الفصل الفصل 12 · 第12章

In consequence of an agreement between the sisters, Elizabeth wrote the

next morning to her mother, to beg that the carriage might be sent for

them in the course of the day. But Mrs. Bennet, who had calculated on

her daughters remaining at Netherfield till the following Tuesday, which

would exactly finish Jane’s week, could not bring herself to receive

them with pleasure before. Her answer, therefore, was not propitious, at

least not to Elizabeth’s wishes, for she was impatient to get home. Mrs.

Bennet sent them word that they could not possibly have the carriage

before Tuesday; and in her postscript it was added, that if Mr. Bingley

and his sister pressed them to stay longer, she could spare them very

well. Against staying longer, however, Elizabeth was positively

resolved--nor did she much expect it would be asked; and fearful, on the

contrary, of being considered as intruding themselves needlessly long,

she urged Jane to borrow Mr. Bingley’s carriage immediately, and at

length it was settled that their original design of leaving Netherfield

that morning should be mentioned, and the request made.

The communication excited many professions of concern; and enough was

said of wishing them to stay at least till the following day to work on

Jane; and till the morrow their going was deferred. Miss Bingley was

then sorry that she had proposed the delay; for her jealousy and dislike

of one sister much exceeded her affection for the other.

The master of the house heard with real sorrow that they were to go so

soon, and repeatedly tried to persuade Miss Bennet that it would not be

safe for her--that she was not enough recovered; but Jane was firm where

she felt herself to be right.

To Mr. Darcy it was welcome intelligence: Elizabeth had been at

Netherfield long enough. She attracted him more than he liked; and Miss

Bingley was uncivil to _her_ and more teasing than usual to himself. He

wisely resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration

should _now_ escape him--nothing that could elevate her with the hope of

influencing his felicity; sensible that, if such an idea had been

suggested, his behaviour during the last day must have material weight

in confirming or crushing it. Steady to his purpose, he scarcely spoke

ten words to her through the whole of Saturday: and though they were at

one time left by themselves for half an hour, he adhered most

conscientiously to his book, and would not even look at her.

On Sunday, after morning service, the separation, so agreeable to almost

all, took place. Miss Bingley’s civility to Elizabeth increased at last

very rapidly, as well as her affection for Jane; and when they parted,

after assuring the latter of the pleasure it would always give her to

see her either at Longbourn or Netherfield, and embracing her most

tenderly, she even shook hands with the former. Elizabeth took leave of

the whole party in the liveliest spirits.

They were not welcomed home very cordially by their mother. Mrs. Bennet

wondered at their coming, and thought them very wrong to give so much

trouble, and was sure Jane would have caught cold again. But their

father, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really

glad to see them; he had felt their importance in the family circle. The

evening conversation, when they were all assembled, had lost much of its

animation, and almost all its sense, by the absence of Jane and

Elizabeth.

They found Mary, as usual, deep in the study of thorough bass and human

nature; and had some new extracts to admire and some new observations of

threadbare morality to listen to. Catherine and Lydia had information

for them of a different sort. Much had been done, and much had been said

in the regiment since the preceding Wednesday; several of the officers

had dined lately with their uncle; a private had been flogged; and it

had actually been hinted that Colonel Forster was going to be married.

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