第523页 / 共817页

Never in her life had she seen his manners so little dignified,

never had he spoken with such gentleness as on this unexpected

meeting. What a contrast did it offer to his last address in

Rosings Park, when he put his letter into her hand! She knew not

what to think, or how to account for it.

They had now entered a beautiful walk by the side of the water,

and every step was bringing forward a nobler fall of ground, or a

finer reach of the woods to which they were approaching: but it

was some time before Elizabeth was sensible of any of it; and,

though she answered mechanically to the repeated appeals of her

uncle and aunt, and seemed to direct her eyes to such objects as

they pointed out, she distinguished no part of the scene. Her

thoughts were all fixed on that one spot of Pemberley House,

whichever it might be, where Mr. Darcy then was. She longed to

know what at that moment was passing in his mind; in what manner

he thought of her, and whether, in defiance of everything, she

was still dear to him. Perhaps he had been civil only because he

felt himself at ease; yet there had been that in his voice, which

was not like ease. Whether he had felt more of pain or of

pleasure in seeing her, she could not tell, but he certainly had

not seen her with composure.