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Quote 17- Unhappy as the event must be for Lydia, we may draw from it this useful lesson: that loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable; that one false step involves her in endless ruin; that her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful; and that she cannot be too much guarded in her behaviour towards the undeserving of the other sex. Explanation and Analysis. Lydia has run away with Mr. Wickham, and the entire Bennet family is frantic as each member attempts to track her down and save her from utter ruin. Here, though, Mary Bennet attempts to siphon off something useful from this embarrassing, shameful family incident, by making a broader moral judgment. The Bennet women may think themselves at least somewhat stable, but Lydia's story has taught them that reputation and social judgment are incredibly precarious, and it doesn't take much to lose a reputation that one has spent years cultivating. A woman's "virtue" is highly prized in this society, and for women who do not possess a fortune or other coveted possessions, virtue is what they may cling to in order to assure a decent, and even moderately independent, life for themselves.