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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 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.