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Chapter XLVII · Pride and Prejudice | Audiobook

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Speaker 1: Chapter 47 I have been thinking it over again, Elizabeth,
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Speaker 1: said her uncle, as they drove from the town. And really,
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Speaker 1: upon serious consideration, I am much more inclined than I
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Speaker 1: was to judge as your eldest sister does of the matter.
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Speaker 1: It appears to me so very unlikely that any young
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Speaker 1: man should form such a design against a girl who
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Speaker 1: is by no means unprotected or friendless. and who was
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Speaker 1: actually staying in his Colonel's family, that I am strongly
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Speaker 1: inclined to hope the best. Could he expect that her
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Speaker 1: friends would not step forward? Could he expect to be
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Speaker 1: noticed again by the regiment after such an affront to
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Speaker 1: Colonel Forster? His temptation is not adequate to the risk.
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Speaker 1: Do you really think so? cried Elizabeth, brightening up for
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Speaker 1: a moment. Upon my word, said Mrs. Gardiner, I begin
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Speaker 1: to be of your uncle's opinion. It is really too
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Speaker 1: great a violation of decency, honour and interest for him
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Speaker 1: to be guilty of it. I cannot think so very
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Speaker 1: ill of Wickham. Can you yourself, Lizzy, so wholly give
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Speaker 1: him up as to believe him capable of it? Not
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Speaker 1: perhaps of neglecting his own interest, but of every other
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Speaker 1: neglect I can believe him capable. If, indeed, it should
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Speaker 1: be so. But I dare not hope it. Why should
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Speaker 1: they not go on to Scotland, if that had been
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Speaker 1: the case?'' In the first place,' replied Mr. Gardiner,' there
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Speaker 1: is no absolute proof that they are not gone to Scotland. Oh,
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Speaker 1: but their removing from the chaise into a hackney-coach is
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Speaker 1: such a presumption. And besides, no traces of them were
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Speaker 1: to be found on the Barnet Road. Well then, supposing
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Speaker 1: them to be in London, they may be there, though
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Speaker 1: for the purpose of concealment, for no more exceptional purpose.
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Speaker 1: It is not likely that money should be very abundant
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Speaker 1: on either side, and it might strike them that they
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Speaker 1: could be more economically, though less expeditiously, Married in London,
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Speaker 1: then in Scotland. But why all this secrecy? Why any
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Speaker 1: fear of detection? Why must their marriage be private? Oh no, no,
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Speaker 1: this is not likely. His most particular friend, you see,
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Speaker 1: by Jane's account, was persuaded of his never intending to
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Speaker 1: marry her. Wickham will never marry a woman without some money.
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Speaker 1: He cannot afford it. And what claims has Lydia, what
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Speaker 1: attractions has she beyond youth, health and good humour, that
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Speaker 1: could make him, for her sake, forego every chance of
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Speaker 1: benefiting himself by marrying well? As to what restraint the
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Speaker 1: apprehensions of disgrace in the core might throw on a
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Speaker 1: dishonourable elopement with her, I am not able to judge.
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Speaker 1: for I know nothing of the effects that such a
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Speaker 1: step might produce. But as to your other objection, I
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Speaker 1: am afraid it will hardly hold good. Lydia has no
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Speaker 1: brothers to step forward, and he might imagine, from my
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Speaker 1: father's behaviour, from his indolence and the little attention he
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Speaker 1: has ever seemed to give to what was going forward
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Speaker 1: in his family, that he would do as little and
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Speaker 1: think as little about it as any father could do
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Speaker 1: in such a matter. But can you think that Lydia
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Speaker 1: is so lost to everything but love of him as
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Speaker 1: to consent to live with him on any other terms
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Speaker 1: than marriage? It does seem, and it is most shocking indeed,
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Speaker 1: replied Elizabeth, with tears in her eyes, that a sister's
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Speaker 1: sense of decency and virtue in such a point... should
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Speaker 1: admit of doubt. But really, I know not what to say.
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Speaker 1: Perhaps I am not doing her justice, but she is
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Speaker 1: very young. She has never been taught to think on
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Speaker 1: serious subjects, and for the last half year, nay, for
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Speaker 1: a twelve month, she has been given up to nothing
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Speaker 1: but amusement and vanity. She has been allowed to dispose
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Speaker 1: of her time in the most idle and frivolous manner,
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Speaker 1: and to adopt any opinions that came in her way.
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Speaker 1: Since the Shire were first quartered in Meryton, nothing but love,
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Speaker 1: flirtation and offices have been in her head. She has
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Speaker 1: been doing everything in her power, by thinking and talking
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Speaker 1: on the subject, to give greater, what shall I call it,
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Speaker 1: susceptibility to her feelings, which are naturally lively enough, and
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Speaker 1: we all know that Wickham has every charm of person
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Speaker 1: and address that can captivate a woman. But you see
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Speaker 1: that Jane, said her aunt, does not think so ill
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Speaker 1: of Wickham as to believe him capable of the attempt.
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Speaker 1: Of whom does Jane ever think ill? And who is there,
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Speaker 1: whatever might be their former conduct, that she would believe
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Speaker 1: capable of such an attempt till it were proved against them?
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Speaker 1: But Jane knows, as well as I do, what Wickham
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Speaker 1: really is. We both know that he has been profligate
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Speaker 1: in every sense of the word, that he has neither
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Speaker 1: integrity nor honour, that he is as false and deceitful
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Speaker 1: as he is insinuating. And do you really know all this?
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Speaker 1: cried Mrs Gardner, whose curiosity as to the mode of
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Speaker 1: her intelligence was all alive. I do indeed, replied Elizabeth, colouring.
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Speaker 1: I told you the other day of his infamous behaviour
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Speaker 1: to Mr Darcy, and you yourself, when last at Longbourn,
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Speaker 1: heard in what manner he spoke of the man who
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Speaker 1: had behaved with such forbearance and liberality towards him. And
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Speaker 1: there are other circumstances which I am not at liberty,
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Speaker 1: which it is not worthwhile to relate. but his lies
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Speaker 1: about the whole Pemberley family are endless. From what he
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Speaker 1: said of Miss Darcy, I was thoroughly prepared to see
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Speaker 1: a proud, reserved, disagreeable girl. Yet he knew to the
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Speaker 1: contrary himself. He must know that she was as amiable
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Speaker 1: and unpretending as we have found her. But does Lydia
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Speaker 1: know nothing of this? Can she be ignorant of what
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Speaker 1: you and Jane seem so well to understand? Oh yes, that,
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Speaker 1: that is the worst of all. Till I was in Kent,
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Speaker 1: and saw so much both of Mr. Darcy and his
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Speaker 1: relation Colonel Fitzwilliam, I was ignorant of the truth myself.
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Speaker 1: And when I returned home, the Shire was to leave
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Speaker 1: Meryton in a week or fortnight's time. As that was
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Speaker 1: the case, neither Jane, to whom I related the whole,
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Speaker 1: nor I, thought it necessary to make our knowledge public,
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Speaker 1: for of what use could it apparently be to anyone
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Speaker 1: that the good opinion which all the neighbourhood had of
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Speaker 1: him should then be overthrown? And even when it was
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Speaker 1: settled that Lydia should go with Mrs Forster, the necessity
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Speaker 1: of opening her eyes to his character never occurred to me.
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Speaker 1: that she could be in any danger from the deception
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Speaker 1: never entered my head. That such a consequence as this
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Speaker 1: should ensue, you may easily believe, was far enough from
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Speaker 1: my thoughts. When they all removed to Brighton, therefore, you
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Speaker 1: had no reason, I suppose, to believe them fond of
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Speaker 1: each other? Not the slightest. I can remember no symptom
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Speaker 1: of affection on either side. and had anything of the
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Speaker 1: kind been perceptible, you must be aware that ours is
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Speaker 1: not a family on which it could be thrown away.
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Speaker 1: When first he entered the Corps, she was ready enough
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Speaker 1: to admire him, but so we all were. Every girl
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Speaker 1: in or near Meryton was out of her senses about
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Speaker 1: him for the first two months, but he never distinguished
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Speaker 1: her by any particular attention, and consequently, after a moderate
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Speaker 1: period of extravagant and wild admiration, her fancy for him
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Speaker 1: gave way, and others of the regiment, who treated her
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Speaker 1: with more distinction, again became her favourites. It may be
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Speaker 1: easily believed that however little of novelty could be added
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Speaker 1: to their fears, hopes and conjectures on this interesting subject
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Speaker 1: by its repeated discussion, no other could detain them from
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Speaker 1: it long. during the whole of the journey. From Elizabeth's thoughts,
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Speaker 1: it was never absent. Fixed there by the keenest of
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Speaker 1: all anguish, self-reproach, she could find no interval of ease.
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Speaker 1: or forgetfulness. They travelled as expeditiously as possible, and sleeping
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Speaker 1: one night on the road, reached Longbourn by dinnertime the
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Speaker 1: next day. It was a comfort to Elizabeth to consider
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Speaker 1: that Jane could not have been wearied by long expectations.
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Speaker 1: The little gardeners, attracted by the sight of a chaise,
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Speaker 1: were standing on the steps of the house as they
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Speaker 1: entered the paddock, and when the carriage drove up to
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Speaker 1: the door, the joyful surprise that lighted up their faces
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Speaker 1: and displayed itself over their whole bodies in a variety
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Speaker 1: of capers and frisks was the first pleasing earnest of
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Speaker 1: their welcome. Elizabeth jumped out. and after giving each of
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Speaker 1: them a hasty kiss, hurried into the vestibule, where Jane,
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Speaker 1: who came running downstairs from her mother's apartment, immediately met her. Elizabeth,
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Speaker 1: as she affectionately embraced her, whilst tears filled the eyes
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Speaker 1: of both, lost not a moment in asking whether anything
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Speaker 1: had been heard of the fugitives. Not yet, replied Jane,
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Speaker 1: but now that my dear uncle is come, I hope
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Speaker 1: everything will be well. Is my father in town? Yes,
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Speaker 1: he went on Tuesday as I wrote you word. And
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Speaker 1: have you heard from him often? We have heard only once.
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Speaker 1: He wrote me a few lines on Wednesday to say
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Speaker 1: that he had arrived in safety and to give me
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Speaker 1: his directions, which I particularly begged him to do. He
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Speaker 1: merely added that he should not write again. till he
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Speaker 1: had something of importance to mention. And my mother, how
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Speaker 1: is she? How are you all? My mother is tolerably well,
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Speaker 1: I trust, though her spirits are greatly shaken. She is upstairs,
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Speaker 1: and will have great satisfaction in seeing you all. She
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Speaker 1: does not yet leave her dressing room. Mary and Kitty,
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Speaker 1: thank heaven, are quite well. But you, how are you?
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Speaker 1: cried Elizabeth. You look pale. How much you must have
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Speaker 1: gone through. Her sister, however, assured her of her being
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Speaker 1: perfectly well, and their conversation, which had been passing while
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Speaker 1: Mr and Mrs Gardner were engaged with their children, was
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Speaker 1: now put an end to by the approach of the
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Speaker 1: whole party. Jane ran to her uncle and aunt, and
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Speaker 1: welcomed and thanked them both, with alternate smiles and tears.
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Speaker 1: When they were all in the drawing-room, the questions which
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Speaker 1: Elizabeth had already asked were of course repeated by the others,
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Speaker 1: and they soon found that Jane had no intelligence to give.
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Speaker 1: The sanguine hope of good, however, which the benevolence of
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Speaker 1: her heart suggested, had not yet deserted her. She still
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Speaker 1: expected that it would all end well. and that every
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Speaker 1: morning would bring some letter, either from Lydia or her father,
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Speaker 1: to explain their proceedings and, perhaps, announce the marriage. Mrs Bennet,
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Speaker 1: to whose apartment they all repaired, after a few minutes'
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Speaker 1: conversation together, received them exactly as might be expected, with
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Speaker 1: tears and lamentations of regret, invectives against the villainous conduct
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Speaker 1: of Wickham. and complaints of her own sufferings and ill usage,
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Speaker 1: blaming everybody but the person to whose ill-judging indulgence the
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Speaker 1: errors of her daughter must be principally owing. If I
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Speaker 1: had been able, said she, to carry my point in
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Speaker 1: going to Brighton with all my family, this would not
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Speaker 1: have happened, but poor dear Lydia had nobody to take
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Speaker 1: care of her. Why did the Forsters ever let her
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Speaker 1: go out of their sight? I am sure there was
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Speaker 1: some great neglect or other on their side, for she
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Speaker 1: is not the kind of girl to do such a thing,
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Speaker 1: if she had been well looked after. I always thought
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Speaker 1: they were very unfit to have the charge of her,
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Speaker 1: but I was overruled, as I always am. Poor dear child.
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Speaker 1: And now, here's Mr. Bennet gone away, and I know
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Speaker 1: he will fight Wickham wherever he meets him, and then
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Speaker 1: he will be killed, and what is to become of
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Speaker 1: us all? The Collinses will turn us out before he
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Speaker 1: is cold in his grave, and if you are not
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Speaker 1: kind to us, brother, I do not know what we
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Speaker 1: shall do. They all exclaimed against such terrific ideas, and Mr. Gardiner,
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Speaker 1: after general assurances of his affection for her and all
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Speaker 1: her family, told her that he meant to be in
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Speaker 1: London the very next day, and would assist Mr. Bennet
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Speaker 1: in every endeavour for recovering Lydia. Do not give way
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Speaker 1: to useless alarm, added he. Though it is right to
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Speaker 1: be prepared for the worst, there is no occasion to
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Speaker 1: look on it as certain. It is not quite a
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Speaker 1: week since they left Brighton. In a few days more,
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Speaker 1: we may gain some news of them. until we know
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Speaker 1: that they are not married, and have no design of marrying,
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Speaker 1: do not let us give the matter over as lost.
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Speaker 1: As soon as I get to town, I shall go
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Speaker 1: to my brother, and make him come home with me
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Speaker 1: to Grace Church Street, and then we may consult together
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Speaker 1: as to what is to be done. Oh, my dear brother,
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Speaker 1: replied Mrs. Bennet, That is exactly what I could most
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Speaker 1: wish for. And now do, when you get to town,
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Speaker 1: find them out, wherever they may be, and if they
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Speaker 1: are not married already, make them marry. And as for
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Speaker 1: wedding clothes, do not let them wait for that, but
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Speaker 1: tell Lydia she shall have as much money as she
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Speaker 1: chooses to buy them after they are married, and above
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Speaker 1: all things, keep Mr. Bennet from fighting. Tell him what
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Speaker 1: a dreadful state I am in, that I am frightened
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Speaker 1: out of my wits, and have such tremblings, such flutterings
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Speaker 1: all over me, such spasms in my side and pains
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Speaker 1: in my head and such beatings at my heart, that
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Speaker 1: I can get no rest by night nor by day.
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Speaker 1: And tell my dear Lydia not to give any directions
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Speaker 1: about her clothes till she has seen me, for she
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Speaker 1: does not know which are the best warehouses. Oh, brother,
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Speaker 1: how kind you are. I know you will contrive it all.
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Speaker 1: But Mr. Gardiner, though he assured her again of his
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Speaker 1: earnest endeavours in the cause, could not avoid recommending moderation
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Speaker 1: to her, as well in her hopes as her fears,
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Speaker 1: and after talking with her in this manner till dinner
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Speaker 1: was on table, they left her to vent all her
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Speaker 1: feelings on the housekeeper, who attended in the absence of
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Speaker 1: her daughters. Though her brother and sister were persuaded that
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Speaker 1: there was no real occasion for such a seclusion from
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Speaker 1: the family, they did not attempt to oppose it, for
17:52
Speaker 1: they knew that she had not prudence enough to hold
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Speaker 1: her tongue before the servants while they waited at table,
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Speaker 1: and judged it better that one only of the household,
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Speaker 1: and the one whom they could most trust, should comprehend
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Speaker 1: all her fears and solicitude on the subject. In the
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Speaker 1: dining room, they were soon joined by Mary and Kitty,
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Speaker 1: who had been too busily engaged in their separate apartments
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Speaker 1: to make their appearance before. One came from her books,
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Speaker 1: and the other from her toilette. The faces of both, however,
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Speaker 1: were tolerably calm, and no change was visible in either.
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Speaker 1: except that the loss of her favourite sister, or the
18:39
Speaker 1: anger which she had herself incurred in the business, had
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Speaker 1: given something more of fretfulness than usual to the accents
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Speaker 1: of Kitty. As for Mary, she was mistress enough of
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Speaker 1: herself to whisper to Elizabeth, with a countenance of grave reflection,
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Speaker 1: soon after they were seated at table, This is a
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Speaker 1: most unfortunate affair. and will probably be much talked of.
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Speaker 1: But we must stem the tide of malice, and pour
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Speaker 1: into the wounded bosoms of each other the balm of
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Speaker 1: sisterly consolation. Then, perceiving in Elizabeth no inclination of replying,
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Speaker 1: she added, Unhappy as the event must be for Lydia,
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Speaker 1: we may draw from it this useful lesson, that loss
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Speaker 1: of virtue in a female is irretrievable, that one false
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Speaker 1: step involves her in endless ruin, that her reputation is
19:42
Speaker 1: no less brittle than it is beautiful, and that she
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Speaker 1: cannot be too much guarded in her behaviour towards the undeserved.
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Speaker 1: of the other sex. Elizabeth lifted up her eyes in amazement,
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Speaker 1: but was too much oppressed to make any reply. Mary, however,
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Speaker 1: continued to console herself with such kind of moral extractions
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Speaker 1: from the evil before them. In the Afternoon the two
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Speaker 1: elder Miss Bennets were able to be for half an
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Speaker 1: hour by themselves, and Elizabeth instantly availed herself of the
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Speaker 1: opportunity of making any inquiries which Jane was equally eager
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Speaker 1: to satisfy. After joining in general lamentations over the dreadful
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Speaker 1: sequel of this event, which Elizabeth considered as all but certain,
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Speaker 1: and Miss Bennet could not assert to be wholly impossible,
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Speaker 1: The former continued the subject by saying, But tell me
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Speaker 1: all and everything about it, which I have not already heard.
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Speaker 1: Give me further particulars. What did Colonel Forster say? Had
20:55
Speaker 1: they no apprehension of anything before the elopement took place?
20:59
Speaker 1: They must have seen them together for ever. Colonel Forster
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Speaker 1: did own that he had often suspected some partiality, especially
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Speaker 1: on Lydia's side, but nothing to give him any alarm.
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Speaker 1: I am so grieved for him. His behaviour was attentive
21:18
Speaker 1: and kind to the utmost. He was coming to us
21:22
Speaker 1: in order to assure us of his concern before he
21:25
Speaker 1: had any idea of their not being gone to Scotland.
21:29
Speaker 1: When that apprehension first got abroad, it hastened his journey.
21:35
Speaker 1: And was Denny convinced that Wickham would not marry Did
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Speaker 1: he know of their intending to go off? Had Colonel
21:43
Speaker 1: Forster seen Denny himself? Yes, but when questioned by him,
21:50
Speaker 1: Denny denied knowing anything of their plan, and would not
21:54
Speaker 1: give his real opinion about it. He did not repeat
21:58
Speaker 1: his persuasion of their not marrying, and from that I
22:01
Speaker 1: am inclined to hope he might have been misunderstood before.
22:06
Speaker 1: Until Colonel Forster came himself, Not one of you entertained
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Speaker 1: a doubt, I suppose, of their being really married. How
22:16
Speaker 1: was it possible that such an idea should enter our brains?
22:22
Speaker 1: I felt a little uneasy, a little fearful of my
22:25
Speaker 1: sister's happiness with him in marriage, because I knew that
22:29
Speaker 1: his conduct had not been always quite right. My father
22:35
Speaker 1: and mother knew nothing of that, They only felt how
22:38
Speaker 1: imprudent a match it must be. Kitty then owned, with
22:43
Speaker 1: a very natural triumph on knowing more than the rest
22:47
Speaker 1: of us, that in Lydia's last letter she had prepared
22:52
Speaker 1: her for such a step. She had known, it seems,
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Speaker 1: of their being in love with each other many weeks.
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Speaker 1: But not before they went to Brighton. No, I believe not.
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Speaker 1: And did Colonel Forster appear to think ill of Wickham himself?
23:11
Speaker 1: Does he know his real character? I must confess that
23:15
Speaker 1: he did not speak so well of Wickham as he
23:17
Speaker 1: formerly did. He believed him to be imprudent and extravagant.
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Speaker 1: And since this sad affair has taken place, it is
23:26
Speaker 1: said that he left Meryton greatly in debt. But I
23:30
Speaker 1: hope this may be false. Oh, Jane, had we been
23:34
Speaker 1: less secret, Had we told what we knew of him,
23:38
Speaker 1: this could not have happened. Perhaps it would have been better,
23:43
Speaker 1: replied her sister. But to expose the former faults of
23:48
Speaker 1: any person, without knowing what their present feelings were, seemed unjustifiable.
23:57
Speaker 1: We acted with the best intentions. Could Colonel Forster repeat
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Speaker 1: the particulars of Lydia's note to his wife? he brought
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Speaker 1: it with him for us to see. Jane then took
24:10
Speaker 1: it from her pocketbook and gave it to Elizabeth. These
24:14
Speaker 1: were the contents. My dear Harriet, you will laugh when
24:20
Speaker 1: you know where I am gone, and I cannot help
24:23
Speaker 1: laughing myself at your surprise tomorrow morning, as soon as
24:27
Speaker 1: I am missed. I am going to Gretna Green, and
24:31
Speaker 1: if you cannot guess with who, I shall think you
24:35
Speaker 1: a simpleton. for there is but one man in the
24:38
Speaker 1: world I love, and he is an angel. I should
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Speaker 1: never be happy without him, so think it no harm
24:46
Speaker 1: to be off. You need not send them word at
24:49
Speaker 1: Longbourn of my going, if you do not like it,
24:53
Speaker 1: for it will make the surprise the greater when I
24:56
Speaker 1: write to them and sign my name Lydia Wickham. What
25:01
Speaker 1: a good joke it will be. I can hardly write
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Speaker 1: for laughing. Pray, Make my excuses to Pratt for not
25:08
Speaker 1: keeping my engagement, and dancing with him tonight. Tell him
25:14
Speaker 1: I hope he will excuse me when he knows all,
25:18
Speaker 1: and tell him I will dance with him at the
25:20
Speaker 1: next ball we meet with great pleasure. I shall send
25:24
Speaker 1: for my clothes when I get to Longbourn, but I
25:27
Speaker 1: wish you would tell Sally to mend a great slit
25:30
Speaker 1: in my worked muslin gown before they are packed up. Goodbye.
25:36
Speaker 1: Give my love to Colonel Forster. I hope you will
25:40
Speaker 1: drink to our good journey. Your affectionate friend, Lydia Bennet. Oh, thoughtless,
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Speaker 1: thoughtless Lydia, cried Elizabeth when she had finished it. What
25:59
Speaker 1: a letter is this, to be written at such a moment?
26:03
Speaker 1: but at least it shows that she was serious in
26:06
Speaker 1: the object of her journey. Whatever he might afterwards persuade
26:10
Speaker 1: her to, it was not on her side a scheme
26:13
Speaker 1: of infamy. My poor father. How he must have felt it.
26:20
Speaker 1: I never saw anyone so shocked. He could not speak
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Speaker 1: a word for full ten minutes. My mother was taken
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Speaker 1: ill immediately, and the whole house in such confusion. Oh, Jane,
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Speaker 1: cried Elizabeth, was there a servant belonging to it, who
26:38
Speaker 1: did not know the whole story before the end of
26:40
Speaker 1: the day? I do not know. I hope there was.
26:46
Speaker 1: But to be guarded at such a time is very difficult.
26:49
Speaker 1: My mother was in hysterics, and though I endeavoured to
26:53
Speaker 1: give her every assistance in my power, I am afraid
26:57
Speaker 1: I did not do so much as I might have done.
27:00
Speaker 1: but the horror of what might possibly happen almost took
27:04
Speaker 1: from me my faculties. Your attendance upon her has been
27:09
Speaker 1: too much for you. You do not look well. Oh,
27:14
Speaker 1: that I had been with you! You have had every
27:17
Speaker 1: care and anxiety upon yourself alone. Mary and Kitty have
27:21
Speaker 1: been very kind, and would have shared in every fatigue,
27:25
Speaker 1: I am sure. but I did not think it right
27:28
Speaker 1: for either of them. Kitty is slight and delicate, and
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Speaker 1: Mary studies so much that her hours of repose should
27:37
Speaker 1: not be broken in on. My Aunt Phillips came to
27:40
Speaker 1: Longbourn on Tuesday, after my father went away, and was
27:45
Speaker 1: so good as to stay till Thursday with me. She
27:49
Speaker 1: was of great use and comfort to us all, and
27:53
Speaker 1: Lady Lucas has been very kind. She walked here on
27:57
Speaker 1: Wednesday morning to condole with us, and offered her services,
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Speaker 1: or any of her daughters, if they could be of
28:05
Speaker 1: use to us. She had better have stayed at home,
28:10
Speaker 1: cried Elizabeth. Perhaps she meant well, but under such a
28:15
Speaker 1: misfortune as this, one cannot see too little of one's neighbours.
28:20
Speaker 1: Assistance is impossible, condolence insufferable. Let them triumph over us
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Speaker 1: at a distance, and be satisfied. She then proceeded to
28:32
Speaker 1: inquire into the measures which her father had intended to pursue,
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Speaker 1: while in town, for the recovery of his daughter. He meant,
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Speaker 1: I believe, replied Jane, to go to Epsom, the place
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Speaker 1: where they last changed horses, see the postillions, and try
28:52
Speaker 1: if anything could be made out from them. his principal
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Speaker 1: object must be to discover the number of the Hackney
28:59
Speaker 1: coach which took them from Clapham. It had come with
29:04
Speaker 1: a fare from London, and as he thought the circumstance
29:08
Speaker 1: of a gentleman and ladies removing from one carriage into
29:13
Speaker 1: another might be remarked, he meant to make inquiries at Clapham.
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Speaker 1: If he could anyhow discover at what house the coachman
29:22
Speaker 1: had before set down his fare, He determined to make
29:26
Speaker 1: inquiries there, and hoped it might not be impossible to
29:31
Speaker 1: find out the stand and number of the coach. I
29:35
Speaker 1: do not know of any other designs that he had formed,
29:39
Speaker 1: but he was in such a hurry to be gone
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Speaker 1: and his spirit so greatly discomposed that I had difficulty
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Speaker 1: in finding out even so much as this.