{"id":"01KJRRE0RQTMBSJD6YEGBE9J07","cid":"bafkreiaxmx3x2lukxmviium74z5xk65qswdp5feuofiypv5aqtcqftka4e","type":"text_chunk","properties":{"char_end":535086,"char_start":527124,"chunk_index":74,"chunk_total":108,"estimated_tokens":1991,"label":"little parties and engagements, with such news as","source_file_key":"pride-and-prejudice","text":"little parties and engagements, with such news as the country afforded;\r\nbut the latter half, which was dated a day later, and written in evident\r\nagitation, gave more important intelligence. It was to this effect:--\r\n\r\n“Since writing the above, dearest Lizzy, something has occurred of a\r\nmost unexpected and serious nature; but I am afraid of alarming you--be\r\nassured that we are all well. What I have to say relates to poor Lydia.\r\nAn express came at twelve last night, just as we were all gone to bed,\r\nfrom Colonel Forster, to inform us that she was gone off to Scotland\r\nwith one of his officers; to own the truth, with Wickham! Imagine our\r\nsurprise. To Kitty, however, it does not seem so wholly unexpected. I am\r\nvery, very sorry. So imprudent a match on both sides! But I am willing\r\nto hope the best, and that his character has been misunderstood.\r\nThoughtless and indiscreet I can easily believe him, but this step (and\r\nlet us rejoice over it) marks nothing bad at heart. His choice is\r\ndisinterested at least, for he must know my father can give her nothing.\r\nOur poor mother is sadly grieved. My father bears it better. How\r\nthankful am I, that we never let them know what has been said against\r\nhim; we must forget it ourselves. They were off Saturday night about\r\ntwelve, as is conjectured, but were not missed till yesterday morning at\r\neight. The express was sent off directly. My dear Lizzy, they must have\r\npassed within ten miles of us. Colonel Forster gives us reason to expect\r\nhim here soon. Lydia left a few lines for his wife, informing her of\r\ntheir intention. I must conclude, for I cannot be long from my poor\r\nmother. I am afraid you will not be able to make it out, but I hardly\r\nknow what I have written.”\r\n\r\nWithout allowing herself time for consideration, and scarcely knowing\r\nwhat she felt, Elizabeth, on finishing this letter, instantly seized the\r\nother, and opening it with the utmost impatience, read as follows: it\r\nhad been written a day later than the conclusion of the first.\r\n\r\n“By this time, my dearest sister, you have received my hurried letter; I\r\nwish this may be more intelligible, but though not confined for time, my\r\nhead is so bewildered that I cannot answer for being coherent. Dearest\r\nLizzy, I hardly know what I would write, but I have bad news for you,\r\nand it cannot be delayed. Imprudent as a marriage between Mr. Wickham\r\nand our poor Lydia would be, we are now anxious to be assured it has\r\ntaken place, for there is but too much reason to fear they are not gone\r\nto Scotland. Colonel Forster came yesterday, having left Brighton the\r\nday before, not many hours after the express. Though Lydia’s short\r\nletter to Mrs. F. gave them to understand that they were going to Gretna\r\nGreen, something was dropped by Denny expressing his belief that W.\r\nnever intended to go there, or to marry Lydia at all, which was repeated\r\nto Colonel F., who, instantly taking the alarm, set off from B.,\r\nintending to trace their route. He did trace them easily to Clapham, but\r\nno farther; for on entering that place, they removed into a\r\nhackney-coach, and dismissed the chaise that brought them from Epsom.\r\nAll that is known after this is, that they were seen to continue the\r\nLondon road. I know not what to think. After making every possible\r\ninquiry on that side of London, Colonel F. came on into Hertfordshire,\r\nanxiously renewing them at all the turnpikes, and at the inns in Barnet\r\nand Hatfield, but without any success,--no such people had been seen to\r\npass through. With the kindest concern he came on to Longbourn, and\r\nbroke his apprehensions to us in a manner most creditable to his heart.\r\nI am sincerely grieved for him and Mrs. F.; but no one can throw any\r\nblame on them. Our distress, my dear Lizzy, is very great. My father and\r\nmother believe the worst, but I cannot think so ill of him. Many\r\ncircumstances might make it more eligible for them to be married\r\nprivately in town than to pursue their first plan; and even if _he_\r\ncould form such a design against a young woman of Lydia’s connections,\r\nwhich is not likely, can I suppose her so lost to everything?\r\nImpossible! I grieve to find, however, that Colonel F. is not disposed\r\nto depend upon their marriage: he shook his head when I expressed my\r\nhopes, and said he feared W. was not a man to be trusted. My poor mother\r\nis really ill, and keeps her room. Could she exert herself, it would be\r\nbetter, but this is not to be expected; and as to my father, I never in\r\nmy life saw him so affected. Poor Kitty has anger for having concealed\r\ntheir attachment; but as it was a matter of confidence, one cannot\r\nwonder. I am truly glad, dearest Lizzy, that you have been spared\r\nsomething of these distressing scenes; but now, as the first shock is\r\nover, shall I own that I long for your return? I am not so selfish,\r\nhowever, as to press for it, if inconvenient. Adieu! I take up my pen\r\nagain to do, what I have just told you I would not; but circumstances\r\nare such, that I cannot help earnestly begging you all to come here as\r\nsoon as possible. I know my dear uncle and aunt so well, that I am not\r\nafraid of requesting it, though I have still something more to ask of\r\nthe former. My father is going to London with Colonel Forster instantly,\r\nto try to discover her. What he means to do, I am sure I know not; but\r\nhis excessive distress will not allow him to pursue any measure in the\r\nbest and safest way, and Colonel Forster is obliged to be at Brighton\r\nagain to-morrow evening. In such an exigence my uncle’s advice and\r\nassistance would be everything in the world; he will immediately\r\ncomprehend what I must feel, and I rely upon his goodness.”\r\n\r\n“Oh! where, where is my uncle?” cried Elizabeth, darting from her seat\r\nas she finished the letter, in eagerness to follow him, without losing a\r\nmoment of the time so precious; but as she reached the door, it was\r\nopened by a servant, and Mr. Darcy appeared. Her pale face and\r\nimpetuous manner made him start, and before he could recover himself\r\nenough to speak, she, in whose mind every idea was superseded by Lydia’s\r\nsituation, hastily exclaimed, “I beg your pardon, but I must leave you.\r\nI must find Mr. Gardiner this moment on business that cannot be delayed;\r\nI have not an instant to lose.”\r\n\r\n“Good God! what is the matter?” cried he, with more feeling than\r\npoliteness; then recollecting himself, “I will not detain you a minute;\r\nbut let me, or let the servant, go after Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. You are\r\nnot well enough; you cannot go yourself.”\r\n\r\nElizabeth hesitated; but her knees trembled under her, and she felt how\r\nlittle would be gained by her attempting to pursue them. Calling back\r\nthe servant, therefore, she commissioned him, though in so breathless an\r\naccent as made her almost unintelligible, to fetch his master and\r\nmistress home instantly.\r\n\r\nOn his quitting the room, she sat down, unable to support herself, and\r\nlooking so miserably ill, that it was impossible for Darcy to leave her,\r\nor to refrain from saying, in a tone of gentleness and commiseration,\r\n“Let me call your maid. Is there nothing you could take to give you\r\npresent relief? A glass of wine; shall I get you one? You are very ill.”\r\n\r\n“No, I thank you,” she replied, endeavouring to recover herself. “There\r\nis nothing the matter with me. I am quite well, I am only distressed by\r\nsome dreadful news which I have just received from Longbourn.”\r\n\r\nShe burst into tears as she alluded to it, and for a few minutes could\r\nnot speak another word. Darcy, in wretched suspense, could only say\r\nsomething indistinctly of his\r\n\r\n[Illustration:\r\n\r\n     “I have not an instant to lose”\r\n]\r\n\r\nconcern, and observe her in compassionate silence. At length she spoke\r\nagain. “I have just had a letter from Jane, with such dreadful news. It\r\ncannot be concealed from anyone. My youngest sister has left all her\r\nfriends--has eloped; has thrown herself into the power of--of Mr.\r\nWickham."},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KJRRD3TNE5A6AKAVXSRFT9RC","peer_label":"pride-and-prejudice","peer_type":"text","predicate":"derived_from"},{"peer":"01KJRRC2C7K6XERRJES8143XGV","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KJRREY6RHWPTVXJ7SHB3NE6F","peer_label":"lydia bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF8GGJND4AG8N2BX042GX","peer_label":"mrs forster","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZGM87R12EADFF6YZZG3","peer_label":"jane bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZKG263C7SQSDV3TZ5MX","peer_label":"elizabeth bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF7V69NB58H106CVY82PE","peer_label":"colonel forster","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYS51T78NJZ45CYXSXS9","peer_label":"george wickham","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYW2V9QH9GNRQRJT67GK","peer_label":"mr bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY4KCKYKYTFBWSNR6EZ0","peer_label":"kitty bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYT564P5405ZE4Q76ZF5","peer_label":"mrs bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYSZYA9P29KKXYZVTJ15","peer_label":"mr gardiner","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYSAZT646RSHT9C5XPKR","peer_label":"mrs gardiner","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF9YT9F8Z9BAXYRC3SHK6","peer_label":"fitzwilliam darcy","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFA51T2ZS3X1TF8MCRMZA","peer_label":"scotland","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"country","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYZ36C2F9Z4KP5F6ANMZ","peer_label":"london","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"city","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYW19YDDGRB70B483ZRV","peer_label":"hertfordshire","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"county","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF7VA665FKK6CM48CN8K0","peer_label":"longbourn","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"estate","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFCRJS9VRJB9BFR4J90VS","peer_label":"bennet family","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFJFADYEV5VRQKQ64ZWG9","peer_label":"denny","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFJGYASRRN227CKWD717N","peer_label":"clapham","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"location","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFJFRTMRGEM9ZACBBPVQE","peer_label":"brighton","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"town","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFJF8JP9W91PAS20NVZG4","peer_label":"gretna green","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"village","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFJKCRQP7E4MT0CCGYVDP","peer_label":"elopement of lydia bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"event","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFJJZFMM4WBQ29PB2ES9S","peer_label":"epsom","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"town","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFK2M9DY69NG2RTGWZ9F6","peer_label":"colonel forsters regiment","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFK4QZDY9S8ZKQTR1YD6W","peer_label":"london road","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:54.609Z"}}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:01.335Z","ts":"2026-03-03T02:29:55.418Z","edited_by":{"method":"system","user_id":"01KJ60XQBHJ0GBGTP9X8HXAPPM"}}