“Does that young lady know Mr.Darcy?”

The park was very large,and contained great variety of ground. They entered it in one of its lowest points,and drove for some time through a beautiful wood stretching over a wide extent.

Her aunt now called her to look at a picture.She approached and saw the likeness of Mr.Wickham,suspended,amongst several other miniatures, over the mantelpiece. Her aunt asked her, smilingly,how she liked it.The housekeeper came forward,and told them it was a picture of a young gentleman,the son of her late master's steward,who had been brought up by him at his own expense.“He is now gone into the army,”she added;“but I am afraid he has turned out very wild.”

Mrs.Reynolds respect for Elizabeth seemed to increase on this intimation of her knowing her master.

“And of this place,”thought she,“I might have been mistress! With these rooms I might now have been familiarly acquainted! Instead of viewing them as a stranger, I might have rejoiced in them as my own,and welcomed to them as visitors my uncle and aunt.But no,”―recollecting herself―“that could never be;my uncle and aunt would have been lost to me; I should not have been allowed to invite them.”

Elizabeth's mind was too full for conversation,but she saw and admired every remarkable spot and point of view.They gradually ascended for half-a-mile,and then found themselves at the top of a considerable eminence,where the wood ceased,and the eye was instantly caught by Pemberley House, situated on the opposite side of a valley,into which the road with some abruptness wound. It was a large,handsome stone building,standing well on rising ground,and backed by a ridge of high woody hills;and in front,a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater,but without any artificial appearance.Its banks were neither formal nor falsely adorned.Elizabeth was delighted.She had never seen a place for which nature had done more,or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste.They were all of them warm in their admiration;and at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!