"No,thatIamsureIshallnot;andIthinkitwasveryimpertinentofhimtowritetoyouatall,andveryhypocritical.Ihatesuchfalsefriends.Whycouldnothekeeponquarrellingwithyou,ashisfatherdidbeforehim?" "Why,indeed,hedoesseemtohavehadsomefilialscruplesonthathead,asyouwillhear." "Hunsford,nearWesterham,Kent, 15thOctober. DEARSIR, THEdisagreementsubsistingbetweenyourselfandmylatehonouredfatheralwaysgavememuchuneasiness,andsinceIhavehadthemisfortunetolosehimIhavefrequentlywishedtohealthebreach;butforsometimeIwaskeptbackbymyowndoubts,fearinglestitmightseemdisrespectfultohismemoryformetobeongoodtermswithanyonewithwhomithadalwayspleasedhimtobeatvariance." -- "There,Mrs.Bennet." -- "Mymindhoweverisnowmadeuponthesubject,forhavingreceivedordinationatEaster,IhavebeensofortunateastobedistinguishedbythepatronageoftheRightHonourableLadyCatherinedeBourgh,widowofSirLewisdeBourgh,whosebountyandbeneficencehaspreferredmetothevaluablerectoryofthisparish,whereitshallbemyearnestendeavourtodemeanmyselfwithgratefulrespecttowardsherLadyship,andbeeverreadytoperformthoseritesandceremonieswhichareinstitutedbytheChurchofEngland.Asaclergyman,moreover,Ifeelitmydutytopromoteandestablishtheblessingofpeaceinallfamilieswithinthereachofmyinfluence;andonthesegroundsIflattermyselfthatmypresentoverturesofgood-willarehighlycommendable,andthatthecircumstanceofmybeingnextintheentailofLongbournestatewillbekindlyoverlookedonyourside,andnotleadyoutorejecttheofferedolivebranch.Icannotbeotherwisethanconcernedatbeingthemeansofinjuringyouramiabledaughters,andbegleavetoapologiseforit,aswellastoassureyouofmyreadinesstomakethemeverypossibleamends, --butofthishereafter.Ifyoushouldhavenoobjectiontoreceivemeintoyourhouse,Iproposemyselfthesatisfactionofwaitingonyouandyourfamily,Monday,November18th,byfouro'clock,andshallprobablytrespassonyourhospitalitytilltheSaturdayse'nnightfollowing,whichIcandowithoutanyinconvenience,asLadyCatherineisfarfromobjectingtomyoccasionalabsenceonaSunday,providedthatsomeotherclergymanisengagedtodothedutyoftheday.Iremain,dearsir,withrespectfulcomplimentstoyourladyanddaughters,yourwell-wisherandfriend, WILLIAMCOLLINS." "Atfouro'clock,therefore,wemayexpectthispeacemakinggentleman,"saidMr.Bennet,ashefoldeduptheletter. "Heseemstobeamostconscientiousandpoliteyoungman,uponmyword;andIdoubtnotwillproveavaluableacquaintance,especiallyifLadyCatherineshouldbesoindulgentastolethimcometousagain." 第十三章 “不，我相信我绝对不会心软下来；我觉得他写信给你真是既没有礼貌，又非常虚伪。我恨这种虚伪的朋友。他为什么不象他的爸爸那样跟你吵得不可开交呢？” “哦，真的，他对这个问题，好象也有些为了顾全孝道，犹豫不决，且让我把信读给你们听吧： 亲爱的长者： 以前你为先父之间曾有些芥蒂，这一直使我感到不安。自先父不幸弃世以来，我常常想到要弥补这个裂痕；但我一时犹豫，没有这样做，怕的是先父生前既然对阁下唯恐仇视不及，而我今天却来与阁下修好，这未免有辱先人。──“注意听呀，我的好太太。”──不过目前我对此事已经拿定主张，因为我已在复活节那天受了圣职。多蒙故刘威斯·德·包尔公爵的孀妻咖苔琳·德·包尔夫人宠礼有加，恩惠并施，提拔我担任该教区的教士，此后可以勉尽厥诚，恭待夫人左右，奉行英国教会所规定的一切仪节，这真是拜三生不幸。况且以一个教士的身份来说，我觉得我有责任尽我之所及，使家家户户得以敦穆亲谊，促进友好。因此我自信这番好意一定会受到你的重视，而有关我继承浪博恩产权一事，你也可不必介意。并请接受我献上的这一枝橄榄枝。我这样侵犯了诸位令媛的利益，真是深感不安，万分抱歉，但请你放心，我极愿给她们一切可能的补偿，此事容待以后详谈。如果你不反对我踵门拜候，我建议于十一月十八是，星期一，四点钟前来拜谒，甚或在府上叨扰至下星期六为止。这对于我毫无不便之处，因为咖苔琳夫人决不会反对我星期日偶而离开教堂一下，只消有另一个教士主持这一天的事怀就行了。敬向尊夫人及诸位令媛致候。 你的祝福者和朋友威廉·柯林斯 十月十五日写于威斯特汉附近的肯特郡汉斯福村 “那么，四点钟的时候，这位息事宁人的先生就要来啦，”班纳特先生一边把信折好，一边说。“他倒是个很有良心、很有礼貌的青年，一定是的；我相信他一定会成为一个值得器重的朋友，只要咖苔琳夫人能够开开恩，让他以后再上我们这儿来，那更好啦。”