Chapter36 Butwhensheread,andre-readwiththeclosestattention,theparticularsimmediatelyfollowingofWickham'sresigningallpretensionstotheliving,ofhisreceiving,inlieu,soconsiderableasumasthreethousandpounds,againwassheforcedtohesitate.Sheputdowntheletter,weighedeverycircumstancewithwhatshemeanttobeimpartiality--deliberatedontheprobabilityofeachstatement--butwithlittlesuccess.Onbothsidesitwasonlyassertion.Againshereadon.Buteverylineprovedmoreclearlythattheaffair,whichshehadbelieveditimpossiblethatanycontrivancecouldsorepresentastorenderMr.Darcy'sconductinitlessthaninfamous,wascapableofaturnwhichmustmakehimentirelyblamelessthroughoutthewhole.TheextravaganceandgeneralprofligacywhichhescruplednottolaytoMr.Wickham'scharge,exceedinglyshockedher;themoreso,asshecouldbringnoproofofitsinjustice.Shehadneverheardofhimbeforehisentranceintothe----shireMilitia,inwhichhehadengagedatthepersuasionoftheyoungman,who,onmeetinghimaccidentallyintown,hadthererenewedaslightacquaintance.Ofhisformerwayoflife,nothinghadbeenknowninHertfordshirebutwhathetoldhimself.Astohisrealcharacter,hadinformationbeeninherpower,shehadneverfeltawishofenquiring.Hiscountenance,voice,andmannerhadestablishedhimatonceinthepossessionofeveryvirtue.Shetriedtorecollectsomeinstanceofgoodness,somedistinguishedtraitofintegrityorbenevolence,thatmightrescuehimfromtheattacksofMr.Darcy;oratleast,bythepredominanceofvirtue,atoneforthosecasualerrors,underwhichshewouldendeavourtoclasswhatMr.Darcyhaddescribedastheidlenessandviceofmanyyearscontinuance.Butnosuchrecollectionbefriendedher.Shecouldseehiminstantlybeforeher,ineverycharmofairandaddress;butshecouldremembernomoresubstantialgoodthanthegeneralapprobationoftheneighbourhood,andtheregardwhichhissocialpowershadgainedhiminthemess.Afterpausingonthispointaconsiderablewhile,sheoncemorecontinuedtoread.But,alas!thestorywhichfollowed,ofhisdesignsonMissDarcy,receivedsomeconfirmationfromwhathadpassedbetweenColonelFitzwilliamandherselfonlythemorningbefore;andatlastshewasreferredforthetruthofeveryparticulartoColonelFitzwilliamhimself--fromwhomshehadpreviouslyreceivedtheinformationofhisnearconcerninallhiscousin'saffairs,andwhosecharactershehadnoreasontoquestion.Atonetimeshehadalmostresolvedonapplyingtohim,buttheideawascheckedbytheawkwardnessoftheapplication,andatlengthwhollybanishedbytheconvictionthatMr.Darcywouldneverhavehazardedsuchaproposalifhehadnotbeenwellassuredofhiscousin'scorroboration. 第三十六章 接着她又极其仔细地一读再读，读到韦翰借口放弃牧师俸禄从而获得了三千磅一笔款项等等情节的时候，她又不由得犹豫起来。她放下那封信，把每一个情节不偏不倚地推敲了一下，把信中每一句话都仔仔细细考虑了一下，看看是否真有其事，可是这样做也毫无用处。双方都是各执一辞。她只得再往下读。可是愈读愈糊涂；她本以为这件事任凭达西先生怎样花言巧语，颠倒是非，也丝毫不能减轻他自己的卑鄙无耻，哪里想得到这里面大有文章可做，只要把事情改变一下说法，达西先生就可以把责任推卸得一干二净。达西竟毫不迟疑地把骄奢淫逸的罪名加在韦翰先生身上，这使她极其惊骇──何况她又提不出反证，于是就越发惊骇。在韦翰先生参加某某郡的民兵团之前，伊丽莎白根本没有听到过他这个人。至于他所以要参加民兵团，也只是因为偶然在镇上遇见了以前一个泛泛之交的朋友，劝他加入的。讲到他以前的为人处世，除了他自己所说的以外，她完全一无所知。至于他的真正的人品，她即使可以打听得到，也并没有想要去追根究底。他的仪态音容，叫人一眼看去就觉得他身上具备了一切美德。她竭力要想起一两件足以说明他品行优良的事实，想起他一些为人诚实仁爱的特性，使达西先生所指责的诽谤可以不攻自破，至少也可以使他的优点遮盖得住他偶然的过失。她所谓他的偶然过失，都是针对达西先生所指责的连年来的懒惰和恶习而说的，可惜她就想不出他这样的一些好处来。她眨下眼睛就可以看到他出现在她面前，风采翩翩，辞令优雅，但是，除了邻里的赞赏之外，除了他用交际手腕在伙伴之间赢得的敬慕之外，她可想不起他有什么更具体的优点。她思考了好一会儿以后，又继续读信。可是天哪！接下去就读到他对达西小姐的企图，这只要想一想昨天上午她跟费茨威廉上校的谈话，不就是可以证实了吗？信上最后要她把每一个细节都问问费茨威廉上校本人，问问他是否真有其事。以前她就曾经听费茨威廉上校亲自说起过，他对他表兄达西的一切事情都极其熟悉，同时她也没有理由去怀疑费茨威廉的人格。她一度几乎下定了决心要去问他，但是问起这件事不免又要有多少别扭，想到这里，她便把这个主意暂时搁了下来。后来她又想到，如果达西拿不准他表弟的话会和他自己完全一致，那他决不会冒冒失失提出这样一个建议，于是她就干脆打消了这个主意。