456小说网>傲慢与偏见 > 第141章（第1页）
第141章（第1页）
Elizabethsspiritssoonrisingtoplayfulnessagain，shewantedMr。Darcytoaccountforhishavingeverfalleninlovewithher。“Howcouldyoubegin?”saidshe。“Icancomprehendyourgoingoncharmingly，whenyouhadoncemadeabeginning;butwhatcouldsetyouoffinthefirstplace?”
“Icannotfixonthehour，orthespot，orthelook，orthewords，whichlaidthefoundation。Itistoolongago。IwasinthemiddlebeforeIknewthatIhadbegun。”
“Mybeautyyouhadearlywithstood，andasformymanners—mybehaviourtoyouwasatleastalwaysborderingontheuncivil，andIneverspoketoyouwithoutratherwishingtogiveyoupainthannot。Nowbesincere;didyouadmiremeformyimpertinence?”
“Forthelivelinessofyourmind，Idid。”
“Youmayaswellcallitimpertinenceatonce。Itwasverylittleless。Thefactis，thatyouweresickofcivility，ofdeference，ofofficiousattention。Youweredisgustedwiththewomenwhowerealwaysspeaking，andlooking，andthinkingforyourapprobationalone。Iroused，andinterestedyou，becauseIwassounlikethem。Hadyounotbeenreallyamiable，youwouldhavehatedmeforit;butinspiteofthepainsyoutooktodisguiseyourself，yourfeelingswerealwaysnobleandjust;andinyourheart，youthoroughlydespisedthepersonswhosoassiduouslycourtedyou。There—Ihavesavedyouthetroubleofaccountingforit;andreally，allthingsconsidered，Ibegintothinkitperfectlyreasonable。Tobesure，youknewnoactualgoodofme—butnobodythinksofthatwhentheyfallinlove。”
“WastherenogoodinyouraffectionatebehaviourtoJanewhileshewasillatNetherfield?”
“DearestJane!whocouldhavedonelessforher?Butmakeavirtueofitbyallmeans。Mygoodqualitiesareunderyourprotection，andyouaretoexaggeratethemasmuchaspossible;and，inreturn，itbelongstometofindoccasionsforteasingandquarrellingwithyouasoftenasmaybe;andIshallbegindirectlybyaskingyouwhatmadeyousounwillingtocometothepointatlast?Whatmadeyousoshyofme，whenyoufirstcalled，andafterwardsdinedhere?Why，especially，whenyoucalled，didyoulookasifyoudidnotcareaboutme?”
“Becauseyouweregraveandsilent，andgavemenoencouragement。”
“ButIwasembarrassed。”
“AndsowasI。”
“Youmighthavetalkedtomemorewhenyoucametodinner。”
“Amanwhohadfeltless，might。”
“Howunluckythatyoushouldhaveareasonableanswertogive，andthatIshouldbesoreasonableastoadmitit!ButIwonderhowlongyouwouldhavegoneon，ifyouhadbeenlefttoyourself。Iwonderwhenyouwouldhavespoken，ifIhadnotaskedyou!MyresolutionofthankingyouforyourkindnesstoLydiahadcertainlygreateffect。Toomuch，Iamafraid;forwhatbecomesofthemoral，ifourcomfortspringsfromabreachofpromise?forIoughtnottohavementionedthesubject。Thiswillneverdo。”
“Youneednotdistressyourself。Themoralwillbeperfectlyfair。LadyCatherinesunjustifiableendeavourstoseparateuswerethemeansofremovingallmydoubts。Iamnotindebtedformypresenthappinesstoyoureagerdesireofexpressingyourgratitude。Iwasnotinahumourtowaitforanyopeningofyours。Myauntsintelligencehadgivenmehope，andIwasdeterminedatoncetoknoweverything。”
“LadyCatherinehasbeenofinfiniteuse，whichoughttomakeherhappy，forshelovestobeofuse。Buttellme，whatdidyoucomedowntoNetherfieldfor?WasitmerelytoridetoLongbournandbeembarrassed?orhadyouintendedanymoreseriousconsequence?”
“Myrealpurposewastoseeyou，andtojudge，ifIcould，whetherImighteverhopetomakeyouloveme。Myavowedone，orwhatIavowedtomyself，wastoseewhetheryoursisterwerestillpartialtoBingley，andifshewere，tomaketheconfessiontohimwhichIhavesincemade。”
“ShallyoueverhavecouragetoannouncetoLadyCatherinewhatistobefallher?”
“Iammorelikelytowantmoretimethancourage，Elizabeth。Butitoughttobedone，andifyouwillgivemeasheetofpaper，itshallbedonedirectly。”
“AndifIhadnotalettertowritemyself，Imightsitbyyouandadmiretheevennessofyourwriting，asanotheryoungladyoncedid。ButIhaveanaunt，too，whomustnotbelongerneglected。”
FromanunwillingnesstoconfesshowmuchherintimacywithMr。Darcyhadbeenover-rated，ElizabethhadneveryetansweredMrs。Gardinerslongletter;butnow，havingthattocommunicatewhichsheknewwouldbemostwelcome，shewasalmostashamedtofindthatheruncleandaunthadalreadylostthreedaysofhappiness，andimmediatelywroteasfollows:
“Iwouldhavethankedyoubefore，mydearaunt，asIoughttohavedone，foryourlong，kind，satisfactory，detailofparticulars;buttosaythetruth，Iwastoocrosstowrite。Yousupposedmorethanreallyexisted。Butnowsupposeasmuchasyouchoose;givealoosereintoyourfancy，indulgeyourimaginationineverypossibleflightwhichthesubjectwillafford，andunlessyoubelievemeactuallymarried，youcannotgreatlyerr。Youmustwriteagainverysoon，andpraisehimagreatdealmorethanyoudidinyourlast。Ithankyou，againandagain，fornotgoingtotheLakes。HowcouldIbesosillyastowishit!Yourideaoftheponiesisdelightful。WewillgoroundtheParkeveryday。Iamthehappiestcreatureintheworld。Perhapsotherpeoplehavesaidsobefore，butnoonewithsuchjustice。IamhappiereventhanJane;sheonlysmiles，Ilaugh。Mr。Darcysendsyoualltheloveintheworldthathecansparefromme。YouarealltocometoPemberleyatChristmas。Yours，etc。”
Mr。DarcyslettertoLadyCatherinewasinadifferentstyle;andstilldifferentfromeitherwaswhatMr。BennetsenttoMr。Collins，inreplytohislast。
“DearSir，
“Imusttroubleyouoncemoreforcongratulations。ElizabethwillsoonbethewifeofMr。Darcy。ConsoleLadyCatherineaswellasyoucan。But，ifIwereyou，Iwouldstandbythenephew。Hehasmoretogive。
“Yourssincerely，etc。”
