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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

still 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.