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去看看小说网>傲慢与偏见1995版全集在线观看 > 第106章(第1页)

第106章(第1页)

“Oh,yes!—that,thatistheworstofall。TillIwasinKent,andsawsomuchbothofMr。DarcyandhisrelationColonelFitzwilliam,Iwasignorantofthetruthmyself。AndwhenIreturnedhome,the—shirewastoleaveMerytoninaweekorfortnightstime。Asthatwasthecase,neitherJane,towhomIrelatedthewhole,norI,thoughtitnecessarytomakeourknowledgepublic;forofwhatusecoulditapparentlybetoanyone,thatthegoodopinionwhichalltheneighbourhoodhadofhimshouldthenbeoverthrown?AndevenwhenitwassettledthatLydiashouldgowithMrs。Forster,thenecessityofopeninghereyestohischaracterneveroccurredtome。Thatshecouldbeinanydangerfromthedeceptionneverenteredmyhead。Thatsuchaconsequenceasthiscouldensue,youmayeasilybelieve,wasfarenoughfrommythoughts。”

“WhentheyallremovedtoBrighton,therefore,youhadnoreason,Isuppose,tobelievethemfondofeachother?”

“Nottheslightest。Icanremembernosymptomofaffectiononeitherside;andhadanythingofthekindbeenperceptible,youmustbeawarethatoursisnotafamilyonwhichitcouldbethrownaway。Whenfirstheenteredthecorps,shewasreadyenoughtoadmirehim;butsoweallwere。EverygirlinornearMerytonwasoutofhersensesabouthimforthefirsttwomonths;butheneverdistinguishedherbyanyparticularattention;and,consequently,afteramoderateperiodofextravagantandwildadmiration,herfancyforhimgaveway,andothersoftheregiment,whotreatedherwithmoredistinction,againbecameherfavourites。”

Itmaybeeasilybelieved,thathoweverlittleofnoveltycouldbeaddedtotheirfears,hopes,andconjectures,onthisinterestingsubject,byitsrepeateddiscussion,noothercoulddetainthemfromitlong,duringthewholeofthejourney。FromElizabethsthoughtsitwasneverabsent。Fixedtherebythekeenestofallanguish,self-reproach,shecouldfindnointervalofeaseorforgetfulness。

Theytravelledasexpeditiouslyaspossible,and,sleepingonenightontheroad,reachedLongbournbydinnertimethenextday。ItwasacomforttoElizabethtoconsiderthatJanecouldnothavebeenweariedbylongexpectations。

ThelittleGardiners,attractedbythesightofachaise,werestandingonthestepsofthehouseastheyenteredthepaddock;and,whenthecarriagedroveuptothedoor,thejoyfulsurprisethatlighteduptheirfaces,anddisplayeditselfovertheirwholebodies,inavarietyofcapersandfrisks,wasthefirstpleasingearnestoftheirwelcome。

Elizabethjumpedout;and,aftergivingeachofthemahastykiss,hurriedintothevestibule,whereJane,whocamerunningdownfromhermothersapartment,immediatelymether。

Elizabeth,assheaffectionatelyembracedher,whilsttearsfilledtheeyesofboth,lostnotamomentinaskingwhetheranythinghadbeenheardofthefugitives。

“Notyet,”repliedJane。“Butnowthatmydearuncleiscome,Ihopeeverythingwillbewell。”

“Ismyfatherintown?”

“Yes,hewentonTuesday,asIwroteyouword。”

“Andhaveyouheardfromhimoften?”

“Wehaveheardonlyonce。HewrotemeafewlinesonWednesdaytosaythathehadarrivedinsafety,andtogivemehisdirections,whichIparticularlybeggedhimtodo。Hemerelyaddedthatheshouldnotwriteagaintillhehadsomethingofimportancetomention。”

“Andmymother—howisshe?Howareyouall?”

“Mymotheristolerablywell,Itrust;thoughherspiritsaregreatlyshaken。Sheisupstairsandwillhavegreatsatisfactioninseeingyouall。Shedoesnotyetleaveherdressing-room。MaryandKitty,thankHeaven,arequitewell。”

“Butyou—howareyou?”criedElizabeth。“Youlookpale。Howmuchyoumusthavegonethrough!”

Hersister,however,assuredherofherbeingperfectlywell;andtheirconversation,whichhadbeenpassingwhileMr。andMrs。Gardinerwereengagedwiththeirchildren,wasnowputanendtobytheapproachofthewholeparty。Janerantoheruncleandaunt,andwelcomedandthankedthemboth,withalternatesmilesandtears。

Whentheywereallinthedrawing-room,thequestionswhichElizabethhadalreadyaskedwereofcourserepeatedbytheothers,andtheysoonfoundthatJanehadnointelligencetogive。Thesanguinehopeofgood,however,whichthebenevolenceofherheartsuggestedhadnotyetdesertedher;shestillexpectedthatitwouldallendwell,andthateverymorningwouldbringsomeletter,eitherfromLydiaorherfather,toexplaintheirproceedings,and,perhaps,announcetheirmarriage。

Mrs。Bennet,towhoseapartmenttheyallrepaired,afterafewminutesconversationtogether,receivedthemexactlyasmightbeexpected;withtearsandlamentationsofregret,invectivesagainstthevillainousconductofWickham,andcomplaintsofherownsufferingsandill-usage;blamingeverybodybutthepersontowhoseill-judgingindulgencetheerrorsofherdaughtermustprincipallybeowing。

“IfIhadbeenable,”saidshe,“tocarrymypointingoingtoBrighton,withallmyfamily,thiswouldnothavehappened;butpoordearLydiahadnobodytotakecareofher。WhydidtheForsterseverlethergooutoftheirsight?Iamsuretherewassomegreatneglectorotherontheirside,forsheisnotthekindofgirltodosuchathingifshehadbeenwelllookedafter。Ialwaysthoughttheywereveryunfittohavethechargeofher;butIwasoverruled,asIalwaysam。Poordearchild!AndnowheresMr。Bennetgoneaway,andIknowhewillfightWickham,whereverhemeetshimandthenhewillbekilled,andwhatistobecomeofusall?TheCollinseswillturnusoutbeforeheiscoldinhisgrave,andifyouarenotkindtous,brother,Idonotknowwhatweshalldo。”

Theyallexclaimedagainstsuchterrificideas;andMr。Gardiner,aftergeneralassurancesofhisaffectionforherandallherfamily,toldherthathemeanttobeinLondontheverynextday,andwouldassistMr。BennetineveryendeavourforrecoveringLydia。

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