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
除了這些事情，蘑菇屯一家也沒啥大事。除了去邁瑞屯玩一玩外，也沒有什么別的消遣。時(shí)而泥濘，時(shí)而寒冷的一月和二月就這么過去了。伊麗莎白本來要在三月去夯斯屯的。其實(shí)一開始，她本沒有真打算去那。但是她很快發(fā)現(xiàn)，夏洛特一直盼著她過去，漸漸地，她也就開心地決心過去了。夏洛特和柯林斯離開了許久，伊麗莎白開始想念夏洛特，對(duì)柯林斯也沒有那么討厭了。家里有這么個(gè)老娘，還有幾個(gè)不好相處的妹妹，對(duì)于伊麗莎白，家可不是個(gè)完美的地方。她也想圖個(gè)新鮮感，換換環(huán)境。這番旅行正好也能看看簡(jiǎn)?？偠灾S著時(shí)間的臨近，她已經(jīng)迫不及待了。出乎意料的，按照夏洛特一開始的計(jì)劃，事情進(jìn)展得十分順利。她將和威廉姆先生，以及他們家的二女兒一起期望。然后他們又臨時(shí)決定在倫敦住一晚，這讓計(jì)劃更加完美了。
這個(gè)事情唯一的缺點(diǎn)，就是要離開自己的父親，本內(nèi)特老爺一定會(huì)思念伊麗莎白的。到了不得不告別的時(shí)候，本內(nèi)特老爺十分不想她離開，只好讓她寫信回來，還差點(diǎn)答應(yīng)會(huì)回信給她。
伊麗莎白和維克漢姆告別的時(shí)候，場(chǎng)面十分客氣，維克漢姆甚至更客氣一些。雖然他現(xiàn)在在追求別人，但是他沒有忘記伊麗莎白才是第一個(gè)獲得了他注意的人，第一個(gè)值得他注意的人，第一個(gè)聆聽他，第一個(gè)同情他的人，她也是他第一個(gè)愛慕的人。維克漢姆向她告白的時(shí)候，祝她萬事如意，并提醒她德.包爾夫人是個(gè)什么樣的人。他相信別人對(duì)她的評(píng)價(jià)，別人對(duì)所有人的評(píng)價(jià)，最終都會(huì)吻合的。他道別的時(shí)候真誠而充滿關(guān)心，這讓伊麗莎白從此對(duì)他有了種真摯的好感。分別的時(shí)候伊麗莎白明白了，不管這個(gè)男人以后是單身還是已婚，他都將是自己對(duì)于親和、討喜男人的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。
第二天，她的旅伴并沒有像維克漢姆那么有意思。威廉姆.盧卡斯爵士，和他女兒瑪麗亞一路上聊得東西并沒有什么值得聽的。瑪麗亞是個(gè)隨和的姑娘，但是和她父親一樣，都傻傻的。他們聊了一路，但是除了這滾滾的車輪，并沒有人附和他們。伊麗莎白很喜歡古怪的笑話，但是她太了解威廉姆爵士了。除了說他面見國王和受封的經(jīng)歷，再?zèng)]有什么新事可談。他說的東西，就跟他那好脾氣一樣，都讓人提不起興致了。
此去路途只有二十四英里，他們?cè)缭缇统霭l(fā)了以便在中午前趕到仁慈教堂大道。他們駛向加德納先生的門口時(shí)，簡(jiǎn)正通過客廳的窗戶看著他們過來。他們走到門廊的時(shí)候，簡(jiǎn)已經(jīng)在那兒歡迎他們了。伊麗莎白關(guān)切得看著簡(jiǎn)的臉蛋，很開心的發(fā)現(xiàn)還是一如既往的健康和可愛。樓梯上站著一列小男孩和小女孩，他們十分想看看表姐，在客廳里等不及，就跑到樓梯上來了。但是他們已經(jīng)一年沒看到伊麗莎白了，有些害羞，也就都待在樓梯上。這一天在歡聲笑語中度過了。早上大家亂糟糟的，又買了些東西，晚上大家去了家戲院看戲。
伊麗莎白設(shè)法坐到了舅媽身邊。她們倆首先就談到她姐姐。伊麗莎白急切地詢問姐姐的事情，舅媽回答她說，盡管簡(jiǎn)強(qiáng)打著精神，但有時(shí)候還是會(huì)情緒低落。但是，這種情形應(yīng)該不會(huì)持續(xù)太久了。加德納夫人特別跟伊麗莎白提到了，賓利小姐之前確實(shí)拜訪過仁慈教堂大街，也提起過之前她跟簡(jiǎn)聊的一些話，這些都證明了賓利小姐已經(jīng)放棄跟簡(jiǎn)往來了。
加德納夫人后來又安慰起來伊麗莎白，說維克漢姆放棄追求的事情，夸獎(jiǎng)她處理的很好。
“但是，我親愛的伊麗莎白，”她補(bǔ)充說，“金小姐是個(gè)什么樣的姑娘？我可不想以為咱們的朋友只喜歡錢啊?！?/p>
“可別這么說，舅媽，在結(jié)婚這件事上，選擇金錢不也就是選擇理性么？怎么才能算謹(jǐn)慎，又到哪兒才算貪婪呢？去年圣誕節(jié)你害怕要娶我，因?yàn)檫@欠考慮。但現(xiàn)在，就因?yàn)樗妨藗€(gè)一個(gè)只有一萬磅財(cái)產(chǎn)的姑娘，你就想說他只喜歡錢了?！?/p>
“只要你告訴我金小姐是個(gè)啥樣的姑娘，我就知道答案了?！?/p>
“她是個(gè)很好的姑娘，我覺得。沒啥不好的地方?！?/p>
“但是直到祖父去世，讓她繼承了一筆財(cái)產(chǎn)，維克漢姆才開始注意到他??？”
“是沒有，但是他為什么要注意到呢？如果是因?yàn)槲覜]錢，他才沒有追我。那他怎么會(huì)去追一個(gè)同樣貧窮，而且一點(diǎn)也不關(guān)心的姑娘呢？”
“但是人家一繼承財(cái)產(chǎn)，他就去接近人家，這說出來也怎么光彩吧?！?/p>
“一個(gè)處境困難的年輕人，可不像一般人那樣，有時(shí)間注意這些禮節(jié)。如果她都不反對(duì)，為什么我們要反對(duì)呢？”
“她不反對(duì)也不能說明維克漢姆沒有過錯(cuò)。這只能證明這位金小姐有些缺陷，要么是理解有問題，要么是感知有問題?！?/p>
“哎呀，”伊麗莎白抱怨說，“隨你怎么想吧。就說他拜金好了，也說她傻罷了?！?/p>
“你錯(cuò)了，栗子，我不會(huì)這么想。我應(yīng)該道歉，我不應(yīng)該這么想一個(gè)住在德比郡那么久的年輕人?！?/p>
“這樣么。如果只是這樣的話，那我對(duì)德比郡的年輕人可沒有什么好印象。他們那些也住在德比郡的好朋友，也不怎么樣。我討厭他們所有人。謝天謝地！明天我就去找個(gè)男人，這個(gè)男人要一個(gè)優(yōu)點(diǎn)沒得，還得是個(gè)大老粗，也得不長腦子。畢竟只有蠢男人才值得了解?！?/p>
“小心啊，栗子，聽這話好像有些人很失望呢?！?/p>
倆人這個(gè)話題還沒聊完，伊麗莎白就被邀請(qǐng)跟舅舅和舅媽一起出去玩，他們夏天的時(shí)候就約好了，這讓伊麗莎白喜出望外。
“我們還沒決定好走多遠(yuǎn)，”加德納夫人說，“但先走到湖邊再說吧?！?/p>
沒有比這個(gè)更受伊麗莎白喜歡的玩法了，她十分果斷的接受了邀請(qǐng)，充滿了感激。“我親愛，親愛的舅媽，”她激動(dòng)地大喊，“好開心！好幸福！你讓我獲得了新生！充滿了活力！跟所有的失望，和憤怒說拜拜吧。跟山水相比，男人算個(gè)啥？哦！這一路上可會(huì)有多快樂！而且我們回來的時(shí)候，可不會(huì)像普通的游客一樣，玩啥都是蜻蜓點(diǎn)水。我們會(huì)知道自己去過哪兒，我們會(huì)記住自己見過的東西。湖泊，大山，河流，這些在我們的想象里不會(huì)混在一起。當(dāng)我們描述一處美景的時(shí)候，也不會(huì)吵著它的位置在哪兒。讓我們的感情相比普通的游客，更加的真摯，更加的真實(shí)?！?/p>
