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Chapter 46

Elizabeth had been a good deal disappointed in not finding a

letter from Jane on their first arrival at Lambton; and this

disappointment had been renewed on each of the mornings that

had now been spent there; but on the third her repining was

over, and her sister justified, by the receipt of two letters

from her at once, on one of which was marked that it had been

missent elsewhere.  Elizabeth was not surprised at it, as Jane

had written the direction remarkably ill.

They had just been preparing to walk as the letters came in;

and her uncle and aunt, leaving her to enjoy them in quiet, set

off by themselves.  The one missent must first be attended to;

it had been written five days ago.  The beginning contained an

account of all their little parties and engagements, with such

news as the country afforded; but the latter half, which was

dated a day later, and written in evident agitation, gave more

important intelligence.  It was to this effect:

"Since writing the above, dearest Lizzy, something has occurred

of a most unexpected and serious nature; but I am afraid of

alarming you--be assured that we are all well.  What I have to

say relates to poor Lydia.  An express came at twelve last night,

just as we were all gone to bed, from Colonel Forster, to

inform us that she was gone off to Scotland with one of his

officers; to own the truth, with Wickham!  Imagine our surprise.

To Kitty, however, it does not seem so wholly unexpected.  I

am very, very sorry.  So imprudent a match on both sides! But

I am willing to hope the best, and that his character has been

misunderstood.  Thoughtless and indiscreet I can easily believe

him, but this step (and let us rejoice over it) marks nothing bad

at heart.  His choice is disinterested at least, for he must know

my father can give her nothing.  Our poor mother is sadly

grieved.  My father bears it better.  How thankful am I that we

never let them know what has been said against him; we must

forget it ourselves.  They were off Saturday night about twelve,

as is conjectured, but were not missed till yesterday morning at

eight.  The express was sent off directly.  My dear Lizzy, they

must have passed within ten miles of us.  Colonel Forster gives

us reason to expect him here soon.  Lydia left a few lines for

his wife, informing her of their intention.  I must conclude, for

I cannot be long from my poor mother.  I am afraid you will not

be able to make it out, but I hardly know what I have written."

Without allowing herself time for consideration, and scarcely

knowing what she felt, Elizabeth on finishing this letter instantly

seized the other, and opening it with the utmost impatience, read

as follows: it had been written a day later than the conclusion of

the first.

"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 dropped

by Denny expressing his belief that W. never intended to go

there, or to marry Lydia at all, which was repeated to Colonel

F., who, instantly taking the alarm, set off from B. intending to

trace their route.  He did trace them easily to Clapham, but no

further; for on entering that place, they removed into a hackney

coach, and dismissed the chaise that brought them from Epsom.

All that is known after this is, that they were seen to continue

the London road.  I know not what to think.  After making every

possible inquiry on that side London, Colonel F. came on into

Hertfordshire, anxiously renewing them at all the turnpikes, and

at the inns in Barnet and Hatfield, but without any success--no

such people had been seen to pass through.  With the kindest

concern he came on to Longbourn, and broke his apprehensions

to us in a manner most creditable to his heart.  I am sincerely

grieved for him and Mrs. F., but no one can throw any blame

on them.  Our distress, my dear Lizzy, is very great.  My father

and mother believe the worst, but I cannot think so ill of him.

Many circumstances might make it more eligible for them to be

married privately in town than to pursue their first plan;

and even if _he_ could form such a design against a young woman

of Lydia's connections, which is not likely, can I suppose her

so lost to everything?  Impossible!  I grieve to find, however,

that Colonel F. is not disposed to depend upon their marriage;

he shook his head when I expressed my hopes, and said he feared

W. was not a man to be trusted.  My poor mother is really ill,

and keeps her room.  Could she exert herself, it would be better;

but this is not to be expected.  And as to my father, I never in

my life saw him so affected.  Poor Kitty has anger for having

concealed their attachment; but as it was a matter of confidence,

one cannot wonder.  I am truly glad, dearest Lizzy, that you

have been spared something of these distressing scenes; but

now, as the first shock is over, shall I own that I long for

your return?  I am not so selfish, however, as to press for it,

if inconvenient.  Adieu!  I take up my pen again to do what I

have just told you I would not; but circumstances are such that

I cannot help earnestly begging you all to come here as soon as

possible.  I know my dear uncle and aunt so well, that I am not

afraid of requesting it, though I have still something more to

ask of the former.  My father is going to London with Colonel

Forster instantly, to try to discover her.  What he means to do

I am sure I know not; but his excessive distress will not allow

him to pursue any measure in the best and safest way, and

Colonel Forster is obliged to be at Brighton again to-morrow

evening.  In such an exigence, my uncle's advice and assistance

would be everything in the world; he will immediately comprehend

what I must feel, and I rely upon his goodness."

"Oh! where, where is my uncle?" cried Elizabeth, darting from

her seat as she finished the letter, in eagerness to follow him,

without losing a moment of the time so precious; but as she

reached the door it was opened by a servant, and Mr. Darcy

appeared.  Her pale face and impetuous manner made him start,

and before he could recover himself to speak, she, in whose

mind every idea was superseded by Lydia's situation, hastily

exclaimed, "I beg your pardon, but I must leave you.  I must

find Mr. Gardiner this moment, on business that cannot be

delayed; I have not an instant to lose."

"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."

Elizabeth hesitated, but her knees trembled under her and she

felt how little would be gained by her attempting to pursue them.

Calling back the servant, therefore, she commissioned him,

though in so breathless an accent as made her almost unintelligible,

to fetch his master and mistress home instantly.

On his quitting the room she sat down, unable to support

herself, and looking so miserably ill, that it was impossible

for Darcy to leave her, or to refrain from saying, in a tone

of gentleness and commiseration, "Let me call your maid.  Is

there nothing you could take to give you present relief?  A

glass of wine; shall I get you one?  You are very ill."

"No, I thank you," she replied, endeavouring to recover herself.

"There is nothing the matter with me.  I am quite well; I am

only distressed by some dreadful news which I have just

received from Longbourn."

She burst into tears as she alluded to it, and for a few minutes

could not speak another word.  Darcy, in wretched suspense,

could only say something indistinctly of his concern, and

observe her in compassionate silence.  At length she spoke

again.  "I have just had a letter from Jane, with such dreadful

news.  It cannot be concealed from anyone.  My younger sister

has left all her friends--has eloped; has thrown herself into

the power of--of Mr. Wickham.  They are gone off together from

Brighton.  _You_ know him too well to doubt the rest.  She has

no money, no connections, nothing that can tempt him to--she

is lost for ever."

Darcy was fixed in astonishment.  "When I consider," she added

in a yet more agitated voice, "that I might have prevented it!

I, who knew what he was.  Had I but explained some part of

it only--some part of what I learnt, to my own family!  Had his

character been known, this could not have happened.  But it is

all--all too late now."

"I am grieved indeed," cried Darcy; "grieved--shocked.  But is

it certain--absolutely certain?"

"Oh, yes!  They left Brighton together on Sunday night, and

were traced almost to London, but not beyond; they are

certainly not gone to Scotland."

"And what has been done, what has been attempted, to recover

her?"

"My father is gone to London, and Jane has written to beg my

uncle's immediate assistance; and we shall be off, I hope, in

half-an-hour.  But nothing can be done--I know very well that

nothing can be done.  How is such a man to be worked on?  How

are they even to be discovered?  I have not the smallest hope.

It is every way horrible!"

Darcy shook his head in silent acquiescence.

"When _my_ eyes were opened to his real character--Oh! had I

known what I ought, what I dared to do!  But I knew not--I

was afraid of doing too much.  Wretched, wretched mistake!"

Darcy made no answer.  He seemed scarcely to hear her, and

was walking up and down the room in earnest meditation, his

brow contracted, his air gloomy.  Elizabeth soon observed, and

instantly understood it.  Her power was sinking; everything

_must_ sink under such a proof of family weakness, such an

assurance of the deepest disgrace.  She could neither wonder

nor condemn, but the belief of his self-conquest brought nothing

consolatory to her bosom, afforded no palliation of her

distress.  It was, on the contrary, exactly calculated to make

her understand her own wishes; and never had she so honestly felt

that she could have loved him, as now, when all love must be vain.

But self, though it would intrude, could not engross her.

Lydia--the humiliation, the misery she was bringing on them all,

soon swallowed up every private care; and covering her face with

her handkerchief, Elizabeth was soon lost to everything else;

and, after a pause of several minutes, was only recalled to a

sense of her situation by the voice of her companion, who, in a

manner which, though it spoke compassion, spoke likewise restraint,

said, "I am afraid you have been long desiring my absence, nor

have I anything to plead in excuse of my stay, but real, though

unavailing concern.  Would to Heaven that anything could be

either said or done on my part that might offer consolation to

such distress!  But I will not torment you with vain wishes, which

may seem purposely to ask for your thanks.  This unfortunate

affair will, I fear, prevent my sister's having the pleasure of

seeing you at Pemberley to-day."

"Oh, yes.  Be so kind as to apologise for us to Miss Darcy.  Say

that urgent business calls us home immediately.  Conceal the

unhappy truth as long as it is possible, I know it cannot be long."

He readily assured her of his secrecy; again expressed his sorrow

for her distress, wished it a happier conclusion than there was

at present reason to hope, and leaving his compliments for her

relations, with only one serious, parting look, went away.

As he quitted the room, Elizabeth felt how improbable it was

that they should ever see each other again on such terms of

cordiality as had marked their several meetings in Derbyshire;

and as she threw a retrospective glance over the whole of their

acquaintance, so full of contradictions and varieties, sighed

at the perverseness of those feelings which would now have

promoted its continuance, and would formerly have rejoiced in

its termination.

If gratitude and esteem are good foundations of affection,

Elizabeth's change of sentiment will be neither improbable nor

faulty.  But if otherwise--if regard springing from such sources

is unreasonable or unnatural, in comparison of what is so often

described as arising on a first interview with its object, and even

before two words have been exchanged, nothing can be said in

her defence, except that she had given somewhat of a trial to the

latter method in her partiality for Wickham, and that its ill

success might, perhaps, authorise her to seek the other less

interesting mode of attachment.  Be that as it may, she saw him

go with regret; and in this early example of what Lydia's infamy

must produce, found additional anguish as she reflected on that

wretched business.  Never, since reading Jane's second letter,

had she entertained a hope of Wickham's meaning to marry her.

No one but Jane, she thought, could flatter herself with such an

expectation.  Surprise was the least of her feelings on this

development.  While the contents of the first letter remained in

her mind, she was all surprise--all astonishment that Wickham

should marry a girl whom it was impossible he could marry

for money; and how Lydia could ever have attached him had

appeared incomprehensible.  But now it was all too natural.  For

such an attachment as this she might have sufficient charms; and

though she did not suppose Lydia to be deliberately engaging in

an elopement without the intention of marriage, she had no

difficulty in believing that neither her virtue nor her

understanding would preserve her from falling an easy prey.

She had never perceived, while the regiment was in Hertfordshire,

that Lydia had any partiality for him; but she was convinced that

Lydia wanted only encouragement to attach herself to anybody.

Sometimes one officer, sometimes another, had been her favourite,

as their attentions raised them in her opinion.  Her affections

had continually been fluctuating but never without an object.

The mischief of neglect and mistaken indulgence towards such a

girl--oh! how acutely did she now feel it!

She was wild to be at home--to hear, to see, to be upon the

spot to share with Jane in the cares that must now fall wholly

upon her, in a family so deranged, a father absent, a mother

incapable of exertion, and requiring constant attendance; and

though almost persuaded that nothing could be done for Lydia,

her uncle's interference seemed of the utmost importance, and

till he entered the room her impatience was severe.  Mr. and

Mrs. Gardiner had hurried back in alarm, supposing by the

servant's account that their niece was taken suddenly ill; but

satisfying them instantly on that head, she eagerly communicated

the cause of their summons, reading the two letters aloud, and

dwelling on the postscript of the last with trembling energy,

though Lydia had never been a favourite with them, Mr. and

Mrs. Gardiner could not but be deeply afflicted.  Not Lydia

only, but all were concerned in it; and after the first

exclamations of surprise and horror, Mr. Gardiner promised

every assistance in his power.  Elizabeth, though expecting no

less, thanked him with tears of gratitude; and all three being

actuated by one spirit, everything relating to their journey was

speedily settled.  They were to be off as soon as possible.  "But

what is to be done about Pemberley?" cried Mrs. Gardiner.

"John told us Mr. Darcy was here when you sent for us; was it

so?"

"Yes; and I told him we should not be able to keep our

engagement.  _That_ is all settled."

"What is all settled?" repeated the other, as she ran into her

room to prepare.  "And are they upon such terms as for her to

disclose the real truth?  Oh, that I knew how it was!"

But wishes were vain, or at least could only serve to amuse her

in the hurry and confusion of the following hour.  Had Elizabeth

been at leisure to be idle, she would have remained certain that

all employment was impossible to one so wretched as herself;

but she had her share of business as well as her aunt, and

amongst the rest there were notes to be written to all their

friends at Lambton, with false excuses for their sudden

departure.  An hour, however, saw the whole completed; and

Mr. Gardiner meanwhile having settled his account at the inn,

nothing remained to be done but to go; and Elizabeth, after all

the misery of the morning, found herself, in a shorter space of

time than she could have supposed, seated in the carriage, and

on the road to Longbourn.

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