第二十二章。
班纳特一家应卢卡斯府之邀赴宴；这一天的多半时光里，卢卡斯小姐又好心地听柯林斯先生说话。伊丽莎白找机会向她道谢。“这让他心情愉快，”她说，“我对你的感激之情难以言表。”
夏洛特向朋友保证，能帮上忙她便心满意足，这点小小的牺牲时间完全值得。这很是好心；但夏洛特的善意远超出伊丽莎白所能想象：——其目的无非是将柯林斯先生的求爱引向自己，从而确保他不再向伊丽莎白示爱。这便是卢卡斯小姐的打算；情势看来十分有利，夜晚分手时，若不是他即将很快离开赫特福德郡，她几乎已笃定会成功。但她未免小看了他性格中的热烈与自主；因为他次日清晨便以令人赞叹的狡黠溜出朗伯恩宅邸，匆匆赶往卢卡斯 Lodge 拜倒在她脚下。他急于避开表妹们的注意，因他深信若被她们瞧见离去，必定猜出他的用意；在成败未卜前，他不愿让人知晓此事；虽说凭理他几乎安心，因夏洛特颇显鼓励之意，但自周三那事后，他相对少了些自信。然而他的接待极为受用。卢卡斯小姐从楼上窗口望见他走来，立刻假装偶遇般去小径迎他。她几乎不敢奢望那里竟有如此多的爱意与辞令等候。
在柯林斯先生长篇大论所允许的短暂时光内，二人一切谈妥，彼此满意；进门时，他恳切请她定下那令他最幸福的日期；虽此请暂被推辞，小姐却无意戏弄他的幸福。他天生愚钝，倒使这求爱毫无魅力令人想延续；而卢卡斯小姐答应他，纯为成家这无私的渴求，才不在乎那家多快建成。
威廉爵士与卢卡斯夫人很快被请予允准；他们欣然而极快地应允。柯林斯先生眼下境况，对陪嫁微薄的女儿实为佳配；他未来致富的前景也极光明。卢卡斯夫人当即算起，比以往任何时都关切——班纳特先生大约还能活几年；威廉爵士断然认为，待柯林斯先生得朗伯恩产业时，夫妻俩去圣詹姆斯宫露面实为上策。总之全家恰如其分地欢喜。小女儿们盼着比原可能早一两年“出阁”；男孩们也免了怕夏洛特老死不嫁的忧。夏洛特本人尚算镇定。她已达目的，且有时间思量。她想来大体满意。柯林斯先生自是不明事理又不讨喜：相处烦人，他对她的爱慕想必虚妄。但终归他要作她丈夫。她虽不看重男子或婚姻，结婚向来是她目标：那是小户良家女唯一体面的归宿，且不论能否予幸福，总比贫乏愉悦。这保障她现已得；二十七岁从未美貌的她，觉出全部好运。最不快之事，必令伊丽莎白·班纳特惊诧，她视其友谊重于他人。伊丽莎白会诧异，或许责怪；虽她心意不改，此不认可也伤情感。她决意亲告；故嘱柯林斯先生回朗伯恩用膳前，对家人只字不提。保密之诺自是恭顺许下，却难守：他久离引的好奇，归来时直问需巧避，而他同时极自抑，因渴宣佳音。
因明早启程太早见不到家人，辞行礼于女士们夜休前行；班纳特夫人极礼而热忱说，若他他事允，能再来朗伯恩他们多高兴。
“亲爱夫人，”他答，“此邀特悦，正我所盼；您可确信我尽快来。”
皆惊；班纳特先生绝不想他速回，立说——
“可岂有凯瑟琳夫人不悦之险，好先生？你宁疏亲莫冒犯主母。”
“亲爱先生，”柯林斯先生答，“特谢此友警，您放心无夫人允我不行此要步。”
“你万要警。宁冒险莫惹她不快；若觉再来引不快——我以为极可能——静居家，满意我们不计较。”
“信我，亲爱先生，此情切感；定速得谢函，谢此及居赫特福德郡诸顾。至我美表妹，虽离短不必，我今擅祝她们康乐，不除外伊丽莎白表妹。”
礼毕女士退；皆讶他欲速回。班纳特夫人以为他向小女求爱，玛丽或受。她评他才高于余；他思有实常触她；虽不如她聪，她想若励他读进如她样，或成佳伴。但翌晨此望尽灭。卢卡斯小姐早饭后至，私告伊丽莎白昨日事。
近一两日伊丽莎白曾想柯林斯先生或自认爱友；但夏洛特鼓励他，几如自鼓励般不可能；故她惊至初失礼，禁不住叫——
“许给柯林斯先生！亲夏洛特，不可能！”
卢卡斯小姐讲时稳色，受此直责暂乱；虽料如此，速复静，淡答——
“何惊，亲伊丽莎？你以为柯林斯先生既未得你欢，便不能得任何女好感？”
伊丽莎白已定神；强稳告她，此亲颇悦，祝她尽福。
“我知你所感，”夏洛特答，“你必惊，甚惊，因柯林斯先生方欲娶你。但你想透，望满意我所为。我不浪漫，你知道。从未。我只求安家；虑柯林斯先生性、亲、境，信我随他幸福机，不亚常人婚时夸。”
伊丽莎白静答“无疑”；尴尬顿后，回余家。夏洛特未久留；伊丽莎白独思所闻。久难接受此不配婚。柯林斯三日两求奇，不比今被许。她常觉夏洛特婚见异于己；却难想其行时，弃诸善感取世利。夏洛特，柯林斯先生妻，极辱图！友自辱、降尊之痛外，更添苦信：友此选难稍福。
[插图：
“如此多的爱意与辞令”
[1894年乔治·艾伦版权所有。]]
The Bennets were engaged to dine with the Lucases; and again, during the
chief of the day, was Miss Lucas so kind as to listen to Mr. Collins.
Elizabeth took an opportunity of thanking her. “It keeps him in good
humour,” said she, “and I am more obliged to you than I can express.”
Charlotte assured her friend of her satisfaction in being useful, and
that it amply repaid her for the little sacrifice of her time. This was
very amiable; but Charlotte’s kindness extended farther than Elizabeth
had any conception of:--its object was nothing less than to secure her
from any return of Mr. Collins’s addresses, by engaging them towards
herself. Such was Miss Lucas’s scheme; and appearances were so
favourable, that when they parted at night, she would have felt almost
sure of success if he had not been to leave Hertfordshire so very soon.
But here she did injustice to the fire and independence of his
character; for it led him to escape out of Longbourn House the next
morning with admirable slyness, and hasten to Lucas Lodge to throw
himself at her feet. He was anxious to avoid the notice of his cousins,
from a conviction that, if they saw him depart, they could not fail to
conjecture his design, and he was not willing to have the attempt known
till its success could be known likewise; for, though feeling almost
secure, and with reason, for Charlotte had been tolerably encouraging,
he was comparatively diffident since the adventure of Wednesday. His
reception, however, was of the most flattering kind. Miss Lucas
perceived him from an upper window as he walked towards the house, and
instantly set out to meet him accidentally in the lane. But little had
she dared to hope that so much love and eloquence awaited her there.
In as short a time as Mr. Collins’s long speeches would allow,
everything was settled between them to the satisfaction of both; and as
they entered the house, he earnestly entreated her to name the day that
was to make him the happiest of men; and though such a solicitation must
be waived for the present, the lady felt no inclination to trifle with
his happiness. The stupidity with which he was favoured by nature must
guard his courtship from any charm that could make a woman wish for its
continuance; and Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and
disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that
establishment were gained.
Sir William and Lady Lucas were speedily applied to for their consent;
and it was bestowed with a most joyful alacrity. Mr. Collins’s present
circumstances made it a most eligible match for their daughter, to whom
they could give little fortune; and his prospects of future wealth were
exceedingly fair. Lady Lucas began directly to calculate, with more
interest than the matter had ever
[Illustration:
“So much love and eloquence”
[_Copyright 1894 by George Allen._]]
excited before, how many years longer Mr. Bennet was likely to live; and
Sir William gave it as his decided opinion, that whenever Mr. Collins
should be in possession of the Longbourn estate, it would be highly
expedient that both he and his wife should make their appearance at St.
James’s. The whole family in short were properly overjoyed on the
occasion. The younger girls formed hopes of _coming out_ a year or two
sooner than they might otherwise have done; and the boys were relieved
from their apprehension of Charlotte’s dying an old maid. Charlotte
herself was tolerably composed. She had gained her point, and had time
to consider of it. Her reflections were in general satisfactory. Mr.
Collins, to be sure, was neither sensible nor agreeable: his society was
irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary. But still he would
be her husband. Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony,
marriage had always been her object: it was the only honourable
provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and, however
uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative
from want. This preservative she had now obtained; and at the age of
twenty-seven, without having ever been handsome, she felt all the good
luck of it. The least agreeable circumstance in the business was the
surprise it must occasion to Elizabeth Bennet, whose friendship she
valued beyond that of any other person. Elizabeth would wonder, and
probably would blame her; and though her resolution was not to be
shaken, her feelings must be hurt by such a disapprobation. She resolved
to give her the information herself; and therefore charged Mr. Collins,
when he returned to Longbourn to dinner, to drop no hint of what had
passed before any of the family. A promise of secrecy was of course very
dutifully given, but it could not be kept without difficulty; for the
curiosity excited by his long absence burst forth in such very direct
questions on his return, as required some ingenuity to evade, and he was
at the same time exercising great self-denial, for he was longing to
publish his prosperous love.
As he was to begin his journey too early on the morrow to see any of
the family, the ceremony of leave-taking was performed when the ladies
moved for the night; and Mrs. Bennet, with great politeness and
cordiality, said how happy they should be to see him at Longbourn again,
whenever his other engagements might allow him to visit them.
“My dear madam,” he replied, “this invitation is particularly
gratifying, because it is what I have been hoping to receive; and you
may be very certain that I shall avail myself of it as soon as
possible.”
They were all astonished; and Mr. Bennet, who could by no means wish for
so speedy a return, immediately said,--
“But is there not danger of Lady Catherine’s disapprobation here, my
good sir? You had better neglect your relations than run the risk of
offending your patroness.”
“My dear sir,” replied Mr. Collins, “I am particularly obliged to you
for this friendly caution, and you may depend upon my not taking so
material a step without her Ladyship’s concurrence.”
“You cannot be too much on your guard. Risk anything rather than her
displeasure; and if you find it likely to be raised by your coming to us
again, which I should think exceedingly probable, stay quietly at home,
and be satisfied that _we_ shall take no offence.”
“Believe me, my dear sir, my gratitude is warmly excited by such
affectionate attention; and, depend upon it, you will speedily receive
from me a letter of thanks for this as well as for every other mark of
your regard during my stay in Hertfordshire. As for my fair cousins,
though my absence may not be long enough to render it necessary, I shall
now take the liberty of wishing them health and happiness, not excepting
my cousin Elizabeth.”
With proper civilities, the ladies then withdrew; all of them equally
surprised to find that he meditated a quick return. Mrs. Bennet wished
to understand by it that he thought of paying his addresses to one of
her younger girls, and Mary might have been prevailed on to accept him.
She rated his abilities much higher than any of the others: there was a
solidity in his reflections which often struck her; and though by no
means so clever as herself, she thought that, if encouraged to read and
improve himself by such an example as hers, he might become a very
agreeable companion. But on the following morning every hope of this
kind was done away. Miss Lucas called soon after breakfast, and in a
private conference with Elizabeth related the event of the day before.
The possibility of Mr. Collins’s fancying himself in love with her
friend had once occurred to Elizabeth within the last day or two: but
that Charlotte could encourage him seemed almost as far from possibility
as that she could encourage him herself; and her astonishment was
consequently so great as to overcome at first the bounds of decorum, and
she could not help crying out,--
“Engaged to Mr. Collins! my dear Charlotte, impossible!”
The steady countenance which Miss Lucas had commanded in telling her
story gave way to a momentary confusion here on receiving so direct a
reproach; though, as it was no more than she expected, she soon regained
her composure, and calmly replied,--
“Why should you be surprised, my dear Eliza? Do you think it incredible
that Mr. Collins should be able to procure any woman’s good opinion,
because he was not so happy as to succeed with you?”
But Elizabeth had now recollected herself; and, making a strong effort
for it, was able to assure her, with tolerable firmness, that the
prospect of their relationship was highly grateful to her, and that she
wished her all imaginable happiness.
“I see what you are feeling,” replied Charlotte; “you must be surprised,
very much surprised, so lately as Mr. Collins was wishing to marry you.
But when you have had time to think it all over, I hope you will be
satisfied with what I have done. I am not romantic, you know. I never
was. I ask only a comfortable home; and, considering Mr. Collins’s
character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my
chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on
entering the marriage state.”
Elizabeth quietly answered “undoubtedly;” and, after an awkward pause,
they returned to the rest of the family. Charlotte did not stay much
longer; and Elizabeth was then left to reflect on what she had heard. It
was a long time before she became at all reconciled to the idea of so
unsuitable a match. The strangeness of Mr. Collins’s making two offers
of marriage within three days was nothing in comparison of his being now
accepted. She had always felt that Charlotte’s opinion of matrimony was
not exactly like her own; but she could not have supposed it possible
that, when called into action, she would have sacrificed every better
feeling to worldly advantage. Charlotte, the wife of Mr. Collins, was a
most humiliating picture! And to the pang of a friend disgracing
herself, and sunk in her esteem, was added the distressing conviction
that it was impossible for that friend to be tolerably happy in the lot
she had chosen.
[Illustration:
“Protested he must be entirely mistaken.”
[_Copyright 1894 by George Allen._]]
