{"id":"01KJRRE0R5HZREWJ8Y59BHCW66","cid":"bafkreig7a6mby6q3r3cawbt5zbih7xmjhpdj6iiospvpqmgyu7qt37tgnu","type":"text_chunk","properties":{"char_end":499173,"char_start":491255,"chunk_index":69,"chunk_total":108,"estimated_tokens":1980,"label":"stream, and a narrow walk amidst the rough coppice","source_file_key":"pride-and-prejudice","text":"stream, and a narrow walk amidst the rough coppice-wood which bordered\r\nit. Elizabeth longed to explore its windings; but when they had crossed\r\nthe bridge, and perceived their distance from the house, Mrs. Gardiner,\r\nwho was not a great walker, could go no farther, and thought only of\r\nreturning to the carriage as quickly as possible. Her niece was,\r\ntherefore, obliged to submit, and they took their way towards the house\r\non the opposite side of the river, in the nearest direction; but their\r\nprogress was slow, for Mr. Gardiner, though seldom able to indulge the\r\ntaste, was very fond of fishing, and was so much engaged in watching the\r\noccasional appearance of some trout in the water, and talking to the man\r\nabout them, that he advanced but little. Whilst wandering on in this\r\nslow manner, they were again surprised, and Elizabeth’s astonishment was\r\nquite equal to what it had been at first, by the sight of Mr. Darcy\r\napproaching them, and at no great distance. The walk being here less\r\nsheltered than on the other side, allowed them to see him before they\r\nmet. Elizabeth, however astonished, was at least more prepared for an\r\ninterview than before, and resolved to appear and to speak with\r\ncalmness, if he really intended to meet them. For a few moments, indeed,\r\nshe felt that he would probably strike into some other path. The idea\r\nlasted while a turning in the walk concealed him from their view; the\r\nturning past, he was immediately before them. With a glance she saw that\r\nhe had lost none of his recent civility; and, to imitate his politeness,\r\nshe began as they met to admire the beauty of the place; but she had not\r\ngot beyond the words “delightful,” and “charming,” when some unlucky\r\nrecollections obtruded, and she fancied that praise of Pemberley from\r\nher might be mischievously construed. Her colour changed, and she said\r\nno more.\r\n\r\nMrs. Gardiner was standing a little behind; and on her pausing, he asked\r\nher if she would do him the honour of introducing him to her friends.\r\nThis was a stroke of civility for which she was quite unprepared; and\r\nshe could hardly suppress a smile at his being now seeking the\r\nacquaintance of some of those very people, against whom his pride had\r\nrevolted, in his offer to herself. “What will be his surprise,” thought\r\nshe, “when he knows who they are! He takes them now for people of\r\nfashion.”\r\n\r\nThe introduction, however, was immediately made; and as she named their\r\nrelationship to herself, she stole a sly look at him, to see how he bore\r\nit; and was not without the expectation of his decamping as fast as he\r\ncould from such disgraceful companions. That he was _surprised_ by the\r\nconnection was evident: he sustained it, however, with fortitude: and,\r\nso far from going away, turned back with them, and entered into\r\nconversation with Mr. Gardiner. Elizabeth could not but be pleased,\r\ncould not but triumph. It was consoling that he should know she had some\r\nrelations for whom there was no need to blush. She listened most\r\nattentively to all that passed between them, and gloried in every\r\nexpression, every sentence of her uncle, which marked his intelligence,\r\nhis taste, or his good manners.\r\n\r\nThe conversation soon turned upon fishing; and she heard Mr. Darcy\r\ninvite him, with the greatest civility, to fish there as often as he\r\nchose, while he continued in the neighbourhood, offering at the same\r\ntime to supply him with fishing tackle, and pointing out those parts of\r\nthe stream where there was usually most sport. Mrs. Gardiner, who was\r\nwalking arm in arm with Elizabeth, gave her a look expressive of her\r\nwonder. Elizabeth said nothing, but it gratified her exceedingly; the\r\ncompliment must be all for herself. Her astonishment, however, was\r\nextreme; and continually was she repeating, “Why is he so altered? From\r\nwhat can it proceed? It cannot be for _me_, it cannot be for _my_ sake\r\nthat his manners are thus softened. My reproofs at Hunsford could not\r\nwork such a change as this. It is impossible that he should still love\r\nme.”\r\n\r\nAfter walking some time in this way, the two ladies in front, the two\r\ngentlemen behind, on resuming their places, after descending to the\r\nbrink of the river for the better inspection of some curious\r\nwater-plant, there chanced to be a little alteration. It originated in\r\nMrs. Gardiner, who, fatigued by the exercise of the morning, found\r\nElizabeth’s arm inadequate to her support, and consequently preferred\r\nher husband’s. Mr. Darcy took her place by her niece, and they walked on\r\ntogether. After a short silence the lady first spoke. She wished him to\r\nknow that she had been assured of his absence before she came to the\r\nplace, and accordingly began by observing, that his arrival had been\r\nvery unexpected--“for your housekeeper,” she added, “informed us that\r\nyou would certainly not be here till to-morrow; and, indeed, before we\r\nleft Bakewell, we understood that you were not immediately expected in\r\nthe country.” He acknowledged the truth of it all; and said that\r\nbusiness with his steward had occasioned his coming forward a few hours\r\nbefore the rest of the party with whom he had been travelling. “They\r\nwill join me early to-morrow,” he continued, “and among them are some\r\nwho will claim an acquaintance with you,--Mr. Bingley and his sisters.”\r\n\r\nElizabeth answered only by a slight bow. Her thoughts were instantly\r\ndriven back to the time when Mr. Bingley’s name had been last mentioned\r\nbetween them; and if she might judge from his complexion, _his_ mind was\r\nnot very differently engaged.\r\n\r\n“There is also one other person in the party,” he continued after a\r\npause, “who more particularly wishes to be known to you. Will you allow\r\nme, or do I ask too much, to introduce my sister to your acquaintance\r\nduring your stay at Lambton?”\r\n\r\nThe surprise of such an application was great indeed; it was too great\r\nfor her to know in what manner she acceded to it. She immediately felt\r\nthat whatever desire Miss Darcy might have of being acquainted with her,\r\nmust be the work of her brother, and without looking farther, it was\r\nsatisfactory; it was gratifying to know that his resentment had not made\r\nhim think really ill of her.\r\n\r\nThey now walked on in silence; each of them deep in thought. Elizabeth\r\nwas not comfortable; that was impossible; but she was flattered and\r\npleased. His wish of introducing his sister to her was a compliment of\r\nthe highest kind. They soon outstripped the others; and when they had\r\nreached the carriage, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were half a quarter of a\r\nmile behind.\r\n\r\nHe then asked her to walk into the house--but she declared herself not\r\ntired, and they stood together on the lawn. At such a time much might\r\nhave been said, and silence was very awkward. She wanted to talk, but\r\nthere seemed an embargo on every subject. At last she recollected that\r\nshe had been travelling, and they talked of Matlock and Dovedale with\r\ngreat perseverance. Yet time and her aunt moved slowly--and her patience\r\nand her ideas were nearly worn out before the _tête-à-tête_ was over.\r\n\r\nOn Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner’s coming up they were all pressed to go into\r\nthe house and take some refreshment; but this was declined, and they\r\nparted on each side with the utmost politeness. Mr. Darcy handed the\r\nladies into the carriage; and when it drove off, Elizabeth saw him\r\nwalking slowly towards the house.\r\n\r\nThe observations of her uncle and aunt now began; and each of them\r\npronounced him to be infinitely superior to anything they had expected.\r\n\r\n“He is perfectly well-behaved, polite, and unassuming,” said her uncle.\r\n\r\n“There _is_ something a little stately in him, to be sure,” replied her\r\naunt; “but it is confined to his air, and is not unbecoming. I can now\r\nsay with the housekeeper, that though some people may call him proud,\r\n_I_ have seen nothing of it.”\r\n\r\n“I was never more surprised than by his behaviour to us."},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KJRRD3TNE5A6AKAVXSRFT9RC","peer_label":"pride-and-prejudice","peer_type":"text","predicate":"derived_from"},{"peer":"01KJRRC2C7K6XERRJES8143XGV","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KJRREYSAZT646RSHT9C5XPKR","peer_label":"mrs gardiner","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZKG263C7SQSDV3TZ5MX","peer_label":"elizabeth bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZJBEM6MWHW485H9DS9F","peer_label":"mr darcy","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZJ8A0QJK2TXKT8DT57S","peer_label":"pemberley","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"estate","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYSZYA9P29KKXYZVTJ15","peer_label":"mr gardiner","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF1J610RB97404J5Q53SH","peer_label":"hunsford","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"place","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY5SSJCQ67QYG0XTG9A8","peer_label":"mr bingley","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF080QQFQRJXDVEZJMPV0","peer_label":"miss darcy","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFA76Z48PKAT35WMD1QWR","peer_label":"lambton","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"town","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF1FJ53TT2WAD3N727RZF","peer_label":"fishing","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFMMG3VTQWXZC7348MHAY","peer_label":"carriage","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"vehicle","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFMN9T2EVAA0RJBJF8JC6","peer_label":"coppice-wood at pemberley","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"geographical_feature","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFMPV38GX7372ZJYDP5F3","peer_label":"mr bingleys sisters","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"group_of_people","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFMKVN5RB9VZZBEXTCNZB","peer_label":"stream at pemberley","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"geographical_feature","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFMP8Z98DDGYZ7H4V30JN","peer_label":"bakewell","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"town","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFMRQPKA9F18FMJHFFNDV","peer_label":"matlock","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"place","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFN7RSGPV2NVJWPKCD10B","peer_label":"dovedale","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"place","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFN8Y81XW7S3QJWTP5AAN","peer_label":"pemberleys housekeeper","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFND4M1FBN8V7TY095D8R","peer_label":"mr darcys party","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:58.692Z"}}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:01.317Z","ts":"2026-03-03T02:30:00.013Z","edited_by":{"method":"system","user_id":"01KJ60XQBHJ0GBGTP9X8HXAPPM"}}