He then asked her to walk into the house―but she declared herself not tired，and they stood together on the lawn.At such a time much might have been said，and silence was very awkward. She wanted to talk，but there seemed to be an embargo on every subject.At last she recollected that she had been travelling，and they talked of Matlock and Dovedale with great perseverance.Yet time and her aunt moved slowly―and her patience and her ideas were nearly worn our before the tête-à-tête was over.
“From what we have seen of him，”continued Mrs. Gardiner，“I really should not have thought that he could have behaved in so cruel a way by anybody as he has done by poor Wickham.He has not an ill-natured look.On the contrary，there is something pleasing about his mouth when he speaks.And there is something of dignity in his countenance that would not give one an unfavourable idea of his heart. But， to be sure， the good lady who showed us his house did give him a most flaming character！ I could hardly help laughing aloud sometimes.But he is a liberal master，I suppose，and that in the eye of a servant comprehends every virtue.”
Mrs.Gardiner was surprised and concerned；but as they were now approaching the scene of her former pleasures， every idea gave way to the charm of recollection； and she was too much engaged in pointing out to her husband all the interesting spots in its environs to think of anything else.Fatigued as she had been by the morning's walk they had no sooner dined than she set off again in quest of her former acquaintance，and the evening was spent in the satisfactions of a intercourse renewed after many years' discontinuance.