Shehadinstinctivelyturnedaway;butstoppingonhisapproach,receivedhiscomplimentswithanembarrassmentimpossibletobeovercome。Hadhisfirstappearance,orhisresemblancetothepicturetheyhadjustbeenexamining,beeninsufficienttoassuretheothertwothattheynowsawMr。Darcy,thegardenersexpressionofsurprise,onbeholdinghismaster,mustimmediatelyhavetoldit。Theystoodalittlealoofwhilehewastalkingtotheirniece,who,astonishedandconfused,scarcelydaredlifthereyestohisface,andknewnotwhatanswershereturnedtohiscivilinquiriesafterherfamily。Amazedatthealterationofhismannersincetheylastparted,everysentencethatheutteredwasincreasingherembarrassment;andeveryideaoftheimproprietyofherbeingfoundthererecurringtohermind,thefewminutesinwhichtheycontinuedweresomeofthemostuncomfortableinherlife。Nordidheseemmuchmoreatease;whenhespoke,hisaccenthadnoneofitsusualsedateness;andherepeatedhisinquiriesastothetimeofherhavingleftLongbourn,andofherstayinginDerbyshire,sooften,andinsohurriedaway,asplainlyspokethedistractionofhisthoughts。
Atlengtheveryideaseemedtofailhim;and,afterstandingafewmomentswithoutsayingaword,hesuddenlyrecollectedhimself,andtookleave。
Theothersthenjoinedher,andexpressedadmirationofhisfigure;butElizabethheardnotaword,andwhollyengrossedbyherownfeelings,followedtheminsilence。Shewasoverpoweredbyshameandvexation。Hercomingtherewasthemostunfortunate,themostill-judgedthingintheworld!Howstrangeitmustappeartohim!Inwhatadisgracefullightmightitnotstrikesovainaman!Itmightseemasifshehadpurposelythrownherselfinhiswayagain!Oh!whydidhecome?Or,whydidhethuscomeadaybeforehewasexpected?Hadtheybeenonlytenminutessooner,theyshouldhavebeenbeyondthereachofhisdiscrimination;foritwasplainthathewasthatmomentarrived—thatmomentalightedfromhishorseorhiscarriage。Sheblushedagainandagainovertheperversenessofthemeeting。Andhisbehaviour,sostrikinglyaltered—whatcoulditmean?Thatheshouldevenspeaktoherwasamazing!—buttospeakwithsuchcivility,toinquireafterherfamily!Neverinherlifehadsheseenhismannerssolittledignified,neverhadhespokenwithsuchgentlenessasonthisunexpectedmeeting。WhatacontrastdiditoffertohislastaddressinRosingsPark,whenheputhisletterintoherhand!Sheknewnotwhattothink,orhowtoaccountforit。
Theyhadnowenteredabeautifulwalkbythesideofthewater,andeverystepwasbringingforwardanoblerfallofground,orafinerreachofthewoodstowhichtheywereapproaching;butitwassometimebeforeElizabethwassensibleofanyofit;and,thoughsheansweredmechanicallytotherepeatedappealsofheruncleandaunt,andseemedtodirecthereyestosuchobjectsastheypointedout,shedistinguishednopartofthescene。HerthoughtswereallfixedonthatonespotofPemberleyHouse,whicheveritmightbe,whereMr。Darcythenwas。Shelongedtoknowwhatatthemomentwaspassinginhismind—inwhatmannerhethoughtofher,andwhether,indefianceofeverything,shewasstilldeartohim。Perhapshehadbeencivilonlybecausehefelthimselfatease;yettherehadbeenthatinhisvoicewhichwasnotlikeease。Whetherhehadfeltmoreofpainorofpleasureinseeingher,shecouldnottell,buthecertainlyhadnotseenherwithcomposure。
Atlength,however,theremarksofhercompanionsonherabsenceofmindarousedher,andshefeltthenecessityofappearingmorelikeherself。