《傲慢与偏见》第15集|Pemberley

As part of thenorthern tour with her aunt and uncle, Elizabeth calls in at Pemberley, Darcy'sancestral estate. Assured that the family is away, they are given a tour by thehousekeeper, who astounds them with her generous praise of her master. 

作为陪伴舅舅和舅妈北部旅行行程的一部分，伊丽莎白一行拜访了达西的祖居--彭伯里庄园。在确信家中并无他人之后，他们随管家参观了庄园，而管家对其主人的慷慨赞扬，使他们都大为震惊。

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(READING – CHAPTER 43)

Her aunt now called her to look at a picture.She approached and saw the likeness of Mr Wickham, suspended, amongst severalother miniatures, over the mantelpiece. Her aunt asked her, smilingly, how sheliked it. The housekeeper came forward and told them it was a picture of ayoung gentleman, the son of her late master's steward, who had been brought upby 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 Gardiner looked at her niece with a smile,but Elizabeth could not return it.

"And that," said Mrs. Reynolds,pointing to another of the miniatures, "is my master—and very like him. Itwas drawn at the same time as the other—about eight years ago."

"I have heard much of your master's fineperson," said Mrs. Gardiner, looking at the picture; "it is ahandsome face. But, Lizzy, you can tell us whether it is like or not."

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

"Does that young lady know Mr.Darcy?"

Elizabeth coloured, and said: "Alittle."

"And do not you think him a veryhandsome gentleman, ma'am?"

"Yes, very handsome."

"I am sure I know none so handsome; butin the gallery up stairs you will see a finer, larger picture of him than this.This room was my late master's favourite room, and these miniatures are just asthey used to be then. He was very fond of them."

This accounted to Elizabeth for Mr. Wickham'sbeing among them.

Mrs. Reynolds then directed their attentionto one of Miss Darcy, drawn when she was only eight years old.

"And is Miss Darcy as handsome as herbrother?" said Mrs. Gardiner.

"Oh! yes—the handsomest young lady thatever was seen; and so accomplished!—She plays and sings all day long. In thenext room is a new instrument just come down for her—a present from my master;she comes here to-morrow with him."

Mr. Gardiner, whose manners were very easyand pleasant, encouraged her communicativeness by his questions and remarks;Mrs. Reynolds, either by pride or attachment, had evidently great pleasure intalking of her master and his sister.

"Is your master much at Pemberley in thecourse of the year?"

"Not so much as I could wish, sir; but Idare say he may spend half his time here; and Miss Darcy is always down for thesummer months."

"Except," thought Elizabeth,"when she goes to Ramsgate."

"If your master would marry, you mightsee more of him."

"Yes, sir; but I do not know when that will be. I do not know who is good enough forhim."

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner smiled. Elizabeth couldnot help saying, "It is very much to his credit, I am sure, that youshould think so."

"I say no more than the truth, andeverybody will say that knows him," replied the other. Elizabeth thoughtthis was going pretty far; and she listened with increasing astonishment as thehousekeeper added, "I have never known a cross word from him in my life,and I have known him ever since he was four years old."

This was praise, of all others mostextraordinary, most opposite to her ideas. That he was not a good-tempered manhad been her firmest opinion. Her keenest attention was awakened; she longed tohear more, and was grateful to her uncle for saying:

"There are very few people of whom somuch can be said. You are lucky in having such a master."

"Yes, sir, I know I am. If I were to gothrough the world, I could not meet with a better. But I have always observed,that they who are good-natured when children, are good-natured when they growup; and he was always the sweetest-tempered, most generous-hearted boy in theworld."

Elizabeth almost stared at her. "Canthis be Mr. Darcy?" thought she.

"His father was an excellent man,"said Mrs. Gardiner.

"Yes, ma'am, that he was indeed; and hisson will be just like him—just as affable to the poor."

Elizabeth listened, wondered, doubted, andwas impatient for more. Mrs. Reynolds could interest her on no other point. Sherelated the subjects of the pictures, the dimensions of the rooms, and theprice of the furniture, in vain. Mr. Gardiner, highly amused by the kind offamily prejudice to which he attributed her excessive commendation of hermaster, soon led again to the subject; and she dwelt with energy on his manymerits as they proceeded together up the great staircase.

"He is the best landlord, and the bestmaster," said she, "that ever lived; not like the wild young mennowadays, who think of nothing but themselves. There is not one of his tenantsor servants but will give him a good name. Some people call him proud; but I amsure I never saw anything of it. To my fancy, it is only because he does notrattle away like other young men."

"In what an amiable light does thisplace him!" thought Elizabeth.

"This fine account of him,"whispered her aunt as they walked, "is not quite consistent with hisbehaviour to our poor friend."

"Perhaps we might be deceived."

"That is not very likely; our authoritywas too good."

On reaching the spacious lobby above theywere shown into a very pretty sitting-room, lately fitted up with greaterelegance and lightness than the apartments below; and were informed that it wasbut just done to give pleasure to Miss Darcy, who had taken a liking to theroom when last at Pemberley.

"He is certainly a good brother,"said Elizabeth, as she walked towards one of the windows.

Mrs. Reynolds anticipated Miss Darcy'sdelight, when she should enter the room. "And this is always the way withhim," she added. "Whatever can give his sister any pleasure is sureto be done in a moment. There is nothing he would not do for her."

The picture-gallery, and two or three of theprincipal bedrooms, were all that remained to be shown. In the former were manygood paintings; but Elizabeth knew nothing of the art; and from such as hadbeen already visible below, she had willingly turned to look at some drawingsof Miss Darcy's, in crayons, whose subjects were usually more interesting, andalso more intelligible.

In the gallery there were many familyportraits, but they could have little to fix the attention of a stranger.Elizabeth walked in quest of the only face whose features would be known toher. At last it arrested her—and she beheld a striking resemblance to Mr.Darcy, with such a smile over the face as she remembered to have sometimes seenwhen he looked at her. She stood several minutes before the picture, in earnestcontemplation, and returned to it again before they quitted the gallery. Mrs.Reynolds informed them that it had been taken in his father's lifetime.

There was certainly at this moment, inElizabeth's mind, a more gentle sensation towards the original than she hadever felt at the height of their acquaintance. The commendation bestowed on himby Mrs. Reynolds was of no trifling nature. What praise is more valuable thanthe praise of an intelligent servant? As a brother, a landlord, a master, she consideredhow many people's happiness were in his guardianship!—how much of pleasure orpain was it in his power to bestow!—how much of good or evil must be done byhim! Every idea that had been brought forward by the housekeeper was favourableto his character, and as she stood before the canvas on which he wasrepresented, and fixed his eyes upon herself, she thought of his regard with adeeper sentiment of gratitude than it had ever raised before; she rememberedits warmth, and softened its impropriety of expression.

(END READING)