第 55 章
這次拜訪以後，沒有過幾天，彬格萊先生又來了，而且只有他一個人來。他的朋友已經在當天早上動身上倫敦去，不過十天以內就要回來。他在班府上坐了一個多鐘頭，顯然非常高興。班納特太太留他吃飯，他一再道歉，說是別處已經先有了約會。
班納特太太只得說：”希望你下次來的時候，能夠賞賞我們的臉。”
他說他隨時都樂意來，只要她不嫌麻煩，他一有機會就來看她們。
”明天能來嗎？”
能來，他明天沒有約會；於是他爽爽快快地接受了她的邀請。
第二天他果然來了，來得非常早，太太小姐們都還沒有打扮好。班納特太太身穿晨衣，頭髮才梳好一半，連忙跑進女兒房間裏去大聲嚷道：
”親愛的吉英，快些下樓去。他來了。彬格萊先生來了。他真來了。趕快，趕快。我說，莎蕾，趕快上大小姐這兒來，幫她穿衣服。你別去管麗萃小姐的頭髮啦。”
吉英說：”我們馬上就下去，也許吉蒂比我們兩個都快，因為她上樓有半個鐘頭了。”
”哦，別去管吉蒂吧！關她什麼事？快些，快些！好孩子，你的腰帶在哪兒？”母親走了以後，吉英再三要一個妹妹陪著她下樓去。
到了下午，顯見得班納特太太又一心要成全他們兩人在一起。喝過了茶，班納特先生照著他平常的習慣，到書房裏去了，曼麗上樓彈琴去了。班太太看見五個障礙去了兩個，便立刻對伊莉莎白和咖苔琳擠眉弄眼，吉蒂終於很天真地說：”怎麼啦，媽媽？你為什麼老是對我眨眼？你要我做什麼呀？”
”沒什麼，孩子，沒什麼。我沒有對你眨眼。”於是她又多坐了五分鐘，實在不願意再錯過這大好的機會，她便突然站起來，對吉蒂說：
”來，寶貝，我跟你說句話，”說過這話，她便把吉蒂拉了出去。吉英立刻對伊莉莎白望了一眼，意思說，她受不住這樣的擺佈，請求伊莉莎白不要也這樣做。一眨眼工夫，只見班納特太太打開了半邊門，喊道：
”麗萃，親愛的，我要跟你說句話。”
伊莉莎白只得走出去。
一走進穿堂，她母親就對她說：”我們最好不要去打擾他們，吉蒂和我都上樓到我化粧室裏去了。”
伊莉莎白沒有跟她爭辯，靜靜地留在穿堂裏，等母親和吉蒂走得看不見了，才又回到會客室來。
班納特太太這一天的打算沒有如願。彬格萊樣樣都討人喜愛，只可惜沒有公然以她女兒的情人自居。他安然自若，神情愉快，在她們晚間的家庭聚會上，人人都喜歡他。雖然班納特太太不知分寸，多管閒事，他卻竭力忍受；儘管她講出多少蠢話，他也一些不動聲色，很有耐性地聽著，這特別叫那女兒滿意。
他幾乎用不到主人家邀請，便自己留下來吃飯；他還沒有告辭，便又順應著班納特太太的意思，將計就計，約定明天來跟她丈夫打鳥。
自從這一天以後，吉英再也不說對他無所謂了。姐妹兩人事後一句也沒有談起彬格萊，可是伊莉莎白上床的時候，心裏很是快活，覺得只要達西先生不準時趕回來，這件事很快便會有眉目。不過她又認為事到如今，達西先生一定早已表示同意。
第二天彬格萊準時赴約，依照事先約定，跟班納特先生在一起消磨了整個上午。班納特先生和藹可親，實在遠遠出乎彬格萊先生的意料。這是因為，彬格萊沒有什麼傲慢或愚蠢的地方惹他嘲笑，或是叫他討厭得不肯理睬他。比起彬格萊上次跟他見面的情形來，他這次更加健談。也不象以前那樣古怪。不用說，彬格萊跟他一同回來吃了中飯，晚上班納特太太又設法把別人都遣開，讓他跟她女兒在一起。伊莉莎白今晚有一封信要寫吃，過茶以後，便到起坐間去寫信，因為她看到別人都坐下打牌，不便再和她母親作對。
等她寫好了信回到客廳裏來的時候，一看那種情景，不由得觸目驚心，認為母親果然比她聰明得多。且說她一走進門，只見姐姐和彬格萊一起站在壁爐跟前，看來正在談話談得起勁，如果這情形還沒有什麼可疑，那麼，只消看看他們倆那般的臉色，那般慌慌張張轉過身去，立即分開，你心裏便有數了。他們窘態畢露，可是她自己卻更窘。他們坐了下來，一言不發；伊莉莎白正待走開，只見彬格萊突然站起身來，跟她姐姐悄悄地說了幾句話，便跑出去了。
吉英心裏有了快活的事情，向來不隱瞞伊莉莎白，於是她馬上抱住妹妹，極其熱情地承認她自己是天下最幸福的人。
她又說：”太幸福了！實在太幸福了。我不配。哎喲，為什麼不能人人都象我這樣幸福呢？”
伊莉莎白連忙向她道喜，真誠熱烈，歡欣異常，實在非筆墨所能形容。她每說一句親切的話，就增加吉英一分幸福的感覺。可是吉英不能跟妹妹多糾纏了，她要說的話還沒有說到一半，可不能再說下去了。
吉英說：”我得馬上上媽媽那兒去，我千萬不能辜負她一片好心好意，我要親自去把這件事說給她聽，不要別人轉言。他已經去告訴爸爸了。噢，麗萃，你知道，家裏聽到這件事，一個個會覺得多麼高興啊！我怎麼受得了這樣的幸福！”
於是她連忙到母親那兒去，只見母親已經特地散了牌場，跟吉蒂坐在椅上。
伊莉莎白一個人留在那兒，心想：家裏人為了這件事，幾個月來一直在煩神擔心，如今卻一下子便得到了解決，她想到這裏，不禁一笑。
她說：”這就是他那位朋友處心積慮的結局！是他自己的姐妹自欺欺人的下場！這個結果真是太幸福、太圓滿、太有意思了！”
沒過幾分鐘，彬格萊就到她這兒來了，因為他跟她父親談得很簡捷扼要。
他一打開門，便連忙問道：”你姐姐在哪兒？”
”在樓上我媽那兒，馬上就會下來。”
他於是關上了門，走到她跟前，讓她親切地祝賀姐夫。伊莉莎白真心誠意地說，她為他們倆未來的美滿姻緣感到欣喜。兩人親切地握了握手。她只聽得他講他自己的幸福，講吉英的十全十美，一直講到吉英下樓為止。雖然這些話是出於一個情人之口，可是她深信他那幸福的願望一定可以實現，因為吉英絕頂聰明，脾氣更是好得不能再好，這便是幸福的基礎，而且他們彼此的性格和趣味也十分相近。
這一晚大家都非常高興，班納特小姐因為心裏得意，臉上也顯得鮮豔嬌美，光彩煥發，比平常更加漂亮。吉蒂笑笑忍忍，忍忍笑笑，一心只希望這樣的幸運趕快輪到自己頭上。班納特太太同彬格萊足足談了半個鐘頭之久，她滿口嘉許，極端讚美，可總覺得不能夠把滿腔的熱情充分表達出來；班納特先生跟大家一塊兒吃晚飯的時候，但看他的談吐舉止，便可以看出他也快活到極點。
不過他當時對這件事卻一字不提，等到貴客一走，他又連忙轉過身來對大女兒說：
”吉英，我恭喜你。你可成了一個極幸福的姑娘啦。”
吉英立刻走上前去吻他，多謝他的好意。
他說：”你是個好孩子；想到你這樣幸福地解決了終身大事，我真高興。我相信你們一定能夠和好相處。你們的性格很相近。你們遇事都肯遷就，結果會弄得樣樣事都拿不定主張，你們那麼好講話，結果會弄得個個傭人都欺負你們；你們都那麼慷慨，到頭來一定會入不敷出。”
”但願不會如此。我要是在銀錢問題上粗心大意，那是不可原諒的。”
他的太太叫道：”入不敷出！我的好老爺，你這是什麼話？他每年有四五千鎊收入，可能還不止呢。”她又對大女兒說：”我的好吉英親吉英，我太高興了！我今天晚上休想睡得著覺。我早就知道會這樣，我平常老是說，總有一天會這樣。我一向認為你不會白白地生得這樣好看。他去年初到哈福德郡的時候，我一看到他，就覺得你們兩人一定會成雙配對。天哪！我一輩子也沒有見過象他這樣漂亮的男人！”
她早把韋翰和麗迪雅忘了。吉英原是她最寵愛的女兒，現在更是誰也不在她心上了。妹妹們馬上都簇擁著吉英，要她答應將來給她們多少好處。
曼麗請求使用尼日斐花園的藏書室，吉蒂硬要她每年冬天在那兒開幾次跳舞會。
從此以後，彬格萊自然就成了浪搏恩家每天必來的客人。他總是早飯也沒吃就趕來，一直要待到吃過晚飯才走……─除非有哪一家不識大體、不怕人討厭的鄰居，再三請他吃飯，他才不得不去應酬一下。
伊莉莎白簡直沒有機會跟她姐姐談話，因為只要彬格萊一來，吉英的心就想不到別人身上去。不過他們倆總還是有時候不得不分開一下。吉英不在的時候，彬格萊老愛跟伊莉莎白談話；彬格萊回家去了，吉英也總是找她一塊兒來消遺，因此她對於他們倆還是大有用處。
有一個晚上，吉英對她說：”他說今年春天完全不知道我也在城裏，這話叫我聽了真高興。我以前的確不相信會有這種事。”
伊莉莎白答道：”我以前也疑心到這一點，他有沒有說明是什麼緣故？”
”那一定是他的姐妹們佈置好了的，她們當然不贊成他和我要好，我也不奇怪，因為他大可以選中一個樣樣都比我強的人。可是，我相信她們總有一天會明白，她們的兄弟跟我在一起是多麼幸福，那時候她們一定又會慢慢地回心轉意，跟我恢復原來的交情，不過決不可能象從前那樣知已了。”
”我生平只聽到你講一句氣量小的話。你真是個好心的姑娘！老實說，要是又看到你去受那假仁假義的彬格萊小姐的騙，那可真要氣死我了！”
”麗萃，我希望你相信，他去年十一月裏到城裏去的時候，的確很愛我，他要不是信了別人的話，以為我真的不愛他，那他無論如何早就回來了！”
”他實在也有些不是，不過那都是因為他太謙虛。”
吉英聽了這話，自然又讚美起他的虛心來，讚美他雖然具有了許多優美的品質，可並不自以為了不起。
伊莉莎白高興的是，彬格萊並沒有把他朋友阻擋這件事的經過洩露出來，因為吉英雖然寬宏大量，不記仇隙，可是這件事如果讓她知道了，她一定會對達西有成見。
吉英又大聲說道：”我的確是古往今來最幸福的一個人！哦，麗萃，家裏這麼多人，怎麼偏偏是我最幸福？但願你也會同樣的幸福！但願你也能找到這樣一個人！”
”你即使給我幾十個這樣的人，我也決不會象你這樣幸福。除非我脾氣也象你這樣好，人也象你這樣好，我是無論如何也不會象你這樣幸福的。不會，決不會，還是讓我來自求多福吧，如果我運氣好，到時候我也許又會碰到另外一個柯林斯。”
浪搏恩這家人家的事瞞也瞞不了多久。先是班納特太太得到了特許，偷偷地講給了腓力普太太聽，腓力普太太沒有得到任何人的許可，就大膽地把它傳遍了麥裏屯的街坊四鄰。記得就在幾星期以前，麗迪雅剛剛私奔，那時大家都認為班納特府上倒盡了黴，如今這樣一來，班家竟在頃刻之間成了天下最有福氣的一家人家了。
Chapter 55
A FEW days after this visit, Mr. Bingley called again, and alone. His friend had left him that morning for London, but was to return home in ten days time. He sat with them above an hour, and was in remarkably good spirits. Mrs. Bennet invited him to dine with them; but, with many expressions of concern, he confessed himself engaged elsewhere.
“Next time you call,” said she, “I hope we shall be more lucky.”
He should be particularly happy at any time, &c. &c.; and if she would give him leave, would take an early opportunity of waiting on them.
“Can you come to-morrow?”
Yes, he had no engagement at all for to-morrow; and her invitation was accepted with alacrity.
He came, and in such very good time that the ladies were none of them dressed. In ran Mrs. Bennet to her daughter’s room, in her dressing gown, and with her hair half finished, crying out,
“My dear Jane, make haste and hurry down. He is come — Mr. Bingley is come. — He is, indeed. Make haste, make haste. Here, Sarah, come to Miss Bennet this moment, and help her on with her gown. Never mind Miss Lizzy’s hair.”
“We will be down as soon as we can,” said Jane; “but I dare say Kitty is forwarder than either of us, for she went up stairs half an hour ago.”
“Oh! hang Kitty! what has she to do with it? Come be quick, be quick! Where is your sash, my dear?”
But when her mother was gone, Jane would not be prevailed on to go down without one of her sisters.
The same anxiety to get them by themselves was visible again in the evening. After tea, Mr. Bennet retired to the library, as was his custom, and Mary went up stairs to her instrument. Two obstacles of the five being thus removed, Mrs. Bennet sat looking and winking at Elizabeth and Catherine for a considerable time, without making any impression on them. Elizabeth would not observe her; and when at last Kitty did, she very innocently said, “What is the matter mamma? What do you keep winking at me for? What am I to do?”
“Nothing child, nothing. I did not wink at you.” She then sat still five minutes longer; but unable to waste such a precious occasion, she suddenly got up, and saying to Kitty, “Come here, my love, I want to speak to you,” took her out of the room. Jane instantly gave a look at Elizabeth which spoke her distress at such premeditation, and her intreaty that she would not give in to it. In a few minutes, Mrs. Bennet half-opened the door and called out,
“Lizzy, my dear, I want to speak with you.”
Elizabeth was forced to go.
“We may as well leave them by themselves you know;’!c?! Q E宯銆 ??萫?? ?x^? 螢 ,D?萫?萫ZQH “L4’瀍th made no attempt to reason with her mother, but remained quietly in the hall, till she and Kitty were out of sight, then returned into the drawing room.
Mrs. Bennet’s schemes for this day were ineffectual. Bingley was every thing that was charming, except the professed lover of her daughter. His ease and cheerfulness rendered him a most agreeable addition to their evening party; and he bore with the ill-judged officiousness of the mother, and heard all her silly remarks with a forbearance and command of countenance particularly grateful to the daughter.
He scarcely needed an invitation to stay supper; and before he went away, an engagement was formed, chiefly through his own and Mrs. Bennet’s means, for his coming next morning to shoot with her husband.
After this day, Jane said no more of her indifference. Not a word passed between the sisters concerning Bingley; but Elizabeth went to bed in the happy belief that all must speedily be concluded, unless Mr. Darcy returned within the stated time. Seriously, however, she felt tolerably persuaded that all this must have taken place with that gentleman’s concurrence.
Bingley was punctual to his appointment; and he and Mr. Bennet spent the morning together, as had been agreed on. The latter was much more agreeable than his companion expected. There was nothing of presumption or folly in Bingley that could provoke his ridicule, or disgust him into silence; and he was more communicative, and less eccentric, than the other had ever seen him. Bingley of course returned with him to dinner; and in the evening Mrs. Bennet’s invention was again at work to get every body away from him and her daughter. Elizabeth, who had a letter to write, went into the breakfast room for that purpose soon after tea; for as the others were all going to sit down to cards, she could not be wanted to counteract her mother’s schemes.
But on returning to the drawing room, when her letter was finished, she saw, to her infinite surprise, there was reason to fear that her mother had been too ingenious for her. On opening the door, she perceived her sister and Bingley standing together over the hearth, as if engaged in earnest conversation; and had this led to no suspicion, the faces of both, as they hastily turned round and moved away from each other, would have told it all. Their situation was awkward enough; but her’s she thought was still worse. Not a syllable was uttered by either; and Elizabeth was on the point of going away again, when Bingley, who as well as the other had sat down, suddenly rose, and whispering a few words to her sister, ran out of the room.
Jane could have no reserves from Elizabeth, where confidence would give pleasure; and instantly embracing her, acknowledged, with the liveliest emotion, that she was the happiest creature in the world.
“‘Tis too much!” she added, “by far too much. I do not deserve it. Oh! why is not every body as happy?”
Elizabeth’s congratulations were given with a sincerity, a warmth, a delight, which words could but poorly express. Every sentence of kindness was a fresh source of happiness to Jane. But she would not allow herself to stay with her sister, or say half that remained to be said for the present.
“I must go instantly to my mother;” she cried. “I would not on any account trifle with her affectionate solicitude; or allow her to hear it from any one but myself. He is gone to my father already. Oh! Lizzy, to know that what I have to relate will give such pleasure to all my dear family! how shall I bear so much happiness!”
She then hastened away to her mother, who had purposely broken up the card party, and was sitting up stairs with Kitty.
Elizabeth, who was left by herself, now smiled at the rapidity and ease with which an affair was finally settled, that had given them so many previous months of suspense and vexation.
“And this,” said she, “is the end of all his friend’s anxious circumspection! of all his sister’s falsehood and contrivance! the happiest, wisest, most reasonable end!”
In a few minutes she was joined by Bingley, whose conference with her father had been short and to the purpose.
“Where is your sister?” said he hastily, as he opened the door.
“With my mother up stairs. She will be down in a moment, I dare say.”
He then shut the door, and, coming up to her, claimed the good wishes and affection of a sister. Elizabeth honestly and heartily expressed her delight in the prospect of their relationship. They shook hands with great cordiality; and then, till her sister came down, she had to listen to all he had to say of his own happiness, and of Jane’s perfections; and in spite of his being a lover, Elizabeth really believed all his expectations of felicity to be rationally founded, because they had for basis the excellent understanding, and super-excellent disposition of Jane, and a general similarity of feeling and taste between her and himself.
It was an evening of no common delight to them all; the satisfaction of Miss Bennet’s mind gave a glow of such sweet animation to her face, as made her look handsomer than ever. Kitty simpered and smiled, and hoped her turn was coming soon. Mrs. Bennet could not give her consent or speak her approbation in terms warm enough to satisfy her feelings, though she talked to Bingley of nothing else for half an hour; and when Mr. Bennet joined them at supper, his voice and manner plainly shewed how really happy he was.
Not a word, however, passed his lips in allusion to it, till their visitor took his leave for the night; but as soon as he was gone, he turned to his daughter, and said,
“Jane, I congratulate you. You will be a very happy woman.”
Jane went to him instantly, kissed him, and thanked him for his goodness.
“You are a good girl;” he replied, “and I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled. I have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income.”
“I hope not so. Imprudence or thoughtlessness in money matters would be unpardonable in me.”
“Exceed their income! My dear Mr. Bennet,” cried his wife, “what are you talking of? Why, he has four or five thousand a year, and very likely more.” Then addressing her daughter, “Oh! my dear, dear Jane, I am so happy! I am sure I shan’t get a wink of sleep all night. I knew how it would be. I always said it must be so, at last. I was sure you could not be so beautiful for nothing! I remember, as soon as ever I saw him, when he first came into Hertfordshire last year, I thought how likely it was that you should come together. Oh! he is the handsomest young man that ever was seen!”
Wickham, Lydia, were all forgotten. Jane was beyond competition her favourite child. At that moment, she cared for no other. Her younger sisters soon began to make interest with her for objects of happiness which she might in future be able to dispense.
Mary petitioned for the use of the library at Netherfield; and Kitty begged very hard for a few balls there every winter.
Bingley, from this time, was of course a daily visitor at Longbourn; coming frequently before breakfast, and always remaining till after supper; unless when some barbarous neighbour, who could not be enough detested, had given him an invitation to dinner which he thought himself obliged to accept.
Elizabeth had now but little time for conversation with her sister; for while he was present, Jane had no attention to bestow on any one else; but she found herself considerably useful to both of them in those hours of separation that must sometimes occur. In the absence of Jane, he always attached himself to Elizabeth, for the pleasure of talking of her; and when Bingley was gone, Jane constantly sought the same means of relief.
“He has made me so happy,” said she, one evening, “by telling me that he was totally ignorant of my being in town last spring! I had not believed it possible.”
“I suspected as much,” replied Elizabeth. “But how did he account for it?”
“It must have been his sister’s doing. They were certainly no friends to his acquaintance with me, which I cannot wonder at, since he might have chosen so much more advantageously in many respects. But when they see, as I trust they will, that their brother is happy with me, they will learn to be contented, and we shall be on good terms again; though we can never be what we once were to each other.”
“That is the most unforgiving speech,” said Elizabeth, “that I ever heard you utter. Good girl! It would vex me, indeed, to see you again the dupe of Miss Bingley’s pretended regard.”
“Would you believe it, Lizzy, that when he went to town last November, he really loved me, and nothing but a persuasion of my being indifferent would have prevented his coming down again!”
“He made a little mistake to be sure; but it is to the credit of his modesty.”
This naturally introduced a panegyric from Jane on his diffidence, and the little value he put on his own good qualities. Elizabeth was pleased to find that he had not betrayed the interference of his friend; for, though Jane had the most generous and forgiving heart in the world, she knew it was a circumstance which must prejudice her against him.
“I am certainly the most fortunate creature that ever existed!” cried Jane. “Oh! Lizzy, why am I thus singled from my family, and blessed above them all! If I could but see you as happy! If there were but such another man for you!”
“If you were to give me forty such men, I never could be so happy as you. Till I have your disposition, your goodness, I never can have your happiness. No, no, let me shift for myself; and, perhaps, if I have very good luck, I may meet with another Mr. Collins in time.”
The situation of affairs in the Longbourn family could not be long a secret. Mrs. Bennet was privileged to whisper it to Mrs. Philips, and she ventured, without any permission, to do the same by all her neighbours in Meryton.
The Bennets were speedily pronounced to be the luckiest family in the world, though only a few weeks before, when Lydia had first run away, they had been generally proved to be marked out for misfortune.
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