All Meryton seemed striving to blacken the man who, but three months before, had been almost an angel of light. He was declared to be in debt to every tradesman in the place, and his intrigues, all honoured with the title of seduction, had been extended into every tradesman’s family. Everybody declared that he was the wickedest young man in the world; and everybody began to find out, that they had always distrusted the appearance of his goodness.
– Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 48. The gossip machine cranks into top gear in Meryton after Wickham runs away with Lydia. In the residents’ crosshairs are the one-time "angel of light" who is now branded the "wickedest young man in the world" and credited with seducing someone in "every tradesman’s family." It’s discovered too that he owes a lot of money to people in the locality. There is ironic description in this passage. You have the metaphorical description of Wickham as "almost an angel of light," which conjures up the image of Lucifer (meaning light-bearing in Latin). Also Wickham’s intrigues are said to be "honoured" with the "title of seduction."