Chapter53 Shewasinnohumourforconversationwithanyonebuthimself;andtohimshehadhardlycouragetospeak.Sheenquiredafterhissister,butcoulddonomore."Itisalongtime,Mr.Bingley,sinceyouwentaway,"saidMrs.Bennet.Hereadilyagreedtoit."Ibegantobeafraidyouwouldnevercomebackagain.PeopledidsayyoumeanttoquittheplaceentirelyatMichaelmas;but,however,Ihopeitisnottrue.Agreatmanychangeshavehappenedintheneighbourhood,sinceyouwentaway.MissLucasismarriedandsettled.Andoneofmyowndaughters.Isupposeyouhaveheardofit;indeed,youmusthaveseenitinthepapers.ItwasintheTimesandtheCourier,Iknow;thoughitwasnotputinasitoughttobe.Itwasonlysaid, "Lately,GeorgeWickham,Esq.toMissLydiaBennet,"withouttherebeingasyllablesaidofherfather,ortheplacewhereshelived,oranything.ItwasmybrotherGardiner'sdrawinguptoo,andIwonderhowhecametomakesuchanawkwardbusinessofit.Didyouseeit?"Bingleyrepliedthathedid,andmadehiscongratulations.Elizabethdarednotliftuphereyes.HowMr.Darcylooked,therefore,shecouldnottell."Itisadelightfulthing,tobesure,tohaveadaughterwellmarried,"continuedhermother, "butatthesametime,Mr.Bingley,itisveryhardtohavehertakensuchawayfromme.TheyaregonedowntoNewcastle,aplacequitenorthward,itseems,andtheretheyaretostayIdonotknowhowlong.Hisregimentisthere;forIsupposeyouhaveheardofhisleavingthe----shire,andofhisbeinggoneintotheregulars.ThankHeaven!hehassomefriends,thoughperhapsnotsomanyashedeserves."Elizabeth,whoknewthistobelevelledatMr.Darcy,wasinsuchmiseryofshame,thatshecouldhardlykeepherseat.Itdrewfromher,however,theexertionofspeaking,whichnothingelsehadsoeffectuallydonebefore;andsheaskedBingleywhetherhemeanttomakeanystayinthecountryatpresent.Afewweeks,hebelieved."Whenyouhavekilledallyourownbirds,Mr.Bingley,"saidhermother, "Ibegyouwillcomehere,andshootasmanyasyoupleaseonMr.Bennet'smanor.Iamsurehewillbevastlyhappytoobligeyou,andwillsaveallthebestofthecoviesforyou."Elizabeth'smiseryincreased,atsuchunnecessary,suchofficiousattention!Werethesamefairprospecttoariseatpresentashadflatteredthemayearago,everything,shewaspersuaded,wouldbehasteningtothesamevexatiousconclusion.Atthatinstant,shefeltthatyearsofhappinesscouldnotmakeJaneorherselfamendsformomentsofsuchpainfulconfusion. 第五十三章 除了他以外，她没有兴致跟别人谈话，可是她又没有勇气向他开口。她向他问候他的妹妹，问过以后，又是无话可说。只听得班纳特太太说：“彬格莱先生，你走了好久啦。”彬格莱先生连忙说，的确有好久了。“我开头还担心你一去不回。人们都说，你打算一到米迦勒节，就把房子退租，我但愿不会如此。自从你走了以后，这带发生了好多事情。卢卡斯小姐结婚了，有了归宿了，我自己一个女儿也出了嫁。我想你已经听到过这件事，你一定在报纸上看到了吧。我知道《泰晤士报》和《快报》上都有消息，不过写得不成体统。那上面只说：‘乔治·韦翰先生将于最近与班纳特小姐结婚，’关于她的父亲，她住的地方，以及诸如此类的事，一个也没有提到。这是我弟弟嘉丁纳拟的稿，我不懂他怎么会做得这样糟糕。你看到了吗？”彬格莱说他看到了，又向她道贺。伊丽莎白连眼睛也不敢抬起来，因此也不知道达西先生此刻的表情如何。班纳特太太接下去说：“的确，顺利地嫁出了一个女儿，真是桩开心的事，可是，彬格莱先生，她离开了我身边，我又觉得难受。他们到纽卡斯尔去了，在很远的北方，他们去了以后也不知道多晚才能回来。他的部队在那儿。他已经脱离了某某民兵团，加入了正规军，你大概也知道吧。谢天谢地！他总算也有几个朋友，不过他还得再多几个才好呢。”伊丽莎白知道她这话是有意说给达西先生听的，真是难为情要命，几乎坐也坐不住了。不过这番话倒是比什么都有效用，使她能够勉为其难地跟客人攀谈起来。她开始向彬格莱是否打算暂时在乡下小住，他说，要住几个星期。她母亲说：“彬格莱先生，等你把你自己庄园里的鸟儿打完以后，请到班纳特先生的庄园里来，你爱打多少就打多少。我相信他一定非常乐意让你来，而且会把最好的鹧鸪都留给你。”伊丽莎白听她母亲这样废话连篇，讨好卖乖，越发觉得难受。想起了一年以前，她们曾经满怀希望，沾沾自喜，如今虽然眼见得又是好事在即，然而只消一转眼的工夫，便会万事落空，徒感懊丧。她只觉得无论是吉英也好，她自己也好，即使今后能够终身幸福，也补偿不了这几分钟的苦痛难堪。