第二十八章。
次日旅途中的一切对伊丽莎白来说都新鲜有趣；她精神焕发，心情愉悦；因为她看到姐姐气色很好，便打消了对她健康的全部担忧，而北方之旅的前景也始终是她快乐的源泉。
当他们离开大路拐进通往亨斯福德的巷子时，每个人的眼睛都在寻找牧师公馆，每一个拐弯都指望能看见它。罗新斯庄园的栅栏是他们一边的边界。伊丽莎白想起所听到的关于那里住户的一切，不禁微笑起来。
牧师公馆终于出现在眼前。花园向大路倾斜，房子立在其中，绿色的栅栏和月桂树篱，一切都宣告他们到了。柯林斯先生和夏洛特出现在门口，马车停在小门前，一条短短的碎石小径通到屋前，全家人点头微笑。转眼间他们都下了马车，彼此相见欢喜。柯林斯太太以最生动的喜悦欢迎她的朋友，伊丽莎白发现自己受到如此亲切的接待，越发满意此行。她立刻看出表兄的举止并未因结婚而改变：他那刻板的客套一如往常；他在门口耽搁了她几分钟，打听并问明她全家的情况。随后，除了他指出入口的整洁外别无耽搁，他们被带进屋；一进客厅，他便以夸张的客套再次欢迎他们来到他寒舍，并一字不差地重复了妻子关于茶点的所有提议。
伊丽莎白早有准备看他得意洋洋；她不禁猜想，在展示房间良好的比例、朝向和家具时，他特别是对她说话，仿佛想让她感到拒绝他失去了什么。但尽管一切看来整洁舒适，她却不能报以任何悔叹来满足他；反倒带着惊奇看她的朋友，竟能 such a companion 而有如此欢快的神气。当柯林斯先生说出些他妻子本该羞愧的话——这当然并不少见——她不由自主地把目光转向夏洛特。有一两次她能辨出一丝淡淡的红晕；但大体上夏洛特明智地没听见。坐了足够久，赞赏了屋里从餐具柜到炉围的每件家具，讲述了他们的旅程和伦敦发生的一切后，柯林斯先生邀她们去花园散步；花园很大，布置得当，他亲自料理。在花园里劳作是他最体面的乐趣之一；伊丽莎白佩服夏洛特谈起这运动有益健康时镇定自若，并承认自己尽可能鼓励他。这里，他领着大家走遍每条小径和交叉路，几乎不容她们间歇来应他所求的称赞，每处景致都细加指点，细致得把美全抛在了后头。他能数出各个方向的田地，能说出最远树丛中有多少棵树。但在他花园、乡间或王国所能夸耀的所有景致中，没有能与罗新斯庄园的远景相比的——那是从屋前近旁 bordering the park 的树丛缺口望出去的。那是一座漂亮的现代建筑，坐落在隆起的高地上，位置甚佳。
柯林斯先生本想从花园领她们绕他的两块草地；但女士们没有鞋应付残白霜，便转身回去；当威廉爵士陪着他时，夏洛特带她妹妹和朋友看房子，大概很高兴有机会不带丈夫帮忙来展示。房子相当小，但建得很好，方便；一切陈设安排都整洁一致，伊丽莎白把这点全归功夏洛特。当柯林斯先生能被忘掉时，到处真有一股舒适气息，而从夏洛特明显的享受中，伊丽莎白猜想他定常被忘掉。
她已得知凯瑟琳夫人还在乡下。吃饭时又谈起，柯林斯先生插话道：
“是的，伊丽莎白小姐，下周日教堂里你将有幸见到凯瑟琳·德·波尔夫人，不用说你会喜欢她。她极其和蔼屈尊，我不疑你礼拜完毕会得些她注目。我几乎毫不迟疑地说，你在此期间她给我们的每次邀请都会包括你和我妹妹玛丽亚。她对亲爱夏洛特的行为迷人。我们每周在罗新斯吃饭两次，从不准走回家。夫人马车按时来接我们。我该说，夫人马车之一，因她有好几辆。”
“凯瑟琳夫人确是极可敬明理的女人，”夏洛特补道，“且是最体贴的邻居。”
“很对，亲爱的，正是我说的。她是那种越敬重也不为过的女人。”
傍晚主要在谈赫特福德郡新闻，重述已写信的内容；结束时，伊丽莎白在房中独处，须思量夏洛特满足的程度，领会她引导丈夫的本领和忍受的镇静，并承认都做得很好。她还须预想拜访将怎样过，他们平日安静的行事，柯林斯先生恼人的打断，和与罗新斯交往的欢乐。生动的想象很快安顿一切。
次日近午，她在房中准备散步，楼下突然喧闹似全屋混乱；听了一刻，她听见有人急匆匆跑上楼，大声喊她。她开门，在楼梯口遇见玛丽亚，激动得喘气，叫道：
[插图：
“在与女士们交谈”
[1894年乔治·艾伦版权。]]
“哦，亲爱伊丽莎！快快来餐厅，有奇景可看！我不告诉你是什么。快，这就下来。”
伊丽莎白问无用；玛丽亚不说更多；她们跑下朝巷子的餐厅，寻这奇事；是两女士，一辆低篷小马车停在园门。
“就这？”伊丽莎白叫。“我至少以为猪进了花园，这里不过凯瑟琳夫人和她女儿！”
“天！”玛丽亚对这错愕非常 shock，“不是凯瑟琳夫人。老妇是 Jenkins 太太，同住。另一位是德·波尔小姐。只看她。她小小一个。谁想她这么瘦小！”
“她让夏洛特在这风里门外站，极无礼。她怎不进来？”
“哦，夏洛特说她几乎从不。德·波尔小姐进来是天大恩惠。”
“我喜欢她模样，”伊丽莎白另有所想。“她病恹恹又乖戾。是的，她极配他。他会好妻子。”
柯林斯先生和夏洛特都站门边与女士谈；威廉爵士，让伊丽莎白极好笑，立门口，热切 contemplation 眼前伟大，每当德·波尔小姐看那边就鞠躬。
终无话；女士们驱车走，其他回屋。柯林斯先生一见两女孩便贺她们好运，夏洛特解释：全伙明日邀罗新斯吃饭。
[插图：
‘凯瑟琳夫人，她说，你给了我珍宝。’
[1894年乔治·艾伦版权。]]
Every object in the next day’s journey was new and interesting to
Elizabeth; and her spirits were in a state of enjoyment; for she had
seen her sister looking so well as to banish all fear for her health,
and the prospect of her northern tour was a constant source of delight.
When they left the high road for the lane to Hunsford, every eye was in
search of the Parsonage, and every turning expected to bring it in view.
The paling of Rosings park was their boundary on one side. Elizabeth
smiled at the recollection of all that she had heard of its inhabitants.
At length the Parsonage was discernible. The garden sloping to the
road, the house standing in it, the green pales and the laurel hedge,
everything declared they were arriving. Mr. Collins and Charlotte
appeared at the door, and the carriage stopped at the small gate, which
led by a short gravel walk to the house, amidst the nods and smiles of
the whole party. In a moment they were all out of the chaise, rejoicing
at the sight of each other. Mrs. Collins welcomed her friend with the
liveliest pleasure, and Elizabeth was more and more satisfied with
coming, when she found herself so affectionately received. She saw
instantly that her cousin’s manners were not altered by his marriage:
his formal civility was just what it had been; and he detained her some
minutes at the gate to hear and satisfy his inquiries after all her
family. They were then, with no other delay than his pointing out the
neatness of the entrance, taken into the house; and as soon as they were
in the parlour, he welcomed them a second time, with ostentatious
formality, to his humble abode, and punctually repeated all his wife’s
offers of refreshment.
Elizabeth was prepared to see him in his glory; and she could not help
fancying that in displaying the good proportion of the room, its aspect,
and its furniture, he addressed himself particularly to her, as if
wishing to make her feel what she had lost in refusing him. But though
everything seemed neat and comfortable, she was not able to gratify him
by any sigh of repentance; and rather looked with wonder at her friend,
that she could have so cheerful an air with such a companion. When Mr.
Collins said anything of which his wife might reasonably be ashamed,
which certainly was not seldom, she involuntarily turned her eye on
Charlotte. Once or twice she could discern a faint blush; but in general
Charlotte wisely did not hear. After sitting long enough to admire
every article of furniture in the room, from the sideboard to the
fender, to give an account of their journey, and of all that had
happened in London, Mr. Collins invited them to take a stroll in the
garden, which was large and well laid out, and to the cultivation of
which he attended himself. To work in his garden was one of his most
respectable pleasures; and Elizabeth admired the command of countenance
with which Charlotte talked of the healthfulness of the exercise, and
owned she encouraged it as much as possible. Here, leading the way
through every walk and cross walk, and scarcely allowing them an
interval to utter the praises he asked for, every view was pointed out
with a minuteness which left beauty entirely behind. He could number the
fields in every direction, and could tell how many trees there were in
the most distant clump. But of all the views which his garden, or which
the country or the kingdom could boast, none were to be compared with
the prospect of Rosings, afforded by an opening in the trees that
bordered the park nearly opposite the front of his house. It was a
handsome modern building, well situated on rising ground.
From his garden, Mr. Collins would have led them round his two meadows;
but the ladies, not having shoes to encounter the remains of a white
frost, turned back; and while Sir William accompanied him, Charlotte
took her sister and friend over the house, extremely well pleased,
probably, to have the opportunity of showing it without her husband’s
help. It was rather small, but well built and convenient; and everything
was fitted up and arranged with a neatness and consistency, of which
Elizabeth gave Charlotte all the credit. When Mr. Collins could be
forgotten, there was really a great air of comfort throughout, and by
Charlotte’s evident enjoyment of it, Elizabeth supposed he must be often
forgotten.
She had already learnt that Lady Catherine was still in the country. It
was spoken of again while they were at dinner, when Mr. Collins joining
in, observed,--
“Yes, Miss Elizabeth, you will have the honour of seeing Lady Catherine
de Bourgh on the ensuing Sunday at church, and I need not say you will
be delighted with her. She is all affability and condescension, and I
doubt not but you will be honoured with some portion of her notice when
service is over. I have scarcely any hesitation in saying that she will
include you and my sister Maria in every invitation with which she
honours us during your stay here. Her behaviour to my dear Charlotte is
charming. We dine at Rosings twice every week, and are never allowed to
walk home. Her Ladyship’s carriage is regularly ordered for us. I
_should_ say, one of her Ladyship’s carriages, for she has several.”
“Lady Catherine is a very respectable, sensible woman, indeed,” added
Charlotte, “and a most attentive neighbour.”
“Very true, my dear, that is exactly what I say. She is the sort of
woman whom one cannot regard with too much deference.”
The evening was spent chiefly in talking over Hertfordshire news, and
telling again what had been already written; and when it closed,
Elizabeth, in the solitude of her chamber, had to meditate upon
Charlotte’s degree of contentment, to understand her address in guiding,
and composure in bearing with, her husband, and to acknowledge that it
was all done very well. She had also to anticipate how her visit would
pass, the quiet tenour of their usual employments, the vexatious
interruptions of Mr. Collins, and the gaieties of their intercourse
with Rosings. A lively imagination soon settled it all.
About the middle of the next day, as she was in her room getting ready
for a walk, a sudden noise below seemed to speak the whole house in
confusion; and, after listening a moment, she heard somebody running
upstairs in a violent hurry, and calling loudly after her. She opened
the door, and met Maria in the landing-place, who, breathless with
agitation, cried out,--
[Illustration:
“In Conversation with the ladies”
[Copyright 1894 by George Allen.]]
“Oh, my dear Eliza! pray make haste and come into the dining-room, for
there is such a sight to be seen! I will not tell you what it is. Make
haste, and come down this moment.”
Elizabeth asked questions in vain; Maria would tell her nothing more;
and down they ran into the dining-room which fronted the lane, in quest
of this wonder; it was two ladies, stopping in a low phaeton at the
garden gate.
“And is this all?” cried Elizabeth. “I expected at least that the pigs
were got into the garden, and here is nothing but Lady Catherine and her
daughter!”
“La! my dear,” said Maria, quite shocked at the mistake, “it is not Lady
Catherine. The old lady is Mrs. Jenkinson, who lives with them. The
other is Miss De Bourgh. Only look at her. She is quite a little
creature. Who would have thought she could be so thin and small!”
“She is abominably rude to keep Charlotte out of doors in all this wind.
Why does she not come in?”
“Oh, Charlotte says she hardly ever does. It is the greatest of favours
when Miss De Bourgh comes in.”
“I like her appearance,” said Elizabeth, struck with other ideas. “She
looks sickly and cross. Yes, she will do for him very well. She will
make him a very proper wife.”
Mr. Collins and Charlotte were both standing at the gate in conversation
with the ladies; and Sir William, to Elizabeth’s high diversion, was
stationed in the doorway, in earnest contemplation of the greatness
before him, and constantly bowing whenever Miss De Bourgh looked that
way.
At length there was nothing more to be said; the ladies drove on, and
the others returned into the house. Mr. Collins no sooner saw the two
girls than he began to congratulate them on their good fortune, which
Charlotte explained by letting them know that the whole party was asked
to dine at Rosings the next day.
[Illustration:
‘Lady Catherine, said she, you have given me a treasure.’
[_Copyright 1894 by George Allen._]]
