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第135章（第1页）

Insteadofreceivinganysuchletterofexcusefromhisfriend，asElizabethhalfexpectedMr。Bingleytodo，hewasabletobringDarcywithhimtoLongbournbeforemanydayshadpassedafterLadyCatherinesvisit。Thegentlemenarrivedearly;and，beforeMrs。Bennethadtimetotellhimoftheirhavingseenhisaunt，ofwhichherdaughtersatinmomentarydread，Bingley，whowantedtobealonewithJane，proposedtheirallwalkingout。Itwasagreedto。Mrs。Bennetwasnotinthehabitofwalking;Marycouldneversparetime;buttheremainingfivesetofftogether。BingleyandJane，however，soonallowedtheotherstooutstripthem。Theylaggedbehind，whileElizabeth，Kitty，andDarcyweretoentertaineachother。Verylittlewassaidbyeither;Kittywastoomuchafraidofhimtotalk;Elizabethwassecretlyformingadesperateresolution;andperhapshemightbedoingthesame。

TheywalkedtowardstheLucases，becauseKittywishedtocalluponMaria;andasElizabethsawnooccasionformakingitageneralconcern，whenKittyleftthemshewentboldlyonwithhimalone。Nowwasthemomentforherresolutiontobeexecuted，and，whilehercouragewashigh，sheimmediatelysaid:“Mr。Darcy，Iamaveryselfishcreature;and，forthesakeofgivingrelieftomyownfeelings，carenothowmuchImaybewoundingyours。Icannolongerhelpthankingyouforyourunexampledkindnesstomypoorsister。EversinceIhaveknownit，IhavebeenmostanxioustoacknowledgetoyouhowgratefullyIfeelit。Wereitknowntotherestofmyfamily，Ishouldnothavemerelymyowngratitudetoexpress。”

“Iamsorry，exceedinglysorry，”repliedDarcy，inatoneofsurpriseandemotion，“thatyouhaveeverbeeninformedofwhatmay，inamistakenlight，havegivenyouuneasiness。IdidnotthinkMrs。Gardinerwassolittletobetrusted。”

“Youmustnotblamemyaunt。Lydiasthoughtlessnessfirstbetrayedtomethatyouhadbeenconcernedinthematter;and，ofcourse，IcouldnotresttillIknewtheparticulars。Letmethankyouagainandagain，inthenameofallmyfamily，forthatgenerouscompassionwhichinducedyoutotakesomuchtrouble，andbearsomanymortifications，forthesakeofdiscoveringthem。”

“Ifyouwillthankme，”hereplied，“letitbeforyourselfalone。Thatthewishofgivinghappinesstoyoumightaddforcetotheotherinducementswhichledmeon，Ishallnotattempttodeny。Butyourfamilyowemenothing。MuchasIrespectthem，IbelieveIthoughtonlyofyou。”

Elizabethwastoomuchembarrassedtosayaword。Afterashortpause，hercompanionadded，“Youaretoogeneroustotriflewithme。IfyourfeelingsarestillwhattheywerelastApril，tellmesoatonce。Myaffectionsandwishesareunchanged，butonewordfromyouwillsilencemeonthissubjectforever。”

Elizabeth，feelingallthemorethancommonawkwardnessandanxietyofhissituation，nowforcedherselftospeak;andimmediately，thoughnotveryfluently，gavehimtounderstandthathersentimentshadundergonesomaterialachange，sincetheperiodtowhichhealluded，astomakeherreceivewithgratitudeandpleasurehispresentassurances。Thehappinesswhichthisreplyproduced，wassuchashehadprobablyneverfeltbefore;andheexpressedhimselfontheoccasionassensiblyandaswarmlyasamanviolentlyinlovecanbesupposedtodo。HadElizabethbeenabletoencounterhiseye，shemighthaveseenhowwelltheexpressionofheartfeltdelight，diffusedoverhisface，becamehim;but，thoughshecouldnotlook，shecouldlisten，andhetoldheroffeelings，which，inprovingofwhatimportanceshewastohim，madehisaffectioneverymomentmorevaluable。

Theywalkedon，withoutknowinginwhatdirection。Therewastoomuchtobethought，andfelt，andsaid，forattentiontoanyotherobjects。Shesoonlearntthattheywereindebtedfortheirpresentgoodunderstandingtotheeffortsofhisaunt，whodidcallonhiminherreturnthroughLondon，andthererelateherjourneytoLongbourn，itsmotive，andthesubstanceofherconversationwithElizabeth;dwellingemphaticallyoneveryexpressionofthelatterwhich，inherladyshipsapprehension，peculiarlydenotedherperversenessandassurance;inthebeliefthatsucharelationmustassistherendeavourstoobtainthatpromisefromhernephewwhichshehadrefusedtogive。But，unluckilyforherladyship，itseffecthadbeenexactlycontrariwise。

“Ittaughtmetohope，”saidhe，“asIhadscarcelyeverallowedmyselftohopebefore。Iknewenoughofyourdispositiontobecertainthat，hadyoubeenabsolutely，irrevocablydecidedagainstme，youwouldhaveacknowledgedittoLadyCatherine，franklyandopenly。”

Elizabethcolouredandlaughedasshereplied，“Yes，youknowenoughofmyfranknesstobelievemecapableofthat。Afterabusingyousoabominablytoyourface，Icouldhavenoscrupleinabusingyoutoallyourrelations。”

“Whatdidyousayofme，thatIdidnotdeserve?For，thoughyouraccusationswereill-founded，formedonmistakenpremises，mybehaviourtoyouatthetimehadmeritedtheseverestreproof。Itwasunpardonable。Icannotthinkofitwithoutabhorrence。”

“Wewillnotquarrelforthegreatershareofblameannexedtothatevening，”saidElizabeth。“Theconductofneither，ifstrictlyexamined，willbeirreproachable;butsincethen，wehaveboth，Ihope，improvedincivility。”

“Icannotbesoeasilyreconciledtomyself。TherecollectionofwhatIthensaid，ofmyconduct，mymanners，myexpressionsduringthewholeofit，isnow，andhasbeenmanymonths，inexpressiblypainfultome。Yourreproof，sowellapplied，Ishallneverforget:hadyoubehavedinamoregentlemanlikemanner。Thosewereyourwords。Youknownot，youcanscarcelyconceive，howtheyhavetorturedme;—thoughitwassometime，Iconfess，beforeIwasreasonableenoughtoallowtheirjustice。”