Chapter49 Elizabethreadon:"Ihaveseenthemboth.Theyarenotmarried,norcanIfindtherewasanyintentionofbeingso;butifyouarewillingtoperformtheengagementswhichIhaveventuredtomakeonyourside,Ihopeitwillnotbelongbeforetheyare.Allthatisrequiredofyouistoassuretoyourdaughter,bysettlement,herequalshareofthefivethousandpoundssecuredamongyourchildrenafterthedeceaseofyourselfandmysister;and,moreover,toenterintoanengagementofallowingher,duringyourlife,onehundredpoundsperannum.Theseareconditionswhich,consideringeverything,Ihadnohesitationincomplyingwith,asfarasIthoughtmyselfprivileged,foryou.Ishallsendthisbyexpress,thatnotimemaybelostinbringingmeyouranswer.Youwilleasilycomprehend,fromtheseparticulars,thatMr.Wickham'scircumstancesarenotsohopelessastheyaregenerallybelievedtobe.Theworldhasbeendeceivedinthatrespect;and,Iamhappytosay,therewillbesomelittlemoney,evenwhenallhisdebtsaredischarged,tosettleonmyniece,inadditiontoherownfortune.If,asIconcludewillbethecase,yousendmefullpowerstoactinyournamethroughoutthewholeofthisbusiness,IwillimmediatelygivedirectionstoHaggerstonforpreparingapropersettlement.Therewillnotbethesmallestoccasionforyourcomingtotownagain;therefore,stayquietlyatLongbourn,anddependonmydiligenceandcare.Sendbackyouranswerassoonasyoucan,andbecarefultowriteexplicitly.Wehavejudgeditbestthatmynieceshouldbemarriedfromthishouse,ofwhichIhopeyouwillapprove.Shecomestousto-day.Ishallwriteagainassoonasanythingmoreisdeterminedon.Your's, &c.EDW.GARDINER.""Isitpossible!"criedElizabeth,whenshehadfinished. -- "Canitbepossiblethathewillmarryher?""Wickhamisnotsoundeserving,then,aswehavethoughthim!"saidhersister. "Mydearfather,Icongratulateyou.""Andhaveyouansweredtheletter?"saidElizabeth."No;butitmustbedonesoon."Mostearnestlydidshethenintreathimtolosenomoretimebeforehewrote."Oh!mydearfather,"shecried, "comeback,andwriteimmediately.Considerhowimportanteverymomentis,insuchacase.""Letmewriteforyou,"saidJane, "ifyoudislikethetroubleyourself.""Idislikeitverymuch,"hereplied; "butitmustbedone."Andsosaying,heturnedbackwiththem,andwalkedtowardsthehouse."AndmayIask-- ?"saidElizabeth, "buttheterms,Isuppose,mustbecompliedwith.""Compliedwith!Iamonlyashamedofhisaskingsolittle.""Andtheymustmarry!Yetheissuchaman!""Yes,yes,theymustmarry.Thereisnothingelsetobedone.ButtherearetwothingsthatIwantverymuchtoknow: --oneis,howmuchmoneyyourunclehaslaiddowntobringitabout;andtheother,howIamevertopayhim.""Money!myuncle!"criedJane, "whatdoyoumean,Sir?""ImeanthatnomaninhissenseswouldmarryLydiaonsoslightatemptationasonehundredayearduringmylife,andfiftyafterIamgone." 第四十九章 伊丽莎白接着读下去：我已经看到他们俩。他们并没有结婚，我也看不出他们有什么结婚的打算；可是我大胆地向你提出条件来，要是你愿意照办的话，他们不久就可以结婚了。我要求你的只有一点。你本来已经为你女儿们安排好五千磅遗产，准备在你和姐姐归天以后给她们，那么请你立刻就把这位外甥女应得的一份给她吧。你还得和她订一个契约，在你生前每年再津贴她一百镑。这些条件我已经再三考虑，自以为有权利可以代你作主，因此便毫不迟疑地答应了。我特派专人前来送给你这封信，以便可以马上得到你的回音。你了解了这些详情以后，就会明白韦翰先生并不如一般人所料想的那么生计维艰，一筹莫展。一般人都把这件事弄错了。甥女除了自己名下的钱以外，等韦翰把债务偿清以后，还可以多些钱并给她，这使我很高兴。你如果愿意根据我所说的情况，让我全权代表你处理这件事，那么，我立刻就吩咐哈斯东去办理财产过户的手续。你不必再进城，大可以安心安意地待在浪搏恩。请你放心，我办起事来既勤快又小心。请赶快给我回信，还得费你的神，写得清楚明白些。我们以为最好就让外甥女从这所屋子里出嫁，想你也会同意。她今天要上我们这儿来。倘有其他情形，容当随时奉告。余不多及。爱德华·嘉丁纳八月二日星期一，写于天恩寺街伊丽莎白读完了信问道：“这事可能吗？他竟会同她结婚？”她姐姐说：“那么，韦翰倒并不象我们所想象的那样不成器啦。亲爱的爸爸，恭喜你。”“你写了回信没有？”伊丽莎白问。“没有写回信，可是立刻就得写。”于是她极其诚恳地请求他马上就回家去写，不要耽搁。她嚷道：“亲爱的爸爸马上就回去写吧。你要知道，这种事情是一分钟一秒钟也不能耽搁的。”吉英说：“要是你怕麻烦，让我代你写好了。”父亲回答道：“我的确不大愿意写，可是不写又不行。”他一边说，一边转过身来跟她们一同回到屋里去。伊丽莎白说：“我可以问你一句话吗？我想，他提出的条件你一定都肯答应吧？”“一口答应！他要得这么少，我倒觉得不好意思呢。”“他们俩非结婚不可了！然而他却是那样的一个人。”“是啊！怎么不是，他们非结婚不可。没有别的办法。可是有两件事我很想弄个明白──第一件，你舅舅究竟拿出了多少钱，才使这件事有了个着落；第二件，我以后有什么办法还他这笔钱？”吉英嚷道：“钱！舅舅！你这是什么意思，爸爸？”“我的意思是说，一个头脑最清楚的人是不会跟丽迪雅结婚的，因为她没有哪一点地方可以叫人家看中。我生前每年给她一百镑，死后一共也只有五千磅。”