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第141章（第1页）

Elizabethsspiritssoonrisingtoplayfulnessagain，shewantedMr.Darcytoaccountforhishavingeverfalleninlovewithher.“Howcouldyoubegin?”

saidshe.“Icancomprehendyourgoingoncharmingly，whenyouhadoncemadeabeginning;butwhatcouldsetyouoffinthefirstplace?”

“Icannotfixonthehour，orthespot，orthelook，orthewords，whichlaidthefoundation.Itistoolongago.IwasinthemiddlebeforeIknewthatIhadbegun.”

“Mybeautyyouhadearlywithstood，andasformymanners—mybehaviourtoyouwasatleastalwaysborderingontheuncivil，andIneverspoketoyouwithoutratherwishingtogiveyoupainthannot.Nowbesincere;didyouadmiremeformyimpertinence?”

“Forthelivelinessofyourmind，Idid.”

“Youmayaswellcallitimpertinenceatonce.Itwasverylittleless.Thefactis，thatyouweresickofcivility，ofdeference，ofofficiousattention.Youweredisgustedwiththewomenwhowerealwaysspeaking，andlooking，andthinkingforyourapprobationalone.Iroused，andinterestedyou，becauseIwassounlikethem.Hadyounotbeenreallyamiable，youwouldhavehatedmeforit;butinspiteofthepainsyoutooktodisguiseyourself，yourfeelingswerealwaysnobleandjust;andinyourheart，youthoroughlydespisedthepersonswhosoassiduouslycourtedyou.There—Ihavesavedyouthetroubleofaccountingforit;andreally，allthingsconsidered，Ibegintothinkitperfectlyreasonable.Tobesure，youknewnoactualgoodofme—butnobodythinksofthatwhentheyfallinlove.”

“WastherenogoodinyouraffectionatebehaviourtoJanewhileshewasillatNetherfield?”

“DearestJane!whocouldhavedonelessforher?Butmakeavirtueofitbyallmeans.Mygoodqualitiesareunderyourprotection，andyouaretoexaggeratethemasmuchaspossible;and，inreturn，itbelongstometofindoccasionsforteasingandquarrellingwithyouasoftenasmaybe;andIshallbegindirectlybyaskingyouwhatmadeyousounwillingtocometothepointatlast?Whatmadeyousoshyofme，whenyoufirstcalled，andafterwardsdinedhere?Why，especially，whenyoucalled，didyoulookasifyoudidnotcareaboutme?”

“Becauseyouweregraveandsilent，andgavemenoencouragement.”

“ButIwasembarrassed.”

“AndsowasI.”

“Youmighthavetalkedtomemorewhenyoucametodinner.”

“Amanwhohadfeltless，might.”

“Howunluckythatyoushouldhaveareasonableanswertogive，andthatIshouldbesoreasonableastoadmitit!ButIwonderhowlongyouwouldhavegoneon，ifyouhadbeenlefttoyourself.Iwonderwhenyouwouldhavespoken，ifIhadnotaskedyou!MyresolutionofthankingyouforyourkindnesstoLydiahadcertainlygreateffect.Toomuch，Iamafraid;forwhatbecomesofthemoral，ifourcomfortspringsfromabreachofpromise?forIoughtnottohavementionedthesubject.Thiswillneverdo.”

“Youneednotdistressyourself.Themoralwillbeperfectlyfair.LadyCatherinesunjustifiableendeavourstoseparateuswerethemeansofremovingallmydoubts.Iamnotindebtedformypresenthappinesstoyoureagerdesireofexpressingyourgratitude.Iwasnotinahumourtowaitforanyopeningofyours.Myauntsintelligencehadgivenmehope，andIwasdeterminedatoncetoknoweverything.”

“LadyCatherinehasbeenofinfiniteuse，whichoughttomakeherhappy，forshelovestobeofuse.Buttellme，whatdidyoucomedowntoNetherfieldfor?WasitmerelytoridetoLongbournandbeembarrassed?orhadyouintendedanymoreseriousconsequence?”

“Myrealpurposewastoseeyou，andtojudge，ifIcould，whetherImighteverhopetomakeyouloveme.Myavowedone，orwhatIavowedtomyself，wastoseewhetheryoursisterwerestillpartialtoBingley，andifshewere，tomaketheconfessiontohimwhichIhavesincemade.”

“ShallyoueverhavecouragetoannouncetoLadyCatherinewhatistobefallher?”

“Iammorelikelytowantmoretimethancourage，Elizabeth.Butitoughttobedone，andifyouwillgivemeasheetofpaper，itshallbedonedirectly.”

“AndifIhadnotalettertowritemyself，Imightsitbyyouandadmiretheevennessofyourwriting，asanotheryoungladyoncedid.ButIhaveanaunt，too，whomustnotbelongerneglected.”

FromanunwillingnesstoconfesshowmuchherintimacywithMr.Darcyhadbeenover-rated，ElizabethhadneveryetansweredMrs.Gardinerslongletter;butnow，havingthattocommunicatewhichsheknewwouldbemostwelcome，shewasalmostashamedtofindthatheruncleandaunthadalreadylostthreedaysofhappiness，andimmediatelywroteasfollows:

“Iwouldhavethankedyoubefore，mydearaunt，asIoughttohavedone，foryourlong，kind，satisfactory，detailofparticulars;buttosaythetruth，Iwastoocrosstowrite.Yousupposedmorethanreallyexisted.Butnowsupposeasmuchasyouchoose;givealoosereintoyourfancy，indulgeyourimaginationineverypossibleflightwhichthesubjectwillafford，andunlessyoubelievemeactuallymarried，youcannotgreatlyerr.Youmustwriteagainverysoon，andpraisehimagreatdealmorethanyoudidinyourlast.Ithankyou，againandagain，fornotgoingtotheLakes.HowcouldIbesosillyastowishit!Yourideaoftheponiesisdelightful.WewillgoroundtheParkeveryday.Iamthehappiestcreatureintheworld.Perhapsotherpeoplehavesaidsobefore，butnoonewithsuchjustice.IamhappiereventhanJane;sheonlysmiles，Ilaugh.Mr.Darcysendsyoualltheloveintheworldthathecansparefromme.YouarealltocometoPemberleyatChristmas.Yours，etc.”

Mr.DarcyslettertoLadyCatherinewasinadifferentstyle;andstilldifferentfromeitherwaswhatMr.BennetsenttoMr.Collins，inreplytohislast.

“DearSir，

“Imusttroubleyouoncemoreforcongratulations.ElizabethwillsoonbethewifeofMr.Darcy.ConsoleLadyCatherineaswellasyoucan.But，ifIwereyou，Iwouldstandbythenephew.Hehasmoretogive.

“Yourssincerely，etc.”