第二十五章。
在互诉衷情与筹划美满姻缘中度过一周后，柯林斯先生因星期六的到来，不得不离开他温婉的夏洛特。不过，分离之痛在他这边或可得以缓解，因为他正着手准备迎接新娘，且他有理由盼望，下次重返赫特福德郡后不久，那个将使他成为最幸福之人的日子便会定下。他如先前一般庄重地向朗伯恩的亲友辞行，再次祝愿几位标致的表妹健康幸福，并答应她们的父亲再写一封致谢信。
接下来的星期一，贝内特太太满心欢喜地迎来了弟弟和弟媳——他们照例来朗伯恩过圣诞。加德纳先生是个明理而绅士派头的人，无论天性还是教养，都远胜其姐。若让内瑟菲尔德的女士们得知，一个靠做生意谋生、抬眼便见自家货栈的人，竟能如此温文尔雅、讨人喜欢，她们怕是难以置信。加德纳太太比贝内特太太和菲利普斯太太小好几岁，是个和蔼、聪慧、优雅的女子，极受朗伯恩众侄女喜爱。尤其两位长侄女与她，更是情谊匪浅。她们常去城里小住于她家中。
加德纳太太一到，头一桩事便是分发礼物、讲说最新时装。这完后，她便没那般忙活了，轮到她来听。贝内特太太有一肚子委屈要诉，满腹牢骚要发。自上次见妹子后，她们全受了大委屈。两个女儿险些嫁出去，到头来却是一场空。
“我不怪简，”她接着说，“简若能成，早成了宾利先生的人。可莉齐！哦，妹妹！想想真叫人心寒，若不是她自个儿拗脾气，这会儿她本已是柯林斯太太了。他就在这屋里向她求的婚，她竟拒了。结果便是，卢卡斯夫人要比我先嫁出女儿，而朗伯恩的产业照旧那样世袭限定着。卢卡斯家当真狡猾得很，妹妹。他们全想着占便宜。我不愿这么说，可事实如此。自家里头这么不顺，邻居又个个先顾自己，真叫我神经紧绷、身子不适。不过，你偏这时候来，最是安慰，听你说长袖子的花样，我也高兴。”
加德纳太太早从简与伊丽莎白的信中得知了多半，只淡淡应了姐姐一句，又怜着侄女们，便转了话头。
后來独与伊丽莎白相处时，她又提起这事。“看来对简是门好亲，”她说，“吹了怪可惜。可这种事常有的！如你所说宾利先生那样后生，轻易便为俏姑娘迷上几周，偶然一分开了，又轻易把她忘了，这般变心最是寻常。”
[插图：
“得罪了二三位年轻小姐”
[1894年乔治·艾伦公司版权所有。]]
“这宽慰倒是别有一番道理，”伊丽莎白道，“却安慰不了咱们。咱们不是叫偶然拆散的。一个自立家财的后生，隔几天便对他曾热烈爱慕的姑娘再不理会，这般情形，少有是朋友插手便能成的。”
“可‘热烈爱慕’这说法太滥、太虚、太含糊，我瞧不出多少意思。它既用在一面之缘半点钟生出的情愫，也用在真切深厚的眷恋上。请问，宾利先生爱得有多‘烈’？”
“我从未见更可喜的苗头；他渐渐不理旁人，满心只在她身上。每见一回，情意便更明、更显。自个儿办舞会时，他因不邀几位小姐跳舞，得罪了二三位；我自个儿同他搭话两回，他都没答。还有更明的症候么？莫非失礼众人正是爱的精髓？”
“哦，是！正是我所料他想的那种爱。可怜的简！我替她难过，以她性子，怕不能马上放下。若落在你头上倒好，莉齐，你笑一笑便过去了。可你觉得，她肯跟咱们回去么？换换景致或有用——且家里稍离一离，许比什么都有用。”
伊丽莎白对此提议极欢喜，也深信姐姐定会乐意。
“但愿，”加德纳太太又道，“她不因那后生而有半点犹豫。咱们住城里另处，交游全不同，且如你所知，少出门，他们绝难碰面，除非他真来寻她。”
“那绝无可能；他现由朋友看管着，达西先生怎会容他去伦敦那等地界探简！好姨母，你怎么想得出？达西先生或‘听”过格雷斯丘奇街这般地方，可他若真踏进去一回，只怕嫌洗上一个月也洗不净那污气；放心，宾利先生离了达西一步也不成的。”
“那更妙。但愿他们全不碰面。可简不同他妹妹通信么？她难免要来探的。”
“她会全然断了这交情。”
虽伊丽莎白装得对此笃定，更对宾利被拦着见简这更教人在意的事也一副确信，她心里却仍悬着，细想便知，她并未全然绝望。他情意或能重燃，简本有的魅力比朋友干涉更自然，或能破其影响——这有可能，她有时还觉颇有可能。
贝内特小姐欣然受了姨母邀约；彼时她心中所念宾利家，不过指望卡罗琳不与兄长同住，她或能偶去一上午，绝无撞见他之险。
加德纳夫妇在朗伯恩住了一周；有菲利普斯家、卢卡斯家并众军官在，日日都有安排。贝内特太太悉心张罗弟妹的消遣，竟无一回安坐吃顿家常饭。若安排在家，总有军官在列，其中威克姆先生必在其内；逢此，加德纳太太因伊丽莎白盛赞于他，便留了心细观二人。虽看不出他们爱得有多深，彼此属意却明明白白，令她微有不安；她决意在离赫特福德前与伊丽莎白谈此，告她滋长这般情愫的不妥。
对加德纳太太，威克姆另有一桩悦人之事，无关他平日本领。约十数年前，她未嫁时，曾在德比郡他那方住过不短时日。二人故交颇多；虽达西父亡后五年，威克姆少去那边，他仍能给她比她自个儿打听得更新鲜的旧友消息。
加德纳太太见过彭伯利，也熟知已故达西先生为人。故此，话题便说不尽了。她拿记忆中的彭伯利比对威克姆细说的景状，又对旧主赞不绝口，二人皆悦。听闻现今达西先生对他的所作所为，她便回想那先生少时 reputed 的性子，看可对得上；终而确信，记得曾听人言菲茨威廉·达西先生幼时是个极傲、极坏的男孩。
[插图：
“你来瞧我可好？”
]
After a week spent in professions of love and schemes of felicity, Mr.
Collins was called from his amiable Charlotte by the arrival of
Saturday. The pain of separation, however, might be alleviated on his
side by preparations for the reception of his bride, as he had reason to
hope, that shortly after his next return into Hertfordshire, the day
would be fixed that was to make him the happiest of men. He took leave
of his relations at Longbourn with as much solemnity as before; wished
his fair cousins health and happiness again, and promised their father
another letter of thanks.
On the following Monday, Mrs. Bennet had the pleasure of receiving her
brother and his wife, who came, as usual, to spend the Christmas at
Longbourn. Mr. Gardiner was a sensible, gentlemanlike man, greatly
superior to his sister, as well by nature as education. The Netherfield
ladies would have had difficulty in believing that a man who lived by
trade, and within view of his own warehouses, could have been so
well-bred and agreeable. Mrs. Gardiner, who was several years younger
than Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Philips, was an amiable, intelligent, elegant
woman, and a great favourite with her Longbourn nieces. Between the two
eldest and herself especially, there subsisted a very particular regard.
They had frequently been staying with her in town.
The first part of Mrs. Gardiner’s business, on her arrival, was to
distribute her presents and describe the newest fashions. When this was
done, she had a less active part to play. It became her turn to listen.
Mrs. Bennet had many grievances to relate, and much to complain of. They
had all been very ill-used since she last saw her sister. Two of her
girls had been on the point of marriage, and after all there was nothing
in it.
“I do not blame Jane,” she continued, “for Jane would have got Mr.
Bingley if she could. But, Lizzy! Oh, sister! it is very hard to think
that she might have been Mr. Collins’s wife by this time, had not it
been for her own perverseness. He made her an offer in this very room,
and she refused him. The consequence of it is, that Lady Lucas will have
a daughter married before I have, and that Longbourn estate is just as
much entailed as ever. The Lucases are very artful people, indeed,
sister. They are all for what they can get. I am sorry to say it of
them, but so it is. It makes me very nervous and poorly, to be thwarted
so in my own family, and to have neighbours who think of themselves
before anybody else. However, your coming just at this time is the
greatest of comforts, and I am very glad to hear what you tell us of
long sleeves.”
Mrs. Gardiner, to whom the chief of this news had been given before, in
the course of Jane and Elizabeth’s correspondence with her, made her
sister a slight answer, and, in compassion to her nieces, turned the
conversation.
When alone with Elizabeth afterwards, she spoke more on the subject.
“It seems likely to have been a desirable match for Jane,” said she. “I
am sorry it went off. But these things happen so often! A young man,
such as you describe Mr. Bingley, so easily falls in love with a pretty
girl for a few weeks, and, when accident separates them, so easily
forgets her, that these sort of inconstancies are very frequent.”
[Illustration:
“Offended two or three young ladies”
[_Copyright 1894 by George Allen._]]
“An excellent consolation in its way,” said Elizabeth; “but it will not
do for _us_. We do not suffer by accident. It does not often happen
that the interference of friends will persuade a young man of
independent fortune to think no more of a girl whom he was violently in
love with only a few days before.”
“But that expression of ‘violently in love’ is so hackneyed, so
doubtful, so indefinite, that it gives me very little idea. It is as
often applied to feelings which arise only from a half hour’s
acquaintance, as to a real, strong attachment. Pray, how _violent was_
Mr. Bingley’s love?”
“I never saw a more promising inclination; he was growing quite
inattentive to other people, and wholly engrossed by her. Every time
they met, it was more decided and remarkable. At his own ball he
offended two or three young ladies by not asking them to dance; and I
spoke to him twice myself without receiving an answer. Could there be
finer symptoms? Is not general incivility the very essence of love?”
“Oh, yes! of that kind of love which I suppose him to have felt. Poor
Jane! I am sorry for her, because, with her disposition, she may not get
over it immediately. It had better have happened to _you_, Lizzy; you
would have laughed yourself out of it sooner. But do you think she would
be prevailed on to go back with us? Change of scene might be of
service--and perhaps a little relief from home may be as useful as
anything.”
Elizabeth was exceedingly pleased with this proposal, and felt persuaded
of her sister’s ready acquiescence.
“I hope,” added Mrs. Gardiner, “that no consideration with regard to
this young man will influence her. We live in so different a part of
town, all our connections are so different, and, as you well know, we go
out so little, that it is very improbable they should meet at all,
unless he really comes to see her.”
“And _that_ is quite impossible; for he is now in the custody of his
friend, and Mr. Darcy would no more suffer him to call on Jane in such a
part of London! My dear aunt, how could you think of it? Mr. Darcy may,
perhaps, have _heard_ of such a place as Gracechurch Street, but he
would hardly think a month’s ablution enough to cleanse him from its
impurities, were he once to enter it; and, depend upon it, Mr. Bingley
never stirs without him.”
“So much the better. I hope they will not meet at all. But does not Jane
correspond with his sister? _She_ will not be able to help calling.”
“She will drop the acquaintance entirely.”
But, in spite of the certainty in which Elizabeth affected to place this
point, as well as the still more interesting one of Bingley’s being
withheld from seeing Jane, she felt a solicitude on the subject which
convinced her, on examination, that she did not consider it entirely
hopeless. It was possible, and sometimes she thought it probable, that
his affection might be re-animated, and the influence of his friends
successfully combated by the more natural influence of Jane’s
attractions.
Miss Bennet accepted her aunt’s invitation with pleasure; and the
Bingleys were no otherwise in her thoughts at the same time than as she
hoped, by Caroline’s not living in the same house with her brother, she
might occasionally spend a morning with her, without any danger of
seeing him.
The Gardiners stayed a week at Longbourn; and what with the Philipses,
the Lucases, and the officers, there was not a day without its
engagement. Mrs. Bennet had so carefully provided for the entertainment
of her brother and sister, that they did not once sit down to a family
dinner. When the engagement was for home, some of the officers always
made part of it, of which officers Mr. Wickham was sure to be one; and
on these occasions Mrs. Gardiner, rendered suspicious by Elizabeth’s
warm commendation of him, narrowly observed them both. Without supposing
them, from what she saw, to be very seriously in love, their preference
of each other was plain enough to make her a little uneasy; and she
resolved to speak to Elizabeth on the subject before she left
Hertfordshire, and represent to her the imprudence of encouraging such
an attachment.
To Mrs. Gardiner, Wickham had one means of affording pleasure,
unconnected with his general powers. About ten or a dozen years ago,
before her marriage, she had spent a considerable time in that very part
of Derbyshire to which he belonged. They had, therefore, many
acquaintance in common; and, though Wickham had been little there since
the death of Darcy’s father, five years before, it was yet in his power
to give her fresher intelligence of her former friends than she had been
in the way of procuring.
Mrs. Gardiner had seen Pemberley, and known the late Mr. Darcy by
character perfectly well. Here, consequently, was an inexhaustible
subject of discourse. In comparing her recollection of Pemberley with
the minute description which Wickham could give, and in bestowing her
tribute of praise on the character of its late possessor, she was
delighting both him and herself. On being made acquainted with the
present Mr. Darcy’s treatment of him, she tried to remember something of
that gentleman’s reputed disposition, when quite a lad, which might
agree with it; and was confident, at last, that she recollected having
heard Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy formerly spoken of as a very proud,
ill-natured boy.
[Illustration:
“Will you come and see me?”
]
