Chapter48 AsMrs.Gardinerbegantowishtobeathome,itwassettledthatsheandherchildrenshouldgotoLondonatthesametimethatMr.Bennetcamefromit.Thecoach,therefore,tookthemthefirststageoftheirjourney,andbroughtitsmasterbacktoLongbourn.Mrs.GardinerwentawayinalltheperplexityaboutElizabethandherDerbyshirefriendthathadattendedherfromthatpartoftheworld.Hisnamehadneverbeenvoluntarilymentionedbeforethembyherniece;andthekindofhalf-expectationwhichMrs.Gardinerhadformed,oftheirbeingfollowedbyaletterfromhim,hadendedinnothing.Elizabethhadreceivednonesinceherreturn,thatcouldcomefromPemberley.Thepresentunhappystateofthefamily,renderedanyotherexcuseforthelownessofherspiritsunnecessary;nothing,therefore,couldbefairlyconjecturedfromthat,thoughElizabeth,whowasbythistimetolerablywellacquaintedwithherownfeelings,wasperfectlyawarethat,hadsheknownnothingofDarcy,shecouldhavebornethedreadofLydia'sinfamysomewhatbetter.Itwouldhavesparedher,shethought,onesleeplessnightoutoftwo.WhenMr.Bennetarrived,hehadalltheappearanceofhisusualphilosophiccomposure.Hesaidaslittleashehadeverbeeninthehabitofsaying;madenomentionofthebusinessthathadtakenhimaway,anditwassometimebeforehisdaughtershadcouragetospeakofit.Itwasnottilltheafternoon,whenhejoinedthemattea,thatElizabethventuredtointroducethesubject;andthen,onherbrieflyexpressinghersorrowforwhathemusthaveendured,hereplied, "Saynothingofthat.Whowouldsufferbutmyself?Ithasbeenmyowndoing,andIoughttofeelit.""Youmustnotbetoosevereuponyourself,"repliedElizabeth."Youmaywellwarnmeagainstsuchanevil.Humannatureissopronetofallintoit!No,Lizzy,letmeonceinmylifefeelhowmuchIhavebeentoblame.Iamnotafraidofbeingoverpoweredbytheimpression.Itwillpassawaysoonenough.""DoyousupposethemtobeinLondon?""Yes;whereelsecantheybesowellconcealed?""AndLydiausedtowanttogotoLondon,"addedKitty."Sheishappy,then,"saidherfather,drily; "andherresidencetherewillprobablybeofsomeduration."Then,afterashortsilence,hecontinued, "Lizzy,Ibearyounoill-willforbeingjustifiedinyouradvicetomelastMay,which,consideringtheevent,shewssomegreatnessofmind."TheywereinterruptedbyMissBennet,whocametofetchhermother'stea."Thisisaparade,"criedhe, "whichdoesonegood;itgivessuchanelegancetomisfortune!AnotherdayIwilldothesame;Iwillsitinmylibrary,inmynightcapandpowderinggown,andgiveasmuchtroubleasIcan, --or,perhaps,ImaydeferittillKittyrunsaway.""Iamnotgoingtorunaway,Papa,"saidKitty,fretfully; "ifIshouldevergotoBrighton,IwouldbehavebetterthanLydia.""YougotoBrighton! --IwouldnottrustyousonearitasEast-Bourne,forfiftypounds!No,Kitty,Ihaveatlastlearnttobecautious,andyouwillfeeltheeffectsofit.Noofficerisevertoentermyhouseagain,noreventopassthroughthevillage.Ballswillbeabsolutelyprohibited,unlessyoustandupwithoneofyoursisters.Andyouarenevertostiroutofdoorstillyoucanprovethatyouhavespenttenminutesofeverydayinarationalmanner."Kitty,whotookallthesethreatsinaseriouslight,begantocry."Well,well,"saidhe, "donotmakeyourselfunhappy.Ifyouareagoodgirlforthenexttenyears,Iwilltakeyoutoareviewattheendofthem." 第四十八章 嘉丁纳太太也开始想要回家了，决定在班纳特先生动身回浪搏恩的那一天，她就带着孩子们回伦敦去。动身的那天可以由这里打发一部马车把她送到第一站，然后趁便接主人回来。嘉丁纳太太走了以后，对伊丽莎白和德比郡她那位朋友的事，还是糊里糊涂，从当初在德比郡的时候起，就一直弄不明白。外甥女儿从来没有主动在舅父母面前提起过他的名字。她本以为回来以后，那位先生就会有信来，可是结果并没有。伊丽莎白一直没收到过从彭伯里寄来的信。她看到外甥女儿情绪消沉；可是，家里既然出了这种不幸的事情，自然难免如此，不必把这种现象牵扯到别的原因上面去。因此她还是摸不着一点边际。只有伊丽莎白自己明白自己的心思，她想，要是不认识达西，那么丽迪雅这件丢脸的事也许会叫她多少好受些，也许可以使她减少几个失眠之夜。班纳特先生回到家里，仍然是那一副乐天安命的样子。他还是象平常一样不多说话，根本不提起他这次外出是为了什么事情，女儿们也过了好久才敢提起。一直到下午，他跟她们一块儿喝茶的时候，伊丽莎白才大胆地谈到这件事。她先简单地说到他这次一定吃了不少的苦，这使她很难过，他却回答道：“别说这种话吧。除了我自己之外，还有谁该受罪呢？我自己做的事应该自己承担。”伊丽莎白劝慰他说：“你千万不要过分埋怨自己。”“你劝我也是白劝。人的本性就是会自怨自艾！不丽萃，我一辈子也不曾自怨自艾过，这次也让我尝尝这种滋味吧。我不怕忧郁成病。这种事一下子就会过去的。”“你以为他们会在伦敦吗？”“是的，还有什么别的地方能让他们藏得这样好呢？”吉蒂又在一旁补说了一句：“而且丽迪雅老是想要到伦敦去。”父亲冷冷地说：“那么，她可得意啦，她也许要在那儿住一阵子呢。”沉默了片刻以后，他又接下去说：“丽萃，五月间你劝我的那些话的确没有劝错，我决不怪你，从目前这件事看来，你的确有见识。”班纳特小姐送茶进来给她母亲，打断了他们的谈话。班纳特先生大声叫道：“这真所谓享福，舒服极了；居然倒霉也不忘风雅！哪一天我也要来学你的样子，坐在书房里，头戴睡帽，身穿寝衣，尽量找人麻烦；要不就等到吉蒂私奔了以后再说。”吉蒂气恼地说：“我不会私奔的，爸爸，要是我上白利屯去，我一定比丽迪雅规矩。”“你上白利屯去！你即使要到东浪搏恩那么近的地方去，叫我跟人家打五十镑的赌，我也不敢！不吉蒂，我至少已经学会了小心，我一定要让你看看我的厉害。今后随便哪个军官都不许上我的门，甚至不许从我们村里经过。绝对不许你们去参加跳舞会，除非你们姐妹之间自己跳跳；也不许你走出家门一步，除非你在家里每天至少有十分钟规规矩矩，象个人样。”吉蒂把这些威吓的话看得很认真，不由得哭了起来。班纳特先生连忙说道：“得啦，得啦，别伤心吧。假使你从今天起，能做上十年好姑娘，那么等到十年满期的时候，我一定带你去看阅兵典礼。”