他们刚一离开，伊丽莎白就走出去想让自己打起精神；或者换句话说，是想不受打扰地细细思量那些只会让她更加消沉的事情。达西先生的举止让她又惊又恼。
“既然他来只是为了沉默、严肃、无动于衷，”她说，“那他何必还要来？”
她怎么想都觉得不痛快。
“他在城里的时候，对我舅舅舅妈也还是和蔼可亲、讨人喜欢的，为什么对我就不行？要是他怕我，为什么还要上这儿来？要是他不再在乎我，为什么又不说话？真是折磨人，折磨人的男人！我以后再也不去想他了。”
她这决心没自愿地保持多久，因为她妹妹走了过来。简神色欢欣，看来对那两位访客比伊丽莎白满意得多。
“现在，”她说，“头一回见面已经过去了，我心里彻底踏实了。我清楚自己的定力，以后再也不会因为他来而局促不安。我很高兴他星期二来这儿吃饭。到时候大家就都看明白了，我们双方都只当彼此是泛泛之交、漠不相关的熟人。”
“是啊，真是漠不相关，的确。”伊丽莎白笑着说，“哦，简！当心些。”
“我亲爱的莉齐，你总不会以为我软弱到如今还会有什么危险吧。”
“我看你倒大有危险，会让他像从前一样死心塌地爱上你。”
直到星期二，她们才又见到那两位先生。其间，贝内特太太借着宾利半小时拜访里流露的好脾气和寻常礼数，又做起了一切称心如意的美梦。
星期二，朗伯恩聚了一大群人；最让人翘首以盼的两位，凭他们猎人般守时的好名声，到得极早。众人入餐厅时，伊丽莎白急切地望去，想看宾利会不会像以往几次聚会那样，坐到她妹妹身旁的老位子上。她那谨慎的母亲心里也是同一个念头，便忍着没邀他坐自己身边。一进屋，他似乎犹疑了一下；偏巧简转过头来，偏巧微微一笑：事情便定了。他在她身旁坐下了。
伊丽莎白心头一阵得意，朝他的朋友望去。达西以高贵的淡漠承受了这一切；要不是她也看见达西的眼睛同样转向宾利，带着几分又好笑又慌张的神情，她简直要以为宾利已得了他首肯，可以自在欢喜了。
席间他对她妹妹的举止，显出一番爱慕之意；虽比从前收敛了些，却让伊丽莎白相信，若全由他自己做主，简和他的幸福很快便能成全。虽不敢指望结局一定如此，看他那样子她心里也欢喜。这让她原本低落的兴致添了些活气；因她实在算不得心情轻快。达西几乎被桌子隔到了最远，坐在她母亲那一旁。她知道这样的位子让谁都高兴不起来，也显不出好处。她离得不够近，听不见他们说什么；却看得出两人极少交谈，偶尔开口也客套冷淡。母亲的无礼，更让伊丽莎白心里为那份亏欠他的情分难受；她有时真愿不惜一切，好能私下告诉他：他的好意，全家人都看在眼里、记在心里。
她盼着晚上能有机会撮合他们；盼着这一趟来访，总不至于除了进门时客套寒暄，再无半句多话。在客厅里等先生们来的那段时光，她焦虑不安，枯燥难挨得几乎要失了礼数。她眼巴巴望着他们进来，仿佛整晚的欢喜全系于此。
“若那时他还不过来找我，”她说，“那我便永远不再理他。”
先生们来了；她觉得他神色间像要不负所望；可惜呀！小姐们早已团团围在桌边，贝内特小姐沏茶，伊丽莎白倒咖啡，结得密不透风，她身旁竟连一个能塞椅子的空当也无。先生们走近时，一个姑娘还往她身边挤得更紧，低声道——
“我打定主意了，男人们别想过来拆散咱们。咱们才不要他们；是不是？”
达西已走到屋子另一头。她拿眼睛追着他，见他同谁说话便羡慕谁，几乎没耐性给别人递咖啡，随即又恼自己竟这般傻！
“一个被拒过的男人！我怎会蠢到指望他旧情复燃？天下男人，哪一个不把这等向同一女子再度求婚的软弱看作奇耻大辱？没哪种丢脸事比这更让他们反感。”
不过，见他亲自端了咖啡杯回来，她又略略有了精神；趁势说道——
“你妹妹还在彭伯利吗？”
“在；她会待到圣诞节。”
“就孤零零一人？朋友们都走了？”
“安妮斯利太太陪着她。其余人三周前便去斯卡伯勒了。”
她想不出别的话；但若他想同她聊，本可更顺当些。然而他在她身边默默站了几分钟；末了，那年轻姑娘又凑近伊丽莎白耳语，他便走开了。
茶具撤去，牌桌摆开，女士们全站起身；伊丽莎白正盼着他快来身旁，满心打算却全落了空——只见她母亲贪着凑手的好牌客，把达西也拉了去，不一刻便同旁人坐到了一处。她这下再不存半点欢喜的指望。整晚两人分坐不同牌桌；她唯盼他的眼睛常往她这边瞟，好叫他同自己一样牌运不济。
贝内特太太本打算留那两位内瑟菲尔德的先生吃夜宵；不巧他们的马车比谁都早订下，她竟没机会拦下。
“哎，姑娘们，”只剩她们自己时，她开口道，“今天可还顺心？我跟你们说，一切再顺当不过了。饭菜烧得比我见过的哪回都好。鹿肉烤得正到火候——人人都说，从没见过这么肥的腿肉。汤比上周在卢卡斯家喝的那回强五十倍；连达西先生都承认鹧鸪烧得格外到位；我猜他少说也有两三个法国厨子。还有，我亲爱的简，我从没见你这么好看。朗太太也这么说，因为我问过她你觉得是不是。你们猜她还说什么？‘啊！贝内特太太，咱们终归要把她娶进内瑟菲尔德啦！’她真这么讲的。我倒觉得朗太太是天底下顶好的人——她那几个侄女也规矩得很，虽说算不上标致：我欢喜得不得了。”
[插图：
“朗太太和她的侄女们。”
]
简言之，贝内特太太兴致极高：她看宾利对简的模样，已信自己终能把他拿下；她一门心思想着家里能得的好处，高兴起来便不切实际到极点，次日没见他来提亲，竟大失所望。
“真是快活的一天，”贝内特小姐对伊丽莎白说，“客人挑得妥帖，彼此也相称。盼咱们常能聚聚。”
伊丽莎白笑了。
“莉齐，你别这样。你别疑我。这叫我难受。我向你保证，如今我已学会只当他是个可亲明理的年轻人，听他说话便够，再无他求。看他现在这般举止，我彻底信了，他从来没存心要我动心。无非是他比旁人更会讨人欢喜，更巴不得人人开心罢了。”
“你真狠心，”她妹妹说，“不让我笑，却时刻引得我想笑。”
“有些事多难叫人信！有些事又多不可能！可你何必偏要我说自己比承认的还多想了？”
“这问题我不知怎么答才好。人都爱指点，虽只能教些不值当知道的。饶了我；你若执意淡漠，别拿我当知心人便了。”
[插图：
“莉齐，亲爱的，我有话同你说。”
]
As soon as they were gone, Elizabeth walked out to recover her spirits;
or, in other words, to dwell without interruption on those subjects
which must deaden them more. Mr. Darcy’s behaviour astonished and vexed
her.
“Why, if he came only to be silent, grave, and indifferent,” said she,
“did he come at all?”
She could settle it in no way that gave her pleasure.
“He could be still amiable, still pleasing to my uncle and aunt, when he
was in town; and why not to me? If he fears me, why come hither? If he
no longer cares for me, why silent? Teasing, teasing man! I will think
no more about him.”
Her resolution was for a short time involuntarily kept by the approach
of her sister, who joined her with a cheerful look which showed her
better satisfied with their visitors than Elizabeth.
“Now,” said she, “that this first meeting is over, I feel perfectly
easy. I know my own strength, and I shall never be embarrassed again by
his coming. I am glad he dines here on Tuesday. It will then be publicly
seen, that on both sides we meet only as common and indifferent
acquaintance.”
“Yes, very indifferent, indeed,” said Elizabeth, laughingly. “Oh, Jane!
take care.”
“My dear Lizzy, you cannot think me so weak as to be in danger now.”
“I think you are in very great danger of making him as much in love with
you as ever.”
They did not see the gentlemen again till Tuesday; and Mrs. Bennet, in
the meanwhile, was giving way to all the happy schemes which the
good-humour and common politeness of Bingley, in half an hour’s visit,
had revived.
On Tuesday there was a large party assembled at Longbourn; and the two
who were most anxiously expected, to the credit of their punctuality as
sportsmen, were in very good time. When they repaired to the
dining-room, Elizabeth eagerly watched to see whether Bingley would take
the place which, in all their former parties, had belonged to him, by
her sister. Her prudent mother, occupied by the same ideas, forbore to
invite him to sit by herself. On entering the room, he seemed to
hesitate; but Jane happened to look round, and happened to smile: it was
decided. He placed himself by her.
Elizabeth, with a triumphant sensation, looked towards his friend. He
bore it with noble indifference; and she would have imagined that
Bingley had received his sanction to be happy, had she not seen his eyes
likewise turned towards Mr. Darcy, with an expression of half-laughing
alarm.
His behaviour to her sister was such during dinnertime as showed an
admiration of her, which, though more guarded than formerly, persuaded
Elizabeth, that, if left wholly to himself, Jane’s happiness, and his
own, would be speedily secured. Though she dared not depend upon the
consequence, she yet received pleasure from observing his behaviour. It
gave her all the animation that her spirits could boast; for she was in
no cheerful humour. Mr. Darcy was almost as far from her as the table
could divide them. He was on one side of her mother. She knew how little
such a situation would give pleasure to either, or make either appear to
advantage. She was not near enough to hear any of their discourse; but
she could see how seldom they spoke to each other, and how formal and
cold was their manner whenever they did. Her mother’s ungraciousness
made the sense of what they owed him more painful to Elizabeth’s mind;
and she would, at times, have given anything to be privileged to tell
him, that his kindness was neither unknown nor unfelt by the whole of
the family.
