“They met again on Sunday,and then I saw him too.It was not all settled before Monday:as soon as it was,the express was sent off to Longbourn. But our visitor was very obstinate. I fancy, Lizzy,that obstinacy is the real defect of his character,after all. He has been accused of many faults at different times,but this is the true one.Nothing was to be done that he did not do himself;though I am sure(and I do not speak it to be thanked,therefore say nothing about it),your uncle would most readily have settled the whole.
“You know pretty well,I suppose,what has been done for the young people.His debts are to be paid,amounting,I believe,to considerably more than a thousand pounds, another thousand in addition to her own settled upon her, and his commission purchased.The reason why all this was to be done by him alone, was such as I have given above.It was owing to him,to his reserve and want of proper consideration, that Wickham's character had been so misunderstood,and consequently that he had been received and noticed as he was.Perhaps there was some truth in this;though I doubt whether his reserve,or anybody's reserve,can be answerable for the event.But in spite of all this fine talking, my dear Lizzy, you may rest perfectly assured that your uncle would never have yielded, if we had not given him credit for another interest in the affair.