Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

men must have something to live on, as well as the plain"
(126).
In the end, with Lydia by his side, Wickham presses
his suit for the portion he must have before he will
marry her. Mr. Bennet cannot hesitate, for without a
legal marriage to Wickham, Lydia will have no marriage at
all and will be homebound, dishonored, and become a
burden on the Bennet family's already pressed finances.
Further, Austen relates the solution to Lydia's
predicament in typical male financial terms : " [Mr.
Bennet] had never supposed that, could Wickham be
prevailed on to marry his daughter, it would be with so
little inconvenience to himself, as by the present
arrangement" (249-50) . Compassion is not an option when
the reputation of a family name is at stake.
Mr. Bennet calculated that "[hle would scarcely be
ten pounds a-year the loser, by the hundred that was to
be paid for them . . ." (250). Wickham believes he is
squeezing Mr. Bennet, dangling social degradation in
front of him, assuming that as the basis for quick
payment. Darcy, too, feels the social bribery and
determines to pay off Wickham. Beyond this, the practice
of strict settlement demanded that husbands seek a
financial base from their wives. Wickham understands the