苗疆小说网>傲慢与偏见原著 > 第108章（第1页）
第108章（第1页）
“Howwasitpossiblethatsuchanideashouldenterourbrains?Ifeltalittleuneasy—alittlefearfulofmysistershappinesswithhiminmarriage，becauseIknewthathisconducthadnotbeenalwaysquiteright。Myfatherandmotherknewnothingofthat;theyonlyfelthowimprudentamatchitmustbe。Kittythenowned，withaverynaturaltriumphonknowingmorethantherestofus，thatinLydiaslastlettershehadpreparedherforsuchastep。Shehadknown，itseems，oftheirbeinginlovewitheachother，manyweeks。”
“ButnotbeforetheywenttoBrighton?”
“No，Ibelievenot。”
“AnddidColonelForsterappeartothinkillofWickhamhimself?Doesheknowhisrealcharacter?”
“ImustconfessthathedidnotspeaksowellofWickhamasheformerlydid。Hebelievedhimtobeimprudentandextravagant。Andsincethissadaffairhastakenplace，itissaidthatheleftMerytongreatlyindebt;butIhopethismaybefalse。”
“Oh，Jane，hadwebeenlesssecret，hadwetoldwhatweknewofhim，thiscouldnothavehappened!”
“Perhapsitwouldhavebeenbetter，”repliedhersister。
“Buttoexposetheformerfaultsofanypersonwithoutknowingwhattheirpresentfeelingswere，seemedunjustifiable。Weactedwiththebestintentions。”
“CouldColonelForsterrepeattheparticularsofLydiasnotetohiswife?”
“Hebroughtitwithhimforustosee。”
Janethentookitfromherpocket-book，andgaveittoElizabeth。Thesewerethecontents:
“MYDEARHARRIET，
“YouwilllaughwhenyouknowwhereIamgone，andIcannothelplaughingmyselfatyoursurpriseto-morrowmorning，assoonasIammissed。IamgoingtoGretnaGreen，andifyoucannotguesswithwho，Ishallthinkyouasimpleton，forthereisbutonemanintheworldIlove，andheisanangel。Ishouldneverbehappywithouthim，sothinkitnoharmtobeoff。YouneednotsendthemwordatLongbournofmygoing，ifyoudonotlikeit，foritwillmakethesurprisethegreater，whenIwritetothemandsignmynameLydiaWickham。Whatagoodjokeitwillbe!Icanhardlywriteforlaughing。PraymakemyexcusestoPrattfornotkeepingmyengagement，anddancingwithhimto-night。TellhimIhopehewillexcusemewhenheknowsall;andtellhimIwilldancewithhimatthenextballwemeet，withgreatpleasure。IshallsendformyclotheswhenIgettoLongbourn;butIwishyouwouldtellSallytomendagreatslitinmyworkedmuslingownbeforetheyarepackedup。Good-bye。GivemylovetoColonelForster。Ihopeyouwilldrinktoourgoodjourney。
“Youraffectionatefriend，
“LYDIABENNET。”
“Oh!thoughtless，thoughtlessLydia!”criedElizabethwhenshehadfinishedit。“Whataletteristhis，tobewrittenatsuchamoment!Butatleastitshowsthatshewasseriousonthesubjectoftheirjourney。Whateverhemightafterwardspersuadeherto，itwasnotonhersideaschemeofinfamy。Mypoorfather!howhemusthavefeltit!”
“Ineversawanyonesoshocked。Hecouldnotspeakawordforfulltenminutes。Mymotherwastakenillimmediately，andthewholehouseinsuchconfusion!”
“Oh!Jane，”criedElizabeth，“wasthereaservantbelongingtoitwhodidnotknowthewholestorybeforetheendoftheday?”
“Idonotknow。Ihopetherewas。Buttobeguardedatsuchatimeisverydifficult。Mymotherwasinhysterics，andthoughIendeavouredtogivehereveryassistanceinmypower，IamafraidIdidnotdosomuchasImighthavedone!Butthehorrorofwhatmightpossiblyhappenalmosttookfrommemyfaculties。”
“Yourattendanceuponherhasbeentoomuchforyou。Youdonotlookwell。OhthatIhadbeenwithyou!Youhavehadeverycareandanxietyuponyourselfalone。”
“MaryandKittyhavebeenverykind，andwouldhavesharedineveryfatigue，Iamsure;butIdidnotthinkitrightforeitherofthem。Kittyisslightanddelicate;andMarystudiessomuch，thatherhoursofreposeshouldnotbebrokeninon。MyauntPhillipscametoLongbournonTuesday，aftermyfatherwentaway;andwassogoodastostaytillThursdaywithme。Shewasofgreatuseandcomforttousall。AndLadyLucashasbeenverykind;shewalkedhereonWednesdaymorningtocondolewithus，andofferedherservices，oranyofherdaughters，iftheyshouldbeofusetous。”
“Shehadbetterhavestayedathome，”criedElizabeth;“perhapsshemeantwell，but，undersuchamisfortuneasthis，onecannotseetoolittleofonesneighbours。Assistanceisimpossible;condolenceinsufferable。Letthemtriumphoverusatadistance，andbesatisfied。”
Shethenproceededtoinquireintothemeasureswhichherfatherhadintendedtopursue，whileintown，fortherecoveryofhisdaughter。
“HemeantIbelieve，”repliedJane，“togotoEpsom，theplacewheretheylastchangedhorses，seethepostilionsandtryifanythingcouldbemadeoutfromthem。HisprincipalobjectmustbetodiscoverthenumberofthehackneycoachwhichtookthemfromClapham。IthadcomewithafarefromLondon;andashethoughtthatthecircumstanceofagentlemanandladysremovingfromonecarriageintoanothermightberemarkedhemeanttomakeinquiriesatClapham。Ifhecouldanyhowdiscoveratwhathousethecoachmanhadbeforesetdownhisfare，hedeterminedtomakeinquiriesthere，andhopeditmightnotbeimpossibletofindoutthestandandnumberofthecoach。Idonotknowofanyotherdesignsthathehadformed;buthewasinsuchahurrytobegone，andhisspiritssogreatlydiscomposed，thatIhaddifficultyinfindingoutevensomuchasthis。”
