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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。