Chapter53 MissBennethadnotbeenabletohearofhiscomingwithoutchangingcolour.ItwasmanymonthssinceshehadmentionedhisnametoElizabeth;butnow,assoonastheywerealonetogether,shesaid,"Isawyoulookatmeto-day,Lizzy,whenmyaunttoldusofthepresentreport;andIknowIappeareddistressed.Butdon'timagineitwasfromanysillycause.Iwasonlyconfusedforthemoment,becauseIfeltthatIshouldbelookedat.Idoassureyouthatthenewsdoesnotaffectmeeitherwithpleasureorpain.Iamgladofonething,thathecomesalone;becauseweshallseethelessofhim.NotthatIamafraidofmyself,butIdreadotherpeople'sremarks."Elizabethdidnotknowwhattomakeofit.HadshenotseenhiminDerbyshire,shemighthavesupposedhimcapableofcomingtherewithnootherviewthanwhatwasacknowledged;butshestillthoughthimpartialtoJane,andshewaveredastothegreaterprobabilityofhiscomingtherewithhisfriend'spermission,orbeingboldenoughtocomewithoutit."Yetitishard,"shesometimesthought, "thatthispoormancannotcometoahousewhichhehaslegallyhired,withoutraisingallthisspeculation!Iwillleavehimtohimself."Inspiteofwhathersisterdeclared,andreallybelievedtobeherfeelingsintheexpectationofhisarrival,Elizabethcouldeasilyperceivethatherspiritswereaffectedbyit.Theyweremoredisturbed,moreunequal,thanshehadoftenseenthem.Thesubjectwhichhadbeensowarmlycanvassedbetweentheirparents,aboutatwelvemonthago,wasnowbroughtforwardagain."AssoonaseverMr.Bingleycomes,mydear,"saidMrs.Bennet, "youwillwaitonhimofcourse.""No,no.Youforcedmeintovisitinghimlastyear,andpromised,ifIwenttoseehim,heshouldmarryoneofmydaughters.Butitendedinnothing,andIwillnotbesentonafool'serrandagain."Hiswiferepresentedtohimhowabsolutelynecessarysuchanattentionwouldbefromalltheneighbouringgentlemen,onhisreturningtoNetherfield."'TisanetiquetteIdespise,"saidhe. "Ifhewantsoursociety,lethimseekit.Heknowswherewelive.Iwillnotspendmyhoursinrunningaftermyneighbourseverytimetheygoawayandcomebackagain.""Well,allIknowis,thatitwillbeabominablyrudeifyoudonotwaitonhim.But,however,thatshan'tpreventmyaskinghimtodinehere,Iamdetermined.WemusthaveMrs.LongandtheGouldingssoon.Thatwillmakethirteenwithourselves,sotherewillbejustroomattableforhim."Consoledbythisresolution,shewasthebetterabletobearherhusband'sincivility;thoughitwasverymortifyingtoknowthatherneighboursmightallseeMr.Bingley,inconsequenceofit,beforetheydid. 第五十三章 班纳特小姐听到他要来，不禁变了脸色。她已经有好几个月没有在伊丽莎白面前提起过他的名字；可是这一次等到只有她们姐妹两人在一起的时候，她就说道：“丽萃，今天姨母告诉我这个消息的时候，我看到你直望着我，我知道我当时神色很难看；可是人千万别以为是为了这一类的傻事，只不过当时我觉得大家都在盯着我看所以一时之间有些心乱。老实告诉你，这个消息既不使我感到愉快，也不使我感到痛苦。只有一点使我感到高兴──这次他是一个人来的，因此我们看到他的机会就会比较少。我本身并没有什么顾虑，而是怕别人闲言闲语。”伊丽莎白对这件事不知道怎么想才好。如果她上次没有在德比郡见到他，她也许会以为他此来并非别有用心。可是她依旧认为他对吉英未能忘情。这次他究竟是得到了他朋友的允许才来的呢，还是他自己大胆跑来的？这实在叫她无从断定。她有时候不由得这么想：“这可怜的人，回到自己租定的房子里来，却引起人家这样的纷纷猜测，想起来着实令人难受。我也别去管他吧。”不管她姐姐嘴上怎么说，心里怎么想，是否盼望他来，伊丽莎白却很容易看出了她姐姐精神上受到了影响，比从前更加心魂不定，神色不安。大约在一年以前，父母曾经热烈地争论过这个问题，如今又要旧事重提了。班纳特太太又对她丈夫说：“我的好老爷，彬格莱先生一一，你一定要去拜访他呀。”“不去，不去，去年你硬逼着我去看他，说什么只要我去看了他，他就会挑中我们的某一个女儿做太太，可是结果只落得一场空，我再也不干这种傻事了。”他太太又说，那位贵人一回到尼日斐花园，邻居们都少不了要去拜候他。他说：“我恨透了这一类的礼节，要是他想跟我们来往，让他自己找上门来好了。他又不是不知道我们的住址。邻居们每次来来去去，都得要我来迎送，我可没有这种功夫。”“唔，你不去拜访他，那就是太不知礼。不过，我还是可以请他到这儿来吃饭，我已经决定要请他来。我们本当早些请郎格太太和戈丁一家人来，加上我们自己家里的人，一共是十三个，所以正好留个位子给他。”她决定了这么做，心里就觉得快慰了些，因此丈夫的无理也就叫她好受了些；然而，这样一来，结果就会使邻居们比他们先看到彬格莱先生。