After all, only a lucky chance prevented Georgiana from running off with Wickham thinking he loved her; and I doubt he would have married her until after he had wrung financial concessions from Darcy.

Lady Catherine obviously missed an item at Rosings in her advice to Lizzy about child-rearing: "What? Your father has not had you all locked into chastity belts? How remiss!"

After all, Wickham didn't invite Lydia to accompany him; she insisted in coming along when he fled. I still refuse to see how a gentleman would have thought throwing away her virginity possible in his daughter. Certainly Lizzy did not, nor did Mrs. Gardiner.

"But can you think that Lydia is so lost to everything but love of him as to consent to live with him on any other terms than marriage?"

"It does seem, and it is most shocking indeed," replied Elizabeth, with tears in her eyes, "that a sister's sense of decency and virtue in such a point should admit of doubt. But, really, I know not what to say. Perhaps I am not doing her justice. But she is very young; she has never been taught to think on serious subjects; and for the last half year -- nay, for a twelvemonth -- she has been given up to nothing but amusement and vanity. (Ch. 47)