Chapter48 Howsoeverthatmaybe,youaregrievouslytobepitied,inwhichopinionIamnotonlyjoinedbyMrs.Collins,butlikewisebyLadyCatherineandherdaughter,towhomIhaverelatedtheaffair.Theyagreewithmeinapprehendingthatthisfalsestepinonedaughterwillbeinjurioustothefortunesofalltheothers;forwho,asLadyCatherineherselfcondescendinglysays,willconnectthemselveswithsuchafamily.AndthisconsiderationleadsmemoreovertoreflectwithaugmentedsatisfactiononacertaineventoflastNovember,forhaditbeenotherwise,Imusthavebeeninvolvedinallyoursorrowanddisgrace.Letmeadviseyouthen,mydearSir,toconsoleyourselfasmuchaspossible,tothrowoffyourunworthychildfromyouraffectionforever,andleavehertoreapthefruitsofherownheinousoffence.Iam,dearSir, &c. &c."Mr.GardinerdidnotwriteagaintillhehadreceivedananswerfromColonelForster;andthenhehadnothingofapleasantnaturetosend.ItwasnotknownthatWickhamhadasinglerelationwithwhomhekeptupanyconnection,anditwascertainthathehadnonearoneliving.Hisformeracquaintancehadbeennumerous;butsincehehadbeeninthemilitia,itdidnotappearthathewasontermsofparticularfriendshipwithanyofthem.Therewasnoonethereforewhocouldbepointedoutaslikelytogiveanynewsofhim.Andinthewretchedstateofhisownfinancestherewasaverypowerfulmotiveforsecrecy,inadditiontohisfearofdiscoverybyLydia'srelations,forithadjusttranspiredthathehadleftgamingdebtsbehindhim,toaveryconsiderableamount.ColonelForsterbelievedthatmorethanathousandpoundswouldbenecessarytoclearhisexpencesatBrighton.Heowedagooddealinthetown,buthisdebtsofhonourwerestillmoreformidable.Mr.GardinerdidnotattempttoconcealtheseparticularsfromtheLongbournfamily;Janeheardthemwithhorror. "Agamester!"shecried. "Thisiswhollyunexpected.Ihadnotanideaofit."Mr.Gardineradded,inhisletter,thattheymightexpecttoseetheirfatherathomeonthefollowingday,whichwasSaturday.Renderedspiritlessbytheill-successofalltheirendeavours,hehadyieldedtohisbrother-in-law'sintreatythathewouldreturntohisfamily,andleaveittohimtodowhateveroccasionmightsuggesttobeadvisableforcontinuingtheirpursuit.WhenMrs.Bennetwastoldofthis,shedidnotexpresssomuchsatisfactionasherchildrenexpected,consideringwhatheranxietyforhislifehadbeenbefore."What,ishecominghome,andwithoutpoorLydia!"shecried. "SurehewillnotleaveLondonbeforehehasfoundthem.WhoistofightWickham,andmakehimmarryher,ifhecomesaway?" 第四十八章 日前遇咖苔琳夫人及其千金小姐，曾以此事奉告，夫人等亦与不佞夫妇不所同感。多蒙夫人与愚见不谋而合，认为令媛此次失足，辱没家声，遂使后之攀亲者望而却步，殃及其姐氏终生幸福，堪虑堪虑。瓴念言及此，不禁忆及去年十一月间一事，则又深为庆幸，否则木已成舟，势必自取其辱，受累不浅。敬祈先生善自宽慰，任其妄自菲薄，自食其果，不足怜惜也。（下略）嘉丁纳先生一直挨到接得弗斯脱上校的回信以后，才写第二封信到浪搏恩来。信上并没有报道一点喜讯。大家都不知道韦翰是否还有什么亲戚跟他来往，不过倒知道他确确实实已经没有一个至亲在世。他以前交游颇广，只是自从进了民兵团以后，看来跟他们都已疏远，因此找不出一个人来可以报道一些有关他的消息。他这次所以要保守秘密，据说是因为他临走时拖欠了一大笔赌债，而他目前手头又非常拮据，无法偿还，再则是因为怕让丽迪雅的亲友发觉。弗斯脱上校认为，要清偿他在白利屯的债务，需要有一千多英镑才够。他在本镇固然欠债很多，但赌债则更可观。嘉丁纳先生并打算把这些事情瞒住浪搏恩这家人家。吉英听得心惊肉跳，不禁叫道：“好一个赌棍！这真是完全出人意料；我想也不曾想到。”嘉丁纳先生的信上又说，她们的父亲明天（星期六）就可以回家来了。原来他们两人再三努力，毫无成绩，情绪十分低落，因此班纳特先生答应了他舅爷的要求，立刻回家，一切事情都留给嘉丁纳相机而行。女儿们本以为母亲既是那样担心父亲会被人打死，听到这个消息，一定会非常得意，谁知并不尽然。班纳特太太嚷道：“什么！他没有找到可怜的丽迪雅，就这样一个人回来吗？他既然没有找到他们俩，当然不应该离开伦敦。他一走，还有谁去跟韦翰决斗，逼着他跟丽迪雅结婚？”