Chapter23 ELIZABETHwassittingwithhermotherandsisters,reflectingonwhatshehadheard,anddoubtingwhethershewereauthorisedtomentionit,whenSirWilliamLucashimselfappeared,sentbyhisdaughtertoannounceherengagementtothefamily.Withmanycomplimentstothem,andmuchself-gratulationontheprospectofaconnectionbetweenthehouses,heunfoldedthematter, --toanaudiencenotmerelywondering,butincredulous;forMrs.Bennet,withmoreperseverancethanpoliteness,protestedhemustbeentirelymistaken,andLydia,alwaysunguardedandoftenuncivil,boisterouslyexclaimed,"GoodLord!SirWilliam,howcanyoutellsuchastory? --DonotyouknowthatMr.CollinswantstomarryLizzy?" Nothinglessthanthecomplaisanceofacourtiercouldhavebornewithoutangersuchtreatment;butSirWilliam'sgoodbreedingcarriedhimthroughitall;andthoughhebeggedleavetobepositiveastothetruthofhisinformation,helistenedtoalltheirimpertinencewiththemostforbearingcourtesy. Elizabeth,feelingitincumbentonhertorelievehimfromsounpleasantasituation,nowputherselfforwardtoconfirmhisaccount,bymentioningherpriorknowledgeofitfromCharlotteherself;andendeavouredtoputastoptotheexclamationsofhermotherandsisters,bytheearnestnessofhercongratulationstoSirWilliam,inwhichshewasreadilyjoinedbyJane,andbymakingavarietyofremarksonthehappinessthatmightbeexpectedfromthematch,theexcellentcharacterofMr.Collins,andtheconvenientdistanceofHunsfordfromLondon. Mrs.BennetwasinfacttoomuchoverpoweredtosayagreatdealwhileSirWilliamremained;butnosoonerhadheleftthemthanherfeelingsfoundarapidvent.Inthefirstplace,shepersistedindisbelievingthewholeofthematter;secondly,shewasverysurethatMr.Collinshadbeentakenin;thirdly,shetrustedthattheywouldneverbehappytogether;andfourthly,thatthematchmightbebrokenoff.Twoinferences,however,wereplainlydeducedfromthewhole;one,thatElizabethwastherealcauseofallthemischief;andtheother,thatsheherselfhadbeenbarbarouslyusedbythemall;andonthesetwopointssheprincipallydweltduringtherestoftheday.Nothingcouldconsoleandnothingappeaseher. --Nordidthatdaywearoutherresentment.AweekelapsedbeforeshecouldseeElizabethwithoutscoldingher,amonthpassedawaybeforeshecouldspeaktoSirWilliamorLadyLucaswithoutbeingrude,andmanymonthsweregonebeforeshecouldatallforgivetheirdaughter. Mr.Bennet'semotionsweremuchmoretranquilontheoccasion,andsuchashedidexperiencehepronouncedtobeofamostagreeablesort;foritgratifiedhim,hesaid,todiscoverthatCharlotteLucas,whomhehadbeenusedtothinktolerablysensible,wasasfoolishashiswife,andmorefoolishthanhisdaughter! Janeconfessedherselfalittlesurprisedatthematch;butshesaidlessofherastonishmentthanofherearnestdesirefortheirhappiness;norcouldElizabethpersuadehertoconsideritasimprobable.KittyandLydiawerefarfromenvyingMissLucas,forMr.Collinswasonlyaclergyman;anditaffectedtheminnootherwaythanasapieceofnewstospreadatMeryton. LadyLucascouldnotbeinsensibleoftriumphonbeingabletoretortonMrs.Bennetthecomfortofhavingadaughterwellmarried;andshecalledatLongbournratheroftenerthanusualtosayhowhappyshewas,thoughMrs.Bennet'ssourlooksandill-naturedremarksmighthavebeenenoughtodrivehappinessaway. BetweenElizabethandCharlottetherewasarestraintwhichkeptthemmutuallysilentonthesubject;andElizabethfeltpersuadedthatnorealconfidencecouldeversubsistbetweenthemagain.HerdisappointmentinCharlottemadeherturnwithfonderregardtohersister,ofwhoserectitudeanddelicacyshewassureheropinioncouldneverbeshaken,andforwhosehappinessshegrewdailymoreanxious,asBingleyhadnowbeengoneaweek,andnothingwasheardofhisreturn. JanehadsentCarolineanearlyanswertoherletter,andwascountingthedaystillshemightreasonablyhopetohearagain.ThepromisedletterofthanksfromMr.CollinsarrivedonTuesday,addressedtotheirfather,andwrittenwithallthesolemnityofgratitudewhichatwelvemonth'sabodeinthefamilymighthaveprompted.Afterdischarginghisconscienceonthathead,heproceededtoinformthem,withmanyrapturousexpressions,ofhishappinessinhavingobtainedtheaffectionoftheiramiableneighbour,MissLucas,andthenexplainedthatitwasmerelywiththeviewofenjoyinghersocietythathehadbeensoreadytoclosewiththeirkindwishofseeinghimagainatLongbourn,whitherhehopedtobeabletoreturnonMondayfortnight;forLadyCatherine,headded,soheartilyapprovedhismarriage,thatshewishedittotakeplaceassoonaspossible,whichhetrustedwouldbeanunanswerableargumentwithhisamiableCharlottetonameanearlydayformakinghimthehappiestofmen. 第二十三章伊丽莎白正跟母亲和姐妹坐在一起，回想刚才所听到的那件事，决不定是否可以把它告诉大家，就在这时候，威廉·卢卡斯爵士来了。他是受了女儿的拜托，前来班府上宣布她订婚的消息。他一面叙述这件事，一面又大大地恭维了太太小姐们一阵，说是两家能结上亲，他真感到荣幸。班府上的人听了，不仅感到惊异，而且不相信真有这回事。班纳特太太再也顾不得礼貌，竟一口咬定他弄错了。丽迪雅一向又任性又撒野，不由得叫道： “天哪！威廉爵士，你怎么会说出这番话来？你不知道柯林斯先生要娶丽萃吗？” 遇到这种情形，只有象朝廷大臣那样能够逆来顺受的人，才不会生气，好在威廉爵士颇有素养，竟没有把它当一回事，虽然他要求她们相信他说的是实话，可是他却使出了极大的忍耐功夫，满有礼貌地听着她们无理的谈吐。 伊丽莎白觉得自己有责任帮助他来打开这种僵局，于是挺身而出，证明他说的实话，说是刚刚已经听到夏绿蒂本人谈起过了。为了尽力使母亲和妹妹们不再大惊小怪，她便诚恳地向威廉爵士道喜，吉英马上也替她帮腔，又用种种话来说明这门婚姻是何等幸福，柯林斯先生品格又非常好，汉斯福和伦敦相隔不远往返方便。 班纳特太太在威廉爵士面前，实在气得说不出话；可是他一走，她那一肚子牢骚便马上发泄出来。第一，她坚决不相信这回事；第二，她断定柯林斯先生受了骗；第三，她相信这一对夫妇决不会幸福；第四，这门亲事可能会破裂。不过她却从整个事件上简单地得出了两个结论──一个是：这场笑话全都是伊丽莎白一手造成的；另一个是，她自己受尽了大家的欺负虐待；在那一整天里，她所谈的大都是这两点。随便怎么也安慰不了她，随便怎么也平不了她的气。直到晚上，怨愤依然没有消散。她见到伊丽莎白就骂，一直骂了一个星期之久。她同威廉爵士或卢卡斯太太说起话来，总是粗声粗气，一直过了一个月才好起来；至于夏绿蒂，她竟过了好几个月才宽恕了她。 对班纳特先生说来，这件事反而使他心情上益发洒脱，据他说，这次所经过的一切，真使他精神上舒服到极点。他说，他本以为夏绿蒂·卢卡斯相当懂事，哪知道她简直跟他太太一样蠢，比起他的女儿来就更要蠢了，他实在觉得高兴！ 吉英也承认这门婚姻有些奇怪，可是她嘴上并没说什么，反而诚恳地祝他们俩幸福。虽然伊丽莎白再三剖白给她听，她却始终以为这门婚姻未必一定不会幸福。吉蒂和丽迪雅根本不羡慕卢卡斯小姐，因为柯林斯先生不过是个传教士而已；这件事根本影响不了她们，除非把它当作一件新闻，带到麦里屯去传播一下。 再说到卢卡斯太太，她既然也有一个女儿获得了美满的姻缘，自然衷心快慰，因而也不会不想到趁此去向班纳特太太反唇相讥一下。于是她拜望浪博恩的次数比往常更加频繁，说是她如今多么高兴，不过班纳特太太满脸恶相，满口的毒话，也足够叫她扫兴的了。 伊丽莎白和夏绿蒂之间从此竟有了一层隔膜，彼此不便提到这桩事。伊丽莎白断定她们俩再也不会象从前那样推心置腹。她既然在夏绿蒂身上失望，便越发亲切地关注到自己姐姐身上来。她深信姐姐为人正直，作风优雅，她这种看法决不会动摇。她关心姐姐的幸福一天比一天来得迫切，因为彬格莱先生已经走了一个星期，却没有听到一点儿她要回来的消息。 吉英很早就给珈罗琳写了回信，现在正在数着日子，看看还得过多少天才可以又接到她的信。柯林斯先生事先答应写来的那封谢函星期二就收到了，信是写给她们父亲的，信上说了多少感激的话，看他那种过甚其辞的语气，就好象在他们府上叨光了一年似的。他在这方面表示了歉意以后，便用了多少欢天喜地的措辞，告诉他们说，他已经有幸获得他们的芳邻卢卡斯小姐的欢心了，他接着又说，为了要去看看他的心上人，他可以趁便来看看他们，免得辜负他们善意的期望，希望能在两个礼拜以后的星期一到达浪博恩；他又说，珈苔琳夫人衷心地赞成他赶快结婚，并且希望愈早愈好，他相信他那位心上人夏绿蒂决不会反对及早定出佳期，使他成为天下最幸福的人。