Chapter 44 Chapter Forty-Three

They went straight ahead in the car.As soon as the Pemberley woods appeared before her eyes, Elizabeth was a little flustered; when she entered the manor, she was even more uneasy. The garden is very large, and there are high hills and low-lying areas inside, and the atmosphere is myriad.They picked the lowest place and walked into the garden, and walked for a long time in a car in a deep, vast and beautiful forest. Elizabeth was full of emotions and had no intention of speaking, but she was full of admiration for the beauty of every place and every corner.They walked slowly uphill for about half a mile, until at last they came to a rather high hill, where the wood ended, and Pemberley Hall came into view.The house was on the other side of the valley, and there was a rather steep road winding into the valley.This is a large and beautiful stone building standing on a high ridge. Behind the house is a series of high hills with dense forests; .The embellishment on both sides of the strait is neither rigid nor artificial.Elizabeth was overjoyed.She had never seen a place with more natural taste, nowhere where the beauty of nature was so unsullied by vulgarity.Everyone was enthusiastically admiring it, and Elizabeth couldn't help thinking that being a housewife in Pemberley was not bad at all.As they descended the hill, crossed the bridge, and drove up to the gate of the mansion, admiring the sights of the neighborhood, Elizabeth was again seized with misgivings, lest she should intrude upon her master.She worried that the maid at the hotel had made a mistake.They begged to be seen, and were immediately let into the drawing-room; they were all waiting for the housekeeper, when Elizabeth remembered where she was.

The housekeeper grandma came, she was a dignified old lady, far less handsome than they imagined, but her politeness and thoughtfulness were beyond her imagination.They followed her into the dining room.It was a large, spacious and comfortable room, well furnished.Elizabeth looked at it for a while, then went to the window to enjoy the scenery.They looked at the hill they had just descended, and saw that it was densely covered with woods, and it seemed steeper from a distance, and it was a beautiful place.Everywhere is neatly tidied up.Looking around, she saw a curved river, banks between trees, and winding valleys, which made her feel refreshed.They went to another room to look at it, and every time they changed rooms, the view would always be different, but no matter which window you went to, there was something beautiful to eat.Each room is tall and beautiful, and the furniture and furnishings are quite commensurate with the identity of the owner. It is neither vulgar nor overly extravagant. Compared with Rosings, it can be said that it is not luxurious enough, but more than elegant. Elizabeth admired it very much. The taste of the master.She thought to herself: I almost became the housewife here!These rooms may have made me familiar!Not only do I not have to visit as a stranger, but I can also use it as my own residence and welcome my aunt and aunt as honored guests.But no, she suddenly remembered that this was absolutely impossible: I would never see my aunt and parents at that time, and he would never allow me to invite them.

Fortunately, she remembered this, so she didn't regret what she did back then. She really wanted to ask the housekeeper if the master was really not at home, but she didn't have the courage, so she had to give up.But her uncle finally asked this question on her behalf, which made her very flustered, and she didn't turn her head away, only to hear Grandma Renault reply that he was indeed not at home.Then he said, but tomorrow he will go home and bring many friends with him. Elizabeth was glad to hear that, and it was a good thing they had not been here a day late. Her aunt sent her to see a portrait.As she drew nearer, she saw that it was Wickham's portrait, hung with several other miniatures over the mantelpiece.The aunt smiled and asked her if she felt all right.The housekeeper's grandmother came over and said that the young man in the portrait was the son of the old master's tent, and he was raised by the old master.She added:

He's in the army now, and I'm afraid he's become quite a loafer. Mrs. Gardiner looked at her niece with a smile, but Elizabeth could not smile. Grandma Renault pointed to another portrait and said, "This is my little master, and it looks very similar."I painted it at the same time as that one, about eight years ago. Mrs. Gardiner looked at the portrait and said: I have often heard people say that your master is a handsome man, and his face is indeed beautiful.But tell me, Liz, whether it looks like it. Grandma Reynolds seemed to respect her all the more when she heard that Elizabeth was acquainted with her master.

Was this lady acquainted with Mr. Darcy? Elizabeth blushed, and could only say: I am not very familiar with it. Do you think he is a very handsome young master, miss? Yes, very beautiful. I dare say I never saw such a handsome man; there is another portrait of him in the studio upstairs, larger and better painted.The old master loved this room the most during his lifetime, and the arrangement of these portraits is still the same as before.He liked these small portraits very much. Only then did Elizabeth understand why Mr. Wickham's portrait was also put together. Grandma Renault then pointed out to them a portrait of Miss Darcy, which she had drawn when she was eight years old.

Was Miss Darcy as handsome as her brother?asked Mr Gardiner. Oh, and it goes without saying that there has never been such a beautiful lady, and so many talents!She plays the piano and sings all day long.In the next room is a piano just bought for her, a present from my master, with whom she will be returning to-morrow. Seeing Mr. Gardiner's easygoing manner, the housekeeper asked him questions and answered them.Grandma Reynolds was more than happy to speak of her master's brother and sister, either out of pride in them or out of a deep friendship with them. Does your master spend much of the year at Pemberley?

Not so much as I'd hoped, sir, for he may be here for the first half of every year; and Miss Darcy is always here for the summer. Elizabeth thought: I will not come unless I go to Ramsgate. If your master is married, you will see him more often. Yes, sir; but I don't know how long it will take place.I don't know which lady is worthy of him. The Gardiners laughed.Elizabeth could not help saying that it was a great honor for you to think so. The housekeeper's grandma said, "I'm telling the truth. People who know him say so. Elizabeth felt that this was a little too much.I only heard the housekeeper grandma say again: I have never heard a harsh word from him in my life. I have been with him since he was four years old.

Elizabeth was even more surprised. The compliment was the most unexpected and the hardest she could have imagined.She had long concluded that Darcy was a bad-tempered person, and hearing this today, she could not help arousing her deep attention.She would love to hear more.Fortunately, her uncle spoke again and said: There are very few people who deserve such a compliment.You are so lucky to have such a good host. You are quite right, sir, and I know luck myself.I just go all over the world and never meet a better master.I often say that if you have a good temper when you are young, you will also have a good temper when you grow up; he has been the child with the best temper and the biggest belly since he was a child.

Elizabeth could not help staring at her.She thought: Is Darcy really such a person? His father was a wonderful man, Mrs. Gardiner said. You are right, ma'am, he was indeed a great man; his only son was exactly like him, and as considerate of the poor as he was. Elizabeth listened on, first in wonder, then in disbelief, and finally in a desperate desire to hear more, but Grandma Renault could think of nothing else to interest her.She talked about portraits, about the size of the room, about the price of the furniture, but she didn't like to hear it.Mr. Gardiner thought it amused him that the housekeeper's exaggerated praise of her own master was only due to family prejudice, and he immediately returned to the subject.Talking vigorously of his many virtues, she led them up the grand staircase.

He was an enlightened proprietor, and the best of masters; she said he was not like the wild young men of today, who think only of themselves.Not a single tenant or servant did not praise him.Some people said he was arrogant; but I never saw a single bit of it in him.He just wasn't as talkative as the average young man, I guessed. How cute he is by you!thought Elizabeth. As she walked, her aunt said softly: I only heard good things about him, but the way he treated our poor friend seemed to be inconsistent with the truth. We may be deluded. This is unlikely; our evidence is too solid.

When they reached the spacious hall upstairs, they were shown into a handsome sitting-room, recently furnished, more refined and fresher than many of the rooms downstairs, which it was said had just been put up for Miss Darcy had it, for she had seen the room at Pemberley last year. He is really a good brother, said Elizabeth, going up to a window. Grandma Renault reckoned how pleased Miss Darcy would be when she entered the room.She said: He has always been like this, he will do everything that can make his sister happy.He never disobeyed her in one thing. There remained only the studio and two or three principal bedrooms to show them. There are many beautiful oil paintings on display in the studio. It is a pity that Elizabeth is a layman in art, but she seems to have seen these paintings downstairs, so she would rather turn her head and look at the chalk drawings drawn by Miss Darcy. , because the themes of these paintings are generally more intriguing and easier to understand. The studio is full of family portraits, and strangers will not be interested in seeing them.Elizabeth walked up and down, looking for the portrait of the familiar face; at last she came upon one which was very like Mr. Darcy, and had the same smile on his face as he had looked before.She stood in front of this portrait for a few minutes, completely admiring it, and before leaving the studio, she went back to look at it again.Grandma Renault told them that this portrait was painted when his father was alive. Elizabeth could not help feeling at once an affection for the man in the picture which she had never felt for him, even in the days of her most frequent encounters with him.We should not underestimate Grandma Renault's praise of her master.What compliment is more valuable than that of a wise servant?She thinks that whether he is an elder brother, a farm owner, or a family owner, he controls the happiness of many people; how much happiness he can give others, and how much pain he can give others; .Everything that the housekeeper grandma said is enough to show his good character.Standing in front of his portrait, she only felt that his eyes were staring at her, and she couldn't help but think of his love for her, so a burst of gratitude that she had never felt before, as soon as she remembered his ardent love , and no longer bothered about his abrupt courtship. They visited all the places that could be visited by the public, and then they went downstairs and said goodbye to the housekeeper, who ordered a gardener to meet them at the entrance of the hall. They crossed the grass and walked towards the river. Elizabeth turned her head and looked all the way at this time, and her aunt and aunt also stopped in their tracks. Unexpectedly, her uncle was about to estimate the age of the house when he suddenly saw the owner walking from a Came over on the main road leading to the stall. They were only about twenty yards apart, and he appeared so suddenly that there was almost no time to dodge them.In an instant, the four eyes met, and both of their faces were flushed with blood.His master was so astonished that he stood there motionless, but he made up his mind at once, came up to them, and spoke to Elizabeth, if not quite calm, at least very polite. Elizabeth had already walked away involuntarily, but seeing that he had come forward, she had to stop and accept his greeting with embarrassment and shame.Besides, aunt and aunt, even if they didn't recognize him when they saw him, or they clearly saw that he was similar to the portrait just now, they still couldn't see that he was Mr. Darcy, at least look at the gardener who saw the master You should also understand the expression of surprise when you return.Seeing him talking to their niece, the aunt and uncle stood a little farther away.He asked politely about the safety of her family members, but she was so surprised and flustered that she dared not raise her eyes to look at his face, she didn't know what to answer him.She was amazed by his manner, which was so different from the last time they had parted, that every word he said embarrassed her more; It was unseemly, and these few minutes turned out to be the most difficult time in her life.He was not necessarily more calm than her, and his tone of voice was not as calm as usual.He asked her when she had set off from Longbourne, and how long she had been in Derbyshire, and so on and on and on, and with a fuss which showed how delusional he was. In the end, he seemed to have nothing to say, and stood silently for a few minutes, and suddenly he made up his mind again, and left. When her aunt and aunt came up to her, and told her how much they admired his appearance, Elizabeth, full of thoughts, did not listen to a word, but followed them in silence.She was truly ashamed and annoyed beyond words.It was the most unfortunate and miscalculated thing in the world that she came here this time.How strange it would be to him!With such an arrogant person like him, how can he look down on this matter!This time, she seems to have delivered it to her door by herself again.God, why is she here?Or, why did he rush home one day earlier than expected?If they had only gone ten minutes earlier, they would have gone so far that he could not see him; he had evidently arrived just by chance, had just jumped off his horse or stepped out of his carriage.Thinking of the awkward situation when they met just now, she couldn't help but blushed again and again.His attitude is completely different from before. What is going on?It was surprising that he should come up to her and talk to her, and how politely he spoke, and how well he inquired about the well-being of her family!During this encounter, his attitude was so humble, his conversation was so gentle, she had never seen him before.What a contrast had his diction when he handed her the letter in Rosings Gardens last time!She didn't know what to think, or how to explain the situation. They have now come to a beautiful path by the river, the ground is gradually lowering, the scenery in front of them is becoming more and more magnificent, and the scenery of the woods is also becoming more and more elegant. They walked forward slowly, and their aunt and aunt called Elizabeth repeatedly along the way. Although Elizabeth casually agreed to such a scene, she turned her eyes to the direction they designated, but she couldn't distinguish any scene or thing for a long time, and she simply didn't want to look at it.All she could think of was a corner of Pemberley House, whatever it was, so long as Mr. Darcy was there now.She really wanted to know what he was thinking at this moment, what he thought of her, and whether he would risk the world's evil and still have a good impression of her.Maybe he just thought he had nothing to worry about, so he was very polite to her, but listening to his voice, there was an indescribable meaning, and it didn't seem like he had nothing to worry about.She didn't know if he saw her more pain than happiness, or more joy than pain, but he didn't look like he was calm. Later, her aunt and aunt blamed her for being absent-minded, so they reminded her that she should pretend to be decent. They walked into the woods, set foot on the hillside, and bid farewell to the stream for a while.Looking out from the gaps in the woods, you can see the scenery everywhere in the valley.There are hills on the opposite side, some of which are covered with whole forests, and winding streams come into view from time to time.Mr. Gardiner wanted to go round the whole park, but he was afraid that he would not be able to walk.The gardener told them with a smug smile that it was ten miles to go round.This matter had to be abandoned, and they turned around by the usual way, and after a while, they descended in the grove on the cliff and came to the river again, which was the narrowest part of the river.They crossed the river on a simple small bridge, and saw that the small bridge was in harmony with the surrounding scenery.The place was simpler than any they had ever been to.Here the valley has become a small lane, which can only accommodate the stream and a path, and the path is uneven with bushes.Elizabeth was full of desire to follow the winding path to explore the hidden places; but once she crossed the bridge, she saw that she was so far away from the house, and Mrs. Gardiner, who was not good at walking, could not walk anymore. She just wanted to get into the carriage quickly.The niece had to obey her, and everyone took a shortcut on the other side of the river to the house.They walked slowly, because Mr. Gardiner was very fond of fishing, but he seldom enjoyed it. Now he saw trout often appearing on the river, and he talked about fish with the gardener again, so he often stood still.They walked slowly like this, but they were surprised again, especially Elizabeth, who was almost as surprised as before.It turned out that they saw Mr. Darcy coming towards them again, and was almost approaching.The path here was not as sheltered as it was on the other side, so they could see him from a distance.But no matter how surprised Elizabeth was, at least she was more prepared than the meeting just now, so she made up her mind; if he really wanted to meet them, she would simply calm down and talk to him.She thought at first that he might turn to another trail.The reason why she had this idea was because when Dao'er turned a corner, his figure was covered and they couldn't see him.But as soon as they turned the corner, he immediately appeared in front of them.She took a peek and saw that he was just the same as before, without any disrespect, so she followed his polite manner and began to admire the beautiful scenery of this place, but she just said a few words Touching and charming, another unpleasant thought came to my mind.She thought, won't people misinterpret her praise of Pemberley like this?Thinking of this, she couldn't help but blush again, and said nothing. Mrs. Gardiner stood a little behind; and while Elizabeth was silent, Darcy asked her to do him the favor of introducing him to her two friends.His politeness and thoughtfulness were totally beyond her expectations; when he proposed to her, he was so arrogant and looked down on some of her relatives and friends, and it was these relatives and friends he was asking to introduce now. She couldn't help but laugh out loud.She thought: If he knew what kind of people these two were, what a surprise he would be!He probably mistook them for the upper class now. She introduced him at once, however; explaining to him that these two were close relatives of hers, she cast a furtive glance at him to see if he could bear it.She thought he might run away, avoiding these disgraced friends.He was evidently taken aback when he discovered their relationship.But he was not frightened at all, and instead of going away, he walked back with them, and fell into conversation with Mr. Gardiner again.Elizabeth was naturally happy and proud.It was a relief that she could let him know that she, too, had some respectable relations.She listened with great attention to his conversation with Mr. Gardiner, and was glad that there was everything in his uncle's manner and conversation to give the impression that he had knowledge, taste, and grace.They soon talked of fishing, and she heard Mr. Darcy tell him very politely that, since he lived in the neighbourhood, he could fish whenever he wanted, as long as he did not leave, and at the same time promised to lend him his tackle and show him, Where are the most fish in a river?Mrs. Gardiner walked arm in arm with Elizabeth, and gave her a look of great surprise.Elizabeth said nothing, but she was very pleased with herself, for the attention was, of course, intended to please her alone.But she was still extremely surprised; she asked herself over and over again: How did he change so quickly?What is the reason for this?It's not necessarily because of me, for my sake, that he puts on such a gentle attitude, right?Doesn't it make him so different just because I scolded him at Hunsford?I don't think he will still love me. They walked like this for a while, with two women in front and two men behind.Later, in order to carefully appreciate some rare aquatic plants, they each separated and walked to the river. When they returned to their original positions, the order of front and back was changed.It turned out that Mrs. Gardiner was tired from walking all morning, and felt that Elizabeth's arms could not support her weight, so it was more comfortable to walk on her husband's arm.Mr. Darcy then took her place, and walked beside her niece.The two were silent for a while, and then it was the young lady who spoke first.She wanted to explain to him that they had inquired that he was not at home this time before they came here to visit, because she had mentioned at the beginning that his return was very unexpected.She went on: Because your granny the housekeeper told us that you must come back till tomorrow; and before we left Buckwell, we found out that you would not go back to the country at once.He admitted that all this was true, and added that he had arrived several hours earlier than his fellow party because of business in finding the accountant.Then he added: They will see me early tomorrow morning, and there are people you know among them, and Mr. Bingley and his sisters are here. Elizabeth nodded only slightly.She recalled at once the last time they had mentioned Bingley; and it seemed to him, too, from his countenance. After resting for a while, he went on to say: among these people, there is one person who wants to know you in particular, and that is sister sister.I would like to introduce her to you while you are in Lanbaitun. I wonder if you would like to show me your face, or do you think I am too presumptuous? The request flattered her; she didn't know what to do.She felt at once that it was only at the instigation of his brother that Miss Darcy wanted to know her; and the mere thought of that was enough to satisfy her.She saw that although he was dissatisfied with her, he didn't really feel bad for her because of this, and she felt very relieved. The two of them walked on in silence, each thinking about his own thoughts.Elizabeth was disturbed; the incident was so unreasonable; but she felt both flattered and glad.He wants to introduce his sister to her, which is really a great face of hers.Immediately they went ahead of the Gardiners; and when they reached the carriage the Gardiners were still some distance away. He invited her to sit in the house, she said she was not tired, and the two of them stood on the grass together.At this time, how much should the two sides have to talk about, and it's really ugly to keep silent.She wanted to speak, but couldn't think of words.At last she remembered that she was traveling, and the two of them talked about Matlock and Pigeon Hollow.However, the time passed really slowly, and her aunt walked really slowly. Before the close intimate conversation was over, she was already flustered and the conversation was over.When Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner caught up, Mr. Darcy repeatedly invited everyone to go in and rest together, but the guests declined, and they all parted with the most politeness.Mr. Darcy helped the two ladies into the carriage.Until the carriage drove away, Elizabeth watched him walk into the house slowly. The aunt and aunt were now judging; both said he was a much better character than they had expected.Uncle said: His manner is very elegant, polite and thoughtful, and he doesn't put on airs at all. My aunt said: He does look a bit condescending, but it's just a little bit of demeanor, and it's not annoying.Now I really think what the housekeeper grandma said is right: Although some people say that he is arrogant, I can't see it at all. It was absolutely unexpected that he entertained us like that.It was not mere politeness, but real attention; he had no need of it, and his acquaintance with Elizabeth was superficial. The aunt said: Liz, of course he is not as handsome as Wickham, or it can be said that he is not as talkative and laughing as Wickham, because his appearance is very dignified.But why do you tell us that he is very annoying? Elizabeth tried to justify herself by saying that she had liked him more than ever when she had seen him in Kent, and that she had never seen him so agreeable as this morning. Uncle said: "However, he is so polite and courteous, maybe he is not reliable, as most of these nobles are; he asked me to go fishing often, and I can't believe him, maybe one day he will change his mind and not allow me to enter his manor . Elizabeth felt that they had completely misunderstood his character, but did not say so. Mrs. Gardiner went on: "From what we have seen of him, I cannot imagine that he could be so cruel to poor Wickham.The man didn't seem to have a bad heart.When he spoke, the expression on his mouth was very pleasing.As for the expression on his face, there is indeed some dignity, but people will not say that he has a bad heart because of this.It's just that the housekeeper grandma who took us to visit really talked about his character.There were times when I could hardly contain myself from laughing out loud.However, I think he must be a very generous master; in the eyes of a servant, all virtue consists in this. When Elizabeth heard this, she felt that it was necessary to say a few words for Darcy, and to see that he had done Wickham no wrong; so she carefully told the whole story to her aunt and aunt.She said that according to some relatives and friends of Darcy in Kent, they had told her that his behavior was very different from the rumors, and that he was by no means as ridiculous as people in Hertfordshire imagined. Wickham was by no means as kind as people in Hertfordshire imagined.In order to prove this point, she told the money exchanges between the two of them in detail. Although she did not specify who said the words, she concluded that the words were reliable. Mrs. Gardiner was astonished and apprehensive at these words, but they were now in the place she had once loved, and all her thoughts vanished, and she lost herself entirely in sweet remembrances.She pointed out to her husband all the interesting places in the surrounding area, without thinking of anything else.Although she was tired from walking all morning, after dinner, she set out to visit old friends and old friends.It was a really interesting night, as the saying goes: Years of resentment and absence, once a happy reunion. As for Elizabeth, the events of the day were too amusing to her to make any new acquaintances; she was preoccupied with wondering why Mr. Darcy was so well-mannered today, and especially astonished her that, Why would he introduce his sister to her.