“Mr. Darcy asked him why he had not married your sister at once.Though Mr.Bennet was not imagined to be very rich,he would have been able to do something for him,and his situation must have been benefited by marriage.But he found,in reply to this question, that Wickham still cherished the hope of more effectually making his fortune by marriage in some other country. Under such circumstances,however,he was not likely to be proof against the temptation of immediate relief.
“They met several times,for there was much to be discussed. Wickham of course wanted more than he could get;but at length was reduced to be reasonable.
Elizabeth had the satisfaction of receiving an answer to her letter as soon as she possibly could. She was no sooner in possession of it,than hurrying into the little copse,where she was least likely to be interrupted,she sat down on one of the benches and prepared to be happy;for the length of the letter convinced her that it did not contain a denial.
“On the very day of my coming home from Longbourn, your uncle had a most unexpected visitor. Mr. Darcy called, and was shut up with him several hours.It was all over before I arrived;so my curiosity was not so dreadfully racked as yours seems to have been.He came to tell Mr.Gardiner that he had found out where your sister and Mr.Wickham were, and that he had seen and talked with them both;Wickham repeatedly, Lydia once. From what I can collect,he left Derbyshire only one day after ourselves,and came to town with the resolution of hunting for them.The motive professed was his conviction of its being owing to himself that Wickham's worthlessness had not been so well known as to make it impossible for any young woman of character to love or confide in him.He generously imputed the whole to his mistaken pride,and confessed that he had before thought it beneath him to lay his private actions open to the world.His character was to speak for itself.He called it,therefore,his duty to step forward, and endeavour to remedy an evil which had been brought on by himself. If he had another motive, I am sure it would never disgrace him. He had been some days in town, before he was able to discover them;but he had something to direct his search, which was more than we had;and the consciousness of this was another reason for his resolving to follow us.