Mr. Collins marries Charlotte Lucas.

Charlotte accepts his proposal pragmatically, valuing stability and security over romance. Their marriage illustrates a clear contrast in Pride and Prejudice between practical marriages driven by economic necessity and affection-based marriages like those of Jane–Bingley and Elizabeth–Darcy. Austen uses Charlotte and Mr. Collins to show that marriage, in her society, often functioned as a rational arrangement rather than an emotional one.

Mr. Wickham’s disagreement with Mr. Darcy centers on how Wickham chose to handle the provision made for him in Darcy’s father’s will—and how Darcy responded to that choice.

What Darcy’s Father Intended

• Mr. Darcy Sr. favored George Wickham and intended to provide for him.

• The will arranged for Wickham to receive a valuable church living (a clerical position) at Kympton once he was qualified—an appointment that would have guaranteed him a stable income for life.

• This was a conditional, responsibility-based support, not a lump sum.

Wickham’s Refusal

• Wickham refused the living, claiming he preferred not to enter the clergy.

• Instead, he asked for (and received) a cash settlement—about £3,000—in exchange for relinquishing his claim to the position.

• He then squandered the money through extravagance and gambling.

The Disagreement with Darcy

• When Wickham later demanded additional support, Darcy refused.

• Darcy’s refusal was not a breach of the will, but an enforcement of its spirit: the will provided one opportunity, not unlimited bailouts.

• Wickham responded by misrepresenting the story, portraying Darcy as having cruelly denied him his rightful inheritance.

Why This Matters

• Darcy’s position: Duty fulfilled; further aid would enable irresponsibility.

• Wickham’s position: Entitlement without obligation.

• The conflict exposes Wickham’s character: charm masking moral recklessness and manipulation.

Bottom Line

Wickham did not lose his inheritance through Darcy’s injustice. He voluntarily rejected a lifelong provision, took a cash substitute, wasted it, and then blamed Darcy for refusing to rescue him again. Austen uses this episode to contrast principled stewardship (Darcy) with self-serving irresponsibility (Wickham)—a key moral fault line in the novel.

Yes—George Wickham effectively compromised Lydia Bennet and attempted to run away without marrying her, which in the social and moral context of Pride and Prejudice strongly implies sexual relations and the risk (or assumption) of pregnancy, even though Austen does not state pregnancy explicitly.

What Actually Happened

• Wickham eloped with Lydia to London.

• He had no intention of marrying her.

• He lived with her openly, spending money recklessly, until he was tracked down.

In Regency England, this situation would have been understood as sexual ruin, whether or not pregnancy had occurred. Respectable society assumed consummation once a couple lived together.

Why Pregnancy Is Implied but Not Confirmed

• Austen, writing within strict literary conventions, never explicitly mentions sex or pregnancy.

• However, Lydia’s reputation—and by extension the Bennet family’s—was considered irrevocably damaged unless marriage followed.

• The urgency, panic, and social stakes only make sense if the danger was viewed as extreme and permanent, which included the very real possibility of pregnancy.

How It Was Resolved

• Mr. Darcy intervened, located the couple, paid Wickham’s debts, and forced a marriage settlement.

• Wickham married Lydia for money, not affection or responsibility.

Bottom Line

Wickham ran away with Lydia intending to abandon her, fully aware that doing so would disgrace her for life. Whether Lydia was already pregnant is left unstated—but in Austen’s world, the damage was already done, and marriage was the only possible repair.

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