hadelizabeth'sopinionbeenalldrawnfromherownfamily,shecouldnothaveformedaverypleasingpictureofconjugalfelicityordomesticcomfort.herfather,captivatedbyyouthandbeauty,andthatappearanceofgoodhumourwhichyouthandbeautygenerallygive,hadmarriedawomanwhoseweakunderstandingandilliberalmindhad,veryearlyintheirmarriage,putanendtoallrealaffectionforher.respect,esteem,andconfidencehadvanishedforever;andallhisviewsofdomestichappinesswereoverthrown.butmr.bennetwasnotofadispositiontoseekcomfort,forthedisappointmentwhichhisownimprudencehadbroughton,inanyofthosepleasureswhichtoooftenconsoletheunfortunatefortheirfollyortheirvice.hewasfondofthecountryandofbooks;—andfromthesetasteshadarisenhisprincipalenjoyments.tohiswifehewasverylittleotherwiseindebted,thanasherignoranceandfollyhadcontributedtohisamusement.thisisnotthesortofhappinesswhichamanwouldingeneralwishtoowetohiswife;butwhereotherpowersofentertainmentarewanting,thetruephilosopherwillderivebenefitfromsuchasaregiven.

elizabeth,however,hadneverbeenblindtotheimproprietyofherfather'sbehaviourasahusband.shehadalwaysseenitwithpain;butrespectinghisabilities,andgratefulforhisaffectionatetreatmentofherself,sheendeavouredtoforgetwhatshecouldnotoverlook,andtobanishfromherthoughtsthatcontinualbreachofconjugalobligationanddecorumwhich,inexposinghiswifetothecontemptofherownchildren,wassohighlyreprehensible.butshehadneverfeltsostronglyasnowthedisadvantageswhichmustattendthechildrenofsounsuitableamarriage,noreverbeensofullyawareoftheevilsarisingfromsoill-judgedadirectionoftalents;talentswhichrightlyused,mightatleasthavepreservedtherespectabilityofhisdaughters,evenifincapableofenlargingthemindofhiswife.

whenelizabethhadrejoicedoverwickham'sdeparture,shefoundlittleothercauseforsatisfactioninthelossoftheregiment.theirpartiesabroadwerelessvariedthanbefore;andathomeshehadamotherandsisterwhoseconstantrepiningsatthedulnessofeverythingaroundthemthrewarealgloomovertheirdomesticcircle;and,thoughkittymightintimeregainhernaturaldegreeofsense,sincethedisturbersofherbrainwereremoved,herothersister,fromwhosedispositiongreaterevilmightbeapprehended,waslikelytobehardenedinallherfollyandassurancebyasituationofsuchdoubledangerasawateringplaceandacamp.uponthewhole,therefore,shefoundwhathasbeensometimesfoundbefore,thataneventtowhichshehadlookedforwardwithimpatientdesire,didnot,intakingplace,bringallthesatisfactionshehadpromisedherself.itwasconsequentlynecessarytonamesomeotherperiodforthecommencementofactualfelicity;tohavesomeotherpointonwhichherwishesandhopesmightbefixed,andbyagainenjoyingthepleasureofanticipation,consoleherselfforthepresent,andprepareforanotherdisappointment.hertourtothelakeswasnowtheobjectofherhappiestthoughts;itwasherbestconsolationforalltheuncomfortablehourswhichthediscontentednessofhermotherandkittymadeinevitable;andcouldshehaveincludedjaneinthescheme,everypartofitwouldhavebeenperfect.

"butitisfortunate,"thoughtshe,"thatihavesomethingtowishfor.werethewholearrangementcomplete,mydisappointmentwouldbecertain.buthere,bymycarryingwithmeoneceaselesssourceofregretinmysister'sabsence,imayreasonablyhopetohaveallmyexpectationsofpleasurerealized.aschemeofwhicheverypartpromisesdelight,canneverbesuccessful;andgeneraldisappointmentisonlywardedoffbythedefenceofsomelittlepeculiarvexation."

whenlydiawentaway,shepromisedtowriteveryoftenandveryminutelytohermotherandkitty;butherletterswerealwayslongexpected,andalwaysveryshort.thosetohermothercontainedlittleelse,thanthattheywerejustreturnedfromthelibrary,wheresuchandsuchofficershadattendedthem,andwhereshehadseensuchbeautifulornamentsasmadeherquitewild;thatshehadanewgown,oranewparasol,whichshewouldhavedescribedmorefully,butwasobligedtoleaveoffinaviolenthurry,asmrs.forstercalledher,andtheyweregoingtothecamp;andfromhercorrespondencewithhersister,therewasstilllesstobelearnt—forherletterstokitty,thoughratherlonger,weremuchtoofulloflinesunderthewordstobemadepublic.

afterthefirstfortnightorthreeweeksofherabsence,health,goodhumour,andcheerfulnessbegantoreappearatlongbourn.everythingworeahappieraspect.thefamilieswhohadbeenintownforthewintercamebackagain,andsummerfineryandsummerengagementsarose.mrs.bennetwasrestoredtoherusualquerulousserenity,andbythemiddleofjunekittywassomuchrecoveredastobeabletoentermerytonwithouttears;aneventofsuchhappypromiseastomakeelizabethhopethatbythefollowingchristmas,shemightbesotolerablyreasonableasnottomentionanofficeraboveonceaday,unless,bysomecruelandmaliciousarrangementatthewar-office,anotherregimentshouldbequarteredinmeryton.

thetimefixedforthebeginningoftheirnortherntourwasnowfastapproaching;andafortnightonlywaswantingofit,whenaletterarrivedfrommrs.gardiner,whichatoncedelayeditscommencementandcurtaileditsextent.mr.gardinerwouldbepreventedbybusinessfromsettingouttillafortnightlaterinjuly,andmustbeinlondonagainwithinamonth;andasthatlefttooshortaperiodforthemtogosofar,andseesomuchastheyhadproposed,oratleasttoseeitwiththeleisureandcomforttheyhadbuilton,theywereobligedtogiveupthelakes,andsubstituteamorecontractedtour;and,accordingtothepresentplan,weretogonofarthernorthwardthanderbyshire.inthatcounty,therewasenoughtobeseentooccupythechiefoftheirthreeweeks;andtomrs.gardinerithadapeculiarlystrongattraction.thetownwhereshehadformerlypassedsomeyearsofherlife,andwheretheywerenowtospendafewdays,wasprobablyasgreatanobjectofhercuriosity,asallthecelebratedbeautiesofmatlock,chatsworth,dovedale,orthepeak.

elizabethwasexcessivelydisappointed;shehadsetherheartonseeingthelakes;andstillthoughttheremighthavebeentimeenough.butitwasherbusinesstobesatisfied—andcertainlyhertempertobehappy;andallwassoonrightagain.

withthementionofderbyshire,thereweremanyideasconnected.itwasimpossibleforhertoseethewordwithoutthinkingofpemberleyanditsowner."butsurely,"saidshe,"imayenterhiscountywithimpunity,androbitofafewpetrifiedsparswithouthisperceivingme."

theperiodofexpectationwasnowdoubled.fourweeksweretopassawaybeforeheruncleandaunt'sarrival.buttheydidpassaway,andmr.andmrs.gardiner,withtheirfourchildren,didatlengthappearatlongbourn.thechildren,twogirlsofsixandeightyearsold,andtwoyoungerboys,weretobeleftundertheparticularcareoftheircousinjane,whowasthegeneralfavourite,andwhosesteadysenseandsweetnessoftemperexactlyadaptedherforattendingtothemineveryway—teachingthem,playingwiththem,andlovingthem.

thegardinersstaidonlyonenightatlongbourn,andsetoffthenextmorningwithelizabethinpursuitofnoveltyandamusement.oneenjoymentwascertain—thatofsuitablenessascompanions;asuitablenesswhichcomprehendedhealthandtempertobearinconveniences—cheerfulnesstoenhanceeverypleasure—andaffectionandintelligence,whichmightsupplyitamongthemselvesifthereweredisappointmentsabroad.

itisnottheobjectofthisworktogiveadescriptionofderbyshire,norofanyoftheremarkableplacesthroughwhichtheirroutethitherlay;oxford,blenheim,warwick,kenelworth,birmingham,&c.aresufficientlyknown.asmallpartofderbyshireisallthepresentconcern.tothelittletownoflambton,thesceneofmrs.gardiner'sformerresidence,andwhereshehadlatelylearnedthatsomeacquaintancestillremained,theybenttheirsteps,afterhavingseenalltheprincipalwondersofthecountry;andwithinfivemilesoflambton,elizabethfoundfromherauntthatpemberleywassituated.itwasnotintheirdirectroad,normorethanamileortwooutofit.intalkingovertheirroutetheeveningbefore,mrs.gardinerexpressedaninclinationtoseetheplaceagain.mr.gardinerdeclaredhiswillingness,andelizabethwasappliedtoforherapprobation.

"mylove,shouldnotyouliketoseeaplaceofwhichyouhaveheardsomuch?"saidheraunt."aplacetoo,withwhichsomanyofyouracquaintanceareconnected.wickhampassedallhisyouththere,youknow."

elizabethwasdistressed.shefeltthatshehadnobusinessatpemberley,andwasobligedtoassumeadisinclinationforseeingit.shemustownthatshewastiredofgreathouses;aftergoingoversomany,shereallyhadnopleasureinfinecarpetsorsatincurtains.

mrs.gardinerabusedherstupidity."ifitweremerelyafinehouserichlyfurnished,"saidshe,"ishouldnotcareaboutitmyself;butthegroundsaredelightful.theyhavesomeofthefinestwoodsinthecountry."

elizabethsaidnomore—buthermindcouldnotacquiesce.thepossibilityofmeetingmr.darcy,whileviewingtheplace,instantlyoccurred.itwouldbedreadful!sheblushedattheveryidea;andthoughtitwouldbebettertospeakopenlytoherauntthantorunsucharisk.butagainstthistherewereobjections;andshefinallyresolvedthatitcouldbethelastresource,ifherprivateenquiriesastotheabsenceofthefamilywereunfavourablyanswered.

accordingly,whensheretiredatnight,sheaskedthechambermaidwhetherpemberleywerenotaveryfineplace,whatwasthenameofitsproprietor,and,withnolittlealarm,whetherthefamilyweredownforthesummer.amostwelcomenegativefollowedthelastquestion—andheralarmsbeingnowremoved,shewasatleisuretofeelagreatdealofcuriositytoseethehouseherself;andwhenthesubjectwasrevivedthenextmorning,andshewasagainappliedto,couldreadilyanswer,andwithaproperairofindifference,thatshehadnotreallyanydisliketothescheme.

topemberley,therefore,theyweretogo.