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第121章(第1页)

ThecontentsofthisletterthrewElizabethintoaflutterofspirits,inwhichitwasdifficulttodeterminewhetherpleasureorpainborethegreatestshare。ThevagueandunsettledsuspicionswhichuncertaintyhadproducedofwhatMr。Darcymighthavebeendoingtoforwardhersistersmatch,whichshehadfearedtoencourageasanexertionofgoodnesstoogreattobeprobable,andatthesametimedreadedtobejust,fromthepainofobligation,wereprovedbeyondtheirgreatestextenttobetrue!Hehadfollowedthempurposelytotown,hehadtakenonhimselfallthetroubleandmortificationattendantonsucharesearch;inwhichsupplicationhadbeennecessarytoawomanwhomhemustabominateanddespise,andwherehewasreducedtomeet,frequentlymeet,reasonwith,persuade,andfinallybribe,themanwhomhealwaysmostwishedtoavoid,andwhoseverynameitwaspunishmenttohimtopronounce。Hehaddoneallthisforagirlwhomhecouldneitherregardnoresteem。Herheartdidwhisperthathehaddoneitforher。Butitwasahopeshortlycheckedbyotherconsiderations,andshesoonfeltthatevenhervanitywasinsufficient,whenrequiredtodependonhisaffectionforher—forawomanwhohadalreadyrefusedhim—asabletoovercomeasentimentsonaturalasabhorrenceagainstrelationshipwithWickham。Brother-in-lawofWickham!Everykindofpridemustrevoltfromtheconnection。Hehad,tobesure,donemuch。Shewasashamedtothinkhowmuch。Buthehadgivenareasonforhisinterference,whichaskednoextraordinarystretchofbelief。Itwasreasonablethatheshouldfeelhehadbeenwrong;hehadliberality,andhehadthemeansofexercisingit;andthoughshewouldnotplaceherselfashisprincipalinducement,shecould,perhaps,believethatremainingpartialityforhermightassisthisendeavoursinacausewhereherpeaceofmindmustbemateriallyconcerned。Itwaspainful,exceedinglypainful,toknowthattheywereunderobligationstoapersonwhocouldneverreceiveareturn。TheyowedtherestorationofLydia,hercharacter,everything,tohim。Oh!howheartilydidshegrieveovereveryungracioussensationshehadeverencouraged,everysaucyspeechshehadeverdirectedtowardshim。Forherselfshewashumbled;butshewasproudofhim。Proudthatinacauseofcompassionandhonour,hehadbeenabletogetthebetterofhimself。Shereadoverherauntscommendationofhimagainandagain。Itwashardlyenough;butitpleasedher。Shewasevensensibleofsomepleasure,thoughmixedwithregret,onfindinghowsteadfastlybothsheandherunclehadbeenpersuadedthataffectionandconfidencesubsistedbetweenMr。Darcyandherself。Shewasrousedfromherseat,andherreflections,bysomeonesapproach;andbeforeshecouldstrikeintoanotherpath,shewasovertakenbyWickham。

“IamafraidIinterruptyoursolitaryramble,mydearsister?”saidhe,ashejoinedher。

“Youcertainlydo,”sherepliedwithasmile;“butitdoesnotfollowthattheinterruptionmustbeunwelcome。”

“Ishouldbesorryindeed,ifitwere。Wewerealwaysgoodfriends;andnowwearebetter。”

“True。Aretheotherscomingout?”

“Idonotknow。Mrs。BennetandLydiaaregoinginthecarriagetoMeryton。Andso,mydearsister,Ifind,fromouruncleandaunt,thatyouhaveactuallyseenPemberley。”

Sherepliedintheaffirmative。

“Ialmostenvyyouthepleasure,andyetIbelieveitwouldbetoomuchforme,orelseIcouldtakeitinmywaytoNewcastle。Andyousawtheoldhousekeeper,Isuppose?PoorReynolds,shewasalwaysveryfondofme。Butofcourseshedidnotmentionmynametoyou。”

“Yes,shedid。”

“Andwhatdidshesay?”

“Thatyouweregoneintothearmy,andshewasafraidhad—notturnedoutwell。Atsuchadistanceasthat,youknow,thingsarestrangelymisrepresented。”

“Certainly,”hereplied,bitinghislips。Elizabethhopedshehadsilencedhim;buthesoonafterwardssaid:

“IwassurprisedtoseeDarcyintownlastmonth。Wepassedeachotherseveraltimes。Iwonderwhathecanbedoingthere。”

“PerhapspreparingforhismarriagewithMissdeBourgh,”saidElizabeth。“Itmustbesomethingparticular,totakehimthereatthistimeofyear。”

“Undoubtedly。DidyouseehimwhileyouwereatLambton?IthoughtIunderstoodfromtheGardinersthatyouhad。”

“Yes;heintroducedustohissister。”

“Anddoyoulikeher?”

“Verymuch。”

“Ihaveheard,indeed,thatsheisuncommonlyimprovedwithinthisyearortwo。WhenIlastsawher,shewasnotverypromising。Iamverygladyoulikedher。Ihopeshewillturnoutwell。”

“Idaresayshewill;shehasgotoverthemosttryingage。”

“DidyougobythevillageofKympton?”

“Idonotrecollectthatwedid。”

“Imentionit,becauseitisthelivingwhichIoughttohavehad。Amostdelightfulplace!—ExcellentParsonageHouse!Itwouldhavesuitedmeineveryrespect。”

“Howshouldyouhavelikedmakingsermons?”

“Exceedinglywell。Ishouldhaveconsidereditaspartofmyduty,andtheexertionwouldsoonhavebeennothing。Oneoughtnottorepine;—but,tobesure,itwouldhavebeensuchathingforme!Thequiet,theretirementofsuchalifewouldhaveansweredallmyideasofhappiness!Butitwasnottobe。DidyoueverhearDarcymentionthecircumstance,whenyouwereinKent?”

“Ihaveheardfromauthority,whichIthoughtasgood,thatitwasleftyouconditionallyonly,andatthewillofthepresentpatron。”

“Youhave。Yes,therewassomethinginthat;Itoldyousofromthefirst,youmayremember。”

“Ididhear,too,thattherewasatime,whensermon-makingwasnotsopalatabletoyouasitseemstobeatpresent;thatyouactuallydeclaredyourresolutionofnevertakingorders,andthatthebusinesshadbeencompromisedaccordingly。”

“Youdid!anditwasnotwhollywithoutfoundation。YoumayrememberwhatItoldyouonthatpoint,whenfirstwetalkedofit。”

Theywerenowalmostatthedoorofthehouse,forshehadwalkedfasttogetridofhim;andunwilling,forhersisterssake,toprovokehim,sheonlysaidinreply,withagood-humouredsmile:

“Come,Mr。Wickham,wearebrotherandsister,youknow。Donotletusquarrelaboutthepast。Infuture,Ihopeweshallbealwaysofonemind。”

Sheheldoutherhand;hekisseditwithaffectionategallantry,thoughhehardlyknewhowtolook,andtheyenteredthehouse。

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