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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.