Chapter 48

by Jane Austen

　　The whole party were in hopes of a letter from Mr. Bennet thenext morning, but the post came in without bringing a single linefrom him. His family knew him to be, on all common occasions,a most negligent and dilatory correspondent; but at such a timethey had hoped for exertion. They were forced to conclude thathe had no pleasing intelligence to send; but even of that theywould have been glad to be certain. Mr. Gardiner had waitedonly for the letters before he set off.When he was gone, they were certain at least of receivingconstant information of what was going on, and their unclepromised, at parting, to prevail on Mr. Bennet to return toLongbourn, as soon as he could, to the great consolation of hissister, who considered it as the only security for her husband'snot being killed in a duel.Mrs. Gardiner and the children were to remain in Hertfordshirea few days longer, as the former thought her presence might beserviceable to her nieces. She shared in their attendance on Mrs.Bennet, and was a great comfort to them in their hours offreedom. Their other aunt also visited them frequently, andalways, as she said, with the design of cheering and hearteningthem up-- though, as she never came without reporting somefresh instance of Wickham's extravagance or irregularity, sheseldom went away without leaving them more dispirited thanshe found them.All Meryton seemed striving to blacken the man who, but threemonths before, had been almost an angel of light. He wasdeclared to be in debt to every tradesman in the place, and hisintrigues all honoured with the title of seduction, had beenextended into every tradesman's family. Everybody declaredthat he was the wickedest young man in the world; andeverybody began to find out that they had always distrustedthe appearance of his goodness. Elizabeth, though she did notcredit above half of what was said, believed enough to makeher former assurance of her sister's ruin more certain; and evenJane, who believed still less of it, became almost hopeless, moreespecially as the time was now come when, if they had gone toScotland, which she had never before entirely despaired of, theymust in all probability have gained some news of them.Mr. Gardiner left Longbourn on Sunday; on Tuesday his wifereceived a letter from him; it told them that, on his arrival, hehad immediately found out his brother, and persuaded him tocome to Gracechurch Street; that Mr. Bennet had been toEpsom and Clapham, before his arrival, but without gainingany satisfactory information; and that he was now determinedto inquire at all the principal hotels in town, as Mr. Bennetthought it possible they might have gone to one of them, ontheir first coming to London, before they procured lodgings.Mr. Gardiner himself did not expect any success from thismeasure, but as his brother was eager in it, he meant to assisthim in pursuing it. He added that Mr. Bennet seemed whollydisinclined at present to leave London and promised to writeagain very soon. There was also a postscript to this effect:"I have written to Colonel Forster to desire him to find out, ifpossible, from some of the young man's intimates in theregiment, whether Wickham has any relations or connectionswho would be likely to know in what part of town he has nowconcealed himself. If there were any one that one could applyto with a probability of gaining such a clue as that, it might beof essential consequence. At present we have nothing to guideus. Colonel Forster will, I dare say, do everything in his powerto satisfy us on this head. But, on second thoughts, perhaps,Lizzy could tell us what relations he has now living, better thanany other person."Elizabeth was at no loss to understand from whence thisdeference to her authority proceeded; but it was not in herpower to give any information of so satisfactory a nature as thecompliment deserved. She had never heard of his having hadany relations, except a father and mother, both of whom hadbeen dead many years. It was possible, however, that some ofhis companions in the ----shire might be able to give moreinformation; and though she was not very sanguine in expectingit, the application was a something to look forward to.Every day at Longbourn was now a day of anxiety; but the mostanxious part of each was when the post was expected. Thearrival of letters was the grand object of every morning'simpatience. Through letters, whatever of good or bad was to betold would be communicated, and every succeeding day wasexpected to bring some news of importance.But before they heard again from Mr. Gardiner, a letter arrivedfor their father, from a different quarter, from Mr. Collins;which, as Jane had received directions to open all that came forhim in his absence, she accordingly read; and Elizabeth, whoknew what curiosities his letters always were, looked over her,and read it likewise. It was s follows:"My Dear Sir,--"I feel myself called upon, by our relationship, and my situation inlife, to condole with you on the grievous affliction you are nowsuffering under, of which we were yesterday informed by a letterfrom Hertfordshire. Be assured, my dear sir, that Mrs. Collinsand myself sincerely sympathise with you and all yourrespectable family, in your present distress, which must be ofthe bitterest kind, because proceeding from a cause which notime can remove. No arguments shall be wanting on my partthat can alleviate so severe a misfortune-- or that may comfortyou, under a circumstance that must be of all others the mostafflicting to a parent's mind. The death of your daughter wouldhave been a blessing in comparison of this. And it is the moreto be lamented, because there is reason to suppose as my dearCharlotte informs me, that this licentiousness of behaviour inyour daughter has proceeded from a faulty degree of indulgence;though, at the same time, for the consolation of yourself andMrs. Bennet, I am inclined to think that her own dispositionmust be naturally bad, or she could not be guilty of such anenormity, at so early an age. Howsoever that may be, you aregrievously to be pitied; in which opinion I am not only joined byMrs. Collins, but likewise by Lady Catherine and her daughter,to whom I have related the affair. They agree with me inapprehending that this false step in one daughter will beinjurious to the fortunes of all the others; for who, as LadyCatherine herself condescendingly says, will connect themselveswith such a family? And this consideration leads me moreoverto reflect, with augmented satisfaction, on a certain event of lastNovember; for had it been otherwise, I must have been involvedin all your sorrow and disgrace. Let me then advise you, dearsir, to console yourself as much as possible, to throw off yourunworthy child from your affection for ever, and leave her toreap the fruits of her own heinous offense.-- I am, dear sir, etc.,etc."Mr. Gardiner did not write again till he had received an answerfrom Colonel Forster; and then he had nothing of a pleasantnature to send. It was not known that Wickham had a singlerelationship with whom he kept up any connection, and it wascertain that he had no near one living. His formeracquaintances had been numerous; but since he had been in themilitia, it did not appear that he was on terms of particularfriendship with any of them. There was no one, therefore, whocould be pointed out as likely to give any news of him. And inthe wretched state of his own finances, there was a verypowerful motive for secrecy, in addition to his fear of discoveryby Lydia's relations, for it had just transpired that he had leftgaming debts behind him to a very considerable amount.Colonel Forster believed that more than a thousand poundswould be necessary to clear his expenses at Brighton. He oweda good deal in town, but his debts of honour were still moreformidable. Mr. Gardiner did not attempt to conceal theseparticulars from the Longbourn family. Jane heard them withhorror. "A gamester!" she cried. "This is wholly unexpected.I had not an idea of it."Mr. Gardiner added in his letter, that they might expect to seetheir father at home on the following day, which was Saturday.Rendered spiritless by the ill-success of all their endeavours, hehad yielded to his brother-in-law's entreaty that he would returnto his family, and leave it to him to do whatever occasion mightsuggest to be advisable for continuing their pursuit. When Mrs.Bennet was told of this, she did not express so much satisfactionas her children expected, considering what her anxiety for hislife had been before."What, is he coming home, and without poor Lydia?" she cried."Sure he will not leave London before he has found them. Whois to fight Wickham, and make him marry her, if he comesaway?"As Mrs. Gardiner began to wish to be at home, it was settledthat she and the children should go to London, at the same timethat Mr. Bennet came from it. The coach, therefore, took themthe first stage of their journey, and brought its master back toLongbourn.Mrs. Gardiner went away in all the perplexity about Elizabethand her Derbyshire friend that had attended her from that partof the world. His name had never been voluntarily mentionedbefore them by her niece; and the kind of half-expectation whichMrs. Gardiner had formed, of their being followed by a letterfrom him, had ended in nothing. Elizabeth had received nonesince her return that could come from Pemberley.The present unhappy state of the family rendered any otherexcuse for the lowness of her spirits unnecessary; nothing,therefore, could be fairly conjectured from that, thoughElizabeth, who was by this time tolerably well acquainted withher own feelings, was perfectly aware that, had she knownnothing of Darcy, she could have borne the dread of Lydia'sinfamy somewhat better. It would have spared her, she thought,one sleepless night out of two.When Mr. Bennet arrived, he had all the appearance of his usualphilosophic composure. He said as little as he had ever been inthe habit of saying; made no mention of the business that hadtaken him away, and it was some time before his daughters hadcourage to speak of it.It was not till the afternoon, when he had joined them at tea,that Elizabeth ventured to introduce the subject; and then, onher briefly expressing her sorrow for what he must haveendured, he replied, "Say nothing of that. Who should sufferbut myself? It has been my own doing, and I ought to feel it.""You must not be too severe upon yourself," replied Elizabeth."You may well warn me against such an evil. Human nature isso prone to fall into it! No, Lizzy, let me once in my life feelhow much I have been to blame. I am not afraid of beingoverpowered by the impression. It will pass away soon enough.""Do you suppose them to be in London?""Yes; where else can they be so well concealed?""And Lydia used to want to go to London," added Kitty."She is happy then," said her father drily; "and her residencethere will probably be of some duration."Then after a short silence he continued:"Lizzy, I bear you no ill-will for being justified in your advice tome last May, which, considering the event, shows somegreatness of mind."They were interrupted by Miss Bennet, who came to fetch hermother's tea."This is a parade," he cried, "which does one good; it gives suchan elegance to misfortune! Another day I will do the same; Iwill sit in my library, in my nightcap and powdering gown, andgive as much trouble as I can; or, perhaps, I may defer it tillKitty runs away.""I am not going to run away, papa," said Kitty fretfully. "If Ishould ever go to Brighton, I would behave better than Lydia.""You go to Brighton. I would not trust you so near it asEastbourne for fifty pounds! No, Kitty, I have at last learnt tobe cautious, and you will feel the effects of it. No officer is everto enter into my house again, nor even to pass through thevillage. Balls will be absolutely prohibited, unless you stand upwith one of your sisters. And you are never to stir out of doorstill you can prove that you have spent ten minutes of every dayin a rational manner."Kitty, who took all these threats in a serious light, began to cry."Well, well," said he, "do not make yourself unhappy. If youare a good girl for the next ten years, I will take you to a reviewat the end of them."