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第108章（第1页）

“Howwasitpossiblethatsuchanideashouldenterourbrains?Ifeltalittleuneasy—alittlefearfulofmysistershappinesswithhiminmarriage，becauseIknewthathisconducthadnotbeenalwaysquiteright。Myfatherandmotherknewnothingofthat;theyonlyfelthowimprudentamatchitmustbe。Kittythenowned，withaverynaturaltriumphonknowingmorethantherestofus，thatinLydiaslastlettershehadpreparedherforsuchastep。Shehadknown，itseems，oftheirbeinginlovewitheachother，manyweeks。”

“ButnotbeforetheywenttoBrighton?”

“No，Ibelievenot。”

“AnddidColonelForsterappeartothinkillofWickhamhimself?Doesheknowhisrealcharacter?”

“ImustconfessthathedidnotspeaksowellofWickhamasheformerlydid。Hebelievedhimtobeimprudentandextravagant。Andsincethissadaffairhastakenplace，itissaidthatheleftMerytongreatlyindebt;butIhopethismaybefalse。”

“Oh，Jane，hadwebeenlesssecret，hadwetoldwhatweknewofhim，thiscouldnothavehappened!”

“Perhapsitwouldhavebeenbetter，”repliedhersister。

“Buttoexposetheformerfaultsofanypersonwithoutknowingwhattheirpresentfeelingswere，seemedunjustifiable。Weactedwiththebestintentions。”

“CouldColonelForsterrepeattheparticularsofLydiasnotetohiswife?”

“Hebroughtitwithhimforustosee。”

Janethentookitfromherpocket-book，andgaveittoElizabeth。Thesewerethecontents:

“MYDEARHARRIET，

“YouwilllaughwhenyouknowwhereIamgone，andIcannothelplaughingmyselfatyoursurpriseto-morrowmorning，assoonasIammissed。IamgoingtoGretnaGreen，andifyoucannotguesswithwho，Ishallthinkyouasimpleton，forthereisbutonemanintheworldIlove，andheisanangel。Ishouldneverbehappywithouthim，sothinkitnoharmtobeoff。YouneednotsendthemwordatLongbournofmygoing，ifyoudonotlikeit，foritwillmakethesurprisethegreater，whenIwritetothemandsignmynameLydiaWickham。Whatagoodjokeitwillbe!Icanhardlywriteforlaughing。PraymakemyexcusestoPrattfornotkeepingmyengagement，anddancingwithhimto-night。TellhimIhopehewillexcusemewhenheknowsall;andtellhimIwilldancewithhimatthenextballwemeet，withgreatpleasure。IshallsendformyclotheswhenIgettoLongbourn;butIwishyouwouldtellSallytomendagreatslitinmyworkedmuslingownbeforetheyarepackedup。Good-bye。GivemylovetoColonelForster。Ihopeyouwilldrinktoourgoodjourney。

“Youraffectionatefriend，

“LYDIABENNET。”

“Oh!thoughtless，thoughtlessLydia!”criedElizabethwhenshehadfinishedit。“Whataletteristhis，tobewrittenatsuchamoment!Butatleastitshowsthatshewasseriousonthesubjectoftheirjourney。Whateverhemightafterwardspersuadeherto，itwasnotonhersideaschemeofinfamy。Mypoorfather!howhemusthavefeltit!”

“Ineversawanyonesoshocked。Hecouldnotspeakawordforfulltenminutes。Mymotherwastakenillimmediately，andthewholehouseinsuchconfusion!”

“Oh!Jane，”criedElizabeth，“wasthereaservantbelongingtoitwhodidnotknowthewholestorybeforetheendoftheday?”

“Idonotknow。Ihopetherewas。Buttobeguardedatsuchatimeisverydifficult。Mymotherwasinhysterics，andthoughIendeavouredtogivehereveryassistanceinmypower，IamafraidIdidnotdosomuchasImighthavedone!Butthehorrorofwhatmightpossiblyhappenalmosttookfrommemyfaculties。”

“Yourattendanceuponherhasbeentoomuchforyou。Youdonotlookwell。OhthatIhadbeenwithyou!Youhavehadeverycareandanxietyuponyourselfalone。”

“MaryandKittyhavebeenverykind，andwouldhavesharedineveryfatigue，Iamsure;butIdidnotthinkitrightforeitherofthem。Kittyisslightanddelicate;andMarystudiessomuch，thatherhoursofreposeshouldnotbebrokeninon。MyauntPhillipscametoLongbournonTuesday，aftermyfatherwentaway;andwassogoodastostaytillThursdaywithme。Shewasofgreatuseandcomforttousall。AndLadyLucashasbeenverykind;shewalkedhereonWednesdaymorningtocondolewithus，andofferedherservices，oranyofherdaughters，iftheyshouldbeofusetous。”

“Shehadbetterhavestayedathome，”criedElizabeth;“perhapsshemeantwell，but，undersuchamisfortuneasthis，onecannotseetoolittleofonesneighbours。Assistanceisimpossible;condolenceinsufferable。Letthemtriumphoverusatadistance，andbesatisfied。”

Shethenproceededtoinquireintothemeasureswhichherfatherhadintendedtopursue，whileintown，fortherecoveryofhisdaughter。

“HemeantIbelieve，”repliedJane，“togotoEpsom，theplacewheretheylastchangedhorses，seethepostilionsandtryifanythingcouldbemadeoutfromthem。HisprincipalobjectmustbetodiscoverthenumberofthehackneycoachwhichtookthemfromClapham。IthadcomewithafarefromLondon;andashethoughtthatthecircumstanceofagentlemanandladysremovingfromonecarriageintoanothermightberemarkedhemeanttomakeinquiriesatClapham。Ifhecouldanyhowdiscoveratwhathousethecoachmanhadbeforesetdownhisfare，hedeterminedtomakeinquiriesthere，andhopeditmightnotbeimpossibletofindoutthestandandnumberofthecoach。Idonotknowofanyotherdesignsthathehadformed;buthewasinsuchahurrytobegone，andhisspiritssogreatlydiscomposed，thatIhaddifficultyinfindingoutevensomuchasthis。”