Page 299 of 817

To Mrs. Gardiner, Wickham had one means of affording pleasure,

unconnected with his general powers. About ten or a dozen years

ago, before her marriage, she had spent a considerable time in

that very part of Derbyshire to which he belonged. They had,

therefore, many acquaintance in common; and, though Wickham had

been little there since the death of Darcy's father, five years

before, it was yet in his power to give her fresher intelligence

of her former friends than she had been in the way of procuring.