thewholepartywereinhopesofaletterfrommr.bennetthenextmorning,butthepostcameinwithoutbringingasinglelinefromhim.hisfamilyknewhimtobe,onallcommonoccasions,amostnegligentanddilatorycorrespondent,butatsuchatimetheyhadhopedforexertion.theywereforcedtoconcludethathehadnopleasingintelligencetosend,butevenofthattheywouldhavebeengladtobecertain.mr.gardinerhadwaitedonlyforthelettersbeforehesetoff.

whenhewasgone,theywerecertainatleastofreceivingconstantinformationofwhatwasgoingon,andtheirunclepromised,atparting,toprevailonmr.bennettoreturntolongbournassoonashecould,tothegreatconsolationofhissister,whoconsidereditastheonlysecurityforherhusband'snotbeingkilledinaduel.

mrs.gardinerandthechildrenweretoremaininhertfordshireafewdayslonger,astheformerthoughtherpresencemightbeserviceabletohernieces.shesharedintheirattendanceonmrs.bennet,andwasagreatcomforttothemintheirhoursoffreedom.theirotherauntalsovisitedthemfrequently,andalways,asshesaid,withthedesignofcheeringandhearteningthemup,thoughasshenevercamewithoutreportingsomefreshinstanceofwickham'sextravaganceorirregularity,sheseldomwentawaywithoutleavingthemmoredispiritedthanshefoundthem.

allmerytonseemedstrivingtoblackentheman,who,butthreemonthsbefore,hadbeenalmostanangeloflight.hewasdeclaredtobeindebttoeverytradesmanintheplace,andhisintrigues,allhonouredwiththetitleofseduction,hadbeenextendedintoeverytradesman'sfamily.everybodydeclaredthathewasthewickedestyoungmanintheworld;andeverybodybegantofindoutthattheyhadalwaysdistrustedtheappearanceofhisgoodness.elizabeth,thoughshedidnotcreditabovehalfofwhatwassaid,believedenoughtomakeherformerassuranceofhersister'sruinstillmorecertain;andevenjane,whobelievedstilllessofit,becamealmosthopeless,moreespeciallyasthetimewasnowcomewhen,iftheyhadgonetoscotland,whichshehadneverbeforeentirelydespairedof,theymustinallprobabilityhavegainedsomenewsofthem.

mr.gardinerleftlongbournonsunday;ontuesday,hiswifereceivedaletterfromhim;ittoldthemthatonhisarrival,hehadimmediatelyfoundouthisbrother,andpersuadedhimtocometogracechurchstreet;thatmr.bennethadbeentoepsomandclaphambeforehisarrival,butwithoutgaininganysatisfactoryinformation;andthathewasnowdeterminedtoenquireatalltheprincipalhotelsintown,asmr.bennetthoughtitpossibletheymighthavegonetooneofthem,ontheirfirstcomingtolondon,beforetheyprocuredlodgings.mr.gardinerhimselfdidnotexpectanysuccessfromthismeasure,butashisbrotherwaseagerinit,hemeanttoassisthiminpursuingit.headdedthatmr.bennetseemedwhollydisinclinedatpresent,toleavelondon,andpromisedtowriteagainverysoon.therewasalsoapostscripttothiseffect:

"ihavewrittentocolonelforstertodesirehimtofindout,ifpossible,fromsomeoftheyoungman'sintimatesintheregiment,whetherwickhamhasanyrelationsorconnectionswhowouldbelikelytoknowinwhatpartofthetownhehasnowconcealedhimself.iftherewereanyonethatonecouldapplytowithaprobabilityofgainingsuchaclueasthat,itmightbeofessentialconsequence.atpresentwehavenothingtoguideus.colonelforsterwill,idaresay,doeverythinginhispowertosatisfyusonthishead.but,onsecondthoughts,perhapslizzycouldtelluswhatrelationshehasnowlivingbetterthananyotherperson."

elizabethwasatnolosstounderstandfromwhencethisdeferenceforherauthorityproceeded;butitwasnotinherpowertogiveanyinformationofsosatisfactoryanatureasthecomplimentdeserved.

shehadneverheardofhishavinghadanyrelations,exceptafatherandmother,bothofwhomhadbeendeadmanyyears.itwaspossible,however,thatsomeofhiscompanionsinthe-shire,mightbeabletogivemoreinformation;and,thoughshewasnotverysanguineinexpectingit,theapplicationwasasomethingtolookforwardto.

everydayatlongbournwasnowadayofanxiety;butthemostanxiouspartofeachwaswhenthepostwasexpected.thearrivalofletterswasthefirstgrandobjectofeverymorning'simpatience.throughletters,whateverofgoodorbadwastobetoldwouldbecommunicated,andeverysucceedingdaywasexpectedtobringsomenewsofimportance.

butbeforetheyheardagainfrommr.gardiner,aletterarrivedfortheirfatherfromadifferentquarter—frommr.collins;which,asjanehadreceiveddirectionstoopenallthatcameforhiminhisabsence,sheaccordinglyread;andelizabeth,whoknewwhatcuriositieshislettersalwayswere,lookedoverher,andreaditlikewise.itwasasfollows:

"mydearsir,

ifeelmyselfcalleduponbyourrelationship,andmysituationinlife,tocondolewithyouonthegrievousafflictionyouarenowsufferingunder,ofwhichwewereyesterdayinformedbyaletterfromhertfordshire.beassured,mydearsir,thatmrs.collinsandmyselfsincerelysympathisewithyou,andallyourrespectablefamily,inyourpresentdistress,whichmustbeofthebitterestkind,becauseproceedingfromacausewhichnotimecanremove.noargumentsshallbewantingonmypartthatcanalleviatesosevereamisfortune;orthatmaycomfortyou,underacircumstancethatmustbeofallothersmostafflictingtoaparent'smind.thedeathofyourdaughterwouldhavebeenablessingincomparisonofthis.anditisthemoretobelamented,becausethereisreasontosuppose,asmydearcharlotteinformsme,thatthislicentiousnessofbehaviourinyourdaughterhasproceededfromafaultydegreeofindulgence,thoughatthesametime,fortheconsolationofyourselfandmrs.bennet,iaminclinedtothinkthatherowndispositionmustbenaturallybad,orshecouldnotbeguiltyofsuchanenormityatsoearlyanage.howsoeverthatmaybe,youaregrievouslytobepitied,inwhichopinioniamnotonlyjoinedbymrs.collins,butlikewisebyladycatherineandherdaughter,towhomihaverelatedtheaffair.theyagreewithmeinapprehendingthatthisfalsestepinonedaughterwillbeinjurioustothefortunesofalltheothers;forwho,asladycatherineherselfcondescendinglysays,willconnectthemselveswithsuchafamily.andthisconsiderationleadsmemoreovertoreflectwithaugmentedsatisfactiononacertaineventoflastnovember,forhaditbeenotherwise,imusthavebeeninvolvedinallyoursorrowanddisgrace.letmeadviseyouthen,mydearsir,toconsoleyourselfasmuchaspossible,tothrowoffyourunworthychildfromyouraffectionforever,andleavehertoreapthefruitsofherownheinousoffence.

iam,dearsir,&c.&c."

mr.gardinerdidnotwriteagaintillhehadreceivedananswerfromcolonelforster;andthenhehadnothingofapleasantnaturetosend.itwasnotknownthatwickhamhadasinglerelationwithwhomhekeptupanyconnection,anditwascertainthathehadnonearoneliving.hisformeracquaintancehadbeennumerous;butsincehehadbeeninthemilitia,itdidnotappearthathewasontermsofparticularfriendshipwithanyofthem.therewasnoonethereforewhocouldbepointedoutaslikelytogiveanynewsofhim.andinthewretchedstateofhisownfinancestherewasaverypowerfulmotiveforsecrecy,inadditiontohisfearofdiscoverybylydia'srelations,forithadjusttranspiredthathehadleftgamingdebtsbehindhim,toaveryconsiderableamount.colonelforsterbelievedthatmorethanathousandpoundswouldbenecessarytoclearhisexpencesatbrighton.heowedagooddealinthetown,buthisdebtsofhonourwerestillmoreformidable.mr.gardinerdidnotattempttoconcealtheseparticularsfromthelongbournfamily;janeheardthemwithhorror."agamester!"shecried."thisiswhollyunexpected.ihadnotanideaofit."

mr.gardineradded,inhisletter,thattheymightexpecttoseetheirfatherathomeonthefollowingday,whichwassaturday.renderedspiritlessbytheill-successofalltheirendeavours,hehadyieldedtohisbrother-in-law'sintreatythathewouldreturntohisfamily,andleaveittohimtodowhateveroccasionmightsuggesttobeadvisableforcontinuingtheirpursuit.whenmrs.bennetwastoldofthis,shedidnotexpresssomuchsatisfactionasherchildrenexpected,consideringwhatheranxietyforhislifehadbeenbefore.

"what,ishecominghome,andwithoutpoorlydia!"shecried."surehewillnotleavelondonbeforehehasfoundthem.whoistofightwickham,andmakehimmarryher,ifhecomesaway?"

asmrs.gardinerbegantowishtobeathome,itwassettledthatsheandherchildrenshouldgotolondonatthesametimethatmr.bennetcamefromit.thecoach,therefore,tookthemthefirststageoftheirjourney,andbroughtitsmasterbacktolongbourn.