Nodiver d.o.o. · Pride & Prejudice · page 480 of 640

Pride & Prejudice – page 480

JANE AUSTEN

She then proceeded to inquire into the measures

which her father had intended to pursue, while in town,

for the recovery of his daughter.

“He meant, I believe,” replied Jane, “to go to Epsom,

the place where they last changed horses, see the

postilions and try if anything could be made out from

them. His principal object must be to discover the

number of the hackney coach which took them from

Clapham. It had come with a fare from London; and as

he thought that the circumstance of a gentleman and

lady’s removing from one carriage into another might

be remarked, he meant to make inquiries at Clapham. If

he could anyhow discover at what house the coachman

had before set down his fare, he determined to make

inquiries there, and hoped it might not be impossible

to find out the stand and number of the coach. I do not

know of any other designs that he had formed; but he

was in such a hurry to be gone, and his spirits so greatly

discomposed, that I had difficulty in finding out even so

much as this.”

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