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第110章（第1页）

“Ifeelmyselfcalledupon，byourrelationship，andmysituationinlife，tocondolewithyouonthegrievousafflictionyouarenowsufferingunder，ofwhichwewereyesterdayinformedbyaletterfromHertfordshire。Beassured，mydearsir，thatMrs。Collinsandmyselfsincerelysympathisewithyouandallyourrespectablefamily，inyourpresentdistress，whichmustbeofthebitterestkind，becauseproceedingfromacausewhichnotimecanremove。Noargumentsshallbewantingonmypartthatcanalleviatesosevereamisfortune—orthatmaycomfortyou，underacircumstancethatmustbeofallothersthemostafflictingtoaparentsmind。Thedeathofyourdaughterwouldhavebeenablessingincomparisonofthis。Anditisthemoretobelamented，becausethereisreasontosupposeasmydearCharlotteinformsme，thatthislicentiousnessofbehaviourinyourdaughterhasproceededfromafaultydegreeofindulgence;though，atthesametime，fortheconsolationofyourselfandMrs。Bennet，Iaminclinedtothinkthatherowndispositionmustbenaturallybad，orshecouldnotbeguiltyofsuchanenormity，atsoearlyanage。Howsoeverthatmaybe，youaregrievouslytobepitied;inwhichopinionIamnotonlyjoinedbyMrs。Collins，butlikewisebyLadyCatherineandherdaughter，towhomIhaverelatedtheaffair。Theyagreewithmeinapprehendingthatthisfalsestepinonedaughterwillbeinjurioustothefortunesofalltheothers;forwho，asLadyCatherineherselfcondescendinglysays，willconnectthemselveswithsuchafamily?Andthisconsiderationleadsmemoreovertoreflect，withaugmentedsatisfaction，onacertaineventoflastNovember;forhaditbeenotherwise，Imusthavebeeninvolvedinallyoursorrowanddisgrace。Letmethenadviseyou，dearsir，toconsoleyourselfasmuchaspossible，tothrowoffyourunworthychildfromyouraffectionforever，andleavehertoreapthefruitsofherownheinousoffense。

“IAM，DEARSIR，ETC。，ETC。”

Mr。GardinerdidnotwriteagaintillhehadreceivedananswerfromColonelForster;andthenhehadnothingofapleasantnaturetosend。ItwasnotknownthatWickhamhadasinglerelationshipwithwhomhekeptupanyconnection，anditwascertainthathehadnonearoneliving。Hisformeracquaintanceshadbeennumerous;butsincehehadbeeninthemilitia，itdidnotappearthathewasontermsofparticularfriendshipwithanyofthem。Therewasnoone，therefore，whocouldbepointedoutaslikelytogiveanynewsofhim。Andinthewretchedstateofhisownfinances，therewasaverypowerfulmotiveforsecrecy，inadditiontohisfearofdiscoverybyLydiasrelations，forithadjusttranspiredthathehadleftgamingdebtsbehindhimtoaveryconsiderableamount。ColonelForsterbelievedthatmorethanathousandpoundswouldbenecessarytoclearhisexpensesatBrighton。Heowedagooddealintown，buthisdebtsofhonourwerestillmoreformidable。Mr。GardinerdidnotattempttoconcealtheseparticularsfromtheLongbournfamily。Janeheardthemwithhorror。“Agamester!”shecried。“Thisiswhollyunexpected。Ihadnotanideaofit。”

Mr。Gardineraddedinhisletter，thattheymightexpecttoseetheirfatherathomeonthefollowingday，whichwasSaturday。Renderedspiritlessbytheill-successofalltheirendeavours，hehadyieldedtohisbrother-in-lawsentreatythathewouldreturntohisfamily，andleaveittohimtodowhateveroccasionmightsuggesttobeadvisableforcontinuingtheirpursuit。WhenMrs。Bennetwastoldofthis，shedidnotexpresssomuchsatisfactionasherchildrenexpected，consideringwhatheranxietyforhislifehadbeenbefore。