Chapter 43 239
her life . Nor did he seem much more at ease ; when he spoke , his accent had none of its usual sedateness ; and he repeated his inquiries as to the time of her having left Longbourn , and of her having stayed in Derbyshire , so often , and in so hurried a way , as plainly spoke the distraction of his thoughts .
At length every idea seemed to fail him ; and , after standing a few moments without saying a word , he suddenly recollected himself , and took leave .
The others then joined her , and expressed admiration of his figure ; but Elizabeth heard not a word , and wholly engrossed by her own feelings , followed them in silence . She was overpowered by shame and vexation . Her coming there was the most unfortunate , the most ill-judged thing in the world ! How strange it must appear to him ! In what a disgraceful light might it not strike so vain a man ! It might seem as if she had purposely thrown herself in his way again ! Oh ! why did she come ? Or , why did he thus come a day before he was expected ? Had they been only ten minutes sooner , they should have been beyond the reach of his discrimination ; for it was plain that he was that moment arrived--that moment alighted from his horse or his carriage . She blushed again and again over the perverseness of the meeting . And his behaviour , so strikingly altered--what could it mean ? That he should even speak to her was amazing ! --but to speak with such civility , to inquire after her family ! Never in her life had she seen his manners so little dignified , never had he spoken with such gentleness as on this unexpected meeting . What a contrast did it offer to his last address in Rosings Park , when he put his letter into her hand ! She knew not what to think , or how to account for it .
They had now entered a beautiful walk by the side of the water , and every step was bringing forward a nobler fall of ground , or a finer reach of the woods to which they were approaching ; but it was some time before Elizabeth was sensible of any of it ; and , though she answered mechanically to the repeated appeals of her uncle and aunt , and seemed to direct her eyes to such objects as they pointed out , she distinguished no part of the scene . Her thoughts were all fixed on that one spot of Pemberley House , whichever it might be , where Mr . Darcy then was . She longed to know