Chapter 33

MORE than once did Elizabeth in her ramble within the Park, unexpectedly meet Mr. Darcy. -- She felt all the perverseness of the mischance that should bring him where no one else was brought; and to prevent its ever happening again, took care to inform him at first that it was a favourite haunt of hers. -- How it could occur a second time, therefore, was very odd! -- Yet it did, and even a third. It seemed like wilful ill-nature, or a voluntary penance, for on these occasions it was not merely a few formal enquiries and an awkward pause and then away, but he actually thought it necessary to turn back and walk with her. He never said a great deal, nor did she give herself the trouble of talking or of listening much; but it struck her in the course of their third rencontre that he was asking some odd unconnected questions -- about her pleasure in being at Hunsford, her love of solitary walks, and her opinion of Mr. and Mrs. Collins's happiness; and that in speaking of Rosings, and her not perfectly understanding the house, he seemed to expect that whenever she came into Kent again she would be staying there too. His words seemed to imply it. Could he have Colonel Fitzwilliam in his thoughts? She supposed, if he meant any thing, he must mean an allusion to what might arise in that quarter. It distressed her a little, and she was quite glad to find herself at the gate in the pales opposite the Parsonage.
She was engaged one day, as she walked, in re-perusing Jane's last letter, and dwelling on some passages which proved that Jane had not written in spirits, when, instead of being again surprised by Mr. Darcy, she saw on looking up, that Colonel Fitzwilliam was meeting her. Putting away the letter immediately and forcing a smile, she said,
"I did not know before that you ever walked this way."

"I have been making the tour of the Park," he replied, "as I generally do every year, and intend to close it with a call at the Parsonage. Are you going much farther?"

"No, I should have turned in a moment."

And accordingly she did turn, and they walked towards the Parsonage together.

"Do you certainly leave Kent on Saturday?" said she.

"Yes -- if Darcy does not put it off again. But I am at his disposal. He arranges the business just as he pleases."

"And if not able to please himself in the arrangement, he has at least great pleasure in the power of choice. I do not know any body who seems more to enjoy the power of doing what he likes than Mr. Darcy."

"He likes to have his own way very well," replied Colonel Fitzwilliam. "But so we all do. It is only that he has better means of having it than many others, because he is rich, and many others are poor. I speak feelingly. A younger son, you know, must be inured to self-denial and dependence."

"In my opinion, the younger son of an Earl can know very little of either. Now, seriously, what have you ever known of self-denial and dependence? When have you been prevented by want of money from going wherever you chose, or procuring any thing you had a fancy for?"

"These are home questions -- and perhaps I cannot say that I have experienced many hardships of that nature. But in matters of greater weight, I may suffer from the want of money. Younger sons cannot marry where they like."

"Unless where they like women of fortune, which I think they very often do."

"Our habits of expence make us too dependant, and there are not many in my rank of life who can afford to marry without some attention to money."

"Is this," thought Elizabeth, "meant for me?" and she coloured at the idea; but, recovering herself, said in a lively tone, "And pray, what is the usual price of an Earl's younger son? Unless the elder brother is very sickly, I suppose you would not ask above fifty thousand pounds."

He answered her in the same style, and the subject dropped. To interrupt a silence which might make him fancy her affected with what had passed, she soon afterwards said,

"I imagine your cousin brought you down with him chiefly for the sake of having somebody at his disposal. I wonder he does not marry, to secure a lasting convenience of that kind. But, perhaps his sister does as well for the present, and, as she is under his sole care, he may do what he likes with her."

"No," said Colonel Fitzwilliam, "that is an advantage which he must divide with me. I am joined with him in the guardianship of Miss Darcy."

"Are you, indeed? And pray what sort of guardians do you make? Does your charge give you much trouble? Young ladies of her age are sometimes a little difficult to manage, and if she has the true Darcy spirit, she may like to have her own way."

As she spoke, she observed him looking at her earnestly, and the manner in which he immediately asked her why she supposed Miss Darcy likely to give them any uneasiness, convinced her that she had somehow or other got pretty near the truth. She directly replied,

"You need not be frightened. I never heard any harm of her; and I dare say she is one of the most tractable creatures in the world. She is a very great favourite with some ladies of my acquaintance, Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley. I think I have heard you say that you know them."

"I know them a little. Their brother is a pleasant gentleman-like man -- he is a great friend of Darcy's."

"Oh! yes," said Elizabeth drily -- "Mr. Darcy is uncommonly kind to Mr. Bingley, and takes a prodigious deal of care of him."

"Care of him! -- Yes, I really believe Darcy does take care of him in those points where he most wants care. From something that he told me in our journey hither, I have reason to think Bingley very much indebted to him. But I ought to beg his pardon, for I have no right to suppose that Bingley was the person meant. It was all conjecture."

"What is it you mean?"

"It is a circumstance which Darcy, of course, would not wish to be generally known, because if it were to get round to the lady's family, it would be an unpleasant thing."

"You may depend upon my not mentioning it."

"And remember that I have not much reason for supposing it to be Bingley. What he told me was merely this; that he congratulated himself on having lately saved a friend from the inconveniences of a most imprudent marriage, but without mentioning names or any other particulars, and I only suspected it to be Bingley from believing him the kind of young man to get into a scrape of that sort, and from knowing them to have been together the whole of last summer."

"Did Mr. Darcy give you his reasons for this interference?"

"I understood that there were some very strong objections against the lady."

"And what arts did he use to separate them?"

"He did not talk to me of his own arts," said Fitzwilliam smiling. "He only told me what I have now told you."

Elizabeth made no answer, and walked on, her heart swelling with indignation. After watching her a little, Fitzwilliam asked her why she was so thoughtful.

"I am thinking of what you have been telling me," said she. "Your cousin's conduct does not suit my feelings. Why was he to be the judge?"

"You are rather disposed to call his interference officious?"

"I do not see what right Mr. Darcy had to decide on the propriety of his friend's inclination, or why, upon his own judgment alone, he was to determine and direct in what manner that friend was to be happy." "But," she continued, recollecting herself, "as we know none of the particulars, it is not fair to condemn him. It is not to be supposed that there was much affection in the case."

"That is not an unnatural surmise," said Fitzwilliam, "but it is lessening the honour of my cousin's triumph very sadly."

This was spoken jestingly, but it appeared to her so just a picture of Mr. Darcy that she would not trust herself with an answer; and, therefore, abruptly changing the conversation, talked on indifferent matters till they reached the parsonage. There, shut into her own room as soon as their visitor left them, she could think without interruption of all that she had heard. It was not to be supposed that any other people could be meant than those with whom she was connected. There could not exist in the world two men over whom Mr. Darcy could have such boundless influence. That he had been concerned in the measures taken to separate Mr. Bingley and Jane, she had never doubted; but she had always attributed to Miss Bingley the principal design and arrangement of them. If his own vanity, however, did not mislead him, he was the cause, his pride and caprice were the cause, of all that Jane had suffered, and still continued to suffer. He had ruined for a while every hope of happiness for the most affectionate, generous heart in the world; and no one could say how lasting an evil he might have inflicted.

"There were some very strong objections against the lady," were Colonel Fitzwilliam's words, and these strong objections probably were, her having one uncle who was a country attorney, and another who was in business in London.

"To Jane herself," she exclaimed, "there could be no possibility of objection. All loveliness and goodness as she is! Her understanding excellent, her mind improved, and her manners captivating. Neither could any thing be urged against my father, who, though with some peculiarities, has abilities which Mr. Darcy himself need not disdain, and respectability which he will probably never reach." When she thought of her mother, indeed, her confidence gave way a little, but she would not allow that any objections there had material weight with Mr. Darcy, whose pride, she was convinced, would receive a deeper wound from the want of importance in his friend's connections, than from their want of sense; and she was quite decided at last, that he had been partly governed by this worst kind of pride, and partly by the wish of retaining Mr. Bingley for his sister.

The agitation and tears which the subject occasioned brought on a headache; and it grew so much worse towards the evening that, added to her unwillingness to see Mr. Darcy, it determined her not to attend her cousins to Rosings, where they were engaged to drink tea. Mrs. Collins, seeing that she was really unwell, did not press her to go, and as much as possible prevented her husband from pressing her, but Mr. Collins could not conceal his apprehension of Lady Catherine's being rather displeased by her staying at home.
 

伊丽莎白在花园里散步的时候，曾经好多次出乎意料地碰见达西先生。别人不来的地方他偏偏会来，这真是不幸，她觉得好象是命运在故意跟她闹别扭。她第一次就对他说，她喜欢独自一人到这地方来溜达，当时的用意就是不让以后再有这种事情发生。如果会有第二次，那才叫怪呢。然而毕竟有了第二次，甚至还会有第三次，看上去他好象是故意跟她过不去，否则就是有心要来赔罪；因为这几次他既不是跟她敷衍几句就哑口无言，也不是稍隔一会儿就走开，而是当真掉过头来跟她一块儿走走。他从来不多说话，她也懒得多讲，懒得多听；可是第三次见面的时候，他问她住在汉斯福快活不快活，问她为什么喜欢孤单单一个人散步，又问起她是不是觉得柯林斯夫妇很幸福。谈起罗新斯，她说她对于那家人家不大了解，他倒好象希望她以后每逢有机会再到肯特来，也会去那儿小住一阵，从他的出言吐语里面听得出他有这层意思。难道他在替费茨威廉上校转念头吗？她想，如果他当真话里有音，那他一定暗示那个人对她有些动心。她觉得有些痛苦，她在已经走到牧师住宅对过的围墙门口，因此又觉得很高兴。

有一天，她正在一面散步，一面重新读着吉英上一次的来信，把吉英心灰意冷时所写的那几段仔细咀嚼着，这时候又让人吓了一跳，可是抬头一看，只见这次并不是达西，而是费茨威廉上校正在迎面走来。她立刻收起了那封信，勉强做出一副笑脸，说道：

“没想到你也会到这儿来。”费茨威廉回答道：“我每年都是这样，临走以前总得要到花园里各处去兜一圈，最后上牧师家来拜望。你还要往前走吗？”

“不，我马上就要回去了。”

于是她果真转过身来，两人一同朝着牧师住宅走去。

“你真的星期六就要离开肯特吗？”她问。

“是的，只要达西不再拖延。不过我得听他调遣。他办起事来只是凭他自己高兴。”

“即使不能顺着他自己的意思去摆布，至少也要顺着他自己意思去选择一下。我从来没有看见过哪一个人，象达西先生这样喜欢当权作主，为所欲为。”

“他太任性了，”费茨威廉上校回答道。“可是我们全都如此。只不过他比一般人有条件，可以那么做，因为他有钱，一般人穷。我是说的真心话。你知道，一个小儿子可就不得不克制自己，仰仗别人。”

“在我看来，一个伯爵的小儿子，对这两件事简直就一点儿不懂。再说，我倒要问你一句正经话，你又懂得什么叫做克制自己和仰仗别人呢？我有没有哪一次因为没有钱，想去什么地方去不成，爱买一样东西买不成？”

“你问得好，或许我在这方面也是不知艰苦。可是遇到重大问题，我可能就会因为没有钱而吃苦了。小儿子往往有了意中人而不能结婚。”

“除非是爱上了有钱的女人，我认为这种情形他们倒往往会碰到。”

“我们花钱花惯了，因此不得不依赖别人，象我这样身份的人，结起婚来能够不讲钱，那可数不出几个了。”

“这些话都是对我说的吗？”伊丽莎白想到这里，不禁脸红；可是她立刻恢复了常态，用一种很活泼的声调说道：“请问一个伯爵的小儿子，通常值多少身价？我想，除非哥哥身体太坏，你讨起价来总不能超过五万镑。”

他也用同样的口吻回答了她，这事便不再提。可是她又怕这样沉默下去，他会以为她是听了刚才那番话心里难受，因此隔了一会儿，她便说道：

“我想，你表兄把你带来待在他身边，主要就是为了要有个人听他摆布。我不懂他为什么还不结婚，结了婚不就是可以有个人一辈子听他摆布了吗？不过，目前他有个妹妹也许就行了；既然现在由他一个人照管她，那他就可以爱怎么对待她就怎么对待她了。”

“不，”费茨威廉上校说，“这份好处还得让我分享。我也是达西小姐的保护人。”

“你真的是吗？请问，你这位保护人当得怎么样？你们这位小姐相当难待候吧？象她那样年纪的小姐，有时候真不大容易对付；假若她的脾气也和达西一模一样，她自然也会样样事都凭她自己高兴。”

她说这话的时候，只见他在情恳意切望着她。他马上就问她说，为什么她会想到达西小姐可能使他们感到棘手。她看他问这句话的神态，就愈发断定自己果真猜得很接近事实。她立刻回答道：“你不必慌张。我从来没有听到过她有什么坏处；而且我敢说，她是世界上最听话的一位姑娘。我的女朋友们中有几个人，譬如赫斯脱太太和彬格莱小姐，都喜欢得她了不得。我好象听你说过，你也认识她们的。”

“我和她们不大熟。她们的兄弟是个富有风趣的绅士派人物，是达西的好朋友。”

“噢，是呀，”伊丽莎白冷冷地说：“达西先生待彬格莱先生特别好，也照顾得他十二万分周到。”

“照顾他！是的，我的确相信，凡是他拿不出办法的事情，达西先生总会替他想出办法。我们到这儿来，路上他告诉了我一些事情，我听了以后，便相信彬格莱先生确实多亏他帮了些忙。可是我得请他原谅，我没有权利猜想他所说的那个人就是彬格莱。那完全是瞎猜罢了。”

“你这话是什么意思？”

“这件事达西先生当然不愿意让大家知道，免得传到那位小姐家里去，惹得人家不痛快。”

“你放心好了，我不会说出去的。”

“请你记住，我并没有足够的理由猜想他所说的那个人就是彬格莱。他只不过告诉我，他最近使一位朋友没有结成一门冒味的婚姻，免却了多少麻烦，他觉得这件事值得自慰，可是他并没有提到当事人的姓名和其中的细节；我所以会疑心到彬格莱身上，一则因为我相信象他那样的青年，的确会招来这样的麻烦，二则因为我知道，他们在一起度过了整整一个夏天。”

“达西先生有没有说他为了什么理由要管人家闲事？”

“我听说那位小姐有些条件太不够格。”

“他用什么手段把他们俩拆开的？”

费茨威廉笑了笑说：“他并没有说明他用的是什么手段，他讲给我听的，我刚才全部都讲给你听了。”

伊丽莎白没有回答，继续往前走，她心里气透了。费茨威廉望了她一下，问她为什么这样思虑重重。

她说：“我在回想你刚才说给我听的话，我觉得你那位表兄的做法不大好。凭什么要他作主？”

“你认为他的干涉完全是多管闲事吗？”

“我真不懂，达西先生有什么权利断定他朋友的恋爱合适不合适；凭着他一个人的意思，他怎么就能指挥他的朋友要怎样去获得幸福。”她说到这里，便平了一下气，然后继续说下去，“可是我们不明白其中的底细，那么，我们要指责他，也就难免不公平。也许这一对男女中间根本就没有什么爱情。”

“这种推断倒不能说不合情理。”费茨威廉说。“我表兄本来是一团高兴，给你这样一说，他的功劳可要大大地打折扣啦。”

他这句话本是说着打趣的，可是她倒觉得，这句话正好是达西先生的一幅逼真的写照，她因此不便回答，便突然改变了话题，尽谈些无关紧要的事，边谈边走不觉来到了牧师住宅的门前。客人一走，她就回到自己房里闭门独坐，把刚才所听来的一番话仔细思量。他刚刚所提到的那一对男女，一定跟她有关。世界上决不可能有第二人会这样无条件服从达西先生。提到用尽手段拆散彬格莱先生和吉英的好事，一定少不了有他的份，她对于这一点从来不曾怀疑过；她一向认为完全是彬格莱小姐的主意和摆布。如果彬格莱先生本来并没有给虚荣心冲昏头脑，那么，吉英目前所受的种种痛苦，以及将来还要受下去的痛苦，都得归罪于他，归罪于他的傲慢和任性。世界上一颗最亲切、最慷慨的心，就这样让他一手把幸福的希望摧毁得一干二净；而且谁也不敢说，他造下的这个冤孽何年何月才能了结。

“这位小姐有些条件太不够格，”这是费茨威廉上校说的；这些太不够格的条件也许就是指她有个姨爹在乡下当律师，还有个舅舅在伦敦做生意。

她想到这里，不禁大声嚷了起来：“至于吉英本身，根本就不可能有什么缺陷，她真是太可爱太善良了──她见解高，修养好，风度又动人，我父亲也没有什么可指摘的，他虽然有些怪癖，可是他的能力是达西先生所不能藐视的，说到他的品德，达西先生也许永远赶不上，”当然，当她想到她母亲的时候，她的信心不免稍有动摇；可是她不相信那方面的弱点对达西先生会有什么大不了的影响。最伤害他自尊心莫过于让他的朋友跟门户低微的人家结亲，至于跟没有见识的人家结亲，他倒不会过分计较。她最后完全弄明白了；达西一方面是被这种最恶劣的傲慢心理支配着，另方面是为了想要把彬格莱先生配给他自己的妹妹。

她越想越气，越气越哭，最后弄得头痛起来了，晚上痛得更厉害，再加上她不愿意看到达西先生，于是决定不陪她的表兄嫂上罗新斯去赴茶会。柯林斯太太看她确实有病，也就不便勉强她去，而且尽量不让丈夫勉强她去；但是柯林斯先生禁不住有些慌张，生怕她不去会惹起咖苔琳夫人生气。