reason for his resolving to follow us. There is a lady, it seems, a

Mrs. Younge, who was some time ago governess to Miss Darcy, and was

dismissed from her charge on some cause of disapprobation, though

he did not say what. She then took a large house in Edward Street,

and has since maintained herself by letting lodgings. This Mrs.

Younge was, he knew, intimately acquainted with Wickham; and he

went to her for intelligence of him, as soon as he got to town. But

it was two or three days before he could get from her what he

wanted. She would not betray her trust, I suppose, without bribery

and corruption, for she really did know where her friend was to be

found. Wickham, indeed, had gone to her on their first arrival in

London; and had she been able to receive them into her house, they

would have taken up their abode with her. At length, however, our

kind friend procured the wished-for direction. They were in ——

Street. He saw Wickham, and afterwards insisted on seeing Lydia.

His first object with her, he acknowledged, had been to persuade

her to quit her present disgraceful situation, and return to her

friends as soon as they could be prevailed on to receive her,

offering his assistance as far as it would go. But he found Lydia

absolutely resolved on remaining where she was. She cared for none

of her friends; she wanted no help of his; she would not hear of

leaving Wickham.{396} She was sure they should be married some time or

other, and it did not much signify when. Since such were her

feelings, it only remained, he thought, to secure and expedite a

marriage, which, in his very first conversation with Wickham, he

easily learnt had never been his design. He confessed himself

obliged to leave the regiment on account of some debts of honour

which were very pressing; and scrupled not to lay all the ill

consequences of Lydia’s flight on her own folly alone. He meant to