceofbenefitinghimselfbymarryingwell?Astowhatrestrainttheapprehensionofdisgraceinthecorpsmightthrowonadishonourableelopementwithher,Iamnotabletojudge;forIknownothingoftheeffectsthatsuchastepmightproduce.Butastoyourotherobjection,Iamafraiditwillhardlyholdgood.Lydiahasnobrotherstostepforward;andhemightimagine,frommyfather'sbehaviour,fromhisindolenceandthelittleattentionhehaseverseemedtogivetowhatwasgoingforwardinhisfamily,thathewoulddoaslittle,andthinkaslittleaboutit,asanyfathercoulddoinsuchamatter.""ButcanyouthinkthatLydiaissolosttoeverythingbutloveofhim,astoconsenttolivewithhimonanyothertermsthanmarriage?" 第四十七章他们离开那个城镇的时候，舅父跟伊丽莎白说：“我又把这件事想了一遍，认真地考虑了一番，越发觉得你姐姐的看法很对。我认为无论是哪个青年，决不会对这样一位姑娘存着这样的坏心眼，她又不是无亲无靠，何况她就住在他自己的上校家里，因此我要从最好的方面去着想。难道他以为她的亲友们不会挺身而出吗？难道他还以为这一次冒犯弗斯脱上校以后，还好意思回到民兵团里去吗？我看他不见得会痴情到冒险的地步。”伊丽莎白的脸色立刻显得高兴起来，连忙嚷道：“你果真这样想吗？”嘉丁纳太太接嘴说：“你相信我好了，我也开始赞成你舅舅的看法了。这件事太不顾羞耻，太不顾名誉和利害关系了，他不会这样胆大妄为。我觉得韦翰未必会这样坏。丽萃，你竟这样不把他放在眼里，相信他会做出这种事吗？”“他也许不会不顾全自己的利害关系。除此以外，我相信他全不在乎。但愿他能有所顾忌。我可不敢存这个奢望。要是真象你所想的那样，那他们干吗不到苏格兰去呢？”嘉丁纳先生回答道：“第一，现在并不能完全证明他们没有到苏格兰去。”“哎哟！可是他们把原来的马车打发走，换上了出租的马车，光是凭这一点就可想而知！此外，到巴纳特去的路上，也找不到他们的踪迹。”“那么就假定他们在伦敦吧。他们到那儿去也许是为了暂时躲避一下，不会别有用心。他们两个人都没有多少钱；也许他们都会想到，在伦敦结婚虽然比不上在苏格兰结婚来得方便，可是要省俭些。”“可是为什么要这样秘密？为什么怕给人家发觉？为什么结婚要偷偷摸摸？哦，不，不，你这种想法不切合实际。你不是看到吉英信里说吗──连他自己最要好的朋友也相信他不会跟她结婚。韦翰绝不会跟一个没有钱的女人结婚的。他根本办不到。丽迪雅除了年轻、健康、爱开玩笑之外，有什么办法、有什么吸引力，可以叫他为了她而放弃掉结婚致富的机会？至于他会不会怕这次羞耻的私奔使他自己在部队里丢面子，便把行为检点一下，那我就无法判断了，因为我无从知道他这一次的行为究竟会产生什么样的后果。但是你说的另外一点，我恐怕不大靠得住。丽迪雅的确没有个亲兄弟为她出头，他又看到我父亲平日为人懒散，不管家事，便以为他遇到这类事情，也会跟人家做父亲的一样，不肯多管，也不肯多想。”“可是你以为丽迪雅为了爱他，竟会不顾一切，可以不跟他结婚而跟他同居吗？”