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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。”