Chapter48 "IhavewrittentoColonelForstertodesirehimtofindout,ifpossible,fromsomeoftheyoungman'sintimatesintheregiment,whetherWickhamhasanyrelationsorconnectionswhowouldbelikelytoknowinwhatpartofthetownhehasnowconcealedhimself.Iftherewereanyonethatonecouldapplytowithaprobabilityofgainingsuchaclueasthat,itmightbeofessentialconsequence.Atpresentwehavenothingtoguideus.ColonelForsterwill,Idaresay,doeverythinginhispowertosatisfyusonthishead.But,onsecondthoughts,perhapsLizzycouldtelluswhatrelationshehasnowlivingbetterthananyotherperson."Elizabethwasatnolosstounderstandfromwhencethisdeferenceforherauthorityproceeded;butitwasnotinherpowertogiveanyinformationofsosatisfactoryanatureasthecomplimentdeserved.Shehadneverheardofhishavinghadanyrelations,exceptafatherandmother,bothofwhomhadbeendeadmanyyears.Itwaspossible,however,thatsomeofhiscompanionsinthe----shire,mightbeabletogivemoreinformation;and,thoughshewasnotverysanguineinexpectingit,theapplicationwasasomethingtolookforwardto.EverydayatLongbournwasnowadayofanxiety;butthemostanxiouspartofeachwaswhenthepostwasexpected.Thearrivalofletterswasthefirstgrandobjectofeverymorning'simpatience.Throughletters,whateverofgoodorbadwastobetoldwouldbecommunicated,andeverysucceedingdaywasexpectedtobringsomenewsofimportance.ButbeforetheyheardagainfromMr.Gardiner,aletterarrivedfortheirfatherfromadifferentquarter--fromMr.Collins;which,asJanehadreceiveddirectionstoopenallthatcameforhiminhisabsence,sheaccordinglyread;andElizabeth,whoknewwhatcuriositieshislettersalwayswere,lookedoverher,andreaditlikewise.Itwasasfollows:"MYDEARSIR,Ifeelmyselfcalleduponbyourrelationship,andmysituationinlife,tocondolewithyouonthegrievousafflictionyouarenowsufferingunder,ofwhichwewereyesterdayinformedbyaletterfromHertfordshire.Beassured,mydearSir,thatMrs.Collinsandmyselfsincerelysympathisewithyou,andallyourrespectablefamily,inyourpresentdistress,whichmustbeofthebitterestkind,becauseproceedingfromacausewhichnotimecanremove.Noargumentsshallbewantingonmypartthatcanalleviatesosevereamisfortune;orthatmaycomfortyou,underacircumstancethatmustbeofallothersmostafflictingtoaparent'smind.Thedeathofyourdaughterwouldhavebeenablessingincomparisonofthis.Anditisthemoretobelamented,becausethereisreasontosuppose,asmydearCharlotteinformsme,thatthislicentiousnessofbehaviourinyourdaughterhasproceededfromafaultydegreeofindulgence,thoughatthesametime,fortheconsolationofyourselfandMrs.Bennet,Iaminclinedtothinkthatherowndispositionmustbenaturallybad,orshecouldnotbeguiltyofsuchanenormityatsoearlyanage. 第四十八章 我已经写信给弗斯脱上校，请他尽可能在民兵团里把那个年轻小伙子的要好朋友找几个来打听一下，韦翰有没有什么亲友知道他躲藏在这个城里的哪一个区域。要是我们有这样的人可以请教，得到一些线索，那是大有用处的。目前我们还是无从捉摸。也许弗斯上校会尽量把这件事做得使我们满意。但倡我又想了一下，觉得丽萃也许比任何人都了解情况。会知道他现在还有些什么亲戚。伊丽莎白究竟为什么会受到这样的推崇，她自己完全知道，只可惜她提供不出什么令人满意的材料，所以也就受不起这样的恭维。她除了听到韦翰谈起过他自己的父母以外，从来不曾听到他有什么亲友，况且他父母也都去世多年。某某郡民兵团里他的一些朋友们，可能提供得出一些材料，她虽说并不能对此存着过分的奢望，但究竟不妨试一试。浪搏恩一家人每天都过得非常心焦，最焦急的时间莫过于等待邮差送信来。不管信上报道的是好消息还是坏消息，总是要讲给大家听，还盼望着第二天会有重要的消息传来。嘉丁纳先生虽然还没有给她们寄来第二封信，可是她们却收到了别的地方寄来的一封信，原来是柯林斯先生寄来了一封信给她们的父亲。吉英事前曾受到父亲的嘱托，代他拆阅一切信件，于是她便来拜读这一封信。伊丽莎白也知道柯林斯先生的信总是写得奇奇怪怪，便也挨在吉英身旁一同拜读。信是这样写的：长者先生赐鉴：昨接哈福德郡来信，借悉先生目前正什心烦虑乱，不胜苦悲。不佞与拙荆闻之，无论对先生个人或尊府老幼，均深表同情。以不佞之名份职位而言，自当聊申悼惜之意，何况与尊府为葭莩，益觉责无旁贷。夫癸诸情理，此次不幸事件自难免令人痛心疾首，盖家声一经败坏，便永无清洗之日，伤天下父母之心，孰有甚于此者？早知如此，但冀其早日夭亡为幸耳。不佞只有曲尽言辞，备加慰问，庶几可以聊宽尊怀。据内人夏绿蒂言，令媛此次淫奔，实系由于平日过分溺爱所致，此尤其可悲者也。唯不佞以为令媛年方及笄，竟而铸成大错，亦足见其本身天性之恶劣；先生固不必过于引咎自责也。