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第85章（第1页）

MissBennetpausedalittle，andthenreplied，“Surelytherecanbenooccasionforexposinghimsodreadfully。Whatisyouropinion?”

“Thatitoughtnottobeattempted。Mr。Darcyhasnotauthorisedmetomakehiscommunicationpublic。Onthecontrary，everyparticularrelativetohissisterwasmeanttobekeptasmuchaspossibletomyself;andifIendeavourtoundeceivepeopleastotherestofhisconduct，whowillbelieveme?ThegeneralprejudiceagainstMr。Darcyissoviolent，thatitwouldbethedeathofhalfthegoodpeopleinMerytontoattempttoplacehiminanamiablelight。Iamnotequaltoit。Wickhamwillsoonbegone;andthereforeitwillnotsignifytoanyoneherewhathereallyis。Sometimehenceitwillbeallfoundout，andthenwemaylaughattheirstupidityinnotknowingitbefore。AtpresentIwillsaynothingaboutit。”

“Youarequiteright。Tohavehiserrorsmadepublicmightruinhimforever。Heisnow，perhaps，sorryforwhathehasdone，andanxioustore-establishacharacter。Wemustnotmakehimdesperate。”

ThetumultofElizabethsmindwasallayedbythisconversation。Shehadgotridoftwoofthesecretswhichhadweighedonherforafortnight，andwascertainofawillinglistenerinJane，whenevershemightwishtotalkagainofeither。Buttherewasstillsomethinglurkingbehind，ofwhichprudenceforbadethedisclosure。ShedarednotrelatetheotherhalfofMr。Darcysletter，norexplaintohersisterhowsincerelyshehadbeenvaluedbyherfriend。Herewasknowledgeinwhichnoonecouldpartake;andshewassensiblethatnothinglessthanaperfectunderstandingbetweenthepartiescouldjustifyherinthrowingoffthislastencumbranceofmystery。“Andthen，”saidshe，“ifthatveryimprobableeventshouldevertakeplace，IshallmerelybeabletotellwhatBingleymaytellinamuchmoreagreeablemannerhimself。Thelibertyofcommunicationcannotbeminetillithaslostallitsvalue!”

Shewasnow，onbeingsettledathome，atleisuretoobservetherealstateofhersistersspirits。Janewasnothappy。ShestillcherishedaverytenderaffectionforBingley。Havingneverevenfanciedherselfinlovebefore，herregardhadallthewarmthoffirstattachment，and，fromherageanddisposition，greatersteadinessthanfirstattachmentsoftenboast;andsoferventlydidshevaluehisremembrance，andpreferhimtoeveryotherman，thatallhergoodsense，andallherattentiontothefeelingsofherfriends，wererequisitetochecktheindulgenceofthoseregretswhichmusthavebeeninjurioustoherownhealthandtheirtranquillity。

“Well，Lizzy，”saidMrs。Bennetoneday，“whatisyouropinionnowofthissadbusinessofJanes?Formypart，Iamdeterminednevertospeakofitagaintoanybody。ItoldmysisterPhillipssotheotherday。ButIcannotfindoutthatJanesawanythingofhiminLondon。Well，heisaveryundeservingyoungman—andIdonotsupposetherestheleastchanceintheworldofherevergettinghimnow。ThereisnotalkofhiscomingtoNetherfieldagaininthesummer;andIhaveinquiredofeverybody，too，whoislikelytoknow。”

“IdonotbelievehewilleverliveatNetherfieldanymore。”

“Ohwell!itisjustashechooses。Nobodywantshimtocome。ThoughIshallalwayssayheusedmydaughterextremelyill;andifIwasher，Iwouldnothaveputupwithit。Well，mycomfortis，IamsureJanewilldieofabrokenheart;andthenhewillbesorryforwhathehasdone。”

ButasElizabethcouldnotreceivecomfortfromanysuchexpectation，shemadenoanswer。

“Well，Lizzy，”continuedhermother，soonafterwards，“andsotheCollinsesliveverycomfortable，dothey?Well，well，Ionlyhopeitwilllast。Andwhatsortoftabledotheykeep?Charlotteisanexcellentmanager，Idaresay。Ifsheishalfassharpashermother，sheissavingenough。Thereisnothingextravagantintheirhousekeeping，Idaresay。”

“No，nothingatall。”

“Agreatdealofgoodmanagement，dependuponit。Yes，yes。Theywilltakecarenottooutruntheirincome。Theywillneverbedistressedformoney。Well，muchgoodmayitdothem!Andso，Isuppose，theyoftentalkofhavingLongbournwhenyourfatherisdead。Theylookuponitasquitetheirown，Idaresay，wheneverthathappens。”

“Itwasasubjectwhichtheycouldnotmentionbeforeme。”

“No;itwouldhavebeenstrangeiftheyhad;butImakenodoubttheyoftentalkofitbetweenthemselves。Well，iftheycanbeeasywithanestatethatisnotlawfullytheirown，somuchthebetter。Ishouldbeashamedofhavingonethatwasonlyentailedonme。”