笔趣阁

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第132章（第1页）

ThoughElizabethwouldnot，forthemerepurposeofobligingLadyCatherine，haveansweredthisquestion，shecouldnotbutsay，afteramomentsdeliberation:

“Iamnot.”

LadyCatherineseemedpleased.

“Andwillyoupromiseme，nevertoenterintosuchanengagement?”

“Iwillmakenopromiseofthekind.”

“MissBennetIamshockedandastonished.Iexpectedtofindamorereasonableyoungwoman.ButdonotdeceiveyourselfintoabeliefthatIwilleverrecede.IshallnotgoawaytillyouhavegivenmetheassuranceIrequire.”

“AndIcertainlynevershallgiveit.Iamnottobeintimidatedintoanythingsowhollyunreasonable.YourladyshipwantsMr.Darcytomarryyourdaughter;butwouldmygivingyouthewished-forpromisemaketheirmarriageatallmoreprobable?Supposinghimtobeattachedtome，wouldmyrefusingtoaccepthishandmakehimwishtobestowitonhiscousin?Allowmetosay，LadyCatherine，thattheargumentswithwhichyouhavesupportedthisextraordinaryapplicationhavebeenasfrivolousastheapplicationwasill-judged.Youhavewidelymistakenmycharacter，ifyouthinkIcanbeworkedonbysuchpersuasionsasthese.Howfaryournephewmightapproveofyourinterferenceinhisaffairs，Icannottell;butyouhavecertainlynorighttoconcernyourselfinmine.Imustbeg，therefore，tobeimportunednofartheronthesubject.”

“Notsohasty，ifyouplease.Ihavebynomeansdone.ToalltheobjectionsIhavealreadyurged，Ihavestillanothertoadd.Iamnostrangertotheparticularsofyouryoungestsistersinfamouselopement.Iknowitall;thattheyoungmansmarryingherwasapatched-upbusiness，attheexpenceofyourfatheranduncles.Andissuchagirltobemynephewssister?Isherhusband，isthesonofhislatefatherssteward，tobehisbrother?Heavenandearth!—ofwhatareyouthinking?AretheshadesofPemberleytobethuspolluted?”

“Youcannowhavenothingfurthertosay，”

sheresentfullyanswered.“Youhaveinsultedmeineverypossiblemethod.Imustbegtoreturntothehouse.”

Andsheroseasshespoke.LadyCatherinerosealso，andtheyturnedback.Herladyshipwashighlyincensed.

“Youhavenoregard，then，forthehonourandcreditofmynephew!Unfeeling，selfishgirl!Doyounotconsiderthataconnectionwithyoumustdisgracehimintheeyesofeverybody?”

“LadyCatherine，Ihavenothingfurthertosay.Youknowmysentiments.”

“Youarethenresolvedtohavehim?”

“Ihavesaidnosuchthing.Iamonlyresolvedtoactinthatmanner，whichwill，inmyownopinion，constitutemyhappiness，withoutreferencetoyou，ortoanypersonsowhollyunconnectedwithme.”

“Itiswell.Yourefuse，then，toobligeme.Yourefusetoobeytheclaimsofduty，honour，andgratitude.Youaredeterminedtoruinhimintheopinionofallhisfriends，andmakehimthecontemptoftheworld.”

“Neitherduty，norhonour，norgratitude，”

repliedElizabeth，“haveanypossibleclaimonme，inthepresentinstance.NoprincipleofeitherwouldbeviolatedbymymarriagewithMr.Darcy.Andwithregardtotheresentmentofhisfamily，ortheindignationoftheworld，iftheformerwereexcitedbyhismarryingme，itwouldnotgivemeonemomentsconcern—andtheworldingeneralwouldhavetoomuchsensetojoininthescorn.”

“Andthisisyourrealopinion!Thisisyourfinalresolve!Verywell.Ishallnowknowhowtoact.Donotimagine，MissBennet，thatyourambitionwilleverbegratified.Icametotryyou.Ihopedtofindyoureasonable;but，dependuponit，Iwillcarrymypoint.”

InthismannerLadyCatherinetalkedon，tilltheywereatthedoorofthecarriage，when，turninghastilyround，sheadded，

“Itakenoleaveofyou，MissBennet.Isendnocomplimentstoyourmother.Youdeservenosuchattention.Iammostseriouslydispleased.”

Elizabethmadenoanswer;andwithoutattemptingtopersuadeherladyshiptoreturnintothehouse，walkedquietlyintoitherself.Sheheardthecarriagedriveawayassheproceededupstairs.Hermotherimpatientlymetheratthedoorofthedressing-room，toaskwhyLadyCatherinewouldnotcomeinagainandrestherself.

“Shedidnotchooseit，”

saidherdaughter，“shewouldgo.”

“Sheisaveryfine-lookingwoman!andhercallingherewasprodigiouslycivil!forsheonlycame，Isuppose，totellustheCollinseswerewell.Sheisonherroadsomewhere，Idaresay，andso，passingthroughMeryton，thoughtshemightaswellcallonyou.Isupposeshehadnothingparticulartosaytoyou，Lizzy?”

Elizabethwasforcedtogiveintoalittlefalsehoodhere;fortoacknowledgethesubstanceoftheirconversationwasimpossible.