Chapter 47 270
found that Jane had no intelligence to give . The sanguine hope of good , however , which the benevolence of her heart suggested had not yet deserted her ; she still expected that it would all end well , and that every morning would bring some letter , either from Lydia or her father , to explain their proceedings , and , perhaps , announce their marriage .
Mrs . Bennet , to whose apartment they all repaired , after a few minutes ' conversation together , received them exactly as might be expected ; with tears and lamentations of regret , invectives against the villainous conduct of Wickham , and complaints of her own sufferings and ill-usage ; blaming everybody but the person to whose ill-judging indulgence the errors of her daughter must principally be owing .
" If I had been able ," said she , " to carry my point in going to Brighton , with all my family , this would not have happened ; but poor dear Lydia had nobody to take care of her . Why did the Forsters ever let her go out of their sight ? I am sure there was some great neglect or other on their side , for she is not the kind of girl to do such a thing if she had been well looked after . I always thought they were very unfit to have the charge of her ; but I was overruled , as I always am . Poor dear child ! And now here ' s Mr . Bennet gone away , and I know he will fight Wickham , wherever he meets him and then he will be killed , and what is to become of us all ? The Collinses will turn us out before he is cold in his grave , and if you are not kind to us , brother , I do not know what we shall do ."
They all exclaimed against such terrific ideas ; and Mr . Gardiner , after general assurances of his affection for her and all her family , told her that he meant to be in London the very next day , and would assist Mr . Bennet in every endeavour for recovering Lydia .
" Do not give way to useless alarm ," added he ; " though it is right to be prepared for the worst , there is no occasion to look on it as certain . It is not quite a week since they left Brighton . In a few days more we may gain some news of them ; and till we know that they are not married , and have no design of marrying , do not let us give the matter over as lost . As soon as I get to town I shall go to my brother , and make him come home with me to