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嘉丁纳夫妇和吉英刚刚离开了哈德福郡,柯林斯先生就回到哈福德郡去。他住在卢卡斯府上,因此班纳特太太不但终于死了心,认为这门亲事是免不了的,甚至还几次三番恶意地说:“但愿他们会幸福吧。”星期四就是佳期,卢卡斯小姐星期三到班府上来辞行。当夏绿蒂起身告别的时候,伊丽莎白一方面由于母亲那些死样怪气的吉利话,使她听得不好意思,另一方面自己也委实有动无衷,便不由得送她走出房门。下楼梯的时候,夏绿蒂说: "I shall depend on hearing from you very often, Eliza." “我相信你一定会常常给我写信的,伊丽莎。” "That you certainly shall." “这你放心好啦。” "And I have another favour to ask. Will you come and see me?" “我还要你赏个脸。你愿意来看看我吗?” "We shall often meet, I hope, in Hertfordshire." “我希望我们能够常常在哈福德郡见面。” 
“我可能暂时不会离开肯特郡。还是答应我上汉斯福来吧。” Elizabeth could not refuse, though she foresaw little pleasure in the visit. 伊丽莎白虽然预料到这种拜望不会有什么乐趣,可又没法推辞。 "My father and Maria are to come to me in March," added Charlotte, "and I hope you will consent to be of the party. Indeed, Eliza, you will be as welcome to me as either of them." 夏绿蒂又说:“我的父母三月里要到我那儿去,我希望你跟他们一块儿来。真的,伊丽莎,我一定象欢迎他们一样地欢迎你。” The wedding took place; the bride and bridegroom set off for Kent from the church door, and every body had as much to say or to hear on the subject as usual. Elizabeth soon heard from her friend; and their correspondence was as regular and frequent as it had ever been; that it should be equally unreserved was impossible. Elizabeth could never address her without feeling that all the comfort of intimacy was over, and, though determined not to slacken as a correspondent, it was for the sake of what had been, rather than what was. Charlotte's first letters were received with a good deal of eagerness; there could not but be curiosity to know how she would speak of her new home, how she would like Lady Catherine, and how happy she would dare pronounce herself to be; though, when the letters were read, Elizabeth felt that Charlotte expressed herself on every point exactly as she might have foreseen. She wrote cheerfully, seemed surrounded with comforts, and mentioned nothing which she could not praise. The house, furniture, neighbourhood, and roads, were all to her taste, and Lady Catherine's behaviour was most friendly and obliging. It was Mr. Collins's picture of Hunsford and Rosings rationally softened; and Elizabeth perceived that she must wait for her own visit there, to know the rest. 结好了婚,新郎新娘从教堂门口直接动身往肯特郡去,大家总是照例你一句我一句的要说上多少话。伊丽莎白不久就收到了她朋友的来信,从此她们俩的通信便极其正常,极其频繁!不过,要象从前一样地畅所欲言,毫无顾忌,那可办不到了。伊丽莎白每逢写信给她,都免不了感觉到过去那种推心置腹的快慰已经成为陈迹;虽说她也下定决心,不要把通信疏懒下来,不过,那与其说是为了目前的友谊,倒不如说是为了过去的交情。她对于夏绿蒂开头的几封信都盼望得很迫切,那完全是出于一种好奇心,想要知道夏绿蒂所说的话,处处都和她自己所预料的完全一样。她的信写得充满了愉快的情调,讲到一件事总要赞美一句,好象她真有说不尽的快慰。凡是住宅、家具、邻居、道路,样样都叫她称心,咖苔琳夫人待人接物又是那么友善,那么亲切。她只不过把柯林斯先生所夸耀的汉斯福和罗新斯的面貌,稍许说得委婉一些罢了;伊丽莎白觉得,一定要等到亲自去那儿拜访,才能了解底蕴 。 Jane had already written a few lines to her sister to announce their safe arrival in London; and when she wrote again, Elizabeth hoped it would be in her power to say something of the Bingleys. 吉英早已来了一封短简给伊丽莎白,信上说,她已经平安抵达伦敦;伊丽莎白希望她下次来信能够讲一些有关彬格莱家的事。 
第二封信真等得她焦急,可是总算没有白等。信上说,她已经进城一个星期,既没有看见珈罗琳,也没有收到珈罗琳的信。她只得认为她上次从浪搏恩给珈罗琳的那封信,一定是在路上失落了。 "My aunt," she continued, "is going to-morrow into that part of the town, and I shall take the opportunity of calling in Grosvenor-street." 她接下去写:“明天舅母要上那个地区去,我想趁这个机会到格鲁斯汶纳街去登门拜访一下。” She wrote again when the visit was paid, and she had seen Miss Bingley. "I did not think Caroline in spirits," were her words, "but she was very glad to see me, and reproached me for giving her no notice of my coming to London. I was right, therefore; my last letter had never reached her. I enquired after their brother, of course. He was well, but so much engaged with Mr. Darcy, that they scarcely ever saw him. I found that Miss Darcy was expected to dinner. I wish I could see her. My visit was not long, as Caroline and Mrs. Hurst were going out. I dare say I shall soon see them here." 吉英拜访过彬格莱小姐并且和她见过面以后,又写了一封信来。她写道:“我觉得珈罗琳精神不大好,可是她见到我却很高兴,而且怪我这次到伦敦来为什么事先不通知她一下。我果然没有猜错,我上次给她那封信,她真的没有收到。我当然问起她们的兄弟。据说他近况很好,不过同达西先生过从太密,以致姐妹兄弟很少机会见面。我这一次拜望的时间并不太久,因为珈罗琳和赫斯脱太太都要出去。也许她们马上就会上我这儿来看我。” Elizabeth shook her head over this letter. It convinced her that accident only could discover to Mr. Bingley her sister's being in town. 伊丽莎白读着这封信,不由得摇头。她,相信除非有什么偶然的机会,彬格莱先生决不会知道吉英来到了伦敦。 Four weeks passed away, and Jane saw nothing of him. She endeavoured to persuade herself that she did not regret it; but she could no longer be blind to Miss Bingley's inattention. After waiting at home every morning for a fortnight, and inventing every evening a fresh excuse for her, the visitor did at last appear; but the shortness of her stay, and yet more, the alteration of her manner, would allow Jane to deceive herself no longer. The letter which she wrote on this occasion to her sister, will prove what she felt. 四个星期过去了,吉英还没有见到彬格莱先生的影子。她竭力宽慰自己说,她并没有因此而觉得难受;可是彬格莱小姐的冷淡无情,她到底看明白了。她每天上午都在家里等彬格莱小姐,一直白等了两个星期,每天晚上都替彬格莱小姐编造一个借口,最后那位贵客才算上门来了,可是只待了片刻工夫便告辞而去,而且她的态度也前后判若两人,吉英觉得再不能自己骗自己了。她把这一次的情形写了封信告诉她妹妹,从这封信里可以看出她当时的心情: 
──我最最亲爱的丽萃妹妹:现在我不得不承认,彬格莱小姐对我的关注完全是骗我的。我相信你的见解比我高明,而且你看到我伤心,还会引为得意。亲爱的妹妹,虽然如今事实已经证明你的看法是对的,可是,我如果从她过去的态度来看,我依旧认为,我对她的信任以及你对她的怀疑,同样都是合情合理,请你不要以为我固执。我到现在还不明白她从前为什么要跟我要好;如果再有同样的情况发生,我相信我还会受到欺骗。珈罗琳一直到昨天才来看我,她未来以前不曾给我片纸只字的讯息,既来之后又显出十分不乐意的样子。她只是照例敷衍了我一句,,说是没有早日来看我,很是抱歉,此外根本就没有提起她想要再见见我的话。她在种种方面都前后判若两人,因此,当她临走的时候,我就下定决心和她断绝来往,虽说我禁不住要怪她,可是我又可怜她。只怪她当初不该对我另眼看待;我可以问心无愧地说,我和她交情都是由她主动一步一步进展起来的。可是我可怜她,因为她一定会感觉到自己做错了,我断定她所以采取这种态度,完全是由于为她哥哥担心的缘故。我用不着为自己再解释下去了。虽然我们知道这种担心完全不必要,不过,倘若她当真这样担心,那就足以说明她为什么要这样对待我了。既然他确实值得他妹妹珍惜,那么,不管她替他担的是什么忧,那也是合情合理,亲切可喜。不过,我简直不懂她现在还要有什么顾虑,要是他当真有心于我,我们早就会见面了。听她口气,我肯定他是知道我在伦敦的;然而从她谈话的态度看来,就好象她拿稳他是真的倾心于达西小姐似的。这真叫我弄不明白。要是我大胆地下一句刻薄的断语,我真忍不住要说,其中一定大有蹊跷。可是我一定会竭力打消一切苦痛的念头,只去想一些能使我高兴的事───譬如想想你的亲切以及亲爱的舅父母对我始终如一的关切。希望很快就收到你的信。彬格莱小姐说起他再也不会回到尼日斐花园来,说他打算放弃那幢房子,可是说得并不怎么肯定。我们最好不必再提起这件事。你从汉斯福我们那些朋友那儿听到了许多令人愉快的事,这使我很高兴。请你跟威廉爵士和玛丽亚一块儿去看看他们吧。我相信你在那里一定会过得很舒适的。 Your's, &c." ──你的···
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