Chapter13 "Thereissomesenseinwhathesaysaboutthegirlshowever;andifheisdisposedtomakethemanyamends,Ishallnotbethepersontodiscouragehim." "Thoughitisdifficult,"saidJane, "toguessinwhatwayhecanmeantomakeustheatonementhethinksourdue,thewishiscertainlytohiscredit." ElizabethwaschieflystruckwithhisextraordinarydeferenceforLadyCatherine,andhiskindintentionofchristening,marrying,andburyinghisparishionerswheneveritwererequired. "Hemustbeanoddity,Ithink,"saidshe. "Icannotmakehimout. --Thereissomethingverypompousinhisstile. --Andwhatcanhemeanbyapologizingforbeingnextintheentail? --Wecannotsupposehewouldhelpit,ifhecould. --Canhebeasensibleman,sir?" "No,mydear;Ithinknot.Ihavegreathopesoffindinghimquitethereverse.Thereisamixtureofservilityandself-importanceinhisletter,whichpromiseswell.Iamimpatienttoseehim." "Inpointofcomposition,"saidMary, "hisletterdoesnotseemdefective.Theideaoftheolivebranchperhapsisnotwhollynew,yetIthinkitiswellexpressed." ToCatherineandLydia,neithertheletternoritswriterwereinanydegreeinteresting.Itwasnexttoimpossiblethattheircousinshouldcomeinascarletcoat,anditwasnowsomeweekssincetheyhadreceivedpleasurefromthesocietyofamaninanyothercolour.Asfortheirmother,Mr.Collins'sletterhaddoneawaymuchofherill-will,andshewaspreparingtoseehimwithadegreeofcomposurewhichastonishedherhusbandanddaughters. Mr.Collinswaspunctualtohistime,andwasreceivedwithgreatpolitenessbythewholefamily.Mr.Bennet,indeed,saidlittle;buttheladieswerereadyenoughtotalk,andMr.Collinsseemedneitherinneedofencouragement,norinclinedtobesilenthimself.Hewasatall,heavylookingyoungmanoffiveandtwenty.Hisairwasgraveandstately,andhismannerswereveryformal.HehadnotbeenlongseatedbeforehecomplimentedMrs.Bennetonhavingsofineafamilyofdaughters,saidhehadheardmuchoftheirbeauty,butthat,inthisinstance,famehadfallenshortofthetruth;andadded,thathedidnotdoubtherseeingthemallinduetimewelldisposedofinmarriage.Thisgallantrywasnotmuchtothetasteofsomeofhishearers,butMrs.Bennetwhoquarrelledwithnocompliments,answeredmostreadily, "Youareverykind,sir,Iamsure;andIwishwithallmyheartitmayproveso;forelsetheywillbedestituteenough.Thingsaresettledsooddly." "Youallude,perhaps,totheentailofthisestate." "Ah!sir,Idoindeed.Itisagrievousaffairtomypoorgirls,youmustconfess.NotthatImeantofindfaultwithyou,forsuchthings,Iknow,areallchanceinthisworld.Thereisnoknowinghowestateswillgowhenoncetheycometobeentailed." "Iamverysensible,madam,ofthehardshiptomyfaircousins, --andcouldsaymuchonthesubject,butthatIamcautiousofappearingforwardandprecipitate.ButIcanassuretheyoungladiesthatIcomepreparedtoadmirethem.AtpresentIwillnotsaymore,butperhapswhenwearebetteracquainted--" Hewasinterruptedbyasummonstodinner;andthegirlssmiledoneachother.TheywerenottheonlyobjectsofMr.Collins'sadmiration.Thehall,thedining-room,andallitsfurniturewereexaminedandpraised;andhiscommendationofeverythingwouldhavetouchedMrs.Bennet'sheart,butforthemortifyingsuppositionofhisviewingitallashisownfutureproperty.Thedinnertoo,initsturn,washighlyadmired;andhebeggedtoknowtowhichofhisfaircousins,theexcellenceofitscookerywasowing.ButherehewassetrightbyMrs.Bennet,whoassuredhimwithsomeasperitythattheywereverywellabletokeepagoodcook,andthatherdaughtershadnothingtodointhekitchen.Hebeggedpardonforhavingdispleasedher.Inasoftenedtoneshedeclaredherselfnotatalloffended;buthecontinuedtoapologiseforaboutaquarterofanhour. “他讲到我们女儿们的那几句话，倒还说得不错；要是他果真打算设法补偿，我倒不反对。” 吉英说：“他说要给我们补偿，我们虽然猜不出他究竟是什么意思，可是他这一片好意也的确难得。” 伊丽莎白听到他对咖苔琳夫人尊敬得那么出奇，而且他竟那么好心好意，随时替他自己教区里的居民行洗礼，主持婚礼和丧礼，不觉大为吃惊。 “我看他一定是个古怪人，”她说。“我真弄不懂他。他的文笔似乎有些浮夸。他所谓因为继承了我们的产权而感到万分抱歉，这话是什么意思呢？即使这件事可以取消，我们也不要以为他就肯取消，他是个头脑清楚的人吗，爸爸？” “不，宝贝，我想他不会是的。我完全认为他是恰恰相反。从他信里那种既谦卑又自大的口气上就可以看得出来。我倒真想见见他。” 曼丽说：“就文章而论，他的信倒好象写得没有什么毛病。橄榄枝这种说法虽然并不新颖，可是我觉得用得倒很恰当。” 在咖苔琳和丽迪雅看来，无论是那封信也好，写信的人也好，都没有一点儿意思。反正她们觉得她们的表兄绝不会穿着“红制服”来，而这几个星期以来，穿其他任何颜色的衣服的人，她们都不乐意结交。至于她们的母亲，原来的一般怨气已经被柯林斯先生一封信打消了不少，她倒准备相当平心静气地会见他，这使得她的丈夫和女儿们都觉得非常奇怪。 柯林斯先生准时来了，全家都非常客气地接待他，班纳特先生简直没有说什么话；可是太太和几位小姐都十分愿意畅谈一下，而柯林斯先生本人好象既不需要人家鼓励他多说话，也不打算不说话。他是个二十五岁的青年，高高的个儿，望上去很肥胖，他的气派端庄而堂皇，又很拘泥礼节。他刚一坐下来就恭维班纳特太太福气好，养了这么多好女儿，他说，早就听到人们对她们美貌赞扬备至，今天一见面，才知道她们的美貌远远超过了她们的名声；他又说，他相信小姐们到时候都会结下美满良缘。他这些奉承话，人家真不大爱听，只有班纳特太太，没有哪句恭维话听不下去，于是极其干脆地回答道： “我相信你是个好心肠的人，先生；我一心希望能如你的金口，否则她们就不堪设想了。事情实在摆布得太古怪啦。” “你大概是说产业的继承权问题吧。” “唉，先生，我的确是说到这方面。你得承认，这对于我可怜的女儿们真是件不幸的事。我并不想怪你，因为我也知道，世界上这一类的事完全靠命运。一个人的产业一旦要限定继承人，那你就无从知道它会落到谁的手里去。” “太太，我深深知道，这件事苦了表妹们，我在这个问题上有很多意见，一时却不敢莽撞冒失。可是我可以向年轻的小姐们保证，我上这儿来，就是为了要向她们表示我的敬慕。目前我也不打算多说，或许等到将来我们相处得更熟一些的时候──” 主人家请他吃午饭了，于是他的话不得不被打断。小姐们彼此相视而笑。柯林斯先生所爱慕的才不光光是她们呢。他把客厅、饭厅、以及屋子里所有的家具，都仔细看了一遍，赞美了一番。班纳特太太本当听到他赞美一句，心里就得意一阵，怎奈她也想到，他原来是把这些东西都看作他自己未来的财产，因此她又非常难受。连一顿午饭也蒙他称赏不置，他请求主人告诉他，究竟是哪位表妹烧得这一手好菜。班纳特太太听到他这句话，不禁把他指责了一番。她相当不客气地跟他说，她们家里现在还雇得起一个象样的厨子，根本用不到女儿们过问厨房里的事。他请求她原谅，不要见怪。于是她用柔和的声调说，她根本没有怪他，可是他却接接连连地道歉了一刻钟之久。