In consequence of an agreement between the sisters, Elizabeth wrote the next morning to her mother, to beg that the carriage might be sent for them in the course of the day. But Mrs. Bennet, who had calculated on her daughters remaining at Netherfield till the following Tuesday, which would exactly finish Jane's week, could not bring herself to receive hem with pleasure before. Her answer, therefore, was not propitious, at least not to Elizabeth's wishes, for she was impatient to get home. Mrs. Bennet sent them word that they could not possibly have the carriage before Tuesday; and in her postscript it was added that, if Mr. Bingley and his sister pressed them to stay longer, she could spare them very well. -- Against staying longer, however, Elizabeth was positively resolved -- nor did she much expect it would be asked; and fearful, on the contrary, as being considered as intruding themselves needlessly long, she urged Jane to borrow Mr. Bingley's carriage immediately, and at length it was settled that their original design of leaving Netherfield that morning should be mentioned, and the request made.
The communication excited many professions of concern; and enough was said of wishing them to stay at least till the following day, to work on Jane; and till the morrow their going was deferred. Miss Bingley was then sorry that she had proposed the delay, for her jealousy and dislike of one sister much exceeded her affection for the other.
The master of the house heard with real sorrow that they were to go so soon, and repeatedly tried to persuade Miss Bennet that it would not be safe for her -- that she was not enough recovered; but Jane was firm where she felt herself to be right.
To Mr. Darcy it was welcome intelligence -- Elizabeth had been at Netherfield long enough. She attracted him more than he liked -- and Miss Bingley was uncivil to her, and more teazing than usual to himself. He wisely resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration should now escape him, nothing that could elevate her with the hope of influencing his felicity; sensible that if such an idea had been suggested, his behaviour during the last day must have material weight in confirming or crushing it. Steady to his purpose, he scarcely spoke ten words to her through the whole of Saturday, and though they were at one time left by themselves for half an hour, he adhered most conscientiously to his book, and would not even look at her.
On Sunday, after morning service, the separation, so agreeable to almost all, took place. Miss Bingley's civility to Elizabeth increased at last very rapidly, as well as her affection for Jane; and when they parted, after assuring the latter of the pleasure it would always give her to see her either at Longbourn or Netherfield, and embracing her most tenderly, she even shook hands with the former. -- Elizabeth took leave of the whole party in the liveliest spirits.
They were not welcomed home very cordially by their mother. Mrs. Bennet wondered at their coming, and thought them very wrong to give so much trouble, and was sure Jane would have caught cold again. -- But their father, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see them; he had felt their importance in the family circle. The evening conversation, when they were all assembled, had lost much of its animation, and almost all its sense, by the absence of Jane and Elizabeth.
They found Mary, as usual, deep in the study of thorough bass and human nature; and had some new extracts to admire, and some new observations of thread-bare morality to listen to. Catherine and Lydia had information for them of a different sort. Much had been done and much had been said in the regiment since the preceding Wednesday; several of the officers had dined lately with their uncle, a private had been flogged, and it had actually been hinted that Colonel Forster was going to be married.
--正文
姐妹俩商量好后,第二天一早,伊丽莎白就写信给她老娘,恳请她把四轮马车派过来接她们回去。但是本内特太太,之前就打算好让两个女儿在耐热屯一直待到下周四,正好能让简待满一星期,所以她现在并不高兴接她们回去。
所以,本内特太太的回复不算积极,至少没法让伊丽莎白满意,她可着急坏了要回家。本内特太太回信说周四前都没法把派马车过去。她还补充说:如果宾利先生和他姐姐非要留着她们再住一会,她这边完全没问题。但是伊丽莎白可不想长待下去,她也决心不让人开口留下。恰恰相反,她害怕姐妹俩在这一直待太久,会被人嫌烦,就敦促姐姐马上去跟宾利先生借个马车。姐们俩讨论了下,最终确定要跟主人家说明打算早上就要离开耐热屯,并把借马车的事情也提出来。
大家对姐妹俩十分关心,并希望他们至少待到明天再走,最终简被说服了。于是姐妹俩只得再待一天再走。但是宾利小姐很快又后悔了,她觉得不该劝姐妹俩再待一天,因为她对伊丽莎白的羡慕和嫉妒,可远胜过对简的喜爱。
宾利先生听说姐妹俩很快就要走,十分难受,并不停的劝说简她身体还没康复,现在走不太妥当。但是简觉得这么做是对的。至于达西,则是很机灵的欢迎了这件事:伊丽莎白已经在耐热屯待很久了,他没想到自己会如此对伊丽莎白痴迷。而且宾利小姐对她充满恶意,也比平时更爱取笑他自己。达西机智的决定,以后要十分小心,再也不能对伊丽莎白表现出一点爱慕之情。免得她自己飘了,以为能影响到我达西的幸福生活了。达西明白假如伊丽莎白真有这样的打算,那么他昨天的冷处理行为要么会让伊丽莎白更加喜欢她,要么就让她彻底讨厌自己。达西打定了主意,就整个周六跟伊丽莎白没说十个字,尽管有半个小时他们俩是独处的,但是达西一直专心看书,连看都没看她一眼。
周日早上,昨晚礼拜后,本内特家的两姐妹告辞了,大家都高兴得送别理他们。终于,宾利小姐变得对伊丽莎白礼貌起来,对简也更喜欢了。告别的时候,宾利小姐极其温柔地拥抱了简,并说无论在蘑菇屯,还是耐热屯,她都非常期盼能再见到她。她甚至还跟伊丽莎白握了手。伊丽莎白非常高兴地离开了这个地方。
但是到家后,她们却没有被老娘热烈欢迎。本内特太太奇怪她们怎么那么早就回来了,说她们这么做是给自己添了大麻烦,还说简肯定又会得感冒。但是本内特老爷见到女儿们回来了,虽然嘴上只敷衍了几句好话,但其实很开心。他感觉到了姐妹俩在家庭里得重要性。之前她们没在家的时候,晚上一家子聚在一起聊天,真是无聊的很,甚至可以说聚在一起都没有意义了。
她们发现玛丽仍然跟之前一样,沉浸乐谱和人性的研究中。她拿出了一些新做的摘要给姐姐们欣赏,也读了些自己对旧道德的见解给她们听。卡瑟林和莉迪亚则跟她们分享了另一些事情。上周三之后,民兵团里可是发生了好多事情,传出了好多话题。几个军官跟她们的姨爹最近吃过饭了,有个列兵又被鞭打了,又听说福斯特上校要结婚了。
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