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"I am afraid I interrupt your solitary ramble, my dear sister?"

said he, as he joined her.

"You certainly do," she replied with a smile; "but it does not

follow that the interruption must be unwelcome."

"I should be sorry, indeed, if it were. We were always good

friends, and now we are better."

"True. Are the others coming out?"

"I do not know. Mrs. Bennet and Lydia are going in the carriage

to Meryton. And so, my dear sister, I find, from our uncle and

aunt, that you have actually seen Pemberley."

She replied in the affirmative.

"I almost envy you the pleasure, and yet I believe it would be

too much for me, or else I could take it in my way to Newcastle.

And you saw the old housekeeper, I suppose? Poor Reynolds, she

was always very fond of me. But of course she did not mention my

name to you."

"Yes, she did."

"And what did she say?"

"That you were gone into the army, and she was afraid had--not

turned out well. At such a distance as that, you know, things are

strangely misrepresented."