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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.