"But how little of permanent happiness could belong to a couple who were only brought together because their passions were stronger than their virtue, she could easily conjecture" (296)
Elizabeth's prediction of Lydia and Wickham's doomed relationship is entirely correct. Later, Austen tells us that "their characters suffered no revolution," and "his affection for her soon sunk into indifference; her's lasted a little longer" (366). As Elizabeth could see, the only happiness in their marriage came from the original spark of the passion between them. Their union was one of haste and necessity that took place solely to preserve what was left of Lydia's scandalized reputation. Through this image of marriage, Austen is commenting on both the marriage itself, and the ease with which a girl's reputation could be ruined at that time.
Lydia and Wickham do seem to have their just desserts at the end of the novel. There's no "happily ever after" for them.
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