第 25 章
談情說愛，籌畫好事，就這樣度過了一星期，終於到了星期六，柯林斯先生不得不和心愛的夏綠蒂告別。不過，他既已作好接新娘的準備，離別的愁苦也就因此減輕了，他只等下次再來哈福郡，訂出佳期，使他成為天下最幸福的男子。他象上次一樣隆重其事地告別了浪搏恩的親戚們，祝賀姐妹們健康幸福，又答應給他們的父親再來一封謝函。
下星期一，班納特太太的弟弟和弟婦照例到浪搏恩來過耶誕節，班納特太太很是欣喜。嘉丁納先生是個通情達理、頗有紳士風度的人物，無論在個性方面，在所受的教育方面，都高出他姐姐很多。他原是出身商界，見聞不出貨房堆疊之外，竟會這般有教養，這般討人喜愛，要是叫尼日斐花園的太太小姐們看見了，實在難以相信。嘉丁納太太比班納特太太以及腓力普太太，都要小好幾歲年紀，也是個和藹聰慧、而又很文雅的女人，浪搏恩的外甥女兒跟她特別親切。她們常常進城去在她那兒待一陣子。
嘉丁納太太剛到這裏，第一件事就是分發禮物，講述最時新的服裝式樣。這件事做過以後，她便坐在一旁，靜聽班納特太太跟她說話。班納特太太有多少牢騷要發，又有多少苦要訴。自從上年她弟婦走了以後，她家裏受了人家欺負。兩個女兒本來快要出嫁了，到頭來只落得一場空。我並不怪吉英，”她接下去說，”因為吉英要是能夠嫁給彬格萊先生，她早就嫁了。可是麗萃──唉，弟婦呀！要不是她自己那麼拗性子，說不定她已做了柯林斯先生的夫人了。他就在這間房子裏向她求婚的，她卻把他拒絕了。結果倒讓盧卡斯太太有個女兒比我的女兒先嫁出去，浪搏恩的財產從此就得讓人家來繼承。的確，盧卡斯一家手腕才高明呢，弟婦。他們都是為了要撈進這一筆財產。我本來也不忍心就這樣編派他們，不過事實的確如此。我在家裏既然過得這樣不稱心，又偏偏碰到這些只顧自己不顧別人的鄰舍，真弄得我神經也壞了，人也病了。你可來得正是時候，給了我極大的安慰，我非常喜歡聽你講的那些……長袖子的事情。”
嘉丁納太太遠在跟吉英以及伊莉莎白通信的時候，大體上就已經知道了她們家裏最近發生的這些事情，又為了體貼外甥女兒們起見，只稍微敷衍了班納特太太幾句，便把這個話題岔開了。
後來伊莉莎白跟她兩人在一起的時候，又談到了這件事。她說：”這倒也許是吉英的一門美滿親事，只可惜吹了。可是這種情形往往是難免！象你所說的彬格萊先生這樣的青年，往往不消幾個星期的工夫，就會愛上一位美麗的姑娘，等到有一件偶然的事故把他們分開了，他也就很容易把她忘了，這種見異思遷的事情多的是。”你這樣的安慰完全是出於一片好心，”伊莉莎白說。”可惜安慰不了我們。我們吃虧並不是吃在偶然的事情上面。一個獨立自主的青年，幾天以前剛剛跟一位姑娘打得火熱，現在遭到了他自己朋友們的干涉，就把她丟了，這事情倒不多見。”不過，所謂’打得火熱’這種話未免太陳腐，太籠統，太不切合實際，我簡直抓不住一點兒概念。這種話通常總是用來形容男女一見鍾情的場面，也用來形容一種真正的熱烈感情。請問，彬格萊先生的愛情火熱到什麼程度？”我從來沒有看見過象他那樣的一往情深；他越來越不去理會別人，把整個的心都放在她身上。他們倆每見一次面，事情就愈顯得明朗，愈顯得露骨。在他自己所開的一次跳舞會上，他得罪了兩三位年輕的小姐，沒有邀請她們跳舞；我找他說過兩次話，他也沒有理我。這還不能算是盡心盡意嗎？寧可為了一個人而得罪大家，這難道不是戀愛場上最可貴的地方？”噢，原來如此！這樣看來，他的確對她情深意切。可憐的吉英！我真替她難受，照她的性子看來，決不會一下子就把這件事情淡忘。麗萃，要是換了你，倒要好些，你自會一笑置之，要不了多少時候就會淡忘。不過，你看我們能不能勸她到我們那裏去稍往一陣？換換環境也許會有好處；再說，離開了家，鬆口氣，也許比什麼都好。”
伊莉莎白非常贊成這個建議，而且相信姐姐也會贊成。
嘉丁納太太又說：”我希望她不要因為怕見到這位青年小夥子而拿不定主意。我們雖然和彬格萊先生同住在一個城裏，可不住在同一個地區，來往的親友也不一樣，而且，你知道得很清楚，我們很少外出，因此，除非他上門來看她，他們倆就不大可能見到面。”那是絕對不可能的，因為他現在被朋友們軟禁著，達西先生也不能容忍他到倫敦的這樣一個地區去看吉英！親愛的舅母，你怎麼會想到這上面去了？達西先生也許聽到過天恩寺街這樣一個地方，可是，如果他當真到那兒去一次，他會覺得花上一個月的工夫也洗不淨他身上所染來的污垢；請你放心好了，他絕不會讓彬格萊先生單獨行動。”那就更好。我希望他們倆再也不要見面。可是吉英不還在跟他妹妹通信嗎？彬格萊小姐也許難免要來拜望呢。”她絕不會跟她再來往了。”
伊莉莎白雖然嘴上說得這麼果斷，認為彬格萊先生一定被他的姐妹朋友挾住了，不會讓他見到吉英，這事情實在可笑，可是她心裏想來想去，還是覺得事情未必已經完全絕望。她有時候甚至認為彬格萊先生非常可能對吉英舊情重燃，他朋友們的影響也許敵不過吉英的感情所加給他身上的天然影響。
班納特小姐樂意地接受了舅母的邀請，她心裏並沒有怎麼想到彬格萊一家人，只希望珈羅琳不和他哥哥同住一宅，那麼她就可以偶而到珈羅琳那兒去玩上一個上午，而不至於撞見他哥哥。
嘉丁納夫婦在浪搏恩待了一個星期，沒有哪一天不赴宴會，有時候在腓力普府上，有時候在盧卡斯府上，有時候又在軍官那兒。班納特太太小心周到地為她的弟弟和弟婦安排得十分熱鬧，以致他們夫婦不曾在她家裏吃過一頓便飯。家裏有宴會的日子，必定就有幾位軍官到場，每次總是少不了韋翰。在這種場合下，伊莉莎白總是熱烈地讚揚韋翰先生，使利嘉丁納太太起了疑心，仔細注意起他們兩人來，從她親眼看到的情形來說，她並不以為他們倆真正地愛上了，不過相互之間顯然已經發生了好感，這叫她很是不安，她決定在離開哈福郡以前，要把這件事和伊莉莎白談個明白，並且要解釋給她聽，讓這樣的關係發展下去，實在太莽撞。
可是韋翰討好起嘉丁納太太來，另有一套辦法，這和他吸引別人的本領完全不同。遠在十多年以前嘉丁納太太還沒有結婚的時候，曾在德比郡他所出生的那個地區住過好些時候，因此她跟他有許多共同的朋友，雖說自從五年前達西先生的父親去世以後，韋翰就不大到那地方去，可是他卻能報導給嘉丁納太太一些有關她從前的朋友們的消息，比她自己打聽得來的還要新鮮。
嘉丁納太太曾經親眼看到過彭伯裏，對於老達西先生也是久聞大名，光是這件事，就是個談不完的話題。她把韋翰先生所詳盡描寫的彭伯裏和她自己記憶中的彭伯裏比較了一下，又把彭伯裏主人的德行稱讚了一番，談的人和聽的人都各得其樂。她聽到他談起現在這位達西先生對他的虧待，便竭力去回想那位先生小時候的個性如何，是否和現在相符，她終於有自信地記起了從前確實聽人說過，費茨威廉?達西先生是個脾氣很壞又很高傲的孩子。
Chapter 25
AFTER a week spent in professions of love and schemes of felicity, Mr. Collins was called from his amiable Charlotte by the arrival of Saturday. The pain of separation, however, might be alleviated on his side, by preparations for the reception of his bride, as he had reason to hope that shortly after his next return into Hertfordshire, the day would be fixed that was to make him the happiest of men. He took leave of his relations at Longbourn with as much solemnity as before; wished his fair cousins health and happiness again, and promised their father another letter of thanks.
On the following Monday, Mrs. Bennet had the pleasure of receiving her brother and his wife, who came as usual to spend the Christmas at Longbourn. Mr. Gardiner was a sensible, gentlemanlike man, greatly superior to his sister, as well by nature as education. The Netherfield ladies would have had difficulty in believing that a man who lived by trade, and within view of his own warehouses, could have been so well bred and agreeable. Mrs. Gardiner, who was several years younger than Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Philips, was an amiable, intelligent, elegant woman, and a great favourite with all her Longbourn nieces. Between the two eldest and herself especially, there subsisted a very particular regard. They had frequently been staying with her in town.
The first part of Mrs. Gardiner’s business on her arrival, was to distribute her presents and describe the newest fashions. When this was done, she had a less active part to play. It became her turn to listen. Mrs. Bennet had many grievances to relate, and much to complain of. They had all been very ill-used since she last saw her sister. Two of her girls had been on the point of marriage, and after all there was nothing in it.
“I do not blame Jane,” she continued, “for Jane would have got Mr. Bingley, if she could. But, Lizzy! Oh, sister! it is very hard to think that she might have been Mr. Collins’s wife by this time, had not it been for her own perverseness. He made her an offer in this very room, and she refused him. The consequence of it is, that Lady Lucas will have a daughter married before I have, and that Longbourn estate is just as much entailed as ever. The Lucases are very artful people indeed, sister. They are all for what they can get. I am sorry to say it of them, but so it is. It makes me very nervous and poorly, to be thwarted so in my own family, and to have neighbours who think of themselves before anybody else. However, your coming just at this time is the greatest of comforts, and I am very glad to hear what you tell us, of long sleeves.”
Mrs. Gardiner, to whom the chief of this news had been given before, in the course of Jane and Elizabeth’s correspondence with her, made her sister a slight answer, and, in compassion to her nieces, turned the conversation.
When alone with Elizabeth afterwards, she spoke more on the subject. “It seems likely to have been a desirable match for Jane,” said she. “I am sorry it went off. But these things happen so often! A young man, such as you describe Mr. Bingley, so easily falls in love with a pretty girl for a few weeks, and when accident separates them, so easily forgets her, that these sort of inconstancies are very frequent.”
“An excellent consolation in its way,” said Elizabeth, “but it will not do for us. We do not suffer by accident. It does not often happen that the interference of friends will persuade a young man of independent fortune to think no more of a girl, whom he was violently in love with only a few days before.”
“But that expression of “violently in love” is so hackneyed, so doubtful, so indefinite, that it gives me very little idea. It is as often applied to feelings which arise from an half-hour’s acquaintance, as to a real, strong attachment. Pray, how violent was Mr. Bingley’s love?”
“I never saw a more promising inclination. He was growing quite inattentive to other people, and wholly engrossed by her. Every time they met, it was more decided and remarkable. At his own ball he offended two or three young ladies by not asking them to dance, and I spoke to him twice myself without receiving an answer. Could there be finer symptoms? Is not general incivility the very essence of love?”
“Oh, yes! — of that kind of love which I suppose him to have felt. Poor Jane! I am sorry for her, because, with her disposition, she may not get over it immediately. It had better have happened to you, Lizzy; you would have laughed yourself out of it sooner. But do you think she would be prevailed on to go back with us? Change of scene might be of service — and perhaps a little relief from home, may be as useful as anything.”
Elizabeth was exceedingly pleased with this proposal, and felt persuaded of her sister’s ready acquiescence.
“I hope,” added Mrs. Gardiner, “that no consideration with regard to this young man will influence her. We live in so different a part of town, all our connections are so different, and, as you well know, we go out so little, that it is very improbable they should meet at all, unless he really comes to see her.”
“And that is quite impossible; for he is now in the custody of his friend, and Mr. Darcy would no more suffer him to call on Jane in such a part of London — ! My dear aunt, how could you think of it? Mr. Darcy may perhaps have heard of such a place as Gracechurch Street, but he would hardly think a month’s ablution enough to cleanse him from its impurities, were he once to enter it; and depend upon it, Mr. Bingley never stirs without him.”
“So much the better. I hope they will not meet at all. But does not Jane correspond with the sister? She will not be able to help calling.”
“She will drop the acquaintance entirely.”
But in spite of the certainty in which Elizabeth affected to place this point, as well as the still more interesting one of Bingley’s being withheld from seeing Jane, she felt a solicitude on the subject which convinced her, on examination, that she did not consider it entirely hopeless. It was possible, and sometimes she thought it probable, that his affection might be re-animated, and the influence of his friends successfully combated by the more natural influence of Jane’s attractions.
Miss Bennet accepted her aunt’s invitation with pleasure; and the Bingleys were no otherwise in her thoughts at the time, than as she hoped that, by Caroline’s not living in the same house with her brother, she might occasionally spend a morning with her, without any danger of seeing him.
The Gardiners staid a week at Longbourn; and what with the Philipses, the Lucases, and the officers, there was not a day without its engagement. Mrs. Bennet had so carefully provided for the entertainment of her brother and sister, that they did not once sit down to a family dinner. When the engagement was for home, some of the officers always made part of it, of which officers Mr. Wickham was sure to be one; and on these occasions, Mrs. Gardiner, rendered suspicious by Elizabeth’s warm commendation of him, narrowly observed them both. Without supposing them, from what she saw, to be very seriously in love, their preference of each other was plain enough to make her a little uneasy; and she resolved to speak to Elizabeth on the subject before she left Hertfordshire, and represent to her the imprudence of encouraging such an attachment.
To Mrs. Gardiner, Wickham had one means of affording pleasure, unconnected with his general powers. About ten or a dozen years ago, before her marriage, she had spent a considerable time in that very part of Derbyshire to which he belonged. They had, therefore, many acquaintance in common; and, though Wickham had been little there since the death of Darcy’s father, five years before, it was yet in his power to give her fresher intelligence of her former friends, than she had been in the way of procuring.
Mrs. Gardiner had seen Pemberley, and known the late Mr. Darcy by character perfectly well. Here, consequently, was an inexhaustible subject of discourse. In comparing her recollection of Pemberley with the minute description which Wickham could give, and in bestowing her tribute of praise on the character of its late possessor, she was delighting both him and herself. On being made acquainted with the present Mr. Darcy’s treatment of him, she tried to remember something of that gentleman’s reputed disposition, when quite a lad, which might agree with it, and was confident at last that she recollected having heard Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy formerly spoken of as a very proud, ill-natured boy.
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