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第129章（第1页）

“Exceedtheirincome!MydearMr。Bennet，”criedhiswife，“whatareyoutalkingof?Why，hehasfourorfivethousandayear，andverylikelymore。”Thenaddressingherdaughter，“Oh!mydear，dearJane，Iamsohappy!IamsureIshantgetawinkofsleepallnight。Iknewhowitwouldbe。Ialwayssaiditmustbeso，atlast。Iwassureyoucouldnotbesobeautifulfornothing!Iremember，assoonaseverIsawhim，whenhefirstcameintoHertfordshirelastyear，Ithoughthowlikelyitwasthatyoushouldcometogether。Oh!heisthehandsomestyoungmanthateverwasseen!”

Wickham，Lydia，wereallforgotten。Janewasbeyondcompetitionherfavouritechild。Atthatmoment，shecaredfornoother。Heryoungersisterssoonbegantomakeinterestwithherforobjectsofhappinesswhichshemightinfuturebeabletodispense。

MarypetitionedfortheuseofthelibraryatNetherfield;andKittybeggedveryhardforafewballsthereeverywinter。

Bingley，fromthistime，wasofcourseadailyvisitoratLongbourn;comingfrequentlybeforebreakfast，andalwaysremainingtillaftersupper;unlesswhensomebarbarousneighbour，whocouldnotbeenoughdetested，hadgivenhimaninvitationtodinnerwhichhethoughthimselfobligedtoaccept。

Elizabethhadnowbutlittletimeforconversationwithhersister;forwhilehewaspresent，Janehadnoattentiontobestowonanyoneelse;butshefoundherselfconsiderablyusefultobothoftheminthosehoursofseparationthatmustsometimesoccur。IntheabsenceofJane，healwaysattachedhimselftoElizabeth，forthepleasureoftalkingofher;andwhenBingleywasgone，Janeconstantlysoughtthesamemeansofrelief。

“Hehasmademesohappy，”saidshe，oneevening，“bytellingmethathewastotallyignorantofmybeingintownlastspring!Ihadnotbelieveditpossible。”

“Isuspectedasmuch，”repliedElizabeth。“Buthowdidheaccountforit?”

“Itmusthavebeenhissistersdoing。Theywerecertainlynofriendstohisacquaintancewithme，whichIcannotwonderat，sincehemighthavechosensomuchmoreadvantageouslyinmanyrespects。Butwhentheysee，asItrusttheywill，thattheirbrotherishappywithme，theywilllearntobecontented，andweshallbeongoodtermsagain;thoughwecanneverbewhatweonceweretoeachother。”

“Thatisthemostunforgivingspeech，”saidElizabeth，“thatIeverheardyouutter。Goodgirl!Itwouldvexme，indeed，toseeyouagainthedupeofMissBingleyspretendedregard。”

“Wouldyoubelieveit，Lizzy，thatwhenhewenttotownlastNovember，hereallylovedme，andnothingbutapersuasionofmybeingindifferentwouldhavepreventedhiscomingdownagain!”

“Hemadealittlemistaketobesure;butitistothecreditofhismodesty。”

ThisnaturallyintroducedapanegyricfromJaneonhisdiffidence，andthelittlevalueheputonhisowngoodqualities。Elizabethwaspleasedtofindthathehadnotbetrayedtheinterferenceofhisfriend;for，thoughJanehadthemostgenerousandforgivingheartintheworld，sheknewitwasacircumstancewhichmustprejudiceheragainsthim。

“Iamcertainlythemostfortunatecreaturethateverexisted!”criedJane。“Oh!Lizzy，whyamIthussingledfrommyfamily，andblessedabovethemall!IfIcouldbutseeyouashappy!Iftherewerebutsuchanothermanforyou!”

“Ifyouweretogivemefortysuchmen，Inevercouldbesohappyasyou。TillIhaveyourdisposition，yourgoodness，Inevercanhaveyourhappiness。No，no，letmeshiftformyself;and，perhaps，ifIhaveverygoodluck，ImaymeetwithanotherMr。Collinsintime。”

ThesituationofaffairsintheLongbournfamilycouldnotbelongasecret。Mrs。BennetwasprivilegedtowhisperittoMrs。Phillips，andsheventured，withoutanypermission，todothesamebyallherneighboursinMeryton。

TheBennetswerespeedilypronouncedtobetheluckiestfamilyintheworld，thoughonlyafewweeksbefore，whenLydiahadfirstrunaway，theyhadbeengenerallyprovedtobemarkedoutformisfortune。