Seite 677 von 817

Wickham were, and that he had seen and talked with them

both--Wickham repeatedly, Lydia once. From what I can collect, he

left Derbyshire only one day after ourselves, and came to town

with the resolution of hunting for them. The motive professed was

his conviction of its being owing to himself that Wickham's

worthlessness had not been so well known as to make it impossible

for any young woman of character to love or confide in him. He

generously imputed the whole to his mistaken pride, and confessed

that he had before thought it beneath him to lay his private

actions open to the world. His character was to speak for itself.

He called it, therefore, his duty to step forward, and endeavour

to remedy an evil which had been brought on by himself. If he had

another motive, I am sure it would never disgrace him.