Though Lydia's short letter to Mrs. F. gave them to understand that they were going to Gretna Green, something was dropped by Denny expressing his belief that W. never intended to go there, or to marry Lydia at all, which was repeated to Colonel F., who, instantly taking the alarm, set off from B. intending to trace their route.
Bien que la courte lettre de Lydia a sa femme leur eut donné a croire que le couple se rendait a Gretna Green[5], quelques mots qui échapperent a Denny exprimant la conviction que Wickham n’avait jamais eu la moindre intention d’aller en Écosse, pas plus que celle d’épouser Lydia, avaient été rapportés au colonel Forster qui, prenant alarme, était parti sur l’heure de Brighton pour essayer de relever leurs traces.