Elizabeth was now to see Mr. Wickham for the last time. Having been frequently in company with him since her return, agitation was pretty well over, the agitation of former partiality entirely so. She had even learned to detect, in the very gentleness which had first delighted her, an affectation and a sameness to disgust and weary. In his present behaviour to herself, moreover, she had a fresh source of displeasure, for the inclination he soon testified of renewing those attentions which had marked the early part of their acquaintance could only serve, after what had since passed, to provoke her. She lost all concern for him in finding herself thus selected as the object of such idle and frivolous gallantry; and while she steadily repressed it, could not but feel the reproof contained in his believing that however long, and for whatever cause, his attentions had been withdrawn, her vanity would be gratified and her preference secured at any time by their renewal.

This post is for those who, like me, have read Pride and Prejudice innumerable times. I was struck while reading this passage how Elizabeth may have unwittingly promoted Wickham's elopement with her sister. Elizabeth now refuses to gratify Wickham's vanity, and rightly so, but instead of this bringing him to an honest realization of his caddish ways it leads him to look elsewhere for gratification. That is really the only reason why men go after "easy" women, because they need that kind of appreciation, false though it may be and transient though it certainly becomes. The text says Elizabeth "lost all concern for him" because she was overcome with shame for her past behavior. This can truly be a danger for those with high moral standards, to see oneself overcome by sin and be disgusted by all associated with that sin. However, when it comes to a person, there must always be concern for that person's salvation, no matter how little good one can find in their actions. That is the grace of Jane in the story.