Then do you believe Darcy has the power to buy and sell commissions in the army? (;D) Do you not think he needed at least some connection that knew where one was available and who to apply to? I think Darcy has wealth and power in his own right but I am not so sure he is that deep into army business that he needed no help at all. As commendable as Darcy’s efforts to fix the Lydia situation is and truly I am not trying to steal his thunder, he does have help we know about. At first a quite slimy kind of help from Mrs. Younge in order to find Wickham and Lydia and then clearly help from Mr. Gardiner who took Lydia in, was the go-between to Mr. Bennet, made arrangements with Mr. Bennet and Col Forster for the paying of Wickham’s debts, married Lydia from his house and most importantly took complete credit for Darcy’s actions and payments. I think Wickham has a former friend who was helpful in obtaining the commission aside from Darcy because I do not think he can wave a magic wand and pull a commission out of a hat as easily as he does the funds from a bank to pay for it. I also think Mr. Gardiner would stick to the truth as much as possible in his explanations to Mr. Bennet. I think you are right about Darcy ensuring Lydia’s money would be tied up so Wickham could not gamble it away—speculation it may be but right speculation IMO. Lydia is lucky in her friends but I think the old gossips in Meryton are right and with such a husband she will be miserable enough in payment for her misdeeds. (;D)