With no greater events than these in the Longbourn family, and otherwise diversified by little beyond the walks to Meryton, sometimes dirty and sometimes cold, did January and February pass away. March was to take Elizabeth to Hunsford. She had not at first thought very seriously of going thither; but Charlotte, she soon found, was depending on the plan, and she gradually learned to consider it herself with greater pleasure as well as greater certainty. Absence had increased her desire of seeing Charlotte again, and weakened her disgust of Mr. Collins. There was novelty in the scheme; and as, with such a mother and such uncompanionable sisters, home could not be faultless, a little change was not unwelcome for its own sake. The journey would moreover give her a peep at Jane; and, in short, as the time drew near, she would have been very sorry for any delay. Every thing, however, went on smoothly, and was finally settled according to Charlotte's first sketch. She was to accompany Sir William and his second daughter. The improvement of spending a night in London was added in time, and the plan became perfect as plan could be.
The only pain was in leaving her father, who would certainly miss her, and who, when it came to the point, so little liked her going that he told her to write to him, and almost promised to answer her letter.
The farewell between herself and Mr. Wickham was perfectly friendly; on his side even more. His present pursuit could not make him forget that Elizabeth had been the first to excite and to deserve his attention, the first to listen and to pity, the first to be admired; and in his manner of bidding her adieu, wishing her every enjoyment, reminding her of what she was to expect in Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and trusting their opinion of her -- their opinion of every body -- would always coincide, there was a solicitude, an interest which she felt must ever attach her to him with a most sincere regard; and she parted from him convinced that, whether married or single, he must always be her model of the amiable and pleasing.
Her fellow-travellers the next day were not of a kind to make her think him less agreeable. Sir William Lucas and his daughter Maria, a good humoured girl, but as empty-headed as himself, had nothing to say that could be worth hearing, and were listened to with about as much delight as the rattle of the chaise. Elizabeth loved absurdities, but she had known Sir William's too long. He could tell her nothing new of the wonders of his presentation and knighthood; and his civilities were worn out like his information.
It was a journey of only twenty-four miles, and they began it so early as to be in Gracechurch-street by noon. As they drove to Mr. Gardiner's door, Jane was at a drawing-room window watching their arrival; when they entered the passage she was there to welcome them, and Elizabeth, looking earnestly in her face, was pleased to see it healthful and lovely as ever. On the stairs were a troop of little boys and girls, whose eagerness for their cousin's appearance would not allow them to wait in the drawing-room, and whose shyness, as they had not seen her for a twelvemonth, prevented their coming lower. All was joy and kindness. The day passed most pleasantly away; the morning in bustle and shopping, and the evening at one of the theatres.
Elizabeth then contrived to sit by her aunt. Their first subject was her sister; and she was more grieved than astonished to hear, in reply to her minute enquiries, that though Jane always struggled to support her spirits, there were periods of dejection. It was reasonable, however, to hope that they would not continue long. Mrs. Gardiner gave her the particulars also of Miss Bingley's visit in Gracechurch-street, and repeated conversations occurring at different times between Jane and herself, which proved that the former had, from her heart, given up the acquaintance.
Mrs. Gardiner then rallied her niece on Wickham's desertion, and complimented her on bearing it so well.
"But, my dear Elizabeth," she added, "what sort of girl is Miss King? I should be sorry to think our friend mercenary."
"Pray, my dear aunt, what is the difference in matrimonial affairs, between the mercenary and the prudent motive? Where does discretion end, and avarice begin? Last Christmas you were afraid of his marrying me, because it would be imprudent; and now, because he is trying to get a girl with only ten thousand pounds, you want to find out that he is mercenary."
"If you will only tell me what sort of girl Miss King is, I shall know what to think."
"She is a very good kind of girl, I believe. I know no harm of her."
"But he paid her not the smallest attention, till her grandfather's death made her mistress of this fortune."
"No -- why should he? If it was not allowable for him to gain my affections, because I had no money, what occasion could there be for making love to a girl whom he did not care about, and who was equally poor?"
"But there seems indelicacy in directing his attentions towards her, so soon after this event."
"A man in distressed circumstances has not time for all those elegant decorums which other people may observe. If she does not object to it, why should we?"
"Her not objecting, does not justify him. It only shews her being deficient in something herself -- sense or feeling."
"Well," cried Elizabeth, "have it as you choose. He shall be mercenary, and she shall be foolish."
"No, Lizzy, that is what I do not choose. I should be sorry, you know, to think ill of a young man who has lived so long in Derbyshire."
"Oh! if that is all, I have a very poor opinion of young men who live in Derbyshire; and their intimate friends who live in Hertfordshire are not much better. I am sick of them all. Thank Heaven! I am going to-morrow where I shall find a man who has not one agreeable quality, who has neither manner nor sense to recommend him. Stupid men are the only ones worth knowing, after all."
"Take care, Lizzy; that speech savours strongly of disappointment."
Before they were separated by the conclusion of the play, she had the unexpected happiness of an invitation to accompany her uncle and aunt in a tour of pleasure which they proposed taking in the summer.
"We have not quite determined how far it shall carry us," said Mrs. Gardiner, "but perhaps to the Lakes."
No scheme could have been more agreeable to Elizabeth, and her acceptance of the invitation was most ready and grateful. "My dear, dear aunt," she rapturously cried, "what delight! what felicity! You give me fresh life and vigour. Adieu to disappointment and spleen. What are men to rocks and mountains? Oh! what hours of transport we shall spend! And when we do return, it shall not be like other travellers, without being able to give one accurate idea of any thing. We will know where we have gone -- we will recollect what we have seen. Lakes, mountains, and rivers shall not be jumbled together in our imaginations; nor, when we attempt to describe any particular scene, will we begin quarrelling about its relative situation. Let our first effusions be less insupportable than those of the generality of travellers."
--正文
除了这些事情，蘑菇屯一家也没啥大事。除了去迈瑞屯玩一玩外，也没有什么别的消遣。时而泥泞，时而寒冷的一月和二月就这么过去了。伊丽莎白本来要在三月去夯斯屯的。其实一开始，她本没有真打算去那。但是她很快发现，夏洛特一直盼着她过去，渐渐地，她也就开心地决心过去了。夏洛特和柯林斯离开了许久，伊丽莎白开始想念夏洛特，对柯林斯也没有那么讨厌了。家里有这么个老娘，还有几个不好相处的妹妹，对于伊丽莎白，家可不是个完美的地方。她也想图个新鲜感，换换环境。这番旅行正好也能看看简。总而言之，随着时间的临近，她已经迫不及待了。出乎意料的，按照夏洛特一开始的计划，事情进展得十分顺利。她将和威廉姆先生，以及他们家的二女儿一起期望。然后他们又临时决定在伦敦住一晚，这让计划更加完美了。
这个事情唯一的缺点，就是要离开自己的父亲，本内特老爷一定会思念伊丽莎白的。到了不得不告别的时候，本内特老爷十分不想她离开，只好让她写信回来，还差点答应会回信给她。
伊丽莎白和维克汉姆告别的时候，场面十分客气，维克汉姆甚至更客气一些。虽然他现在在追求别人，但是他没有忘记伊丽莎白才是第一个获得了他注意的人，第一个值得他注意的人，第一个聆听他，第一个同情他的人，她也是他第一个爱慕的人。维克汉姆向她告白的时候，祝她万事如意，并提醒她德.包尔夫人是个什么样的人。他相信别人对她的评价，别人对所有人的评价，最终都会吻合的。他道别的时候真诚而充满关心，这让伊丽莎白从此对他有了种真挚的好感。分别的时候伊丽莎白明白了，不管这个男人以后是单身还是已婚，他都将是自己对于亲和、讨喜男人的标准。
第二天，她的旅伴并没有像维克汉姆那么有意思。威廉姆.卢卡斯爵士，和他女儿玛丽亚一路上聊得东西并没有什么值得听的。玛丽亚是个随和的姑娘，但是和她父亲一样，都傻傻的。他们聊了一路，但是除了这滚滚的车轮，并没有人附和他们。伊丽莎白很喜欢古怪的笑话，但是她太了解威廉姆爵士了。除了说他面见国王和受封的经历，再没有什么新事可谈。他说的东西，就跟他那好脾气一样，都让人提不起兴致了。
此去路途只有二十四英里，他们早早就出发了以便在中午前赶到仁慈教堂大道。他们驶向加德纳先生的门口时，简正通过客厅的窗户看着他们过来。他们走到门廊的时候，简已经在那儿欢迎他们了。伊丽莎白关切得看着简的脸蛋，很开心的发现还是一如既往的健康和可爱。楼梯上站着一列小男孩和小女孩，他们十分想看看表姐，在客厅里等不及，就跑到楼梯上来了。但是他们已经一年没看到伊丽莎白了，有些害羞，也就都待在楼梯上。这一天在欢声笑语中度过了。早上大家乱糟糟的，又买了些东西，晚上大家去了家戏院看戏。
伊丽莎白设法坐到了舅妈身边。她们俩首先就谈到她姐姐。伊丽莎白急切地询问姐姐的事情，舅妈回答她说，尽管简强打着精神，但有时候还是会情绪低落。但是，这种情形应该不会持续太久了。加德纳夫人特别跟伊丽莎白提到了，宾利小姐之前确实拜访过仁慈教堂大街，也提起过之前她跟简聊的一些话，这些都证明了宾利小姐已经放弃跟简往来了。
加德纳夫人后来又安慰起来伊丽莎白，说维克汉姆放弃追求的事情，夸奖她处理的很好。
“但是，我亲爱的伊丽莎白，”她补充说，“金小姐是个什么样的姑娘？我可不想以为咱们的朋友只喜欢钱啊。”
“可别这么说，舅妈，在结婚这件事上，选择金钱不也就是选择理性么？怎么才能算谨慎，又到哪儿才算贪婪呢？去年圣诞节你害怕要娶我，因为这欠考虑。但现在，就因为他追了个一个只有一万磅财产的姑娘，你就想说他只喜欢钱了。”
“只要你告诉我金小姐是个啥样的姑娘，我就知道答案了。”
“她是个很好的姑娘，我觉得。没啥不好的地方。”
“但是直到祖父去世，让她继承了一笔财产，维克汉姆才开始注意到他啊？”
“是没有，但是他为什么要注意到呢？如果是因为我没钱，他才没有追我。那他怎么会去追一个同样贫穷，而且一点也不关心的姑娘呢？”
“但是人家一继承财产，他就去接近人家，这说出来也怎么光彩吧。”
“一个处境困难的年轻人，可不像一般人那样，有时间注意这些礼节。如果她都不反对，为什么我们要反对呢？”
“她不反对也不能说明维克汉姆没有过错。这只能证明这位金小姐有些缺陷，要么是理解有问题，要么是感知有问题。”
“哎呀，”伊丽莎白抱怨说，“随你怎么想吧。就说他拜金好了，也说她傻罢了。”
“你错了，栗子，我不会这么想。我应该道歉，我不应该这么想一个住在德比郡那么久的年轻人。”
“这样么。如果只是这样的话，那我对德比郡的年轻人可没有什么好印象。他们那些也住在德比郡的好朋友，也不怎么样。我讨厌他们所有人。谢天谢地！明天我就去找个男人，这个男人要一个优点没得，还得是个大老粗，也得不长脑子。毕竟只有蠢男人才值得了解。”
“小心啊，栗子，听这话好像有些人很失望呢。”
俩人这个话题还没聊完，伊丽莎白就被邀请跟舅舅和舅妈一起出去玩，他们夏天的时候就约好了，这让伊丽莎白喜出望外。
“我们还没决定好走多远，”加德纳夫人说，“但先走到湖边再说吧。”
没有比这个更受伊丽莎白喜欢的玩法了，她十分果断的接受了邀请，充满了感激。“我亲爱，亲爱的舅妈，”她激动地大喊，“好开心！好幸福！你让我获得了新生！充满了活力！跟所有的失望，和愤怒说拜拜吧。跟山水相比，男人算个啥？哦！这一路上可会有多快乐！而且我们回来的时候，可不会像普通的游客一样，玩啥都是蜻蜓点水。我们会知道自己去过哪儿，我们会记住自己见过的东西。湖泊，大山，河流，这些在我们的想象里不会混在一起。当我们描述一处美景的时候，也不会吵着它的位置在哪儿。让我们的感情相比普通的游客，更加的真挚，更加的真实。”
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