第48章

Elizabeth then contrived to sit by her aunt. Their first subject was her sister；and she was more grieved than astonished to hear，in reply to her minute enquiries，that though Jane always struggled to support her spirits，there were periods of dejection.It was reasonable，however，to hope，that they would not continue long.Mrs.Gardiner gave her the particulars also of Miss Bingley's visit in Gracechurch-street，and repeated conversations occurring at different times between Jane and herself，which proved that the former had，from her heart，given up the acquaintance.

Mrs. Gardiner then rallied her niece on Wickham's desertion，and complimented her on bearing it so well.

'But，my dear Elizabeth，'she added，'what sort of girl is Miss King？I should be sorry to think our friend mercenary.'

'Pray，my dear aunt，what is the difference in matrimonial affairs，between the mercenary and the prudent motive？Where does discretion end，and avarice begin？Last Christmas you were afraid of his marrying me，because it would be imprudent；and now，because he is trying to get a girl with only ten thousand pounds，you want to find out that he is mercenary.'

'If you will only tell me what sort of girl Miss King is，I shall know what to think.'

'She is a very good kind of girl，I believe. I know no harm of her.'

'But he paid her not the smallest attention，till her grand-father's death made her mistress of this fortune.'

'No—why should he？If it was not allowable for him to gain my affections，because I had no money，what occasion could there be for making love to a girl whom he did not care about，and who wasequally poor？'

'But there seems indelicacy in directing his attentions towards her，so soon after this event.'

'A man in distressed circumstances has not time for all those elegant decorums which other people may observe. If she does not object to it，why should he？'

'Her not objecting，does not justify him. It only shews her being deficient in something herself—sense or feeling.'

'Well，'cried Elizabeth，'have it as you choose. He shall be mercenary，and she shall be foolish.'

'No，Lizzy，that is what I do not choose. I should be sorry，you know，to think ill of a young man who has lived so long in Derbyshire.'

'Oh！if that is all，I have a very poor opinion of young men who live in Derbyshire；and their intimate friends who live in Hertfordshire are not much better. I am sick of them all.Thank Heaven！I am going to-morrow where I shall find a man who has not one agreeable quality，who has neither manner nor sense to recommend him.Stupid men are the only ones worth knowing，after all.'

'Take care，Lizzy；that speech savours strongly of dis-appointment.'

Before they were separated by the conclusion of the play，she had the unexpected happiness of an invitation to accompany her uncle and aunt in a tour of pleasure which they proposed taking in the summer.

'We have not quite determined how far it shall carry us，'said Mrs. Gardiner，'but perhaps to the Lakes.'

No scheme could have been more agreeable to Elizabeth，andher acceptance of the invitation was most ready and grateful.'My dear，dear aunt，'she rapturously cried，'what delight！what felicity！You give me fresh life and vigour. Adieu to disappointment and spleen.What are men to rocks and mountains？Oh！what hours of transport we shall spend！And when we do return，it shall not be like other travellers，without being able to give one accurate idea of any thing.We will know where we have gone—we will recollect what we have seen.Lakes，mountains，and rivers，shall not be jumbled together in our imaginations；nor，when we attempt to describe any particular scene，will we begin quarrelling about its relative situation.Let our first effusions be less insupportable than those of the generality of travellers.'

E very object in the next day's journey was new and interesting to Elizabeth；and her spirits were in a state for enjoyment；for she had seen her sister looking so well as to banish all fear for her health，and the prospect of her northern tour was a constant source of delight.

When they left the high road for the lane to Hunsford，every eye was in search of the Parsonage，and every turning expected to bring it in view. The paling of Rosings Park was their boundary on one side.Elizabeth smiled at the recollection of all that she had heard of its inhabitants.

At length the Parsonage was discernible. The garden sloping to the road，the house standing in it，the green pales and the laurel hedge，every thing declared they were arriving.Mr.Collins and Charlotte appeared at the door，and the carriage stopped at the small gate，which led by a short gravel walk to the house，amidst the nods and smiles of the whole party.In a moment they were all out of the chaise，rejoicing at the sight of each other.Mrs.Collins welcomed her friend with the liveliest pleasure，and Elizabeth was more and more satisfied with coming，when she found herself so affectionately received.She saw instantly that her cousin's manners were not altered by his marriage；his formal civility was just what it had been，and he detained her some minutes at the gate to hear and satisfy his enquiries after all her family.They were then，with no other delay than his pointing out the neatness of the entrance，taken into the house；and as soon as they were inthe parlour，he welcomed them a second time with ostentatious formality to his humble abode，and punctually repeated all his wife's offers of refreshment.