...Icannotbutwonder,however,atherhavinganysuchfearsnow,because,ifhehadatallcaredaboutme,wemusthavemetlong,longago.Heknowsofmybeingintown,Iamcertain,fromsomethingshesaidherself;andyetitshouldseembyhermanneroftalking,asifshewantedtopersuadeherselfthatheisreallypartialtoMissDarcy.Icannotunderstandit.IfIwerenotafraidofjudgingharshly,Ishouldbealmosttemptedtosaythatthereisastrongappearanceofduplicityinallthis.ButIwillendeavourtobanisheverypainfulthought,andthinkonlyofwhatwillmakemehappy:youraffection,andtheinvariablekindnessofmydearuncleandaunt.Letmehearfromyouverysoon.MissBingleysaidsomethingofhisneverreturningtoNetherfieldagain,ofgivingupthehouse,butnotwithanycertainty.Wehadbetternotmentionit.IamextremelygladthatyouhavesuchpleasantaccountsfromourfriendsatHunsford.Praygotoseethem,withSirWilliamandMaria.Iamsureyouwillbeverycomfortablethere. Your's,etc." ThislettergaveElizabethsomepain;butherspiritsreturnedassheconsideredthatJanewouldnolongerbeduped,bythesisteratleast.Allexpectationfromthebrotherwasnowabsolutelyover.Shewouldnotevenwishforanyrenewalofhisattentions.Hischaractersunkoneveryreviewofit;andasapunishmentforhim,aswellasapossibleadvantagetoJane,sheseriouslyhopedhemightreallysoonmarryMr.Darcy'ssister,as,byWickham'saccount,shewouldmakehimabundantlyregretwhathehadthrownaway. Mrs.GardineraboutthistimeremindedElizabethofherpromiseconcerningthatgentleman,andrequiredinformation;andElizabethhadsuchtosendasmightrathergivecontentmenttoherauntthantoherself.Hisapparentpartialityhadsubsided,hisattentionswereover,hewastheadmirerofsomeoneelse.Elizabethwaswatchfulenoughtoseeitall,butshecouldseeitandwriteofitwithoutmaterialpain.Herhearthadbeenbutslightlytouched,andhervanitywassatisfiedwithbelievingthatshewouldhavebeenhisonlychoice,hadfortunepermittedit.Thesuddenacquisitionoftenthousandpoundswasthemostremarkablecharmoftheyoungladytowhomhewasnowrenderinghimselfagreeable;butElizabeth,lessclear-sightedperhapsinhiscasethaninCharlotte's,didnotquarrelwithhimforhiswishofindependence.Nothing,onthecontrary,couldbemorenatural;andwhileabletosupposethatitcosthimafewstrugglestorelinquishher,shewasreadytoallowitawiseanddesirablemeasureforboth,andcouldverysincerelywishhimhappy. AllthiswasacknowledgedtoMrs.Gardiner;andafterrelatingthecircumstances,shethuswenton: -- "Iamnowconvinced,mydearaunt,thatIhaveneverbeenmuchinlove;forhadIreallyexperiencedthatpureandelevatingpassion,Ishouldatpresentdetesthisveryname,andwishhimallmannerofevil.Butmyfeelingsarenotonlycordialtowardshim;theyareevenimpartialtowardsMissKing.IcannotfindoutthatIhateheratall,orthatIamintheleastunwillingtothinkheraverygoodsortofgirl.Therecanbenoloveinallthis.Mywatchfulnesshasbeeneffectual;andthoughIshouldcertainlybeamoreinterestingobjecttoallmyacquaintance,wereIdistractedlyinlovewithhim,IcannotsaythatIregretmycomparativeinsignificance.Importancemaysometimesbepurchasedtoodearly.KittyandLydiatakehisdefectionmuchmoretoheartthanIdo.Theyareyounginthewaysoftheworld,andnotyetopentothemortifyingconvictionthathandsomeyoungmenmusthavesomethingtoliveon,aswellastheplain." 不过，我简直不懂她现在还要有什么顾虑，要是他当真有心于我，我们早就会见面了。听她口气，我肯定他是知道我在伦敦的；然而从她谈话的态度看来，就好象她拿稳他是真的倾心于达西小姐似的。这真使我弄不明白。要是我大胆地下一句刻薄的断语，我真忍不住要说，其中一定大有蹊跷。可是我一定会竭力打消一切苦痛的念头，只去想一些能使我高兴的事───譬如想想你的亲切以及亲爱的舅父母对我始终如一的关切。希望很快就收到你的信。彬格莱小姐说起他再也不会回到尼日斐花园来，说他打算放弃那幢房子，可是说得并不怎么肯定。我们最好不必再提起这件事。你从汉斯福我们那些朋友那儿听到了许多令人愉快的事，这使我很高兴。请你跟威廉爵士和玛丽亚一块儿去看看他们吧。我相信你在那里一定会过得很舒适的。──你的…… 这封信使伊丽莎白感到有些难受；不过，一想到吉英从此不会再受到他们的欺蒙，至少不会再受到那个妹妹的欺蒙，她又高兴起来了。她现在已经放弃了对那位兄弟的一切期望。她甚至根本不希望他再来重修旧好。她越想越看不起他；她倒真的希望他早日跟达西先生的妹妹结婚，因为照韦翰说来，那位小姐往后一定会叫他后悔，悔当初不该把本来的意中人丢了，这一方面算是给他一种惩罚，另方面也可能有利于吉英。 大约就在这时候，嘉丁纳太太把上次伊丽莎白答应过怎样对待韦翰的事，又向伊丽莎白提醒了一下，并且问起最近的情况如何；伊丽莎白回信上所说的话，虽然自己颇不满意，可是舅母听了却很满意。原来他对她显著的好感已经消失，他对她的殷勤也已经过去──他爱上了别人了。伊丽莎白很留心地看出了这一切，可是她虽然看出了这一切，在信上也写到这一切，却并没有感到什么痛苦，她只不过稍许有些感触。她想，如果她有些财产，早就成为他唯一的意中人了──想到这里，她的虚荣心也就得到了满足。拿他现在所倾倒的那位姑娘来说，她的最显著的魅力就是使他可以获得一万金镑的意外巨款；可是伊丽莎白对自己这件事，也许不如上次对夏绿蒂的事那么看得清楚，因此并没有因为他追求物质享受而怨怪他。她反而以为这是再自然不过的事；她也想象到他遗弃她一定颇费踌躇，可又觉得这对于双方都是一种既聪明而又理想的办法，并且诚心诚意地祝他幸福。她把这一切都对嘉丁纳太太说了。叙述了这些事以后，她接下去这样写道：“亲爱的舅母，我现在深深相信，我根本没有怎样爱他，假如我当真有了这种纯洁而崇高的感情，那我现在一听到他的名字都会觉得讨厌，而且巴不得他倒尽了霉。可是我情绪上不仅对他没有一些芥蒂，甚至对金小姐也毫无成见。我根本不觉得恨她，并且极其愿意把她看作一个很好的姑娘。这桩事完全算不上恋爱。我的小心提防并不是枉然的；要是我狂恋着他，亲友们就一定会把我看作一个更有趣的话柄了，我决不因为人家不十分器重我而竟会感到遗憾。太受人器重有时候需要付出很大的代价。吉蒂和丽迪雅对他的缺点计较得比我厉害。她们在人情世故方面还幼稚得很，还不懂得这样一个有失体统的信条：美少年和凡夫俗子一样，也得不饭吃，有衣穿。”