Pride and Prejudice Volume 3, Chapter 6

Mr. Gardiner goes to London to help Mr. Bennet, but they can't find a trace of Lydia or Wickham. The two are probably laying low to avoid Lydia's family and the people to whom Wickham owes money since he'd fallen into large gambling debts in Brighton. No one knows any family or friends that Wickham would turn to for help, so they can't find any leads to locating him or Lydia. Mr. Gardiner convinces Mr. Bennet to return to Longbourne and let Mr. Gardiner handle things in London. At home Mr. Bennet accepts the blame for Lydia's behavior because he let her go to Brighton and he didn't punish her silly behavior, so he's decided he's going to be stricter with Kitty so that she'll have some sense.