“Oh,Jane,had we been less secret,had we told what we knew of him,this could not have happened!”
“Perhaps it would have been better,”replied her sister.
“No,I believe not.”
She then proceeded to inquire into the measures which her father had intended to pursue,while in town,for the recovery of his daughter.
Jane then took it from her pocket-book,and gave it to Elizabeth. These were the contents:
“Your attendance upon her has been too much for you.You do not look well.Oh that I had been with you!You have had every care and anxiety upon yourself alone.”
“LYDIA BENNET.”
“She had better have stayed at home,”cried Elizabeth;“perhaps she meant well,but,under such a misfortune as this,one cannot see too little of one's neighbours. Assistance is impossible;condolence insufferable.Let them triumph over us at a distance, and be satisfied.”
“MY DEAR HARRIET,
“Oh!Jane,”cried Elizabeth,“was there a servant belonging to it who did not know the whole story before the end of the day?”
“But to expose the former faults of any person without knowing what their present feelings were,seemed unjustifiable.We acted with the best intentions.”
“And did Colonel Forster appear to think ill of Wickham himself?Does he know his real character?”