Chapter49 Elizabethtooktheletterfromhiswritingtable,andtheywentupstairstogether.MaryandKittywerebothwithMrs.Bennet:onecommunicationwould,therefore,doforall.Afteraslightpreparationforgoodnews,theletterwasreadaloud.Mrs.Bennetcouldhardlycontainherself.AssoonasJanehadreadMr.Gardiner'shopeofLydia'sbeingsoonmarried,herjoyburstforth,andeveryfollowingsentenceaddedtoitsexuberance.Shewasnowinanirritationasviolentfromdelight,asshehadeverbeenfidgetyfromalarmandvexation.Toknowthatherdaughterwouldbemarriedwasenough.Shewasdisturbedbynofearforherfelicity,norhumbledbyanyremembranceofhermisconduct."Mydear,dearLydia!"shecried: "Thisisdelightfulindeed! --Shewillbemarried! --Ishallseeheragain! --Shewillbemarriedatsixteen! --Mygood,kindbrother! --Iknewhowitwouldbe--Iknewhewouldmanageeverything.HowIlongtoseeher!andtoseedearWickhamtoo!Buttheclothes,theweddingclothes!IwillwritetomysisterGardineraboutthemdirectly.Lizzy,mydear,rundowntoyourfather,andaskhimhowmuchhewillgiveher.Stay,stay,Iwillgomyself.Ringthebell,Kitty,forHill.Iwillputonmythingsinamoment.Mydear,dearLydia! --Howmerryweshallbetogetherwhenwemeet!"Hereldestdaughterendeavouredtogivesomerelieftotheviolenceofthesetransports,byleadingherthoughtstotheobligationswhichMr.Gardiner'sbehaviourlaidthemallunder."Forwemustattributethishappyconclusion,"sheadded, "inagreatmeasuretohiskindness.WearepersuadedthathehaspledgedhimselftoassistMr.Wickhamwithmoney.""Well,"criedhermother, "itisallveryright;whoshoulddoitbutherownuncle?Ifhehadnothadafamilyofhisown,Iandmychildrenmusthavehadallhismoney,youknow,anditisthefirsttimewehaveeverhadanythingfromhim,exceptafewpresents.Well!Iamsohappy.Inashorttime,Ishallhaveadaughtermarried.Mrs.Wickham!Howwellitsounds.AndshewasonlysixteenlastJune.MydearJane,IaminsuchaflutterthatIamsureIcan'twrite;soIwilldictate,andyouwriteforme.Wewillsettlewithyourfatheraboutthemoneyafterwards;butthethingsshouldbeorderedimmediately."Shewasthenproceedingtoalltheparticularsofcalico,muslin,andcambric,andwouldshortlyhavedictatedsomeveryplentifulorders,hadnotJane,thoughwithsomedifficulty,persuadedhertowaittillherfatherwasatleisuretobeconsulted.Oneday'sdelay,sheobserved,wouldbeofsmallimportance;andhermotherwastoohappytobequitesoobstinateasusual.Otherschemes,too,cameintoherhead."IwillgotoMeryton,"saidshe, "assoonasIamdressed,andtellthegood,goodnewstomysisterPhillips.AndasIcomeback,IcancallonLadyLucasandMrs.Long.Kitty,rundownandorderthecarriage.Anairingwoulddomeagreatdealofgood,Iamsure.Girls,canIdoanythingforyouinMeryton?Oh!herecomesHill.MydearHill,haveyouheardthegoodnews?MissLydiaisgoingtobemarried;andyoushallallhaveabowlofpunchtomakemerryatherwedding."Mrs.Hillbeganinstantlytoexpressherjoy.Elizabethreceivedhercongratulationsamongsttherest,andthen,sickofthisfolly,tookrefugeinherownroom,thatshemightthinkwithfreedom.PoorLydia'ssituationmust,atbest,bebadenough;butthatitwasnoworse,shehadneedtobethankful.Shefeltitso;andthough,inlookingforward,neitherrationalhappinessnorworldlyprosperitycouldbejustlyexpectedforhersister,inlookingbacktowhattheyhadfeared,onlytwohoursago,shefeltalltheadvantagesofwhattheyhadgained. 第四十九章伊丽莎白从他的写字台上拿起那封信，姐妹俩一块儿上了楼。曼丽和吉蒂两人都在班纳特太太那里，因此只要传达一次，大家都知道了。她们稍微透露出一点好消息，便把那封信念出来。班纳特太太简直喜不自禁。吉英一读完丽迪雅可能在最近就要结婚的那一段话，她就高兴得要命，越往下读她就越高兴。她现在真是无限欢喜，极度兴奋，正如前些时候是那样地忧烦惊恐，坐立不安。只要听到女儿快要结婚，她就心满意足。她并没有因为顾虑到女儿得不到幸福而心神不安，也并没有因为想起了她的行为失检而觉得丢脸。“我的丽迪雅宝贝呀！”她嚷起来了：“这太叫人高兴啦！她就要结婚了！我又可以和她见面了！她十六岁就结婚！多亏我那好心好意的弟弟！我早就知道事情不会弄糟──我早就知道他有办法把样样事情都办好。我多么想要看到她，看到亲爱的韦翰！可是衣服，嫁妆！我要立刻写信跟弟妇谈谈。丽萃，乖宝贝，快下楼去，问问你爸爸愿意给她多少陪嫁。等一会儿；还是我自己去吧。吉蒂，去拉铃叫希尔来。我马上就会把衣服穿好。丽迪雅我的心肝呀！等我们见面的时候，多么高兴啊！”大女儿见她这样得意忘形，便谈起她们全家应该怎样感激嘉丁纳先生，以便让她分分心，让她精神上轻松一下。“哎哟，”母亲叫道，“这真是好极了。要不是亲舅父，谁肯帮这种忙？你要知道，他要不是有了那么一家人，他所有的钱都是我和我的孩子们的了；他以前只送些礼物给我们，这一次我们才算真正得到他的好处。哎哟！我太高兴啦。过不了多久，我就有一个女儿出嫁了。她就要当上韦翰太太了！这个称呼多么动听！她到六月里才满十六岁。我的吉英宝贝，我太激动了，一定写不出信；还是我来讲，你替我写吧。关于钱的，问题我们以后再跟你爸爸商量，可是一切东西应该马上就去订好。”于是她就一五一十地报出一大篇布的名目：细洋纱、印花布、麻纱，恨不得一下子就把样样货色都购置齐全，吉英好容易才劝住了她，叫她等到父亲有空的时候再商量，又说，迟一天完全无关紧要。母亲因为一时太高兴了，所以也不象平常那么固执。她又想起了一些别的花样。“我一穿好衣服，就要到麦里屯去一次，”她说，“把这个好消息说给我妹妹腓力普太太听。我回来的时候，还可以顺路去看看卢卡斯太太和朗格太太。吉蒂，快下楼去，吩咐他们给我套好马车。出去透透空气，一定会使我精神爽快得多。孩子们，有什么事儿要我替你们在麦里屯办吗？噢！希尔来了。我的好希尔，你听到好消息没有？丽迪雅小姐快要结婚了。她结婚的那天，你们大家都可以喝到一碗‘朋趣酒’欢喜欢喜。”希尔奶奶立即表示非常高兴。她向伊丽莎白等一一道贺。后来伊丽莎白对这个蠢局实在看得讨厌透了，便躲到自己房间里去自由自在地恩忖一番。可怜的丽迪雅，她的处境再好也好不到哪里去，可是总算没有糟到不可收拾的地步，因此她还要谢天谢地。她确实要谢天谢地；虽说一想到今后的情形，就觉得妹妹既难得到应有的幸福，又难享受到世俗的富贵荣华，不过，只要回想一下，两个钟头以前还是那么忧虑重重，她就觉得目前的情形真要算是千幸万幸了。