第四章



吉英本来并不轻易赞扬彬格莱先生，可是当她和伊丽莎白两个人在一起的时候，她就向她的妹妹倾诉衷曲，说她自己多么爱慕他。



“他真是一个典型的好青年，”她说，“有见识，有趣味，人又活泼；我从来没有见过他那种讨人喜欢的举止！那么大方，又有十全十美的教养！”



“他也长得很漂亮，”伊丽莎白回答道，“一个年轻的男人也得弄得漂亮些，除非办不到，那又当别论。他真够得上一个完美无瑕的人。”



“他第二次又来请我跳舞，我真高兴死了。我真想不到他会这样抬举我。”



“你真的没想到吗？我倒替你想到了。不过，这正是我和你大不相同的地方。你遇到人家抬举你，总是受宠若惊，我就不是这样。他第二次再来请你跳舞，这不是再自然不过的事吗？你比起舞场里任何一位小姐都要漂亮得不知多少倍，他长了眼睛自然会看得出。他向你献殷勤你又何必感激。说起来，他的确很可爱，我也不反对你喜欢他。不过你以前可也喜欢过很多蠢货啊。”



“我的亲丽萃！”



“唔！我知道，你总是太容易发生好感。你从来看不出人家的短处。在你眼睛里看来，天下都是好人，你都看得顺眼。我生平从来没听见你说人家的坏话。”



“我倒希望不要轻易责难一个人，可是我一向都是想到什么就说什么。”



“我知道你是这样的，我对你感到奇怪的也就是这种地方。凭你这样一个聪明人。为什么竟会忠厚到看不出别人的愚蠢和无聊！你走遍天下，到处都可以遇到伪装坦白的人。可是，这可只有你做得到。那么，你也喜欢那位先生的姐妹们吗？她们的风度可比不上他呀。”



“初看上去的确比不上。不过跟她们攀谈起来，就觉得她们也都是些讨人喜欢的女人。听说彬格莱小姐将要跟她兄弟住在一起，替他料埋家务；她要不是个好邻居，那才怪呢。”



伊丽莎白听着姐姐的话，嘴上一声不响，心里可并不信服。她比她姐姐的观察力来得敏锐，脾气她没有姐姐那么好惹，因此提到彬家姐妹，她只要想想她们在跳舞场里的那种举止，就知道她们并不打算要讨一般人的好。而且她胸有城府，决不因为人家等待她好就改变主张，她不会对她们发生多大好感的。事实上她们都是些非常好的小姐；她们并不是不会谈笑风生，问题是在要碰到她们高兴的时候；她们也不是不会待人和颜悦色，问题在于她们是否乐意这样做。可惜的是，她们一味骄傲自大。她们都长得很漂亮，曾经在一个上流的专科学校里受过教育，有两万镑的财产，花起钱来总是挥霍无度，爱结交有身价地位的人，因此才造成了她们在各方面都自视甚高，不把别人放在眼里。她们出生于英格兰北部的一个体面家族。她们对自己的出身记得很牢，可是却几乎忘了她们兄弟的财产以及她们自己的财产都是做生意赚来的。



彬格莱先生从他的父亲那儿只承继了一笔将近十万镑的遗产。他父亲生前本来打算购置些田产，可惜没有了却心愿就与世长辞了。彬格莱先生同样有这个打算，并且一度打算就在自己故乡购置，不过目前他既然有了一幢很好的房子，而且有庄园听他任意使用，于是那些了解他性格的人都说，象他这样一个随遇而安的人，下半辈子恐怕就在尼日斐花园度过，购置田产的事又要留给下一代去做了。他的姐妹们倒反而替他着急，希望早些购置产业；不过尽管他现在仅仅是以一个租户的身分在这儿住了下来，彬格莱小姐还是非常愿意替他掌管家务，再说那位嫁了个穷措大的赫斯脱太太，每逢上弟弟这儿来作客，依旧象是到了自己家里一样。当时彬格莱先生成年还不满两个年头，只因为偶然听到人家推荐尼日斐花园的房子，他便来到这儿看看。他里里外外看了半个钟头，地段和几间主要的房间都很中他的意，加上房东又把那幢房子大大赞美了一番，那番话对他也是正中下怀，于是他就当场租了下来。他和达西虽然性格大不相同，彼此之间友谊却始终如一。达西所以喜欢彬格莱，是因为彬格莱为人温柔敦厚、坦白直爽，尽管个性方面和他自己极端相反，而他自己也从来不曾觉得自己的个性有什么不完美的地方。达西很器重彬格莱，因此彬格莱对他极其信赖，对他的见解也推崇备至。在智力方面讲，达西比他强──这并不是说彬格莱笨，而是说达西聪明些。达西为人兼有傲慢、含蓄和爱挑剔的性子，他虽说受过良好的教养，可是他的风度总不受人欢迎。从这一方面讲，他的朋友可比他高明了。彬格莱无论走到哪儿，一定都会讨人喜欢，达西却始终得罪人。



从他俩谈起麦里屯舞会的态度来看，就足见两人性格的不同。彬格莱说，他生平从来没有遇到过什么人比这儿的人更和蔼，也没有遇到过什么姑娘比这儿的姑娘更漂亮；在他看来，这儿每个人都极其和善，极其殷勤，不拘礼，不局促，他一下子就觉得和全场的人都相处得很熟；讲起班纳特小姐，他想象不出人间会有一个比她更美丽的天使。至于达西，他总觉得他所看到的这些人既不美，又谈不上风度，没有一个人使他感兴趣，也没有一个人对他献殷勤，博取他的欢心。他承认班纳特小姐是漂亮的，可惜她笑得太多。赫斯脱太太姐妹同意他这种看法──可是她们仍然羡慕她，喜欢她，说她是个甜姐儿，她们并不反对跟她这样的一位小姐做个深交。班纳特小姐就这样成为一个甜姐儿了，她们的兄弟听到了这番赞美，便觉得今后可以爱怎么样想她就怎么样想她了。









Chapter 4



WHEN Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister how very much she admired him.

"He is just what a young man ought to be," said she, "sensible, good humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners! -- so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!"



"He is also handsome," replied Elizabeth, "which a young man ought likewise to be, if he possibly can. His character is thereby complete."



"I was very much flattered by his asking me to dance a second time. I did not expect such a compliment."



"Did not you? I did for you. But that is one great difference between us. Compliments always take you by surprise, and me never. What could be more natural than his asking you again? He could not help seeing that you were about five times as pretty as every other women in the room. No thanks to his gallantry for that. Well, he certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person."



"Dear Lizzy!"



"Oh! you are a great deal too apt, you know, to like people in general. You never see a fault in any body. All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life."



"I would wish not to be hasty in censuring any one; but I always speak what I think."



"I know you do; and it is that which makes the wonder. With your good sense, to be honestly blind to the follies and nonsense of others! Affectation of candour is common enough; -- one meets it every where. But to be candid without ostentation or design -- to take the good of every body's character and make it still better, and say nothing of the bad -- belongs to you alone. And so, you like this man's sisters too, do you? Their manners are not equal to his."



"Certainly not; at first. But they are very pleasing women when you converse with them. Miss Bingley is to live with her brother and keep his house; and I am much mistaken if we shall not find a very charming neighbour in her."



Elizabeth listened in silence, but was not convinced. Their behaviour at the assembly had not been calculated to please in general; and with more quickness of observation and less pliancy of temper than her sister, and with a judgment, too, unassailed by any attention to herself, she was very little disposed to approve them. They were in fact very fine ladies, not deficient in good humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of being agreeable where they chose it; but proud and conceited. They were rather handsome, had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, were in the habit of spending more than they ought, and of associating with people of rank; and were therefore in every respect entitled to think well of themselves, and meanly of others. They were of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother's fortune and their own had been acquired by trade.



Mr. Bingley inherited property to the amount of nearly an hundred thousand pounds from his father, who had intended to purchase an estate, but did not live to do it. -- Mr. Bingley intended it likewise, and sometimes made choice of his county; but as he was now provided with a good house and the liberty of a manor, it was doubtful to many of those who best knew the easiness of his temper, whether he might not spend the remainder of his days at Netherfield, and leave the next generation to purchase.



His sisters were very anxious for his having an estate of his own; but though he was now established only as a tenant, Miss Bingley was by no means unwilling to preside at his table, nor was Mrs. Hurst, who had married a man of more fashion than fortune, less disposed to consider his house as her home when it suited her. Mr. Bingley had not been of age two years, when he was tempted by an accidental recommendation to look at Netherfield House. He did look at it and into it for half an hour, was pleased with the situation and the principal rooms, satisfied with what the owner said in its praise, and took it immediately.



Between him and Darcy there was a very steady friendship, in spite of a great opposition of character. -- Bingley was endeared to Darcy by the easiness, openness, ductility of his temper, though no disposition could offer a greater contrast to his own, and though with his own he never appeared dissatisfied. On the strength of Darcy's regard Bingley had the firmest reliance, and of his judgment the highest opinion. In understanding, Darcy was the superior. Bingley was by no means deficient, but Darcy was clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well bred, were not inviting. In that respect his friend had greatly the advantage. Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared; Darcy was continually giving offence.



The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently characteristic. Bingley had never met with pleasanter people or prettier girls in his life; every body had been most kind and attentive to him, there had been no formality, no stiffness; he had soon felt acquainted with all the room; and as to Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful. Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and from none received either attention or pleasure. Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much.



Mrs. Hurst and her sister allowed it to be so -- but still they admired her and liked her, and pronounced her to be a sweet girl, and one whom they should not object to know more of. Miss Bennet was therefore established as a sweet girl, and their brother felt authorised by such commendation to think of her as he chose.

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