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going over so many, she really had no pleasure in fine carpets or satin curtains.
Mrs. Gardiner abused her stupidity.  If it were merely a fine house richly furnished, said she,  I should not care about it myself; but the grounds are delightful. They have some of the finest woods
in the country.
Elizabeth said no more-but her mind could not acquiesce. The possibility of meeting Mr. Darcy, while viewing the place, instantly occurred. It would be dreadful!
Accordingly, when she retired at night, she asked the chambermaid whether Pemberley were not a very fine place? What was the name of its proprietor? And, with no little alarm, whether the
family were down for the summer? A most welcome negative followed the last question-Mr. Darcy was reported to be in town for a meeting of the League of Gentlemen for the Encouragement of
Continued Hostilities Against Our Most Unwelcome Enemy. Her alarms now being removed,
she was at leisure to feel a great deal of curiosity to see the house herself; and when the subject was revived the next morning, and she was again applied to, could readily answer, and with a
proper air of indifference, that she had not really any dislike to the scheme.To Pemberley, therefore, they were to go.
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies
CHAPTER 43
ELIZABETH, AS THEY DROVE ALONG, watched for the first appearance of Pemberley Woods with some perturbation; and when at length they turned in at the lodge, her spirits were in a high
flutter.
The park was very large, and contained great variety of ground. They entered it in one of its lowest points, and drove for some time through a beautiful wood stretching over a wide extent-taking
care to listen closely for moans or the snapping of twigs, for there was rumoured to be a large herd of freshly de-graved dreadfuls about.
Elizabeth s mind was too full to be of much use in this regard, but she saw and admired every remarkable spot and point of view. They gradually ascended for half a mile, and then found
themselves at the top of a considerable eminence, where the wood ceased, and the eye was instantly caught by Pemberley House, situated on the opposite side of a valley, into which the road with
some abruptness wound. It was a large, handsome stone building, made to resemble the grandest palaces of Kyoto, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills; and in front, a stream of some natural
importance was swelled into a natural defense against frontal assault, but without any artificial appearance. Its banks were neither formal nor falsely adorned. Elizabeth was delighted. She had never
seen a place for which nature had done more, or where the natural beauty of the Orient had been so little counteracted by English taste.
They were all of them warm in their admiration; and at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!
They descended the hill, crossed between the stone dragons on either side of the bridge, and drove to the solid jade door; and, while examining the nearer aspect of the house, all her
apprehension of meeting its owner returned. She dreaded lest the chambermaid had been mistaken. On applying to see the place, they were admitted into the hall; .ind Elizabeth, as they waited for
the housekeeper, had leisure to won-iler at her being where she was.
The housekeeper came; a respectable-looking English woman, dressed in a kimono and shuffling about on bound feet. They followed her into the dining-parlour. It was a large, well proportioned
room, handsomely fitted up with art and furniture from Darcy s beloved Japan. I Elizabeth, after surveying it, went to a window to enjoy its prospect. The hill, crowned with wood, which they had
descended, receiving increased abruptness from the distance, was a beautiful object. Every disposition of the ground was good; and she looked on the whole scene, the river, the trees scattered on
its banks and the winding of the valley, as far as she could trace it, with delight. As they passed into other rooms these objects were taking different positions; but from every window there were
beauties to be seen.The rooms were lofty and handsome, and their furniture suitable to the proprietor s taste for the East; but Elizabeth saw, with admiration of his taste, that it was neither gaudy nor
uselessly fine; with less of splendour, and more real elegance, than the furniture of Rosings.
 And of this place, thought she,  I might have been mistress! With these rooms I might now have been familiarly acquainted! Instead of viewing them as a stranger, I might have rejoiced in them
as my own, and welcomed to them as visitors my uncle and aunt. But no, recollecting herself,  that could never be; my uncle and aunt would have been lost to me; I should not have been allowed to
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