Chapter43 ELIZABETH,astheydrovealong,watchedforthefirstappearanceofPemberleyWoodswithsomeperturbation;andwhenatlengththeyturnedinatthelodge,herspiritswereinahighflutter.Theparkwasverylarge,andcontainedgreatvarietyofground.Theyentereditinoneofitslowestpoints,anddroveforsometimethroughabeautifulwood,stretchingoverawideextent.Elizabeth'smindwastoofullforconversation,butshesawandadmiredeveryremarkablespotandpointofview.Theygraduallyascendedforhalfamile,andthenfoundthemselvesatthetopofaconsiderableeminence,wherethewoodceased,andtheeyewasinstantlycaughtbyPemberleyHouse,situatedontheoppositesideofavalley,intowhichtheroad,withsomeabruptness,wound.Itwasalarge,handsome,stonebuilding,standingwellonrisingground,andbackedbyaridgeofhighwoodyhills; --andinfront,astreamofsomenaturalimportancewasswelledintogreater,butwithoutanyartificialappearance.Itsbankswereneitherformal,norfalselyadorned.Elizabethwasdelighted.Shehadneverseenaplaceforwhichnaturehaddonemore,orwherenaturalbeautyhadbeensolittlecounteractedbyanawkwardtaste.Theywereallofthemwarmintheiradmiration;andatthatmomentshefeltthattobemistressofPemberleymightbesomething!Theydescendedthehill,crossedthebridge,anddrovetothedoor;and,whileexaminingtheneareraspectofthehouse,allherapprehensionsofmeetingitsownerreturned.Shedreadedlestthechambermaidhadbeenmistaken.Onapplyingtoseetheplace,theywereadmittedintothehall;andElizabeth,astheywaitedforthehousekeeper,hadleisuretowonderatherbeingwhereshewas.Thehousekeepercame;arespectable-looking,elderlywoman,muchlessfine,andmorecivil,thanshehadanynotionoffindingher.Theyfollowedherintothedining-parlour.Itwasalarge,well-proportionedroom,handsomelyfittedup.Elizabeth,afterslightlysurveyingit,wenttoawindowtoenjoyitsprospect.Thehill,crownedwithwood,fromwhichtheyhaddescended,receivingincreasedabruptnessfromthedistance,wasabeautifulobject.Everydispositionofthegroundwasgood;andshelookedonthewholescene--theriver,thetreesscatteredonitsbanks,andthewindingofthevalley,asfarasshecouldtraceit--withdelight.Astheypassedintootherrooms,theseobjectsweretakingdifferentpositions;butfromeverywindowtherewerebeautiestobeseen.Theroomswereloftyandhandsome,andtheirfurnituresuitabletothefortuneoftheirproprietor;butElizabethsaw,withadmirationofhistaste,thatitwasneithergaudynoruselesslyfine;withlessofsplendor,andmorerealelegance,thanthefurnitureofRosings."Andofthisplace,"thoughtshe, "Imighthavebeenmistress!WiththeseroomsImightnowhavebeenfamiliarlyacquainted!Insteadofviewingthemasastranger,Imighthaverejoicedinthemasmyown,andwelcomedtothemasvisitorsmyuncleandaunt. --Butno," --recollectingherself, -- "thatcouldneverbe:myuncleandauntwouldhavebeenlosttome:Ishouldnothavebeenallowedtoinvitethem." 第四十三章 他们坐着车子一直向前去。彭伯里的树林一出现在眼前，伊丽莎白就有些心慌；等到走进了庄园，她更加心神不定。花园很大，只见里边高阜低洼，气象万千。他们拣一个最低的地方走进了园，在一座深邃辽阔的美丽的树林里坐着车子走了好久。伊丽莎白满怀感触，无心说话，可是看到了每一处、每一角的美景，她都叹赏不已。他们沿着上坡路慢慢儿走了半英里光景，最后来到了一个相当高的山坡上，这也就是树林子尽头的地方，彭伯里大厦马上映入眼帘。房子在山谷那边，有一条相当陡斜的路曲曲折折地通到谷中。这是一幢很大很漂亮的石头建筑物，屹立在高垅上，屋子后面枕着一连片树林茂密的高高的小山冈；屋前一泓颇有天然情趣的溪流正在涨潮，没有一丝一毫人工的痕迹。两岸的点缀既不呆板，也不做作。伊丽莎白高兴极了。她从来不曾看到过一个比这里更富于自然情趣的地方，也没有见过任何地方的自然之美能象这儿一样的不受到庸俗的沾损。大家都热烈地赞赏不已，伊丽莎白顿时不禁觉得：在彭伯里当个主妇也还不错吧。他们下了山坡，过了桥，一直驶到大厦门前，欣赏那附近一带的景物，伊丽莎白这时候不免又起了一阵疑惧，生怕闯见主人。她担心旅馆里的侍女弄错了。他们请求进去参观，立刻被让进客厅；大家都在等着管家奶奶，这时候伊丽莎白方才想起身在何处。管家奶奶来了，是一个态度端庄的老妇人，远不如她们想象中那么有丰姿，可是礼貌的周到倒出乎她的想象。他们跟着她走进了餐室。那是一间宽敞舒适的大屋子，布置得很精致。伊丽莎白稍许看了一下，便走到窗口欣赏风景。他们望着刚才下来的那座小山，只见丛林密布，从远处望去益发显得陡峭，真是个美丽的地方。处处都收拾得很美观。她纵目四望，只见一弯河道，林木夹岸，山谷蜿蜒曲折，真看得她心旷神怡。他们再走到别的房间里去看，每换一个房间，景致总会两样，可是不管你走到哪个窗口，都自有秀色可餐。一个个房间都高大美观，家具陈设也和主人的身份颇为相称，既不俗气，又不过分侈丽，比起罗新斯来，可以说是豪华不足，风雅有余，伊丽莎白看了，很佩服主人的情趣。她心里想：“我差一点就做了这儿的主妇呢！这些房间也许早就让我走熟了！我非但不必以一个陌生人的身份来参观，而且还可以当作自己的住宅来受用，把舅父母当做贵客欢迎。可是不行，”她忽然想了起来，“这是万万办不到的事：那时候我就见不到舅父母了，他决不会允许我邀他们来。”