第109章[第2页/共4页]

“MY DEAR SIR,

But before they heard again from Mr.Gardiner,a letter arrived for their father,from a different quarter,from Mr.Collins;which, as Jane had received directions to open all that came for him in his absence,she accordingly read;and Elizabeth,who knew what curiosities his letters always were, looked over her, and read it likewise.It was as follows:

All Meryton seemed striving to blacken the man who, but three months before,had been almost an angel of light.He was declared to be in debt to every tradesman in the place, and his intrigues, all honoured with the title of seduction, had been extended into every tradesman's family.Everybody declared that he was the wickedest young man in the world; and everybody began to find out that they had always distrusted the appearance of his goodness.Elizabeth,though she did not credit above half of what was said,believed enough to make her former assurance of her sister's ruin more certain;and even Jane,who believed still less of it, became almost hopeless, more especially as the time was now come when,if they had gone to Scotland,which she had never before entirely despaired of, they must in all probability have gained some news of them.