Bab Bab 45 · 第45章

Convinced as Elizabeth now was that Miss Bingley’s dislike of her had

originated in jealousy, she could not help feeling how very unwelcome

her appearance at Pemberley must be to her, and was curious to know

with how much civility on that lady’s side the acquaintance would now

be renewed.

On reaching the house, they were shown through the hall into the saloon,

whose northern aspect rendered it delightful for summer. Its windows,

opening to the ground, admitted a most refreshing view of the high woody

hills behind the house, and of the beautiful oaks and Spanish chestnuts

which were scattered over the intermediate lawn.

In this room they were received by Miss Darcy, who was sitting there

with Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, and the lady with whom she lived in

London. Georgiana’s reception of them was very civil, but attended with

all that embarrassment which, though proceeding from shyness and the

fear of doing wrong, would easily give to those who felt themselves

inferior the belief of her being proud and reserved. Mrs. Gardiner and

her niece, however, did her justice, and pitied her.

By Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley they were noticed only by a courtesy; and

on their being seated, a pause, awkward as such pauses must always be,

succeeded for a few moments. It was first broken by Mrs. Annesley, a

genteel, agreeable-looking woman, whose endeavour to introduce some kind

of discourse proved her to be more truly well-bred than either of the

others; and between her and Mrs. Gardiner, with occasional help from

Elizabeth, the conversation was carried on. Miss Darcy looked as if she

wished for courage enough to join in it; and sometimes did venture a

short sentence, when there was least danger of its being heard.

Elizabeth soon saw that she was herself closely watched by Miss Bingley,

and that she could not speak a word, especially to Miss Darcy, without

calling her attention. This observation would not have prevented her

from trying to talk to the latter, had they not been seated at an

inconvenient distance; but she was not sorry to be spared the necessity

of saying much: her own thoughts were employing her. She expected every

moment that some of the gentlemen would enter the room: she wished, she

feared, that the master of the house might be amongst them; and whether

she wished or feared it most, she could scarcely determine. After

sitting in this manner a quarter of an hour, without hearing Miss

Bingley’s voice, Elizabeth was roused by receiving from her a cold

inquiry after the health of her family. She answered with equal

indifference and brevity, and the other said no more.

The next variation which their visit afforded was produced by the

entrance of servants with cold meat, cake, and a variety of all the

finest fruits in season; but this did not take place till after many a

significant look and smile from Mrs. Annesley to Miss Darcy had been

given, to remind her of her post. There was now employment for the whole

party; for though they could not all talk, they could all eat; and the

beautiful pyramids of grapes, nectarines, and peaches, soon collected

them round the table.

While thus engaged, Elizabeth had a fair opportunity of deciding whether

she most feared or wished for the appearance of Mr. Darcy, by the

feelings which prevailed on his entering the room; and then, though but

a moment before she had believed her wishes to predominate, she began to

regret that he came.

He had been some time with Mr. Gardiner, who, with two or three other

gentlemen from the house, was engaged by the river; and had left him

only on learning that the ladies of the family intended a visit to

Georgiana that morning. No sooner did he appear, than Elizabeth wisely

resolved to be perfectly easy and unembarrassed;--a resolution the more

necessary to be made, but perhaps not the more easily kept, because she

saw that the suspicions of the whole party were awakened against them,

and that there was scarcely an eye which did not watch his behaviour

when he first came into the room. In no countenance was attentive

curiosity so strongly marked as in Miss Bingley’s, in spite of the

smiles which overspread her face whenever she spoke to one of its

objects; for jealousy had not yet made her desperate, and her attentions

to Mr. Darcy were by no means over. Miss Darcy, on her brother’s

entrance, exerted herself much more to talk; and Elizabeth saw that he

was anxious for his sister and herself to get acquainted, and forwarded,

as much as possible, every attempt at conversation on either side. Miss

Bingley saw all this likewise; and, in the imprudence of anger, took the

first opportunity of saying, with sneering civility,--

“Pray, Miss Eliza, are not the ----shire militia removed from Meryton?

They must be a great loss to _your_ family.”

In Darcy’s presence she dared not mention Wickham’s name: but Elizabeth

instantly comprehended that he was uppermost in her thoughts; and the

various recollections connected with him gave her a moment’s distress;

but, exerting herself vigorously to repel the ill-natured attack, she

presently answered the question in a tolerably disengaged tone. While

she spoke, an involuntary glance showed her Darcy with a heightened

complexion, earnestly looking at her, and his sister overcome with

confusion, and unable to lift up her eyes. Had Miss Bingley known what

pain she was then giving her beloved friend, she undoubtedly would have

refrained from the hint; but she had merely intended to discompose

Elizabeth, by bringing forward the idea of a man to whom she believed

her partial, to make her betray a sensibility which might injure her in

Darcy’s opinion, and, perhaps, to remind the latter of all the follies

and absurdities by which some part of her family were connected with

that corps. Not a syllable had ever reached her of Miss Darcy’s

meditated elopement. To no creature had it been revealed, where secrecy

was possible, except to Elizabeth; and from all Bingley’s connections

her brother was particularly anxious to conceal it, from that very wish

which Elizabeth had long ago attributed to him, of their becoming

hereafter her own. He had certainly formed such a plan; and without

meaning that it should affect his endeavour to separate him from Miss

Bennet, it is probable that it might add something to his lively concern

for the welfare of his friend.

Elizabeth’s collected behaviour, however, soon quieted his emotion; and

as Miss Bingley, vexed and disappointed, dared not approach nearer to

Wickham, Georgiana also recovered in time, though not enough to be able

to speak any more. Her brother, whose eye she feared to meet, scarcely

recollected her interest in the affair; and the very circumstance which

had been designed to turn his thoughts from Elizabeth, seemed to have

fixed them on her more and more cheerfully.

Their visit did not continue long after the question and answer above

mentioned; and while Mr. Darcy was attending them to their carriage,

Miss Bingley was venting her feelings in criticisms on Elizabeth’s

person, behaviour, and dress. But Georgiana would not join her. Her

brother’s recommendation was enough to insure her favour: his judgment

could not err; and he had spoken in such terms of Elizabeth, as to leave

Georgiana without the power of finding her otherwise than lovely and

amiable. When Darcy returned to the saloon, Miss Bingley could not help

repeating to him some part of what she had been saying to his sister.

“How very ill Eliza Bennet looks this morning, Mr. Darcy,” she cried: “I

never in my life saw anyone so much altered as she is since the winter.

She is grown so brown and coarse! Louisa and I were agreeing that we

should not have known her again.”

However little Mr. Darcy might have liked such an address, he contented

himself with coolly replying, that he perceived no other alteration than

her being rather tanned,--no miraculous consequence of travelling in the

summer.

“For my own part,” she rejoined, “I must confess that I never could see

any beauty in her. Her face is too thin; her complexion has no

brilliancy; and her features are not at all handsome. Her nose wants

character; there is nothing marked in its lines. Her teeth are

tolerable, but not out of the common way; and as for her eyes, which

have sometimes been called so fine, I never could perceive anything

extraordinary in them. They have a sharp, shrewish look, which I do not

like at all; and in her air altogether, there is a self-sufficiency

without fashion, which is intolerable.”

Persuaded as Miss Bingley was that Darcy admired Elizabeth, this was not

the best method of recommending herself; but angry people are not always

wise; and in seeing him at last look somewhat nettled, she had all the

success she expected. He was resolutely silent, however; and, from a

determination of making him speak, she continued,--

“I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all

were to find that she was a reputed beauty; and I particularly recollect

your saying one night, after they had been dining at Netherfield, ‘_She_

a beauty! I should as soon call her mother a wit.’ But afterwards she

seemed to improve on you, and I believe you thought her rather pretty at

one time.”

“Yes,” replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, “but _that_

was only when I first knew her; for it is many months since I have

considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.”

He then went away, and Miss Bingley was left to all the satisfaction of

having forced him to say what gave no one any pain but herself.

Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth talked of all that had occurred during their

visit, as they returned, except what had particularly interested them

both. The looks and behaviour of everybody they had seen were discussed,

except of the person who had mostly engaged their attention. They talked

of his sister, his friends, his house, his fruit, of everything but

himself; yet Elizabeth was longing to know what Mrs. Gardiner thought of

him, and Mrs. Gardiner would have been highly gratified by her niece’s

beginning the subject.

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