Darcy was fixed in astonishment.

“Good God! what is the matter?”cried he, with more feeling than politeness;then recollecting himself,“I will not detain you a minute; but let me, or let the servant go after Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner.You are not well enough;you cannot go yourself.”

“By this time,my dearest sister,you have received my hurried letter; I wish this may be more intelligible, but though not confined for time,my head is so bewildered that I cannot answer for being coherent. Dearest Lizzy, I hardly know what I would write, but I have bad news for you, and it cannot be delayed. Imprudent as the marriage between Mr. Wickham and our poor Lydia would be, we are now anxious to be assured it has taken place, for there is but too much reason to fear they are not gone to Scotland. Colonel Forster came yesterday, having left Brighton the day before, not many hours after the express. Though Lydia's short letter to Mrs.F.gave them to understand that they were going to Gretna Green, something was