Nodiver d.o.o. · Pride & Prejudice · page 244 of 640

Pride & Prejudice – page 244

JANE AUSTEN

these occasions, Mrs. Gardiner, rendered suspicious by

Elizabeth’s warm commendation, narrowly observed

them both. Without supposing them, from what she

saw, to be very seriously in love, their preference of

each other was plain enough to make her a little uneasy;

and she resolved to speak to Elizabeth on the subject

before she left Hertfordshire, and represent to her the

imprudence of encouraging such an attachment.

To Mrs. Gardiner, Wickham had one means of af-

fording pleasure, unconnected with his general powers.

About ten or a dozen years ago, before her marriage,

she had spent a considerable time in that very part of

Derbyshire to which he belonged. They had, therefore,

many acquaintances in common; and though Wickham

had been little there since the death of Darcy’s father,

five years before, it was yet in his power to give her

fresher intelligence of her former friends than she had

been in the way of procuring.

Mrs. Gardiner had seen Pemberley, and known

the late Mr. Darcy by character perfectly well. Here

consequently was an inexhaustible subject of discourse.

In comparing her recollection of Pemberley with the

minute description which Wickham could give, and in

bestowing her tribute of praise on the character of its

236