Chapter21 THEdiscussionofMr.Collins'sofferwasnownearlyatanend,andElizabethhadonlytosufferfromtheuncomfortablefeelingsnecessarilyattendingit,andoccasionallyfromsomepeevishallusionofhermother.Asforthegentlemanhimself,hisfeelingswerechieflyexpressed,notbyembarrassmentordejection,orbytryingtoavoidher,butbystiffnessofmannerandresentfulsilence.Hescarcelyeverspoketoher,andtheassiduousattentionswhichhehadbeensosensibleofhimself,weretransferredfortherestofthedaytoMissLucas,whosecivilityinlisteningtohim,wasaseasonablerelieftothemall,andespeciallytoherfriend. ThemorrowproducednoabatementofMrs.Bennet'sillhumourorillhealth.Mr.Collinswasalsointhesamestateofangrypride.Elizabethhadhopedthathisresentmentmightshortenhisvisit,buthisplandidnotappearintheleastaffectedbyit.HewasalwaystohavegoneonSaturday,andtoSaturdayhestillmeanttostay. Afterbreakfast,thegirlswalkedtoMeryton,toinquireifMr.Wickhamwerereturned,andtolamentoverhisabsencefromtheNetherfieldball.Hejoinedthemontheirenteringthetownandattendedthemtotheiraunt's,wherehisregretandvexation,andtheconcernofeverybodywaswelltalkedover. --ToElizabeth,however,hevoluntarilyacknowledgedthatthenecessityofhisabsencehadbeenselfimposed. "Ifound,"saidhe, "asthetimedrewnear,thatIhadbetternotmeetMr.Darcy; --thattobeinthesameroom,thesamepartywithhimforsomanyhourstogether,mightbemorethanIcouldbear,andthatscenesmightariseunpleasanttomorethanmyself." Shehighlyapprovedhisforbearance,andtheyhadleisureforafulldiscussionofit,andforallthecommendationwhichtheycivillybestowedoneachother,asWickhamandanotherofficerwalkedbackwiththemtoLongbourn,andduringthewalkheparticularlyattendedtoher.Hisaccompanyingthemwasadoubleadvantage;shefeltallthecomplimentitofferedtoherself,anditwasmostacceptableasanoccasionofintroducinghimtoherfatherandmother. Soonaftertheirreturn,aletterwasdeliveredtoMissBennet;itcamefromNetherfield,andwasopenedimmediately.Theenvelopecontainedasheetofelegant,little,hot-pressedpaper,wellcoveredwithalady'sfair,flowinghand;andElizabethsawhersister'scountenancechangeasshereadit,andsawherdwellingintentlyonsomeparticularpassages.Janerecollectedherselfsoon,andputtingtheletteraway,triedtojoinwithherusualcheerfulnessinthegeneralconversation;butElizabethfeltananxietyonthesubjectwhichdrewoffherattentionevenfromWickham;andnosoonerhadheandhiscompaniontakenleave,thanaglancefromJaneinvitedhertofollowherupstairs.Whentheyhadgainedtheirownroom,Janetakingouttheletter,said, "ThisisfromCarolineBingley;whatitcontains,hassurprisedmeagooddeal.ThewholepartyhaveleftNetherfieldbythistime,andareontheirwaytotown;andwithoutanyintentionofcomingbackagain.Youshouldhearwhatshesays.“ 关于柯林斯先生求婚问题的，讨论差不多就要结束了，现在伊丽莎白只感到一种照例难免的的不愉快，有时候还要听她母亲埋怨一两声。说到那位先生本人，他可并不显得意气沮丧，也没有表现出要回避她的样子，只是气愤愤地板着脸，默然无声。他简直不跟她说话，他本来的那一股热情，到下半天都转移到卢卡斯小姐身上去了。卢小姐满有礼貌地听着他说话，这叫大家都松了口气，特别是她的朋友。 班纳特太太直到第二天还是同样不高兴，身体也没有复元。柯林斯先生也还是那样又气愤又傲慢的样子。伊丽莎白原以为他这样一气，就会早日离开此地，谁知道他决不因此而改变原来的计划，他讲她要到星期六才走，便决定要待到星期六。 吃过早饭，小姐们上麦里屯去打听韦翰先生回来了没有，同时为了他没有参加尼日斐花园的舞会而去向他表示惋惜。她们一走到镇上就遇见了他，于是他陪着小姐们上她们姨妈家里去，他在那儿把他的歉意，他的烦恼，以及他对于每个人的关注，谈了个畅快。不过他却在伊丽莎白面前自动说明，那次舞会是他自己不愿意去参加。 他说：“当时日期一天天迫近，我心里想，还是不要碰见达西先生的好；我觉得要同他在同一间屋子里，在同一个舞会上，待上好几个钟头，那会叫我受不了，而且可能会闹出些笑话来，弄得彼此都不开心。” 她非常赞美他的涵养功夫。当韦翰和另一位军官跟她们一块儿回浪博恩来的时候，一路上他特别照顾她，因此他们有充分的空暇来讨论这个问题，而且还客客气气地彼此恭维了一阵。他所以要伴送她们，是为了两大利益；一来可以让她高兴高兴，二来可以利用这个大好机会，去认识认识她的双亲。 她们刚回到家里，班纳特小姐就接到一封从尼日斐花园寄来的信。信立刻拆开了，里面装着一张小巧、精致、熨烫得很平滑的信笺，字迹是出自一位小姐的娟秀流利的手笔。伊丽莎白看到姐姐读信时变了脸色，又看到她全神贯注在某几段上面。顷该之间，吉英又镇静了下来，把信放在一旁，象平常一样，高高兴兴地跟大家一起聊天；可是伊丽莎白仍然为这件事焦急，因此对韦翰也分心了。韦翰和他的同伴一走，吉英便对她做了个眼色，叫她跟上楼去。一到了她们自己房里，吉英就拿出信来，说道：“这是另罗琳·彬格莱写来的，信上的话真叫我大吃一惊。她们一家人现在已经离开尼日斐花园上城里去了，再也不打算回来了。你看看她怎么说的吧。”