More than once did Elizabeth in her ramble within the Park, unexpectedly meet Mr. Darcy. -- She felt all the perverseness of the mischance that should bring him where no one else was brought; and to prevent its ever happening again, took care to inform him at first that it was a favourite haunt of hers. -- How it could occur a second time, therefore, was very odd! -- Yet it did, and even a third. It seemed like wilful ill-nature, or a voluntary penance, for on these occasions it was not merely a few formal enquiries and an awkward pause and then away, but he actually thought it necessary to turn back and walk with her. He never said a great deal, nor did she give herself the trouble of talking or of listening much; but it struck her in the course of their third rencontre that he was asking some odd unconnected questions -- about her pleasure in being at Hunsford, her love of solitary walks, and her opinion of Mr. and Mrs. Collins's happiness; and that in speaking of Rosings, and her not perfectly understanding the house, he seemed to expect that whenever she came into Kent again she would be staying there too. His words seemed to imply it. Could he have Colonel Fitzwilliam in his thoughts? She supposed, if he meant any thing, he must mean an allusion to what might arise in that quarter. It distressed her a little, and she was quite glad to find herself at the gate in the pales opposite the Parsonage.
She was engaged one day, as she walked, in re-perusing Jane's last letter, and dwelling on some passages which proved that Jane had not written in spirits, when, instead of being again surprised by Mr. Darcy, she saw on looking up, that Colonel Fitzwilliam was meeting her. Putting away the letter immediately and forcing a smile, she said,
"I did not know before that you ever walked this way."
"I have been making the tour of the Park," he replied, "as I generally do every year, and intend to close it with a call at the Parsonage. Are you going much farther?"
"No, I should have turned in a moment."
And accordingly she did turn, and they walked towards the Parsonage together.
"Do you certainly leave Kent on Saturday?" said she.
"Yes -- if Darcy does not put it off again. But I am at his disposal. He arranges the business just as he pleases."
"And if not able to please himself in the arrangement, he has at least great pleasure in the power of choice. I do not know any body who seems more to enjoy the power of doing what he likes than Mr. Darcy."
"He likes to have his own way very well," replied Colonel Fitzwilliam. "But so we all do. It is only that he has better means of having it than many others, because he is rich, and many others are poor. I speak feelingly. A younger son, you know, must be inured to self-denial and dependence."
"In my opinion, the younger son of an Earl can know very little of either. Now, seriously, what have you ever known of self-denial and dependence? When have you been prevented by want of money from going wherever you chose, or procuring any thing you had a fancy for?"
"These are home questions -- and perhaps I cannot say that I have experienced many hardships of that nature. But in matters of greater weight, I may suffer from the want of money. Younger sons cannot marry where they like."
"Unless where they like women of fortune, which I think they very often do."
"Our habits of expence make us too dependant, and there are not many in my rank of life who can afford to marry without some attention to money."
"Is this," thought Elizabeth, "meant for me?" and she coloured at the idea; but, recovering herself, said in a lively tone, "And pray, what is the usual price of an Earl's younger son? Unless the elder brother is very sickly, I suppose you would not ask above fifty thousand pounds."
He answered her in the same style, and the subject dropped. To interrupt a silence which might make him fancy her affected with what had passed, she soon afterwards said,
"I imagine your cousin brought you down with him chiefly for the sake of having somebody at his disposal. I wonder he does not marry, to secure a lasting convenience of that kind. But, perhaps his sister does as well for the present, and, as she is under his sole care, he may do what he likes with her."
"No," said Colonel Fitzwilliam, "that is an advantage which he must divide with me. I am joined with him in the guardianship of Miss Darcy."
"Are you, indeed? And pray what sort of guardians do you make? Does your charge give you much trouble? Young ladies of her age are sometimes a little difficult to manage, and if she has the true Darcy spirit, she may like to have her own way."
As she spoke, she observed him looking at her earnestly, and the manner in which he immediately asked her why she supposed Miss Darcy likely to give them any uneasiness, convinced her that she had somehow or other got pretty near the truth. She directly replied,
"You need not be frightened. I never heard any harm of her; and I dare say she is one of the most tractable creatures in the world. She is a very great favourite with some ladies of my acquaintance, Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley. I think I have heard you say that you know them."
"I know them a little. Their brother is a pleasant gentleman-like man -- he is a great friend of Darcy's."
"Oh! yes," said Elizabeth drily -- "Mr. Darcy is uncommonly kind to Mr. Bingley, and takes a prodigious deal of care of him."
"Care of him! -- Yes, I really believe Darcy does take care of him in those points where he most wants care. From something that he told me in our journey hither, I have reason to think Bingley very much indebted to him. But I ought to beg his pardon, for I have no right to suppose that Bingley was the person meant. It was all conjecture."
"What is it you mean?"
"It is a circumstance which Darcy, of course, would not wish to be generally known, because if it were to get round to the lady's family, it would be an unpleasant thing."
"You may depend upon my not mentioning it."
"And remember that I have not much reason for supposing it to be Bingley. What he told me was merely this; that he congratulated himself on having lately saved a friend from the inconveniences of a most imprudent marriage, but without mentioning names or any other particulars, and I only suspected it to be Bingley from believing him the kind of young man to get into a scrape of that sort, and from knowing them to have been together the whole of last summer."
"Did Mr. Darcy give you his reasons for this interference?"
"I understood that there were some very strong objections against the lady."
"And what arts did he use to separate them?"
"He did not talk to me of his own arts," said Fitzwilliam smiling. "He only told me what I have now told you."
Elizabeth made no answer, and walked on, her heart swelling with indignation. After watching her a little, Fitzwilliam asked her why she was so thoughtful.
"I am thinking of what you have been telling me," said she. "Your cousin's conduct does not suit my feelings. Why was he to be the judge?"
"You are rather disposed to call his interference officious?"
"I do not see what right Mr. Darcy had to decide on the propriety of his friend's inclination, or why, upon his own judgment alone, he was to determine and direct in what manner that friend was to be happy." "But," she continued, recollecting herself, "as we know none of the particulars, it is not fair to condemn him. It is not to be supposed that there was much affection in the case."
"That is not an unnatural surmise," said Fitzwilliam, "but it is lessening the honour of my cousin's triumph very sadly."
This was spoken jestingly, but it appeared to her so just a picture of Mr. Darcy that she would not trust herself with an answer; and, therefore, abruptly changing the conversation, talked on indifferent matters till they reached the parsonage. There, shut into her own room as soon as their visitor left them, she could think without interruption of all that she had heard. It was not to be supposed that any other people could be meant than those with whom she was connected. There could not exist in the world two men over whom Mr. Darcy could have such boundless influence. That he had been concerned in the measures taken to separate Mr. Bingley and Jane, she had never doubted; but she had always attributed to Miss Bingley the principal design and arrangement of them. If his own vanity, however, did not mislead him, he was the cause, his pride and caprice were the cause, of all that Jane had suffered, and still continued to suffer. He had ruined for a while every hope of happiness for the most affectionate, generous heart in the world; and no one could say how lasting an evil he might have inflicted.
"There were some very strong objections against the lady," were Colonel Fitzwilliam's words, and these strong objections probably were, her having one uncle who was a country attorney, and another who was in business in London.
"To Jane herself," she exclaimed, "there could be no possibility of objection. All loveliness and goodness as she is! Her understanding excellent, her mind improved, and her manners captivating. Neither could any thing be urged against my father, who, though with some peculiarities, has abilities which Mr. Darcy himself need not disdain, and respectability which he will probably never reach." When she thought of her mother, indeed, her confidence gave way a little, but she would not allow that any objections there had material weight with Mr. Darcy, whose pride, she was convinced, would receive a deeper wound from the want of importance in his friend's connections, than from their want of sense; and she was quite decided at last, that he had been partly governed by this worst kind of pride, and partly by the wish of retaining Mr. Bingley for his sister.
The agitation and tears which the subject occasioned brought on a headache; and it grew so much worse towards the evening that, added to her unwillingness to see Mr. Darcy, it determined her not to attend her cousins to Rosings, where they were engaged to drink tea. Mrs. Collins, seeing that she was really unwell, did not press her to go, and as much as possible prevented her husband from pressing her, but Mr. Collins could not conceal his apprehension of Lady Catherine's being rather displeased by her staying at home.
--正文
伊丽莎白在花园里闲逛的时候，不止一次地意外遇到达西。她觉得自己真是运气差，这儿都没什么人来，但是偏偏就能碰到达西。为了不再碰到他，第一次见到达西的时候就跟他说了，这儿是自己最喜欢来的地方。但是第二次还能碰到就非常奇怪了。然后还有第三次。这就像是谁恶意开得玩笑，一件不请自来的苦差事，因为这不是简单寒暄几句，然后没话说就走开了，达西每次都会换个方向和伊丽莎白一起散步。他从不说很多话，而伊丽莎白呢也从不喋喋不休，也不会要求他多说。但是第三次邂逅倒给她留下了很深的印象，达西古怪地开始问东问西——一会儿问她待在夯斯屯开不开心，一会儿问她为什么喜欢独自散步，一会儿又问她对于柯林斯夫妇的幸福怎么看。而后两人又聊起了罗星庄园，伊丽莎白不是很了解这家人，他好像认为以后不管她什么时候来肯特，都会住在罗星那儿。他的话里似乎暗示了这层意思。这话是不是跟菲茨威廉姆上校有什么关系呢？伊丽莎白推测，如果他话里有话的话，他肯定是在暗指菲茨威廉姆的事情。而这让伊丽莎白有些压力，终于走到了牧舍对面的栅栏口了，她这才开心起来。
有一天，伊丽莎白正一边走，一边读着简最近来的一份信，她细读了其中几段看出了简写信的时候心情不佳。她一抬头，这次没有再意外碰到达西，而是看到了菲茨威廉姆上校正站在前面。
她立刻把信收了起来，并挤出一个笑容说：“我不知道你也会走这条路。”
“我正在这庄园里转悠呢，我每年一般都会这样，我正打算去牧舍拜访一下。你还要再往前走吗？”他回复说。
“不了，我过会儿也该回去了。”
而她也确实回去了，他们就一起走回了牧舍。
“你是周六离开肯特郡吗？”她说
“是的，除非达西不差我去。我是给他打工的。他想怎么安排公事，就怎么安排的。”
“如果他对安排的事情不满意，他最少也有选择哪种安排的自由。我不知道有谁比达西更喜欢为随着自己性子来。”
“他确实如此，”菲茨威廉姆上校说，“但是我们都是这样。只是他比其他人更有机会做到，因为他有钱，而其他人没钱。我就实话实说了。你知道的，小儿子都得习惯自我否定和依赖别人。”
“在我看来，伯爵的小儿子可能对这两样都不怎么懂。说真的，你对自我否定和依赖别人又了解多少？你什么时候因为缺钱而不能去自己喜欢的地方，买自己喜欢的东西了？”
“这可真是问倒我了，也许我没有真正体会过这种难处。但是遇到更大的问题，我确实因为缺钱而吃过苦头的。小儿子没法娶自己喜欢的人。”
“除非是爱上了有钱的女人。我觉得他们也经常会爱上她们。”
“我们花钱大手大脚惯了，像我们这种地位的人没几个会结婚不在乎钱的。”
“这话是说给我听的么？”伊丽莎白想到这里，有点脸红。但是很快她又调整了过来，活泼得说：“请问一般伯爵的小儿子结婚要多少钱？除非大儿子特别讨厌，否则你不会要超过五万磅的吧。”
他也这样戏谑得回答了她，然后就跳过了这个话题。因为害怕沉默下去，会被他以为自己被刚才得事情影响了，她很快接着说：“
我想你表哥带你过来只是为了有人差遣。我搞不懂他为什么不结婚，不然不就有个人一直给他差遣了。但是也许现在有她妹妹，一直由他一个人管，所以他能差遣她。”
“不是这样，”菲茨威廉姆上校说，“这个权力他必须和我分享的。我和他都是达西小姐的监护人。”
“真的吗？那你是哪一种监护人？你的管教有没有给你带来麻烦？达西小姐那个年纪的年轻人有时候比较难管的，而且如果她也有‘达西’精神的话，她也会按我行我素的。”
伊丽莎白说话的时候，发现菲茨威廉姆正恳切地看着她，然后立刻问为什么她会觉得达西小姐会给他们惹麻烦，这让伊丽莎白明白了她已经接近了真相。她直接回答说：“
你别担心。我从没听说她的什么坏话。而且我敢说她是世上最好管教的人之一。我认识的一些姑娘都最喜欢她了，比如赫斯特夫人和宾利小姐。我记得听你说过你认识他们。”
“我认识一点。她们的弟弟是个不错的绅士，也是达西的好朋友。”
“哦，那可不，”伊丽莎白冷冷地说，“达西先生对宾利先生可不是一般的好，他可是好好照顾了宾利。”
“照顾他？！是啊，我倒真的相信在宾利需要帮助的地方，达西确实帮了不少忙。之前来这儿的路上，我倒听达西说过，我相信宾利肯定欠了达西不少人情。但我说这话得请他原谅，因为我没理由认为他说的就是宾利，这全是我自己猜的。”
“你的意思是？”
“这件事情达西不希望很多人知道，因为如果传到了夫人的耳朵里，那就要惹得夫人不开心了。”
“你大可相信我，我不会乱讲的。”
“你记住啊，我不能确定这说的是宾利。他只是告诉了我这些：他在恭喜自己最近帮朋友免了桩鲁莽的婚事，但他也没提名字或者别的细节。我猜是宾利，只是因为他是会遇到这种事的年轻人，而且他们上个夏天都待在一起。”
“达西有跟你说干涉这件事的理由吗？”
“我听说是有人很不喜欢这个姑娘。”
“那他用了什么手段把他们分开了？”
“他可没告诉我用了啥手段，”菲茨威廉姆笑着说，“他告诉我的，我都告诉你了。”
伊丽莎白没有回答就走了，她的心被怒火充斥着。菲茨威廉姆观察了她一会，然后问她为什么若有所思的样子。
“我在想你刚刚跟我说的事情，”他说，“你表哥的行为让我感觉不太好。为什么他有权做决定？”
“你觉得他这样有些指手画脚？”
“我不知道达西有什么权利评价自己朋友的心上人，举止是否得体。还有为什么光凭他自己就能决定别人是否幸福。但是，”她平复了一下接着说，“因为我们也不知道情况，谴责他是不公平的。这件事的主角应该没什么感情的。”
“这么想也不无道理，”菲茨威廉姆说，“但这种猜想确实让我表哥做得事不太光彩了。”
他这话本来是开玩笑说的，但在伊丽莎白看来这却是达西的写照，而她也不再方便接话。所以就突然换了话题，随便聊了些有的没的，一直到牧舍才停止。菲茨威廉姆走后，她立刻把自己关到房里，心无旁骛地想想刚才听到的事情。除了她认识的那些人，菲茨威廉姆提到的不可能是别人。这个世界上不存在两个这么受达西影响的人。伊丽莎白从没有怀疑过，达西也参与了想办法把宾利和简分开了。而且她一直认为是宾利小姐主要谋划，并付诸实施的。如果他的傲慢仍然在的话，达西就是简遭受折磨的原因，他的傲慢和善变还将让简遭受这样的折磨。他曾让这个世上最热心、善良的姑娘心灰意冷了一阵子，而没人能说得准他施加的折磨还将影响简多久。
“有些人很反对那位姑娘，”菲茨威廉姆原话是这么说的，而这些人反对的可能是：她有个叔叔是个农村律师，而另一个叔叔在伦敦做生意。
“对于简这个人，”伊丽莎白坚称，“肯定是没什么可挑剔的。她又可爱，又善良！她悟性高，脑子聪明，人又有魅力。我父亲也是没什么可指摘的，尽管他有点古怪，但是他有些能力是达西也不能小看的，而他所受的尊敬更是达西所不能及的。“她后来又想到了自己的母亲，信心就有些动摇了，但她相信这点事情并不会影响到达西。她很确定，相比有没有见识，达西更在意的是有没有权势。最终她确定了自己的看法——达西一方面是被自己那种恶劣的傲慢支配了，一方面是想留着宾利娶他自己的姐姐。
伊丽莎白越想越气，越气越哭，最后头也疼了起来。本来他们约好去罗星喝茶，但到晚上头疼加重了，加上她不想见到达西，所以就决定晚上不跟堂哥一起去罗星了。柯林斯夫人看到她确实很不舒服，所以就没硬逼她去，而且也尽量没让她丈夫逼她去。但是柯林斯先生忍不住有些慌张，害怕她不去会惹卡瑟林夫人不高兴。
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