Страница 423 из 817

Wickham's chief object was unquestionably my sister's fortune,

which is thirty thousand pounds; but I cannot help supposing that

the hope of revenging himself on me was a strong inducement. His

revenge would have been complete indeed. This, madam, is a

faithful narrative of every event in which we have been concerned

together; and if you do not absolutely reject it as false, you

will, I hope, acquit me henceforth of cruelty towards Mr.

Wickham. I know not in what manner, under what form of falsehood,

he has imposed on you; but his success is not perhaps to be

wondered at, ignorant as you previously were of everything

concerning either. Detection could not be in your power, and

suspicion certainly not in your inclination. You may possibly

wonder why all this was not told you last night. But I was not

then master enough of myself to know what could or ought to be

revealed.