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Mrs. Gardiner and the children were to remain in Hertfordshire a

few days longer, as the former thought her presence might be

serviceable to her nieces. She shared in their attendance on Mrs.

Bennet, and was a great comfort to them in their hours of

freedom. Their other aunt also visited them frequently, and

always, as she said, with the design of cheering and heartening

them up--though, as she never came without reporting some fresh

instance of Wickham's extravagance or irregularity, she seldom

went away without leaving them more dispirited than she found

them.