involved in all your sorrow and disgrace. Let me advise you, then,

my dear sir, to console yourself as much as possible, to throw off

your unworthy child from your affection for ever, and leave her to

reap the fruits of her own heinous offence.


“I am, dear sir,” etc., etc.

Mr. Gardiner did not write again, till he had received an answer from

Colonel Forster; and then he had nothing of a pleasant nature to send.

It was not known that Wickham had a single relation with whom he kept up

any connection, and it was certain that he had no near one living. His

former acquaintance had been numerous; but since he had been in the

militia, it did not appear that he was on terms of particular friendship

with any of them. There was no one, therefore, who could be pointed out

as likely to give any news of him. And in the wretched state of his own

finances, there was a very powerful motive for secrecy, in addition to

his fear of discovery by Lydia’s relations; for it had just transpired

that he had left gaming debts behind him to a very considerable amount.

Colonel Forster believed that more than a thousand pounds would be

necessary to clear his expenses at Brighton. He owed a good deal{365} in the

town, but his debts of honour were still more formidable. Mr. Gardiner

did not attempt to conceal these particulars from the Longbourn family;

Jane heard them with horror. “A gamester!” she cried. “This is wholly

unexpected; I had not an idea of it.”
Mr. Gardiner added, in his letter, that they might expect to see their

father at home on the following day, which was Saturday. Rendered

spiritless by the ill success of all their endeavours, he had yielded to

his brother-in-law’s entreaty that he would return to his family and

leave it to him to do whatever occasion might suggest to be advisable

for continuing their pursuit. When Mrs. Bennet was told of this, she did

not express so much satisfaction as her children expected, considering