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'Not so much as I could wish, sir: but I daresay he may

spend half his time here; and Miss Darcy is always down for

the summer months.'

Except, thought Elizabeth, when she goes to Ramsgate.

'If your master would marry, you might see more of him.'

'Yes, sir; but I do not know when _that_ will be. I do not

know who is good enough for him.'

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner smiled. Elizabeth could not help

saying, 'It is very much to his credit, I am sure, that you

should think so.'

'I say no more than the truth, and what everybody will

say that knows him,' replied the other. Elizabeth thought

this was going pretty far; and she listened with increasing

astonishment as the housekeeper added, 'I have never had a

cross word from him in my life, and I have known him ever

since he was four years old.'

This was praise of all others most extraordinary, most

opposite to her ideas. That he was not a good-tempered man

had been her firmest opinion. Her keenest attention was

awakened: she longed to hear more; and was grateful to

her uncle for saying,--

'There are very few people of whom so much can be said.

You are lucky in having such a master.'

'Yes, sir, I know I am. If I were to go through the world,

I could not meet with a better. But I have always observed

that they who are good-natured when children are good-~

natured when they grow up; and he was always the sweetest-~

tempered, most generous-hearted boy in the world.'

Elizabeth almost stared at her. 'Can this be Mr. Darcy?'

thought she.

'His father was an excellent man,' said Mrs. Gardiner.

'Yes, ma'am, that he was indeed; and his son will be just

like him -- just as affable to the poor.'

Elizabeth listened, wondered, doubted, and was impatient

for more. Mrs. Reynolds could interest her on no other point.

She related the subjects of the pictures, the dimensions of

the rooms, and the price of the furniture in vain. Mr. Gar-

diner, highly amused by the kind of family prejudice, to

which he attributed her excessive commendation of her mas-

ter, soon led again to the subject; and she dwelt with energy

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