Chapter50 Shehadnofearofitsspreadingfartherthroughhismeans.Therewerefewpeopleonwhosesecrecyshewouldhavemoreconfidentlydepended;butatthesametime,therewasnoonewhoseknowledgeofasister'sfrailtywouldhavemortifiedhersomuch.Not,however,fromanyfearofdisadvantagefromitindividuallytoherself;foratanyrate,thereseemedagulfimpassablebetweenthem.HadLydia'smarriagebeenconcludedonthemosthonourableterms,itwasnottobesupposedthatMr.Darcywouldconnecthimselfwithafamilywhere,toeveryotherobjectionwouldnowbeaddedanallianceandrelationshipofthenearestkindwiththemanwhomhesojustlyscorned.Fromsuchaconnectionshecouldnotwonderthatheshouldshrink.Thewishofprocuringherregard,whichshehadassuredherselfofhisfeelinginDerbyshire,couldnotinrationalexpectationsurvivesuchablowasthis.Shewashumbled,shewasgrieved;sherepented,thoughshehardlyknewofwhat.Shebecamejealousofhisesteem,whenshecouldnolongerhopetobebenefitedbyit.Shewantedtohearofhim,whenthereseemedtheleastchanceofgainingintelligence.Shewasconvincedthatshecouldhavebeenhappywithhim,whenitwasnolongerlikelytheyshouldmeet.Whatatriumphforhim,assheoftenthought,couldheknowthattheproposalswhichshehadproudlyspurnedonlyfourmonthsago,wouldnowhavebeengladlyandgratefullyreceived!Hewasasgenerous,shedoubtednot,asthemostgenerousofhissex.Butwhilehewasmortal,theremustbeatriumph.Shebegannowtocomprehendthathewasexactlythemanwho,indispositionandtalents,wouldmostsuither.Hisunderstandingandtemper,thoughunlikeherown,wouldhaveansweredallherwishes.Itwasanunionthatmusthavebeentotheadvantageofboth;byhereaseandliveliness,hismindmighthavebeensoftened,hismannersimproved,andfromhisjudgment,information,andknowledgeoftheworld,shemusthavereceivedbenefitofgreaterimportance.Butnosuchhappymarriagecouldnowteachtheadmiringmultitudewhatconnubialfelicityreallywas.Anunionofadifferenttendency,andprecludingthepossibilityoftheother,wassoontobeformedintheirfamily.HowWickhamandLydiaweretobesupportedintolerableindependence,shecouldnotimagine.Buthowlittleofpermanenthappinesscouldbelongtoacouplewhowereonlybroughttogetherbecausetheirpassionswerestrongerthantheirvirtue,shecouldeasilyconjecture.Mr.Gardinersoonwroteagaintohisbrother.ToMr.Bennet'sacknowledgmentshebrieflyreplied,withassurancesofhiseagernesstopromotethewelfareofanyofhisfamily,andconcludedwithintreatiesthatthesubjectmightneverbementionedtohimagain.TheprincipalpurportofhisletterwastoinformthemthatMr.WickhamhadresolvedonquittingtheMilitia."Itwasgreatlymywishthatheshoulddoso,"headded, "assoonashismarriagewasfixedon.AndIthinkyouwillagreewithmeinconsideringaremovalfromthatcorpsashighlyadvisable,bothonhisaccountandmyniece's.ItisMr.Wickham'sintentiontogointotheregulars;and,amonghisformerfriends,therearestillsomewhoareableandwillingtoassisthiminthearmy. 第五十章 她并不是担心达西会把这事情向外界传开。讲到保守秘密，简直就没有第二个人比他更能使她信任；不过，这一次如果是别的人知道了她妹妹的丑行，她决不会象现在这样难受。这倒不是生怕对她本身有任何不利，因为她和达西之间反正隔着一条跨不过的鸿沟。即使丽迪雅能够体体面面地结了婚，达西先生也决不会跟这样一家人家攀亲，因为这家人家本来已经缺陷够多，如今又添上了一个一向为他所不齿的人做他的至亲，那当然一切都不必谈了。她当然不怪他对这门亲事望而却步。她在德比郡的时候就看出他想要博得她的欢心，可是他遭受了这一次打击以后，当然不会不改变初衷。她觉得丢脸，她觉得伤心；她后悔了，可是她又几乎不知道在后悔些什么。如今她已经不想攀附他的身份地位，却又忌恨他的身份地位；如今她已经没有机会再听到他的消息，她可又偏偏希望能够听到他的消息；如今他们俩已经再不可能见面，她可又认为，如果他们俩能够朝夕聚首，那会多么幸福。她常常想，才不过四个月以前，她那么高傲地拒绝了他的求婚，如今可又心悦诚服地盼望他再来求婚，这要是让他知道了，他会感到怎样的得意！她完全相信他是个极其宽宏大量的男人。不过，他既然是人，当然免不了要得意。她开始理解到，他无论在个性方面和才能方面，都百分之百是一个最适合她的男人。纵使他的见解，他的脾气，和她自己不是一模一样，可是一定能够叫她称心如意。这个结合对双方都有好处：女方从容活泼，可以把男方陶治得心境柔和，作风优雅；男方精明通达，阅历颇深，也一定会使女方得到莫大的裨益。可惜这件幸福的婚姻已经不可能实现，天下千千万万想要缔结真正幸福婚姻的情人，从此也错过了一个借鉴的榜样。她家里立刻就要缔结一门另一种意味的亲事，也就是那门亲事破坏了这门亲事。她无从想象韦翰和丽迪雅究竟怎么样独立维持生活。可是她倒很容易想象到另一方面：这种只顾情欲不顾道德的结合，实在很难得到久远的幸福。嘉丁纳先生马上又写了封信给他姐夫。他先对班纳特先生信上那些感激的话简捷地应酬了几句，再说到他极其盼望班纳特府上的男女老幼都能过得舒舒服服，末了还要求班纳特先生再也不要提起这件事。他写这封信的主要目的是，要把韦翰先生已经决定脱离民兵团的消息告诉他们。他这封信接下去是这样写的：我非常希望他婚事一定夺之后就这样办。我认为无论为他自己着想，为外甥女儿着想离开民兵团确是一个非常高明的措施，我想你一定会同意我的看法。韦翰先生想参加正规军，他从前的几个朋友都愿意协助他，也能够协助他。