Chapter39 Theirreceptionathomewasmostkind.Mrs.BennetrejoicedtoseeJaneinundiminishedbeauty;andmorethanonceduringdinnerdidMr.BennetsayvoluntarilytoElizabeth,"Iamgladyouarecomeback,Lizzy."Theirpartyinthedining-roomwaslarge,foralmostalltheLucasescametomeetMariaandhearthenews:andvariouswerethesubjectswhichoccupiedthem.LadyLucaswasenquiringofMaria,acrossthetable,afterthewelfareandpoultryofhereldestdaughter;Mrs.Bennetwasdoublyengaged,ononehandcollectinganaccountofthepresentfashionsfromJane,whosatsomewaybelowher,andontheother,retailingthemalltotheyoungerMissLucases;andLydia,inavoiceratherlouderthananyotherperson's,wasenumeratingthevariouspleasuresofthemorningtoanybodywhowouldhearher."Oh!Mary,"saidshe, "Iwishyouhadgonewithus,forwehadsuchfun!aswewentalong,Kittyandmedrewupalltheblinds,andpretendedtherewasnobodyinthecoach;andIshouldhavegonesoalltheway,ifKittyhadnotbeensick;andwhenwegottotheGeorge,Idothinkwebehavedveryhandsomely,forwetreatedtheotherthreewiththenicestcoldluncheonintheworld,andifyouwouldhavegone,wewouldhavetreatedyoutoo.Andthenwhenwecameawayitwassuchfun!Ithoughtwenevershouldhavegotintothecoach.Iwasreadytodieoflaughter.Andthenweweresomerryallthewayhome!wetalkedandlaughedsoloud,thatanybodymighthaveheardustenmilesoff!"Tothis,Maryverygravelyreplied, "Farbeitfromme,mydearsister,todepreciatesuchpleasures.Theywoulddoubtlessbecongenialwiththegeneralityoffemaleminds.ButIconfesstheywouldhavenocharmsforme.Ishouldinfinitelypreferabook."ButofthisanswerLydiaheardnotaword.Sheseldomlistenedtoanybodyformorethanhalfaminute,andneverattendedtoMaryatall.IntheafternoonLydiawasurgentwiththerestofthegirlstowalktoMeryton,andseehoweverybodywenton;butElizabethsteadilyopposedthescheme.Itshouldnotbesaid,thattheMissBennetscouldnotbeathomehalfadaybeforetheywereinpursuitoftheofficers.Therewasanotherreasontoo,forheropposition.ShedreadedseeingWickhamagain,andwasresolvedtoavoiditaslongaspossible.Thecomforttoheroftheregiment'sapproachingremovalwasindeedbeyondexpression.Inafortnighttheyweretogo,andoncegone,shehopedtherecouldbenothingmoretoplagueheronhisaccount.Shehadnotbeenmanyhoursathome,beforeshefoundthattheBrightonscheme,ofwhichLydiahadgiventhemahintattheinn,wasunderfrequentdiscussionbetweenherparents.Elizabethsawdirectlythatherfatherhadnotthesmallestintentionofyielding;buthisanswerswereatthesametimesovagueandequivocal,thathermother,thoughoftendisheartened,hadneveryetdespairedofsucceedingatlast. 第三十九章 丽迪雅就这样说说舞会上的故事，讲讲笑话，另外还有吉蒂从旁给她添油加酱，使得大家一路上很开心。伊丽莎白尽量不去听它，但是总免不了听到一声声提起韦翰的名字。家里人极其亲切地接待她们。班纳特太太看到吉英姿色未减，十分快活；吃饭的时候，班纳特先生不由自主地一次又一次跟伊丽莎白说：“你回来了，我真高兴，丽萃。”他们饭厅里人很多，卢卡斯府上差不多全家人都来接玛丽亚，顺便听听新闻，还问到各种各样的问题。卢卡斯太太隔着桌子向玛丽亚问起她大女儿日子过得好不好，鸡鸭养得多不多；班纳特太太格外忙，因为吉英坐在她下手，她便不断向她打听一些时下的风尚，然后再去传给卢卡斯家几位年轻小姐去听；丽迪雅的嗓子比谁都高，她正在把当天早上的乐趣一件件说给爱听的人听。“噢，曼丽，”她说，“你要是跟我们一块儿去了多有趣！我们一路去的时候，吉蒂和我放下车帘，看上去好象是空车，要是吉蒂没有晕车，就会这样一直到目的地。我们在乔治客店实在做得够漂亮，我们用世界上最美的冷盘款待她们三位；假使你也去了，我们也会款待你的。我们临走的时候，又是那么有趣！我以为这样一辆车子无论如何也装不下我们。我真要笑死啦。回家来一路上又是那么开心作乐！我们有说有笑，声音大得十英里路外都能听见！”曼丽听到这些话，便一本正经地回答道：“我的好妹妹，并不是我故意要杀你们的风景，老实说，你们这些乐趣当然会投合一般女子的爱好可动不了我的心，我觉得读读书要有趣得多。”可是丽迪雅把她这番话当做耳边风。谁说的话她都不爱听，别说曼丽，她根本就不理她。到了下午，丽迪雅硬要姐姐们陪她上麦里屯去，看看那边的朋友们近况如何，可是伊丽莎白坚决反对，为的是不让别人说闲话，说班纳特家的几位小姐在家里待不上半天，就要去追逐军官们，她所以反对，还有一个理由。她怕再看到韦翰。她已经下定决心，能够和他避而不见就尽量避而不见。那个民兵团马上就要调走了，她真是感觉到说不出的安慰。不出四个星期，他们就要走了，她希望他们一走以后，从此平安无事，使她不会再为韦翰受到折磨。她到家没有几个小时，就发觉父母在反复讨论上白利屯去玩的计划，也就是丽迪雅在客店里给她们提到过的那个计划。伊丽莎白看出她父亲丝毫没有让步的意思，不过他的回答却是模棱两可，因此她母亲虽然惯常碰钉子，可是这一次并没有死心，还希望最后能如她的愿。