{{prxprp222.jpg}} || 222 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ||

Elizabeth excused herself as well as she could; said that she

had liked him better when they met in Kent than before, and

that she had never seen him so pleasant as this morning.

'But perhaps he may be a little whimsical in his civilities,'

replied her uncle. 'Your great men often are; and therefore

I shall not take him at his word about fishing, as he might change

his mind another day, and warn me off his grounds.'

Elizabeth felt that they had entirely mistaken his character, but

said nothing.

'From what we have seen of him,' continued Mrs. Gardiner,

'I really should not have thought that he could have behaved in

so cruel a way by any body, as he has done by poor Wickham.

He has not an ill-natured look. On the contrary, there is some

thing pleasing about his mouth when he speaks. And there is

something of dignity in his countenance, that would not give one

an unfavourable idea of his heart. But to be sure, the 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 vindica^

tion 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 surprized 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

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