Chapter 52 304
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 .
" 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 . 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 resign his commission immediately ; and as to his future situation , he could conjecture very little about it . He must go somewhere , but he did not know where , and he knew he should have nothing to live on .