PRIDE & PREJUDICE: JANE AUSTEN: CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

Next morning. Everybody had been expecting a letter from Mr Bennet.  The post came, but not his letter.  His family knew him to be a negligent and slow correspondent, but at such a time they had hoped for exertion. They concluded that he had no pleasing intelligence to send.  Mr Gardiner had waited only for letters before he set off.

Mrs Gardiner and the children were to remain a few more days in Hertfordshire.  She thought her presence to be essential to her nieces.  The other aunt also visited them frequently with a design of cheering and heartening them up. She always brought some fresh instances of Wickham's extravagance or irregularity.

All Meryton seemed striving to blacken the man who, but three months before had always been an angel of light.  He was declared to be in debt to every tradesman in the place, and his intrigues, all honoured with the title of seduction, had been extended to every tradesman's family.  He was declared as the wicked and distrustful.

Mr Gardiner left Longbourn on Sunday; on Tuesday his wife received a letter from him; it told them that, he had immediately found out his brother, and persuaded him to come to Gracechurch Street; that Mr Bennet had been to Epsom and Clapham, but without gaining any satisfactory information; and that he was now determined to inquire at all the principal hotels in town.  Mr Gardiner himself did not expect any success from this measure, but as his brother was eager in it, he meant to assist him.  He added that Mr Bennet was disinclined at present to leave London.  There was also a postscript to this effect:

"I have written to Colonel Forster to find out, if possible, from some of Wickham's intimates in the regiment, whether he has any relations or connections who would be likely to know in what part of the town he has now concealed himself.  If there were anyone that one could apply to with a probability of gaining such a clue as that, it might be of essential consequence.  At present we have nothing to guide us.  Colonel Forster will, I dare say, do everything in his power to satisfy us on this head.  But, on second thoughts, perhaps, Lizzy would tell us, better than any other person, what relations he has now living."

Elizabeth was at no loss to understand from whence this reference to her authority came; but it was not in her power to give any satisfactory information.  She had never heard of his having had any relations, except a father and mother, both of whom had been dead many years.  It was possible that some of his companions in the shire might be able to give more information.

Every day at Longbourn was a day of anxiety; but the most anxious was the post expected.  A letter arrived from an unexpected corner - a letter from Mr Collins to Mr Bennet.  As Jane had the authority to open it in his absence, the letter was duely opened.

"My dear sir,

"I feel myself called upon, by our relationship, and my situation in life to condole with you on the grievous affliction you are now suffering under, of which we were yesterday informed, by a letter from Hertfordshire.  Be assured, my dear sir, that Mrs Collins and myself sincerely sympathise with you and all your respectable family, in your present distress, which must be of the bitterest kind, because proceeding from a cause which no time can remove.  No arguments shall be wanting on my part that can alleviate so severe a misfortune - or that may comfort you, under a circumstance that must be of all others the most afflicting to a parent's mind.  The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this.  And it is the more to be lamented, because there is reason to suppose as my dear Charlotte informed me, that this licentiousness of behaviour in your daughter has proceeded from a faulty degree of indulgence, though at the same time, for the consolation of yourself and Mrs Bennet, I am inclined to think that her own disposition must be naturally bad, or she could not be guilty of such an enormity, at so early an age.  Howsoever that may be, you are grievously be pitied; in which I am not only joined by Mrs Collins, but likewise by Lady Catherine and her daughter, to whom I have related the affair.  They agree with me in apprehending that this false step in one daughter will be injurious to the fortune of all others; for who, as Lady Catherine herself condescendingly says, will connect themselves with such a family? And this consideration leads me to reflect, with augmented satisfaction, on a certain event of last November; for had it been otherwise, I must have been involved in all your sorrow and disgrace.  Let me then advise you, dear sir,  to console yourself as much as possible, to throw off your unworthy child from your affection for ever, and leave her to the fruits of her own heinous offence."

"I am, dear sir, etc., etc."

Mr Gardiner received a letter from Colonel Forster, which had nothing new. He had many friends, but no one in particular; no living relations; mounting debts and fear of discovery by Lydia's relations must have prompted him to abscond.

Mr Gardiner suggested the return home of Mr Bennet.

"What, is he coming home without Lydia? cried Mrs Bennet, "sure he will not leave London before he had found them.  Who is to fight Wickham, and make him marry her, if he comes away?"

However, he returned home by the same coach which took Mrs Gardiner and her children to London.  Though Mrs Gardiner left in perplexity about Elizabeth and her Derbyshire friend, she retained a hope that the latter would send a letter to the former, though his name had never been mentioned before them by her niece.  Elizabeth had received none, since her return, from Pemberly.

When Mr Bennet returned, he had all the appearance of his usual philosophic composure. He remained silent, never said a word about his business in London.

When he had joined them at tea, Elizabeth ventured to introduce the subject, he 

replied:

"Say nothing of that.  Who should suffer but 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 is prone to fall into it!  No, Lizzy, let me once in my life feel how much I have been to blame.  I am not afraid of being  overpowered by the impression.  It will pass away soon enough."

"Do you suppose them to be in London?"

"Yes; where else they can so well concealed?"

"And Lydia used to want to go to London," added Kitty.

"She is happy then," said her father drily; "and her residence there will be of some duration."

Then after a short silence he continued:

"Lizzy, I bear you no ill-will for being justified in your advice to me last May, which, considering the event, shows some greatness of mind."

They were interrupted by Jane, who came to fetch her mother's tea.

"This is a parade," he cried, "which does one good; it gives such an elegance to misfortune!  Another day I will do the same; I will sit in my library, in my nightcap and powdering gown, and give as much trouble as I can; or, perhaps I may defer it till Kitty runs away."

"I am not going to run away, papa," said Kitty fretfully.  "If I should ever go to Brighton, I would behave better than Lydia."

"You go to Brighton.  I would not trust you so near it as Eastbourne for fifty pounds! No, Kitty, I have at last learnt to be cautious, and you will feel the effects of it.  No officer is ever to enter into my house again, nor even to pass through the village.  Balls will be absolutely prohibited, unless you stand up with one of your sisters.  And you are never to stir out of doors till you can prove that you have spent ten minutes of every day in 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 you are a good girl for the next ten years, I will take you to a review at the end of them."

THE END