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pride and prejudice(傲慢与偏见)-第34章

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am   in   the   least   unwilling   to   think   her   a   very   good   sort   of   girl。 

There      can    be   no   love   in   all  this。  My    watchfulness        has   been 

effectual;     and    though     I  should    certainly     be  a   more    interesting 

object to all my acquaintance; were I distractedly in love with him; 

I    cannot     say    that    I   regret    my     comparative        insignificance。 

Importance   may   sometimes   be   purchased   too   dearly。   Kitty   and 

Lydia take his defection much more to heart than I do。 They are 

young in the ways of the world; and not yet open to the mortifying 

conviction that handsome young men must have something to live 

on; as well as the plain。 



Classics in Literature: Jane Austen                                               ElecBook 


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                        Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice                           177 



                                CHAPTER IV 



               ith    no  greater     events    than   these    in  the   Longbourn 

Wfamily;   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 



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                       Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice                           178 



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; 



Classics in Literature: Jane Austen                                            ElecBook 


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                       Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice                           179 



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  grand… 

father’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 



Classics in Literature: Jane Austen                                            ElecBook 


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                       Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice                          180 



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 he?’ 

    ‘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   dis… 

appointment。’ 

    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 



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                        Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice                          181 



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。’ 



Classics in Literature: Jane Austen                                            ElecBook 


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                      Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice                        182 



                               CHAPTER V 



           very    object   in   the  next   day’s    journey    was   new    and 

           interesting to Elizabeth; and her spirits were in a state for 

 E 

           enjoyment; for she had seen h

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