 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 something 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 shewed 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 vindication 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 surprised 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 any thing 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 was spent in the
satisfactions of an intercourse renewed after many years discontinuance.
    The occurrences of the day were too full of interest to leave Elizabeth much
attention for any of these new friends; and she could do nothing but think, and
think with wonder, of Mr. Darcy's civility, and above all, of his
