“To be sure， Lizzy，”said her aunt，“he is not so handsome as Wickham；or，rather，he has not Wickham's countenance，for his features are perfectly good.But how came you to tell us that he was so disagreeable？”

“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.”

“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 anybody 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 showed us his 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 felt that they had entirely mistaken his character，but said nothing.

The observations of her uncle and aunt now began；and each of them pronounced him to be infinitely superior to anything they had expected.