Chapter44 OfMr.Darcyitwasnowamatterofanxietytothinkwell;and,asfarastheiracquaintancereached,therewasnofaulttofind.Theycouldnotbeuntouchedbyhispoliteness,and,hadtheydrawnhischaracterfromtheirownfeelingsandhisservant'sreport,withoutanyreferencetoanyotheraccount,thecircleinHertfordshiretowhichhewasknownwouldnothaverecogniseditforMr.Darcy.Therewasnowaninterest,however,inbelievingthehousekeeper;andtheysoonbecamesensiblethattheauthorityofaservantwhohadknownhimsincehewasfouryearsold,andwhoseownmannersindicatedrespectability,wasnottobehastilyrejected.NeitherhadanythingoccurredintheintelligenceoftheirLambtonfriendsthatcouldmateriallylessenitsweight.Theyhadnothingtoaccusehimofbutpride;prideheprobablyhad,andifnot,itwouldcertainlybeimputedbytheinhabitantsofasmallmarket-townwherethefamilydidnotvisit.Itwasacknowledged,however,thathewasaliberalman,anddidmuchgoodamongthepoor.WithrespecttoWickham,thetravellerssoonfoundthathewasnotheldthereinmuchestimation;forthoughthechiefofhisconcernswiththesonofhispatronwereimperfectlyunderstood,itwasyetawellknownfactthatonhisquittingDerbyshirehehadleftmanydebtsbehindhim,whichMr.Darcyafterwardsdischarged.AsforElizabeth,herthoughtswereatPemberleythiseveningmorethanthelast;andtheevening,thoughasitpasseditseemedlong,wasnotlongenoughtodetermineherfeelingstowardsoneinthatmansion;andshelayawaketwowholehoursendeavouringtomakethemout.Shecertainlydidnothatehim.No;hatredhadvanishedlongago,andshehadalmostaslongbeenashamedofeverfeelingadislikeagainsthimthatcouldbesocalled.Therespectcreatedbytheconvictionofhisvaluablequalities,thoughatfirstunwillinglyadmitted,hadforsometimeceasedtoberepugnanttoherfeelings;anditwasnowheightenedintosomewhatofafriendliernaturebythetestimonysohighlyinhisfavour,andbringingforwardhisdispositioninsoamiablealight,whichyesterdayhadproduced.Butaboveall,aboverespectandesteem,therewasamotivewithinherofgoodwillwhichcouldnotbeoverlooked.Itwasgratitude. --Gratitude,notmerelyforhavingoncelovedher,butforlovingherstillwellenoughtoforgiveallthepetulanceandacrimonyofhermannerinrejectinghim,andalltheunjustaccusationsaccompanyingherrejection.Hewho,shehadbeenpersuaded,wouldavoidherashisgreatestenemy,seemed,onthisaccidentalmeeting,mosteagertopreservetheacquaintance,andwithoutanyindelicatedisplayofregard,oranypeculiarityofmanner,wheretheirtwoselvesonlywereconcerned,wassolicitingthegoodopinionofherfriends,andbentonmakingherknowntohissister.Suchachangeinamanofsomuchprideexcitednotonlyastonishmentbutgratitude--fortolove,ardentlove,itmustbeattributed;andassuch,itsimpressiononherwasofasorttobeencouraged,asbynomeansunpleasing,thoughitcouldnotbeexactlydefined.Sherespected,sheesteemed,shewasgratefultohim;shefeltarealinterestinhiswelfare;andsheonlywantedtoknowhowfarshewishedthatwelfaretodependuponherself,andhowfaritwouldbeforthehappinessofboththatsheshouldemploythepower,whichherfancytoldhershestillpossessed,ofbringingontherenewalofhisaddresses.Ithadbeensettledintheevening,betweentheauntandniece,thatsuchastrikingcivilityasMissDarcy's,incomingtothemontheverydayofherarrivalatPemberley--forshehadreacheditonlytoalatebreakfast--oughttobeimitated,thoughitcouldnotbeequalled,bysomeexertionofpolitenessontheirside;and,consequently,thatitwouldbehighlyexpedienttowaitonheratPemberleythefollowingmorning.Theywere,therefore,togo. --Elizabethwaspleased,though,whensheaskedherselfthereason,shehadverylittletosayinreply.Mr.Gardinerleftthemsoonafterbreakfast.Thefishingschemehadbeenrenewedthedaybefore,andapositiveengagementmadeofhismeetingsomeofthegentlemenatPemberleybynoon. 第四十四章 他们现在一心只想到达西先生的好处。他们和他认识到现在为止，从他身上找不出半点儿错处。他那样的客气，使他们不得不感动。要是他们光凭着自己的感想和那个管家奶奶的报道来称道他的不人，而不参考任何其他资料，那么，哈福德郡那些认识他的人，简直辨别不出这是讲的达西先生。大家现在都愿意去相信那个管家奶奶的话，因为她在主人四岁的那年就来到他，当然深知主人的为人，加上她本身的举止也令人起敬，那就决不应该贸贸然把她的话置若罔闻，何况根据蓝白屯的朋友们跟他们讲的情形来看，也觉得这位管家奶奶的话没有什么不可靠的地方。达西除了傲慢之外，人家指摘不出他有任何错处。说到傲慢，他也许果真有些傲慢，纵使他并不傲慢，那么，那个小镇上的居民们见他全家终年足迹不至，自然也要说他傲慢。不过大家都公认他是个很大方的人，济苦救贫，慷慨解囊。再说韦翰，他们立刻就发觉他在这个地方并不十分受人器重；虽然大家不大明了他和他恩人的独生子之间的主要关系，可是大家都知道他离开德比郡时曾经欠下了多少债务，后来都是达西先生替他偿还的。伊丽莎白这个晚上一心一意只想到彭伯里，比昨天晚上还要想得厉害。这虽然是一个漫漫的长夜，可是她还是觉得不够长，因为彭伯里大厦里那个人弄得她心里千头万绪，她在床上整整躺了两个钟头睡不着觉，左思右想，还弄不明白对他究竟是爱是憎。她当然不会恨他。决不会的；恨早就消了。如果说她当真一度讨厌过他，她也早就为当初这种心情感到惭愧。她既然认为他具有许多高尚的品质，自然就尊敬起他来，尽管她开头还不大愿意承认，事实上早就因为尊敬他而不觉得他有丝毫讨厌的地方了。她现在又听到大家都说他的好话，昨天她又亲眼看到了种种情形，看出他原来是个性格很柔顺的人，于是尊敬之外又添了几分亲切，但是问题的关键还不在于她对他尊敬和器重，而在于她还存着一片好心好意，这一点可不能忽略。她对他颇有几分感激之心。她所以感激他，不仅因为他曾经爱过她，而且因为当初她虽然那么意气用事，斩钉截铁地拒绝过他，错怪过他，如今他却决不计较，反而依旧爱她。她本以为他会恨她入骨，决不会再理睬她，可是这一次邂逅而遇，他却好象急不待缓地要跟她重修旧好。提到他们俩人本身方面的事情，他虽然旧情难忘，可是语气神态之间，却没有粗鄙怪癖的表现，只是竭力想要获得她亲友们的好感，而且真心诚意地要介绍她和他的妹妹认识。这么傲慢的一个男人会一下子变得这样谦虚，这不仅叫人惊奇，也叫人感激，这不能不归根于爱情，浓烈的爱情。她虽然不能千真万确地把这种爱情说出一个所以然来，可是她决不觉得讨厌，而且还深深地给打动了心，觉得应该让这种爱情滋长下去。她既然尊敬他，器重他，感激他，便免不了极其关心到他幸福；她相信自己依旧有本领叫他再来求婚，问题只在于她是否应该放心大胆地施展出这副本领，以便达到双方的幸福。晚上她和舅母商谈，觉得达西小姐那么客气，回到彭伯里已经是吃早饭的时候，却还当天就赶来看她们，她们即使不能象她那样礼貌周全，至少也应该稍有礼貌，去回拜她一次。最后她们认为，最好是明天一大早就上彭伯里去拜候她，她们决定就这么办。伊丽莎白很是高兴，不过她只要问问自己为什么这样高兴，却又答不上来了。吃过早饭以后，嘉丁纳先生马上就出去了，因为上一天他又重新跟人家谈到了钓鱼的事，约定今天中午到彭伯里去和几位绅士碰头。