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第132章（第1页）

ThoughElizabethwouldnot，forthemerepurposeofobligingLadyCatherine，haveansweredthisquestion，shecouldnotbutsay，afteramomentsdeliberation:

“Iamnot。”

LadyCatherineseemedpleased。

“Andwillyoupromiseme，nevertoenterintosuchanengagement?”

“Iwillmakenopromiseofthekind。”

“MissBennetIamshockedandastonished。Iexpectedtofindamorereasonableyoungwoman。ButdonotdeceiveyourselfintoabeliefthatIwilleverrecede。IshallnotgoawaytillyouhavegivenmetheassuranceIrequire。”

“AndIcertainlynevershallgiveit。Iamnottobeintimidatedintoanythingsowhollyunreasonable。YourladyshipwantsMr。Darcytomarryyourdaughter;butwouldmygivingyouthewished-forpromisemaketheirmarriageatallmoreprobable?Supposinghimtobeattachedtome，wouldmyrefusingtoaccepthishandmakehimwishtobestowitonhiscousin?Allowmetosay，LadyCatherine，thattheargumentswithwhichyouhavesupportedthisextraordinaryapplicationhavebeenasfrivolousastheapplicationwasill-judged。Youhavewidelymistakenmycharacter，ifyouthinkIcanbeworkedonbysuchpersuasionsasthese。Howfaryournephewmightapproveofyourinterferenceinhisaffairs，Icannottell;butyouhavecertainlynorighttoconcernyourselfinmine。Imustbeg，therefore，tobeimportunednofartheronthesubject。”

“Notsohasty，ifyouplease。Ihavebynomeansdone。ToalltheobjectionsIhavealreadyurged，Ihavestillanothertoadd。Iamnostrangertotheparticularsofyouryoungestsistersinfamouselopement。Iknowitall;thattheyoungmansmarryingherwasapatched-upbusiness，attheexpenceofyourfatheranduncles。Andissuchagirltobemynephewssister?Isherhusband，isthesonofhislatefatherssteward，tobehisbrother?Heavenandearth!—ofwhatareyouthinking?AretheshadesofPemberleytobethuspolluted?”

“Youcannowhavenothingfurthertosay，”sheresentfullyanswered。“Youhaveinsultedmeineverypossiblemethod。Imustbegtoreturntothehouse。”

Andsheroseasshespoke。LadyCatherinerosealso，andtheyturnedback。Herladyshipwashighlyincensed。

“Youhavenoregard，then，forthehonourandcreditofmynephew!Unfeeling，selfishgirl!Doyounotconsiderthataconnectionwithyoumustdisgracehimintheeyesofeverybody?”

“LadyCatherine，Ihavenothingfurthertosay。Youknowmysentiments。”

“Youarethenresolvedtohavehim?”

“Ihavesaidnosuchthing。Iamonlyresolvedtoactinthatmanner，whichwill，inmyownopinion，constitutemyhappiness，withoutreferencetoyou，ortoanypersonsowhollyunconnectedwithme。”

“Itiswell。Yourefuse，then，toobligeme。Yourefusetoobeytheclaimsofduty，honour，andgratitude。Youaredeterminedtoruinhimintheopinionofallhisfriends，andmakehimthecontemptoftheworld。”

“Neitherduty，norhonour，norgratitude，”repliedElizabeth，“haveanypossibleclaimonme，inthepresentinstance。NoprincipleofeitherwouldbeviolatedbymymarriagewithMr。Darcy。Andwithregardtotheresentmentofhisfamily，ortheindignationoftheworld，iftheformerwereexcitedbyhismarryingme，itwouldnotgivemeonemomentsconcern—andtheworldingeneralwouldhavetoomuchsensetojoininthescorn。”

“Andthisisyourrealopinion!Thisisyourfinalresolve!Verywell。Ishallnowknowhowtoact。Donotimagine，MissBennet，thatyourambitionwilleverbegratified。Icametotryyou。Ihopedtofindyoureasonable;but，dependuponit，Iwillcarrymypoint。”

InthismannerLadyCatherinetalkedon，tilltheywereatthedoorofthecarriage，when，turninghastilyround，sheadded，

“Itakenoleaveofyou，MissBennet。Isendnocomplimentstoyourmother。Youdeservenosuchattention。Iammostseriouslydispleased。”

Elizabethmadenoanswer;andwithoutattemptingtopersuadeherladyshiptoreturnintothehouse，walkedquietlyintoitherself。Sheheardthecarriagedriveawayassheproceededupstairs。Hermotherimpatientlymetheratthedoorofthedressing-room，toaskwhyLadyCatherinewouldnotcomeinagainandrestherself。

“Shedidnotchooseit，”saidherdaughter，“shewouldgo。”

“Sheisaveryfine-lookingwoman!andhercallingherewasprodigiouslycivil!forsheonlycame，Isuppose，totellustheCollinseswerewell。Sheisonherroadsomewhere，Idaresay，andso，passingthroughMeryton，thoughtshemightaswellcallonyou。Isupposeshehadnothingparticulartosaytoyou，Lizzy?”

Elizabethwasforcedtogiveintoalittlefalsehoodhere;fortoacknowledgethesubstanceoftheirconversationwasimpossible。