In Pride and Prejudice, when they talk about the officers and where they are goi

Question: In Pride and Prejudice, when they talk about the officers and where they are going, why do they use a dash!?

Ex!. wickham was going to --- shire
i need the website or reference if u can answer this
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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

It's something that happens a lot in older books!. Sometimes they do it to censor out offensive words (eg: 'Damn', when used, is written as 'D-')!. When place names are blanked out, the author is being discreet!. These were the times when many upper class people considered popular novels to be somewhat vulgar and would be insulted if their town or shire were connected to such a work or the events and characters described therein, especially if they were the principal landed gentry of the area!. The major estates and therefore the personal identities of the landholders were practically synonymous with the town or shire, so any slight, real or imagined, was keenly felt!. In those days, people of consequence (ie: with wealth and power) could make your life difficult if you annoyed them, so it was best to be cautious!.

Addendum: Sorry, forgot to say that sometimes locations were also fabricated, and the author didn't want to be called out on 'inaccuracies', so just left names blank!. I am including links to info which can offer further explanation and scope for further research of your own!.Www@QuestionHome@Com