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第106章（第1页）

“Oh，yes!—that，thatistheworstofall。TillIwasinKent，andsawsomuchbothofMr。DarcyandhisrelationColonelFitzwilliam，Iwasignorantofthetruthmyself。AndwhenIreturnedhome，the—shirewastoleaveMerytoninaweekorfortnightstime。Asthatwasthecase，neitherJane，towhomIrelatedthewhole，norI，thoughtitnecessarytomakeourknowledgepublic;forofwhatusecoulditapparentlybetoanyone，thatthegoodopinionwhichalltheneighbourhoodhadofhimshouldthenbeoverthrown?AndevenwhenitwassettledthatLydiashouldgowithMrs。Forster，thenecessityofopeninghereyestohischaracterneveroccurredtome。Thatshecouldbeinanydangerfromthedeceptionneverenteredmyhead。Thatsuchaconsequenceasthiscouldensue，youmayeasilybelieve，wasfarenoughfrommythoughts。”

“WhentheyallremovedtoBrighton，therefore，youhadnoreason，Isuppose，tobelievethemfondofeachother?”

“Nottheslightest。Icanremembernosymptomofaffectiononeitherside;andhadanythingofthekindbeenperceptible，youmustbeawarethatoursisnotafamilyonwhichitcouldbethrownaway。Whenfirstheenteredthecorps，shewasreadyenoughtoadmirehim;butsoweallwere。EverygirlinornearMerytonwasoutofhersensesabouthimforthefirsttwomonths;butheneverdistinguishedherbyanyparticularattention;and，consequently，afteramoderateperiodofextravagantandwildadmiration，herfancyforhimgaveway，andothersoftheregiment，whotreatedherwithmoredistinction，againbecameherfavourites。”

Itmaybeeasilybelieved，thathoweverlittleofnoveltycouldbeaddedtotheirfears，hopes，andconjectures，onthisinterestingsubject，byitsrepeateddiscussion，noothercoulddetainthemfromitlong，duringthewholeofthejourney。FromElizabethsthoughtsitwasneverabsent。Fixedtherebythekeenestofallanguish，self-reproach，shecouldfindnointervalofeaseorforgetfulness。

Theytravelledasexpeditiouslyaspossible，and，sleepingonenightontheroad，reachedLongbournbydinnertimethenextday。ItwasacomforttoElizabethtoconsiderthatJanecouldnothavebeenweariedbylongexpectations。

ThelittleGardiners，attractedbythesightofachaise，werestandingonthestepsofthehouseastheyenteredthepaddock;and，whenthecarriagedroveuptothedoor，thejoyfulsurprisethatlighteduptheirfaces，anddisplayeditselfovertheirwholebodies，inavarietyofcapersandfrisks，wasthefirstpleasingearnestoftheirwelcome。

Elizabethjumpedout;and，aftergivingeachofthemahastykiss，hurriedintothevestibule，whereJane，whocamerunningdownfromhermothersapartment，immediatelymether。

Elizabeth，assheaffectionatelyembracedher，whilsttearsfilledtheeyesofboth，lostnotamomentinaskingwhetheranythinghadbeenheardofthefugitives。

“Notyet，”repliedJane。“Butnowthatmydearuncleiscome，Ihopeeverythingwillbewell。”

“Ismyfatherintown?”

“Yes，hewentonTuesday，asIwroteyouword。”

“Andhaveyouheardfromhimoften?”

“Wehaveheardonlyonce。HewrotemeafewlinesonWednesdaytosaythathehadarrivedinsafety，andtogivemehisdirections，whichIparticularlybeggedhimtodo。Hemerelyaddedthatheshouldnotwriteagaintillhehadsomethingofimportancetomention。”

“Andmymother—howisshe?Howareyouall?”

“Mymotheristolerablywell，Itrust;thoughherspiritsaregreatlyshaken。Sheisupstairsandwillhavegreatsatisfactioninseeingyouall。Shedoesnotyetleaveherdressing-room。MaryandKitty，thankHeaven，arequitewell。”

“Butyou—howareyou?”criedElizabeth。“Youlookpale。Howmuchyoumusthavegonethrough!”

Hersister，however，assuredherofherbeingperfectlywell;andtheirconversation，whichhadbeenpassingwhileMr。andMrs。Gardinerwereengagedwiththeirchildren，wasnowputanendtobytheapproachofthewholeparty。Janerantoheruncleandaunt，andwelcomedandthankedthemboth，withalternatesmilesandtears。

Whentheywereallinthedrawing-room，thequestionswhichElizabethhadalreadyaskedwereofcourserepeatedbytheothers，andtheysoonfoundthatJanehadnointelligencetogive。Thesanguinehopeofgood，however，whichthebenevolenceofherheartsuggestedhadnotyetdesertedher;shestillexpectedthatitwouldallendwell，andthateverymorningwouldbringsomeletter，eitherfromLydiaorherfather，toexplaintheirproceedings，and，perhaps，announcetheirmarriage。

Mrs。Bennet，towhoseapartmenttheyallrepaired，afterafewminutesconversationtogether，receivedthemexactlyasmightbeexpected;withtearsandlamentationsofregret，invectivesagainstthevillainousconductofWickham，andcomplaintsofherownsufferingsandill-usage;blamingeverybodybutthepersontowhoseill-judgingindulgencetheerrorsofherdaughtermustprincipallybeowing。

“IfIhadbeenable，”saidshe，“tocarrymypointingoingtoBrighton，withallmyfamily，thiswouldnothavehappened;butpoordearLydiahadnobodytotakecareofher。WhydidtheForsterseverlethergooutoftheirsight?Iamsuretherewassomegreatneglectorotherontheirside，forsheisnotthekindofgirltodosuchathingifshehadbeenwelllookedafter。Ialwaysthoughttheywereveryunfittohavethechargeofher;butIwasoverruled，asIalwaysam。Poordearchild!AndnowheresMr。Bennetgoneaway，andIknowhewillfightWickham，whereverhemeetshimandthenhewillbekilled，andwhatistobecomeofusall?TheCollinseswillturnusoutbeforeheiscoldinhisgrave，andifyouarenotkindtous，brother，Idonotknowwhatweshalldo。”

Theyallexclaimedagainstsuchterrificideas;andMr。Gardiner，aftergeneralassurancesofhisaffectionforherandallherfamily，toldherthathemeanttobeinLondontheverynextday，andwouldassistMr。BennetineveryendeavourforrecoveringLydia。