“I have written to Colonel Forster to desire him to find out,if possible,from some of the young man's intimates in the regiment, whether Wickham has any relations or connections who would be likely to know in what part of 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 could tell us what relations he has now living,better than any other person.”

The whole party were in hopes of a letter from Mr.Bennet the next morning,but the post came in without bringing a single line from him.His family knew him to be,on all common occasions, a most negligent and dilatory correspondent;but at such a time they had hoped for exertion.They were forced to conclude that he had no pleasing intelligence to send; but even of that they would have been glad to be certain.Mr.Gardiner had waited only for the letters before he set off.

All Meryton seemed striving to blacken the man who, but three months before,had been almost 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 into every tradesman's family.Everybody declared that he was the wickedest young man in the world; and everybody began to find out that they had always distrusted the appearance of his goodness.Elizabeth,though she did not credit above half of what was said,believed enough to make her former assurance of her sister's ruin more certain;and even Jane,who believed still less of it, became almost hopeless, more especially as the time was now come when,if they had gone to Scotland,which she had never before entirely despaired of, they must in all probability have gained some news of them.