A Most Civil Proposal Read Online Free PDF Page B

first young lady whose affections he has toyed with as you will shortly hear.”
    To this, Elizabeth could not help but remember how amiably Mr. Wickham had engaged her, even when it had been obvious to her that his intentions could not be serious due to her lack of fortune. She also remembered the warning from her Aunt Gardiner about having affection where the want of fortune would make it imprudent. It was with a decided sinking sensation in her stomach that she listened to Mr. Darcy’s account.
    “My father died five years ago, and he remained attached to Mr. Wickham to the last. In his will, he left him a legacy of one thousand pounds, and he also particularly recommended that I support Wickham’s advancement in whatever profession he chose. He especially favoured the church, and if Wickham did choose to take orders, he desired that he receive a valuable family living when it became vacant. Wickham’s own father died shortly after that, and within a year he wrote to inform me that he had resolved against taking orders. He mentioned his intention of studying law and suggested that he receive an immediate pecuniary reward in lieu of the family living since his legacy of one thousand pounds would not provide an income to support his study. I wished, rather than believed, him to be sincere, but I was quite prepared to agree to his request since I knew he should not be a clergyman.
    “We soon settled the business, and Wickham received the sum of three thousand pounds in return for resigning all claim to assistance, whether the living became available or not. All connection between us was now broken since I thought too ill of him to desire his acquaintance. I heard little of him for three years. I believe he stayed mainly in town, living a life of idleness and dissipation since he evidently had never intended to study the law. But when the family living became available, Wickham again wrote me asking for the presentation of the living. He wrote that his circumstances were exceedingly bad, which I could well believe, and he now stated that he was resolved to take orders. He seemed to have little doubt that I would present the living, and he reminded me of my father’s desires.
    “I trust you can hardly blame me, Miss Bennet, for refusing to comply with this request and for rejecting the subsequent repetitions of it. His resentment was violent in his reproaches to me, and he doubtless was equally abusive of me to others. After that, I had no contact with him and do not know how he lived.”
    Darcy sat straight in his chair with his eyes focused far away as he continued his account. “But Wickham was not done with my family. Last summer, he again intruded into my life in a manner which is the most painful I have ever experienced, and his prey this time was the sweetest, the most innocent heart in the land. I speak of my dear sister, Georgiana.”
    “Oh, no,” Elizabeth moaned, closing her eyes in disbelief. She had reason to know that, whatever else she had believed of Mr. Darcy, his affection for his sister was apparent and sincere. A single tear slid down her cheek as she stared in dismay at Mr. Darcy’s frozen visage. If his face had been grim before, it was chiselled in granite now.
    “Miss Bennet, I must ask your secrecy on this matter, for until this moment, no other mortal knew of these events except the participants and Colonel Fitzwilliam.” Elizabeth managed to nod, for she could not talk, and he continued.
    “My sister is very precious to me, for I lost my mother in my youth and now lately my father. She is more than ten years my junior, and I share her guardianship with my cousin Fitzwilliam. Last summer, Georgiana travelled to Ramsgate with a Mrs. Younge, who was in charge of the establishment formed for her in London. We were quite deceived in the character of Mrs. Younge, who proved to have a prior acquaintance with George Wickham. The two evidently had conspired since she allowed Wickham, who also