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第90章（第1页）

Afterthefirstfortnightorthreeweeksofherabsence，health，goodhumour，andcheerfulnessbegantoreappearatLongbourn.Everythingworeahappieraspect.Thefamilieswhohadbeenintownforthewintercamebackagain，andsummerfineryandsummerengagementsarose.Mrs.Bennetwasrestoredtoherusualquerulousserenity;and，bythemiddleofJune，KittywassomuchrecoveredastobeabletoenterMerytonwithouttears;aneventofsuchhappypromiseastomakeElizabethhopethatbythefollowingChristmasshemightbesotolerablyreasonableasnottomentionanofficeraboveonceaday，unless，bysomecruelandmaliciousarrangementattheWarOffice，anotherregimentshouldbequarteredinMeryton.

Thetimefixedforthebeginningoftheirnortherntourwasnowfastapproaching，andafortnightonlywaswantingofit，whenaletterarrivedfromMrs.Gardiner，whichatoncedelayeditscommencementandcurtaileditsextent.Mr.GardinerwouldbepreventedbybusinessfromsettingouttillafortnightlaterinJuly，andmustbeinLondonagainwithinamonth，andasthatlefttooshortaperiodforthemtogosofar，andseesomuchastheyhadproposed，oratleasttoseeitwiththeleisureandcomforttheyhadbuilton，theywereobligedtogiveuptheLakes，andsubstituteamorecontractedtour，and，accordingtothepresentplan，weretogonofarthernorthwardsthanDerbyshire.Inthatcountytherewasenoughtobeseentooccupythechiefoftheirthreeweeks;andtoMrs.Gardinerithadapeculiarlystrongattraction.Thetownwhereshehadformerlypassedsomeyearsofherlife，andwheretheywerenowtospendafewdays，wasprobablyasgreatanobjectofhercuriosityasallthecelebratedbeautiesofMatlock，Chatsworth，Dovedale，orthePeak.

Elizabethwasexcessivelydisappointed;shehadsetherheartonseeingtheLakes，andstillthoughttheremighthavebeentimeenough.Butitwasherbusinesstobesatisfied—andcertainlyhertempertobehappy;andallwassoonrightagain.

WiththementionofDerbyshirethereweremanyideasconnected.ItwasimpossibleforhertoseethewordwithoutthinkingofPemberleyanditsowner.“Butsurely，”

saidshe，“Imayenterhiscountywithoutimpunity，androbitofafewpetrifiedsparswithouthisperceivingme.”

Theperiodofexpectationwasnowdoubled.Fourweeksweretopassawaybeforeheruncleandauntsarrival.Buttheydidpassaway，andMr.andMrs.Gardiner，withtheirfourchildren，didatlengthappearatLongbourn.Thechildren，twogirlsofsixandeightyearsold，andtwoyoungerboys，weretobeleftundertheparticularcareoftheircousinJane，whowasthegeneralfavourite，andwhosesteadysenseandsweetnessoftemperexactlyadaptedherforattendingtothemineveryway—teachingthem，playingwiththem，andlovingthem.

TheGardinersstayedonlyonenightatLongbourn，andsetoffthenextmorningwithElizabethinpursuitofnoveltyandamusement.Oneenjoymentwascertain—thatofsuitablenessofcompanions;asuitablenesswhichcomprehendedhealthandtempertobearinconveniences—cheerfulnesstoenhanceeverypleasure—andaffectionandintelligence，whichmightsupplyitamongthemselvesifthereweredisappointmentsabroad.

ItisnottheobjectofthisworktogiveadeionofDerbyshire，norofanyoftheremarkableplacesthroughwhichtheirroutethitherlay;Oxford，Blenheim，Warwick，Kenilworth，Birmingham，etc.aresufficientlyknown.AsmallpartofDerbyshireisallthepresentconcern.TothelittletownofLambton，thesceneofMrs.Gardinersformerresidence，andwhereshehadlatelylearnedsomeacquaintancestillremained，theybenttheirsteps，afterhavingseenalltheprincipalwondersofthecountry;andwithinfivemilesofLambton，ElizabethfoundfromherauntthatPemberleywassituated.Itwasnotintheirdirectroad，normorethanamileortwooutofit.Intalkingovertheirroutetheeveningbefore，Mrs.Gardinerexpressedaninclinationtoseetheplaceagain.Mr.Gardinerdeclaredhiswillingness，andElizabethwasappliedtoforherapprobation.

“Mylove，shouldnotyouliketoseeaplaceofwhichyouhaveheardsomuch?”

saidheraunt;“aplace，too，withwhichsomanyofyouracquaintancesareconnected.Wickhampassedallhisyouththere，youknow.”

Elizabethwasdistressed.ShefeltthatshehadnobusinessatPemberley，andwasobligedtoassumeadisinclinationforseeingit.Shemustownthatshewastiredofseeinggreathouses;aftergoingoversomany，shereallyhadnopleasureinfinecarpetsorsatincurtains.

Mrs.Gardinerabusedherstupidity.“Ifitweremerelyafinehouserichlyfurnished，”

saidshe，“Ishouldnotcareaboutitmyself;butthegroundsaredelightful.Theyhavesomeofthefinestwoodsinthecountry.”

Elizabethsaidnomore—buthermindcouldnotacquiesce.ThepossibilityofmeetingMr.Darcy，whileviewingtheplace，instantlyoccurred.Itwouldbedreadful!Sheblushedattheveryidea，andthoughtitwouldbebettertospeakopenlytoherauntthantorunsucharisk.Butagainstthistherewereobjections;andshefinallyresolvedthatitcouldbethelastresource，ifherprivateinquiriestotheabsenceofthefamilywereunfavourablyanswered.

Accordingly，whensheretiredatnight，sheaskedthechambermaidwhetherPemberleywerenotaveryfineplace，whatwasthenameofitsproprietor，and，withnolittlealarm，whetherthefamilyweredownforthesummer?Amostwelcomenegativefollowedthelastquestion—andheralarmsnowbeingremoved，shewasatleisuretofeelagreatdealofcuriositytoseethehouseherself;andwhenthesubjectwasrevivedthenextmorning，andshewasagainappliedto，couldreadilyanswer，andwithaproperairofindifference，thatshehadnotreallyanydisliketothescheme.

ToPemberley，therefore，theyweretogo.