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第92章（第1页）

“Ifyourmasterwouldmarry，youmightseemoreofhim。”

“Yes，sir;butIdonotknowwhenthatwillbe。Idonotknowwhoisgoodenoughforhim。”

Mr。andMrs。Gardinersmiled。Elizabethcouldnothelpsaying，“Itisverymuchtohiscredit，Iamsure，thatyoushouldthinkso。”

“Isaynomorethanthetruth，andeverybodywillsaythatknowshim，”repliedtheother。Elizabeththoughtthiswasgoingprettyfar;andshelistenedwithincreasingastonishmentasthehousekeeperadded，“Ihaveneverknownacrosswordfromhiminmylife，andIhaveknownhimeversincehewasfouryearsold。”

Thiswaspraise，ofallothersmostextraordinary，mostoppositetoherideas。Thathewasnotagood-temperedmanhadbeenherfirmestopinion。Herkeenestattentionwasawakened;shelongedtohearmore，andwasgratefultoheruncleforsaying:

“Thereareveryfewpeopleofwhomsomuchcanbesaid。Youareluckyinhavingsuchamaster。”

“Yes，sir，IknowIam。IfIweretogothroughtheworld，Icouldnotmeetwithabetter。ButIhavealwaysobserved，thattheywhoaregood-naturedwhenchildren，aregood-naturedwhentheygrowup;andhewasalwaysthesweetest-tempered，mostgenerous-heartedboyintheworld。”

Elizabethalmoststaredather。“CanthisbeMr。Darcy?”thoughtshe。

“Hisfatherwasanexcellentman，”saidMrs。Gardiner。

“Yes，maam，thathewasindeed;andhissonwillbejustlikehim—justasaffabletothepoor。”

Elizabethlistened，wondered，doubted，andwasimpatientformore。Mrs。Reynoldscouldinterestheronnootherpoint。Sherelatedthesubjectsofthepictures，thedimensionsoftherooms，andthepriceofthefurniture，invain。Mr。Gardiner，highlyamusedbythekindoffamilyprejudicetowhichheattributedherexcessivecommendationofhermaster，soonledagaintothesubject;andshedweltwithenergyonhismanymeritsastheyproceededtogetherupthegreatstaircase。

“Heisthebestlandlord，andthebestmaster，”saidshe，“thateverlived;notlikethewildyoungmennowadays，whothinkofnothingbutthemselves。Thereisnotoneofhistenantsorservantsbutwhatwillgivehimagoodname。Somepeoplecallhimproud;butIamsureIneversawanythingofit。Tomyfancy，itisonlybecausehedoesnotrattleawaylikeotheryoungmen。”

“Inwhatanamiablelightdoesthisplacehim!”thoughtElizabeth。

“Thisfineaccountofhim，”whisperedherauntastheywalked，“isnotquiteconsistentwithhisbehaviourtoourpoorfriend。”

“Perhapswemightbedeceived。”

“Thatisnotverylikely;ourauthoritywastoogood。”

Onreachingthespaciouslobbyabovetheywereshownintoaveryprettysitting-room，latelyfittedupwithgreatereleganceandlightnessthantheapartmentsbelow;andwereinformedthatitwasbutjustdonetogivepleasuretoMissDarcy，whohadtakenalikingtotheroomwhenlastatPemberley。

“Heiscertainlyagoodbrother，”saidElizabeth，asshewalkedtowardsoneofthewindows。

Mrs。ReynoldsanticipatedMissDarcysdelight，whensheshouldentertheroom。“Andthisisalwaysthewaywithhim，”sheadded。“Whatevercangivehissisteranypleasureissuretobedoneinamoment。Thereisnothinghewouldnotdoforher。”

Thepicture-gallery，andtwoorthreeoftheprincipalbedrooms，wereallthatremainedtobeshown。Intheformerweremanygoodpaintings;butElizabethknewnothingoftheart;andfromsuchashadbeenalreadyvisiblebelow，shehadwillinglyturnedtolookatsomedrawingsofMissDarcys，incrayons，whosesubjectswereusuallymoreinteresting，andalsomoreintelligible。

Inthegallerythereweremanyfamilyportraits，buttheycouldhavelittletofixtheattentionofastranger。Elizabethwalkedinquestoftheonlyfacewhosefeatureswouldbeknowntoher。Atlastitarrestedher—andshebeheldastrikingresemblancetoMr。Darcy，withsuchasmileoverthefaceassherememberedtohavesometimesseenwhenhelookedather。Shestoodseveralminutesbeforethepicture，inearnestcontemplation，andreturnedtoitagainbeforetheyquittedthegallery。Mrs。Reynoldsinformedthemthatithadbeentakeninhisfatherslifetime。

Therewascertainlyatthismoment，inElizabethsmind，amoregentlesensationtowardstheoriginalthanshehadeverfeltattheheightoftheiracquaintance。ThecommendationbestowedonhimbyMrs。Reynoldswasofnotriflingnature。Whatpraiseismorevaluablethanthepraiseofanintelligentservant?Asabrother，alandlord，amaster，sheconsideredhowmanypeopleshappinesswereinhisguardianship!—howmuchofpleasureorpainwasitinhispowertobestow!—howmuchofgoodorevilmustbedonebyhim!Everyideathathadbeenbroughtforwardbythehousekeeperwasfavourabletohischaracter，andasshestoodbeforethecanvasonwhichhewasrepresented，andfixedhiseyesuponherself，shethoughtofhisregardwithadeepersentimentofgratitudethanithadeverraisedbefore;sheremembereditswarmth，andsofteneditsimproprietyofexpression。

Whenallofthehousethatwasopentogeneralinspectionhadbeenseen，theyreturneddownstairs，and，takingleaveofthehousekeeper，wereconsignedovertothegardener，whometthematthehall-door。

Astheywalkedacrossthelawntowardstheriver，Elizabethturnedbacktolookagain;heruncleandauntstoppedalso，andwhiletheformerwasconjecturingastothedateofthebuilding，theownerofithimselfsuddenlycameforwardfromtheroad，whichledbehindittothestables。

Theywerewithintwentyyardsofeachother，andsoabruptwashisappearance，thatitwasimpossibletoavoidhissight。Theireyesinstantlymet，andthecheeksofbothwereoverspreadwiththedeepestblush。Heabsolutelystarted，andforamomentseemedimmovablefromsurprise;butshortlyrecoveringhimself，advancedtowardstheparty，andspoketoElizabeth，ifnotintermsofperfectcomposure，atleastofperfectcivility。