Elizabeth, though she did not credit above half of what was said, believed enough to make her former assurance of her sister's ruin more certain; and even Jane, who believed still less of it, became almost hopeless, more especially as the time was now come when, if they had gone to Scotland, which she had never before entirely despaired of, they must in all probability have gained some news of them.
Elizabeth ugyan a felét sem hitte el a mendemondának, de ez is elég volt ahhoz, hogy még bizonyosabbnak tekintse Lydia vesztét; sőt Jane is, aki még kevesebbet hitt el a híresztelésekből, majdnem reménytelennek látta a helyzetet, annyival is inkább, mert ha csakugyan Skóciába mentek - s Jane sohasem tett le eddig teljesen a reményről -, most már itt az ideje, hogy hírt kapjanak tőlük.