They were now almost at the door of the house, for she had walked fast to get rid of him;and unwilling,for her sister's sake, to provoke him, she only said in reply, with a good-humoured smile:
“And what did she say?”
“Yes,she did.”
“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.”
“And do you like her?”
“I am afraid I interrupt your solitary ramble,my dear sister?”said he,as he joined her.
“I do not recollect that we did.”
“True.Are the others coming out?”
“Exceedingly well. I should have considered it as part of my duty, and the exertion would soon have been nothing. One ought not to repine;―but,to be sure,it would have been such a thing for me!The quiet,the retirement of such a life would have answered all my ideas of happiness!But it was not to be.Did you ever hear Darcy mention the circumstance, when you were in Kent?”
“Come,Mr.Wickham,we are brother and sister,you know.Do not let us quarrel about the past. In future, I hope we shall be always of one mind.”
“You certainly do,”she replied with a smile;“but it does not follow that the interruption must be unwelcome.”