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第83章（第1页）

“Hownicelyweareallcrammedin，”criedLydia。“IamgladIboughtmybonnet，ifitisonlyforthefunofhavinganotherbandbox!Well，nowletusbequitecomfortableandsnug，andtalkandlaughallthewayhome。Andinthefirstplace，letushearwhathashappenedtoyouallsinceyouwentaway。Haveyouseenanypleasantmen?Haveyouhadanyflirting?Iwasingreathopesthatoneofyouwouldhavegotahusbandbeforeyoucameback。Janewillbequiteanoldmaidsoon，Ideclare。Sheisalmostthree-and-twenty!Lord，howashamedIshouldbeofnotbeingmarriedbeforethree-and-twenty!MyauntPhillipswantsyousotogethusbands，youcantthink。ShesaysLizzyhadbetterhavetakenMr。Collins;butIdonotthinktherewouldhavebeenanyfuninit。Lord!howIshouldliketobemarriedbeforeanyofyou;andthenIwouldchaperonyouabouttoalltheballs。Dearme!wehadsuchagoodpieceoffuntheotherdayatColonelForsters。Kittyandmeweretospendthedaythere，andMrs。Forsterpromisedtohavealittledanceintheevening;（bythebye，Mrs。Forsterandmearesuchfriends!）andsosheaskedthetwoHarringtonstocome，butHarrietwasill，andsoPenwasforcedtocomebyherself;andthen，whatdoyouthinkwedid?WedressedupChamberlayneinwomansclothesonpurposetopassforalady，onlythinkwhatfun!Notasoulknewofit，butColonelandMrs。Forster，andKittyandme，exceptmyaunt，forwewereforcedtoborrowoneofhergowns;andyoucannotimaginehowwellhelooked!WhenDenny，andWickham，andPratt，andtwoorthreemoreofthemencamein，theydidnotknowhimintheleast。Lord!howIlaughed!andsodidMrs。Forster。IthoughtIshouldhavedied。Andthatmadethemensuspectsomething，andthentheysoonfoundoutwhatwasthematter。”

Withsuchkindsofhistoriesoftheirpartiesandgoodjokes，didLydia，assistedbyKittyshintsandadditions，endeavourtoamusehercompanionsallthewaytoLongbourn。Elizabethlistenedaslittleasshecould，buttherewasnoescapingthefrequentmentionofWickhamsname。

Theirreceptionathomewasmostkind。Mrs。BennetrejoicedtoseeJaneinundiminishedbeauty;andmorethanonceduringdinnerdidMr。BennetsayvoluntarilytoElizabeth:

“Iamgladyouarecomeback，Lizzy。”

Theirpartyinthedining-roomwaslarge，foralmostalltheLucasescametomeetMariaandhearthenews;andvariouswerethesubjectsthatoccupiedthem:LadyLucaswasinquiringofMaria，acrossthetable，afterthewelfareandpoultryofhereldestdaughter;Mrs。Bennetwasdoublyengaged，ononehandcollectinganaccountofthepresentfashionsfromJane，whosatsomewaybelowher，and，ontheother，retailingthemalltotheyoungerMissLucases;andLydia，inavoiceratherlouderthananyotherpersons，wasenumeratingthevariouspleasuresofthemorningtoanybodywhowouldhearher。

“Oh!Mary，”saidshe，“Iwishyouhadgonewithus，forwehadsuchfun!Aswewentalong，KittyandIdrewuptheblinds，andpretendedtherewasnobodyinthecoach;andIshouldhavegonesoalltheway，ifKittyhadnotbeensick;andwhenwegottotheGeorge，Idothinkwebehavedveryhandsomely，forwetreatedtheotherthreewiththenicestcoldluncheonintheworld，andifyouwouldhavegone，wewouldhavetreatedyoutoo。Andthenwhenwecameawayitwassuchfun!Ithoughtwenevershouldhavegotintothecoach。Iwasreadytodieoflaughter。Andthenweweresomerryallthewayhome!wetalkedandlaughedsoloud，thatanybodymighthaveheardustenmilesoff!”

TothisMaryverygravelyreplied，“Farbeitfromme，mydearsister，todepreciatesuchpleasures!Theywoulddoubtlessbecongenialwiththegeneralityoffemaleminds。ButIconfesstheywouldhavenocharmsforme—Ishouldinfinitelypreferabook。”

ButofthisanswerLydiaheardnotaword。Sheseldomlistenedtoanybodyformorethanhalfaminute，andneverattendedtoMaryatall。

IntheafternoonLydiawasurgentwiththerestofthegirlstowalktoMeryton，andtoseehoweverybodywenton;butElizabethsteadilyopposedthescheme。ItshouldnotbesaidthattheMissBennetscouldnotbeathomehalfadaybeforetheywereinpursuitoftheofficers。Therewasanotherreasontooforheropposition。ShedreadedseeingMr。Wickhamagain，andwasresolvedtoavoiditaslongaspossible。Thecomforttoheroftheregimentsapproachingremovalwasindeedbeyondexpression。Inafortnighttheyweretogo—andoncegone，shehopedtherecouldbenothingmoretoplagueheronhisaccount。

ShehadnotbeenmanyhoursathomebeforeshefoundthattheBrightonscheme，ofwhichLydiahadgiventhemahintattheinn，wasunderfrequentdiscussionbetweenherparents。Elizabethsawdirectlythatherfatherhadnotthesmallestintentionofyielding;buthisanswerswereatthesametimesovagueandequivocal，thathermother，thoughoftendisheartened，hadneveryetdespairedofsucceedingatlast。