good lady who showed us the house did give him a most flaming character!

I could hardly help laughing aloud sometimes. But he is a liberal

master, I suppose, and that, in the eye of a servant, comprehends

every virtue.”
Elizabeth here felt herself called on to say something in vindication of

his behaviour to Wickham; and, therefore, gave them to understand, in as

guarded a manner as she could, that by what she had heard from his

relations in Kent, his actions were capable of a very different

construction; and that his character was by no means so faulty, nor

Wickham’s so amiable, as they had been considered in Hertfordshire. In

confirmation of this, she related the particulars of all the pecuniary

transactions in which they had been connected, without actually naming

her authority, but stating it to be such as might be relied on.
Mrs. Gardiner was surprised and concerned: but as they were now

approaching the scene of her former pleasures, every idea gave way to

the charm of recollection; and she was too much engaged in pointing out

to her husband all the interesting spots in its environs, to think of

anything else. Fatigued as she had been by the morning’s walk, they had

no sooner dined than she set off again in quest of her former

acquaintance, and the evening was spent in the satisfactions of an

intercourse renewed after many years’ discontinuance.
The occurrences of the day were too full of interest to leave Elizabeth

much attention for any of these new friends; and she could do nothing

but think, and think with wonder, of Mr. Darcy’s civility, and, above

all, of his wishing her to be acquainted with his sister.{318}

CHAPTER XLIV.

ELIZABETH had settled it that Mr. Darcy would bring his sister to visit

her the very day after her reaching Pemberley; and was, consequently,

resolved not to be out of sight of the inn the whole of that morning.

But her conclusion was false; for on the very morning after their own