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"That it ought not to be attempted. Mr. Darcy has not authorized

me to make his communication public. On the contrary, every

particular relative to his sister was meant to be kept as much as

possible to myself; and if I endeavour to undeceive people as to

the rest of his conduct, who will believe me? The general

prejudice against Mr. Darcy is so violent, that it would be the

death of half the good people in Meryton, to attempt to place him

in an amiable light. I am not equal to it. Wickham will soon be

gone; and, therefore, it will not signify to anybody here what he

really is. Some time hence it will be all found out, and then we

may laugh at their stupidity in not knowing it before. At present

I will say nothing about it."

"You are quite right. To have his errors made public might ruin

him for ever. He is now, perhaps, sorry for what he has done, and

anxious to re-establish a character. We must not make him

desperate."