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第138章（第1页）

“MydearLizzy，wherecanyouhavebeenwalkingto?”

wasaquestionwhichElizabethreceivedfromJaneassoonassheenteredtheirroom，andfromalltheotherswhentheysatdowntotable.Shehadonlytosayinreply，thattheyhadwanderedabout，tillshewasbeyondherownknowledge.Shecolouredasshespoke;butneitherthat，noranythingelse，awakenedasuspicionofthetruth.

Theeveningpassedquietly，unmarkedbyanythingextraordinary.Theacknowledgedloverstalkedandlaughed，theunacknowledgedweresilent.Darcywasnotofadispositioninwhichhappinessoverflowsinmirth;andElizabeth，agitatedandconfused，ratherknewthatshewashappythanfeltherselftobeso;for，besidestheimmediateembarrassment，therewereotherevilsbeforeher.Sheanticipatedwhatwouldbefeltinthefamilywhenhersituationbecameknown;shewasawarethatnoonelikedhimbutJane;andevenfearedthatwiththeothersitwasadislikewhichnotallhisfortuneandconsequencemightdoaway.

AtnightsheopenedherhearttoJane.ThoughsuspicionwasveryfarfromMissBennetsgeneralhabits，shewasabsolutelyincreduloushere.

“Youarejoking，Lizzy.Thiscannotbe!—engagedtoMr.Darcy!No，no，youshallnotdeceiveme.Iknowittobeimpossible.”

“Thisisawretchedbeginningindeed!Mysoledependencewasonyou;andIamsurenobodyelsewillbelieveme，ifyoudonot.Yet，indeed，Iaminearnest.Ispeaknothingbutthetruth.Hestilllovesme，andweareengaged.”

Janelookedatherdoubtingly.“Oh，Lizzy!itcannotbe.Iknowhowmuchyoudislikehim.”

“Youknownothingofthematter.Thatisalltobeforgot.PerhapsIdidnotalwayslovehimsowellasIdonow.Butinsuchcasesasthese，agoodmemoryisunpardonable.ThisisthelasttimeIshalleverrememberitmyself.”

MissBennetstilllookedallamazement.Elizabethagain，andmoreseriouslyassuredherofitstruth.

“GoodHeaven!canitbereallyso!YetnowImustbelieveyou，”

criedJane.“Mydear，dearLizzy，Iwould—Idocongratulateyou—butareyoucertain?forgivethequestion—areyouquitecertainthatyoucanbehappywithhim?”

“Therecanbenodoubtofthat.Itissettledbetweenusalready，thatwearetobethehappiestcoupleintheworld.Butareyoupleased，Jane?Shallyouliketohavesuchabrother?”

“Very，verymuch.NothingcouldgiveeitherBingleyormyselfmoredelight.Butweconsideredit，wetalkedofitasimpossible.Anddoyoureallylovehimquitewellenough?Oh，Lizzy!doanythingratherthanmarrywithoutaffection.Areyouquitesurethatyoufeelwhatyououghttodo?”

“Oh，yes!YouwillonlythinkIfeelmorethanIoughttodo，whenItellyouall.”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Why，ImustconfessthatIlovehimbetterthanIdoBingley.Iamafraidyouwillbeangry.”

“Mydearestsister，nowbeserious.Iwanttotalkveryseriously.LetmeknoweverythingthatIamtoknow，withoutdelay.Willyoutellmehowlongyouhavelovedhim?”

“Ithasbeencomingonsogradually，thatIhardlyknowwhenitbegan.ButIbelieveImustdateitfrommyfirstseeinghisbeautifulgroundsatPemberley.”

Anotherentreatythatshewouldbeserious，however，producedthedesiredeffect;andshesoonsatisfiedJanebyhersolemnassurancesofattachment.Whenconvincedonthatarticle，MissBennethadnothingfurthertowish.

“NowIamquitehappy，”

saidshe，“foryouwillbeashappyasmyself.Ialwayshadavalueforhim.Wereitfornothingbuthisloveofyou，Imustalwayshaveesteemedhim;butnow，asBingleysfriendandyourhusband，therecanbeonlyBingleyandyourselfmoredeartome.ButLizzy，youhavebeenverysly，veryreservedwithme.HowlittledidyoutellmeofwhatpassedatPemberleyandLambton!IoweallthatIknowofittoanother，nottoyou.”

Elizabethtoldherthemotivesofhersecrecy.ShehadbeenunwillingtomentionBingley;andtheunsettledstateofherownfeelingshadmadeherequallyavoidthenameofhisfriend.ButnowshewouldnolongerconcealfromherhisshareinLydiasmarriage.Allwasacknowledged，andhalfthenightspentinconversation.

“Goodgracious!”

criedMrs.Bennet，asshestoodatawindowthenextmorning，“ifthatdisagreeableMr.DarcyisnotcominghereagainwithourdearBingley!Whatcanhemeanbybeingsotiresomeastobealwayscominghere?Ihadnonotionbuthewouldgoa-shooting，orsomethingorother，andnotdisturbuswithhiscompany.Whatshallwedowithhim?Lizzy，youmustwalkoutwithhimagain，thathemaynotbeinBingleysway.”

Elizabethcouldhardlyhelplaughingatsoconvenientaproposal;yetwasreallyvexedthathermothershouldbealwaysgivinghimsuchanepithet.

Assoonastheyentered，Bingleylookedathersoexpressively，andshookhandswithsuchwarmth，asleftnodoubtofhisgoodinformation;andhesoonafterwardssaidaloud，“Mrs.Bennet，haveyounomorelaneshereaboutsinwhichLizzymayloseherwayagainto-day?”

“IadviseMr.Darcy，andLizzy，andKitty，”

saidMrs.Bennet，“towalktoOakhamMountthismorning.Itisanicelongwalk，andMr.Darcyhasneverseentheview.”

“Itmaydoverywellfortheothers，”

repliedMr.Bingley;“butIamsureitwillbetoomuchforKitty.Wontit，Kitty?”

Kittyownedthatshehadratherstayathome.DarcyprofessedagreatcuriositytoseetheviewfromtheMount，andElizabethsilentlyconsented.Asshewentupstairstogetready，Mrs.Bennetfollowedher，saying:

“Iamquitesorry，Lizzy，thatyoushouldbeforcedtohavethatdisagreeablemanalltoyourself，butIhopeyouwillnotmindit.ItisallforJanessake，youknow;andthereisnooccasionfortalkingtohim，exceptjustnowandthen.So，donotputyourselftoinconvenience.”