MR. Wickham was so perfectly satisfied with this conversation that he never again distressed himself, or provoked his dear sister Elizabeth, by introducing the subject of it; and she was pleased to find that she had said enough to keep him quiet.
The day of his and Lydia's departure soon came, and Mrs. Bennet was forced to submit to a separation, which, as her husband by no means entered into her scheme of their all going to Newcastle, was likely to continue at least a twelvemonth.
"Oh! my dear Lydia," she cried, "when shall we meet again?"
"Oh, lord! I don't know. Not these two or three years, perhaps."
"Write to me very often, my dear."
"As often as I can. But you know married women have never much time for writing. My sisters may write to me. They will have nothing else to do."
Mr. Wickham's adieus were much more affectionate than his wife's. He smiled, looked handsome, and said many pretty things.
"He is as fine a fellow," said Mr. Bennet, as soon as they were out of the house, "as ever I saw. He simpers, and smirks, and makes love to us all. I am prodigiously proud of him. I defy even Sir William Lucas himself to produce a more valuable son-in-law."
The loss of her daughter made Mrs. Bennet very dull for several days.
"I often think," said she, "that there is nothing so bad as parting with one's friends. One seems so forlorn without them."
"This is the consequence, you see, Madam, of marrying a daughter," said Elizabeth. "It must make you better satisfied that your other four are single."
"It is no such thing. Lydia does not leave me because she is married, but only because her husband's regiment happens to be so far off. If that had been nearer, she would not have gone so soon."
But the spiritless condition which this event threw her into was shortly relieved, and her mind opened again to the agitation of hope, by an article of news which then began to be in circulation. The housekeeper at Netherfield had received orders to prepare for the arrival of her master, who was coming down in a day or two, to shoot there for several weeks. Mrs. Bennet was quite in the fidgets. She looked at Jane, and smiled and shook her head by turns.
"Well, well, and so Mr. Bingley is coming down, sister," (for Mrs. Phillips first brought her the news). "Well, so much the better. Not that I care about it, though. He is nothing to us, you know, and I am sure I never want to see him again. But, however, he is very welcome to come to Netherfield, if he likes it. And who knows what may happen? But that is nothing to us. You know, sister, we agreed long ago never to mention a word about it. And so, is it quite certain he is coming?"
"You may depend on it," replied the other, "for Mrs. Nicholls was in Meryton last night; I saw her passing by, and went out myself on purpose to know the truth of it; and she told me that it was certain true. He comes down on Thursday at the latest, very likely on Wednesday. She was going to the butcher's, she told me, on purpose to order in some meat on Wednesday, and she has got three couple of ducks just fit to be killed."
Miss Bennet had not been able to hear of his coming without changing colour. It was many months since she had mentioned his name to Elizabeth; but now, as soon as they were alone together, she said,
"I saw you look at me to-day, Lizzy, when my aunt told us of the present report; and I know I appeared distressed. But don't imagine it was from any silly cause. I was only confused for the moment, because I felt that I should be looked at. I do assure you that the news does not affect me either with pleasure or pain. I am glad of one thing, that he comes alone; because we shall see the less of him. Not that I am afraid of myself, but I dread other people's remarks."
Elizabeth did not know what to make of it. Had she not seen him in Derbyshire, she might have supposed him capable of coming there with no other view than what was acknowledged; but she still thought him partial to Jane, and she wavered as to the greater probability of his coming there with his friend's permission, or being bold enough to come without it.
"Yet it is hard," she sometimes thought, "that this poor man cannot come to a house which he has legally hired, without raising all this speculation! I will leave him to himself."
In spite of what her sister declared, and really believed to be her feelings in the expectation of his arrival, Elizabeth could easily perceive that her spirits were affected by it. They were more disturbed, more unequal, than she had often seen them.
The subject which had been so warmly canvassed between their parents, about a twelvemonth ago, was now brought forward again.
"As soon as ever Mr. Bingley comes, my dear," said Mrs. Bennet, "you will wait on him of course."
"No, no. You forced me into visiting him last year, and promised, if I went to see him, he should marry one of my daughters. But it ended in nothing, and I will not be sent on a fool's errand again."
His wife represented to him how absolutely necessary such an attention would be from all the neighbouring gentlemen, on his returning to Netherfield.
"'Tis an etiquette I despise," said he. "If he wants our society, let him seek it. He knows where we live. I will not spend my hours in running after my neighbours every time they go away and come back again."
"Well, all I know is, that it will be abominably rude if you do not wait on him. But, however, that shan't prevent my asking him to dine here, I am determined. We must have Mrs. Long and the Gouldings soon. That will make thirteen with ourselves, so there will be just room at table for him."
Consoled by this resolution, she was the better able to bear her husband's incivility; though it was very mortifying to know that her neighbours might all see Mr. Bingley, in consequence of it, before they did. As the day of his arrival drew near,
"I begin to be sorry that he comes at all," said Jane to her sister. "It would be nothing; I could see him with perfect indifference, but I can hardly bear to hear it thus perpetually talked of. My mother means well; but she does not know, no one can know, how much I suffer from what she says. Happy shall I be, when his stay at Netherfield is over!"
"I wish I could say any thing to comfort you," replied Elizabeth; "but it is wholly out of my power. You must feel it; and the usual satisfaction of preaching patience to a sufferer is denied me, because you have always so much."
Mr. Bingley arrived. Mrs. Bennet, through the assistance of servants, contrived to have the earliest tidings of it, that the period of anxiety and fretfulness on her side might be as long as it could. She counted the days that must intervene before their invitation could be sent; hopeless of seeing him before. But on the third morning after his arrival in Hertfordshire, she saw him, from her dressing-room window, enter the paddock and ride towards the house.
Her daughters were eagerly called to partake of her joy. Jane resolutely kept her place at the table; but Elizabeth, to satisfy her mother, went to the window -- she looked, -- she saw Mr. Darcy with him, and sat down again by her sister.
"There is a gentleman with him, mamma," said Kitty; "who can it be?"
"Some acquaintance or other, my dear, I suppose; I am sure I do not know."
"La!" replied Kitty, "it looks just like that man that used to be with him before. Mr. what's-his-name. That tall, proud man."
"Good gracious! Mr. Darcy! -- and so it does, I vow. Well, any friend of Mr. Bingley's will always be welcome here, to be sure; but else I must say that I hate the very sight of him."
Jane looked at Elizabeth with surprise and concern. She knew but little of their meeting in Derbyshire, and therefore felt for the awkwardness which must attend her sister, in seeing him almost for the first time after receiving his explanatory letter. Both sisters were uncomfortable enough. Each felt for the other, and of course for themselves; and their mother talked on, of her dislike of Mr. Darcy, and her resolution to be civil to him only as Mr. Bingley's friend, without being heard by either of them. But Elizabeth had sources of uneasiness which could not be suspected by Jane, to whom she had never yet had courage to shew Mrs. Gardiner's letter, or to relate her own change of sentiment towards him. To Jane, he could be only a man whose proposals she had refused, and whose merit she had undervalued; but to her own more extensive information, he was the person to whom the whole family were indebted for the first of benefits, and whom she regarded herself with an interest, if not quite so tender, at least as reasonable and just as what Jane felt for Bingley. Her astonishment at his coming -- at his coming to Netherfield, to Longbourn, and voluntarily seeking her again, was almost equal to what she had known on first witnessing his altered behaviour in Derbyshire.
The colour which had been driven from her face, returned for half a minute with an additional glow, and a smile of delight added lustre to her eyes, as she thought for that space of time that his affection and wishes must still be unshaken. But she would not be secure.
"Let me first see how he behaves," said she; "it will then be early enough for expectation."
She sat intently at work, striving to be composed, and without daring to lift up her eyes, till anxious curiosity carried them to the face of her sister as the servant was approaching the door. Jane looked a little paler than usual, but more sedate than Elizabeth had expected. On the gentlemen's appearing, her colour increased; yet she received them with tolerable ease, and with a propriety of behaviour equally free from any symptom of resentment or any unnecessary complaisance.
Elizabeth said as little to either as civility would allow, and sat down again to her work, with an eagerness which it did not often command. She had ventured only one glance at Darcy. He looked serious, as usual; and, she thought, more as he had been used to look in Hertfordshire, than as she had seen him at Pemberley. But, perhaps he could not in her mother's presence be what he was before her uncle and aunt. It was a painful, but not an improbable, conjecture.
Bingley, she had likewise seen for an instant, and in that short period saw him looking both pleased and embarrassed. He was received by Mrs. Bennet with a degree of civility which made her two daughters ashamed, especially when contrasted with the cold and ceremonious politeness of her curtsey and address to his friend.
Elizabeth, particularly, who knew that her mother owed to the latter the preservation of her favourite daughter from irremediable infamy, was hurt and distressed to a most painful degree by a distinction so ill applied.
Darcy, after enquiring of her how Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner did, a question which she could not answer without confusion, said scarcely any thing. He was not seated by her; perhaps that was the reason of his silence; but it had not been so in Derbyshire. There he had talked to her friends, when he could not to herself. But now several minutes elapsed without bringing the sound of his voice; and when occasionally, unable to resist the impulse of curiosity, she raised he eyes to his face, she as often found him looking at Jane as at herself, and frequently on no object but the ground. More thoughtfulness and less anxiety to please, than when they last met, were plainly expressed. She was disappointed, and angry with herself for being so.
"Could I expect it to be otherwise!" said she. "Yet why did he come?"
She was in no humour for conversation with any one but himself; and to him she had hardly courage to speak.
She enquired after his sister, but could do no more.
"It is a long time, Mr. Bingley, since you went away," said Mrs. Bennet.
He readily agreed to it.
"I began to be afraid you would never come back again. People did say you meant to quit the place entirely at Michaelmas; but, however, I hope it is not true. A great many changes have happened in the neighbourhood, since you went away. Miss Lucas is married and settled. And one of my own daughters. I suppose you have heard of it; indeed, you must have seen it in the papers. It was in the Times and the Courier, I know; though it was not put in as it ought to be. It was only said, "Lately, George Wickham, Esq. to Miss Lydia Bennet," without there being a syllable said of her father, or the place where she lived, or any thing. It was my brother Gardiner's drawing up too, and I wonder how he came to make such an awkward business of it. Did you see it?"
Bingley replied that he did, and made his congratulations. Elizabeth dared not lift up her eyes. How Mr. Darcy looked, therefore, she could not tell.
"It is a delightful thing, to be sure, to have a daughter well married," continued her mother, "but at the same time, Mr. Bingley, it is very hard to have her taken such a way from me. They are gone down to Newcastle, a place quite northward, it seems, and there they are to stay I do not know how long. His regiment is there; for I suppose you have heard of his leaving the ----shire, and of his being gone into the regulars. Thank Heaven! he has some friends, though perhaps not so many as he deserves."
Elizabeth, who knew this to be levelled at Mr. Darcy, was in such misery of shame, that she could hardly keep her seat. It drew from her, however, the exertion of speaking, which nothing else had so effectually done before; and she asked Bingley whether he meant to make any stay in the country at present. A few weeks, he believed.
"When you have killed all your own birds, Mr. Bingley," said her mother, "I beg you will come here, and shoot as many as you please on Mr. Bennet's manor. I am sure he will be vastly happy to oblige you, and will save all the best of the covies for you."
Elizabeth's misery increased, at such unnecessary, such officious attention! Were the same fair prospect to arise at present as had flattered them a year ago, every thing, she was persuaded, would be hastening to the same vexatious conclusion. At that instant, she felt that years of happiness could not make Jane or herself amends for moments of such painful confusion.
"The first wish of my heart," said she to herself, "is never more to be in company with either of them. Their society can afford no pleasure that will atone for such wretchedness as this! Let me never see either one or the other again!"
Yet the misery, for which years of happiness were to offer no compensation, received soon afterwards material relief, from observing how much the beauty of her sister re-kindled the admiration of her former lover. When first he came in, he had spoken to her but little; but every five minutes seemed to be giving her more of his attention. He found her as handsome as she had been last year; as good natured, and as unaffected, though not quite so chatty. Jane was anxious that no difference should be perceived in her at all, and was really persuaded that she talked as much as ever. But her mind was so busily engaged, that she did not always know when she was silent.
When the gentlemen rose to go away, Mrs. Bennet was mindful of her intended civility, and they were invited and engaged to dine at Longbourn in a few days time.
"You are quite a visit in my debt, Mr. Bingley," she added, "for when you went to town last winter, you promised to take a family dinner with us, as soon as you returned. I have not forgot, you see; and I assure you, I was very much disappointed that you did not come back and keep your engagement."
Bingley looked a little silly at this reflection, and said something of his concern at having been prevented by business. They then went away.
Mrs. Bennet had been strongly inclined to ask them to stay and dine there that day; but, though she always kept a very good table, she did not think any thing less than two courses could be good enough for a man on whom she had such anxious designs, or satisfy the appetite and pride of one who had ten thousand a year.
--正文
维克汉姆对这段谈话十分满意，再也不提之前的事情了，他现在也不想给自己找罪受，也不去激怒自己的好姐姐伊丽莎白了。而伊丽莎白也很高兴，自己也透了底给维克汉姆，能让他闭嘴了。
他和莉迪亚离开的日子很快就到了，本内特太太不得不跟他们分别，这次分开至少要一年后才能再见了。她一开始还想着跟他们一起去纽斯卡尔，但是本内特老爷无论如何也不同意。
“哦！我可怜的莉迪亚，”她大声地说，“我们什么时候能再见面？”
“哦！老天！我不知道。最近两三年可能见不到了。”
“经常写信给我，亲爱的。”
“我会尽量的。但是你也知道结了婚的女儿没多少时间写信。姐姐妹妹们可以写给我，反正她们也没什么事情做。”
维克汉姆的告别就比他老婆的要动情多了。他笑着，看起来很帅，说着很多漂亮话。
“他是我见过的最俊的后生，”他们两个人一走，本内特先生就说，“他一会傻笑，一会又自鸣得意，跟我们一起调笑。我对他真是无比骄傲！我觉得甚至威廉姆.卢卡斯爵士也找不到这样高级的女婿。”
失去了女儿让本内特太太愁闷了好几天。
“我经常想，”她说，“没什么比跟朋友道别更糟糕的事情了。一个人没了朋友就总是显得孤零零的。”
“太太，你看这就是嫁女儿的后果，”伊丽莎白说，“你还有四个女儿单身，这样想就会满意多了。”
“没有这回事。莉迪亚不是因为结了婚才离开我们的，而只是因为她丈夫的部队太远了。如果部队要是近点的话，她也不会离开那么久的。”
但是这种无精打采的情况也没持续几天，很快她的头脑就又被希望占满了，最近村子里有消息开始到处穿。耐热屯的女佣收到了命令要她准备好迎接主人，她主人这两天就要过来待几个星期。本内特太太十分坐立不安，她会看着简，笑一下，然后又摇摇头，然后又笑一笑，再摇摇头，就这样不停重复。
“嗯，宾利先生就要来村子里了，姐姐，”因为是菲利普太太首先带来的这个消息，“嗯，这样更好。虽然说，其实我也不在乎。你也知道，他对我们来说不算啥，我肯定不想再见到他了。但是如果他喜欢的话，我们还是欢迎他来耐热屯的。谁知道会怎么样呢？但是不管怎么样，对我们来说是不怎么样。你也知道的，姐姐，我们很久之前就同意了决口不提这件事。所以，能确定他会来了吗？”
“你可以放心，”另一个回复说，“因为昨晚尼科尔来了梅屯，我看到她从门前路过，于是就跟上去问问真相到底是怎样。她告诉我说肯定是真的。宾利最晚也就周四到，很可能周三就回到。她跟我说正要去卖肉的地方，要为了周三备点肉，而且她已经准备了六只鸭子，就等着杀了。”
本内特小姐听说宾利要来，就一阵阵脸红。她上次跟伊丽莎白提起宾利的名字，还是在好几个月值钱了。但是现在一到身边没人的时候，她就说：“
利兹，今天小姨说宾利要来的时候，我看到你瞧着我看了。我知道自己看起来挺紧张的。但是你可别以为我在犯傻呢。我当时只是有点迷糊，因为我觉得有人盯着我看了。我可以向你保证这件事没有让我高兴，也没让我痛苦。我只高兴一件事——他是一个人来的，这样我们就不会经常见到他。我不怕自己应付不了，但是我害怕别人的闲言碎语。”
伊丽莎白不知道该怎么回答。之前在德比郡要是没见到宾利，她可能觉得宾利此番过来就是为了简。但是她仍然觉得宾利是喜欢简的，她怀疑宾利此番前来极有可能是经过达西允许的，要不就是他自己胆子大，达西没同意也主动过来了。
“宾利也挺难的，”她有时候想，“这个可怜人来趟自己合法租的房子，就要被这样无端揣测。这事还是让他自己作主吧。”
伊丽莎白不相信她姐姐说的话，她觉得简其实是很想宾利过来的，伊丽莎白很容易就能猜出她很容易就被这件事情影响。相比以前，现在的简比之前更心不在焉，更加心力不支。
她们父母一年之前热情讨论过的问题，现在又被放到桌面上来了。
“不管宾利先生什么时候过来，亲爱的闺女，”本内特太太说，“你都要拜访她的。”
“不，不，去年是你强迫我去拜访他的，还跟我承诺说，如果我过去见他，他就会娶我们一个闺女。但最后还是白忙一场，这次我可不会为傻子跑腿了。”
而本内特太太就跟本内特老爷说，宾利一回到耐热屯，周围的街坊邻居都去拜访，自己一家不去很不好。
“我才瞧不上这种礼节呢，”他说，“他要是想要我们的礼节，就让他自己找去。他知道我们住在哪。我可不想花时间跟在我们的邻居后面，一会儿迎接他们，一会儿又送他们走。”
“哎，我只知道你要是不拜访他就很没有礼貌，而且也不会阻止我叫他过来吃饭的。我已经下决心了。我们也得邀请隆夫人还有古尔丁一家，到时候我们这边就有十三个人了，所以就只有桌子前有位置留给宾利了。”
想到这个方法本内特太太心里舒服了点，她也能更好地应对失礼的丈夫了。要是害怕本内特老爷不去的话，邻居们会抢在前头见到宾利。随着宾利到来的日子越来越近，
“我感觉他干脆不要来得了，”简跟她妹妹说，“也就没有那么多麻烦。我见到他心里也不会有任何波动，但是我无法忍受大家没完没了的谈起他。我母亲的心是好的。但是她不知道，别人也不知道，她说得话让我有多难受。哪天他离开耐热屯了，我才真是开心了呢！”
“我希望能说点什么安慰你，”伊丽莎白说，“但是这已经超出我的能力范围了。你应该也知道。通常我都会劝人耐心一点，但是这次我不想这么做，因为你耐心太多了。”
宾利先生终于到了。通过仆人的帮助，本内特太太最早听到了消息，她焦急等待的时间也就更长。由于无望提前见到他，本内特就数着日子哪天送请帖。但是在宾利来赫特福德之后的第三天早上，本内特太太从客厅窗户看到了他，穿过小围场，一路向着房子骑了过去。
本内塔太太感觉叫来闺女们分享这份喜悦。简则决心坐在桌子边不动。但是伊丽莎白为了满足自己的母亲，还是走到了窗户前，她就看到达西跟宾利走在一起，就也跟着姐姐一起坐了下来。
“有位先生跟他在一起，妈妈，”凯蒂说，“这会是谁呢？”
“也许是哪个熟人吧，宝贝闺女。我也不知道”
“哎！”凯蒂说，“那好像是之前跟他在一起的那个男人。叫什么先生来着？那个高个子，很高傲的男人。”
“老天！是达西先生！确实是他，我发誓。嗯，宾利先生的朋友我这里都欢迎。但是我也得说我很讨厌看到他。”
简惊讶又关心地看着伊丽莎白。她知道一点点伊丽莎白与达西之前在德比郡已经见过一面，因此觉得自己妹妹在收到达西的解释信后，头一回见到他会有点尴尬。大姐二姐都很不舒服。每个人都同情着另一个人，但也都同情自己。而她们的母亲正滔滔不绝得说着，自己有多么不喜欢达西，自己只是因为把他当宾利得朋友对待，才会对他客气一点，而姐妹俩都没听到。但是伊丽莎白此刻神情紧张，但又不能被简察觉，她还没有勇气把加德纳夫人的信给简看，也不敢跟她说自己对达西的情感变化。对于简来说，达西只能是个曾被自己拒绝过的男人，一个品德被她所低估的男人。但是只有她自己知道，达西是整个家庭都欠了大人情的人，而她对达西的感情，就算没那么温柔，至少也像简对宾利的感情那样理性和公平。见到达西来耐热屯，来蘑菇屯，而且主动找她，伊丽莎白就跟之前在德比郡第一次见到达西行为大变的惊奇一样大。
她之前脸红刚下去，又红了半分钟，现在还有些发光，而她的脸上露出一抹微笑，让她的眼睛里也多出一分光彩，她心里想着这么短的时间里，达西对自己的感情应该不会动摇的。但是她也不能确定。
“让我先瞧瞧他的行为，”伊丽莎白说，“到时候再期待也不远。”
她专心致志地干着活，努力表现地震惊，甚至都不敢抬起眼睛，直到她忍不住好奇地看向简，这时候正好仆人朝着门这边走。简看起来比平时更加苍白，但是比伊丽莎白想象地要镇定多了。宾利已出现，简的脸就更加红了。但是简还是很平和地接待了他们，而且也看不出有憎恨或者抱怨的意思。
伊丽莎白也只是出于礼节跟人说了几句话，然后就坐下继续干着活了，但是比平时要着急多了。她只敢抬眼看了一眼达西。他跟平时一样，看起来很严肃。她心里想，达西现在更像之前在赫特福德的样子，而不像他在彭伯里的样子，也许在伊丽莎白的母亲面前，达西没法像在伊丽莎白叔叔婶婶面前那样放松吧。这个猜想让人难受，但也不是不可能。
伊丽莎白也瞧瞧看了眼宾利，看到他既有点高兴也有点尴尬。本内特太太接待宾利有些过于热情，以至于自己的两个女儿有点羞愧了，尤其是跟她对达西那种冷冷的，形式化的礼貌相对比的情况下。
达西问了下加德纳夫妇怎么样，之后就没怎么说话了，而这问题伊丽莎白回答地迷迷糊糊。他没有坐在伊丽莎白旁边。也许这就是他没说话的原因吧。但是在德比郡的时候不是这样，在那儿他不能跟伊丽莎白说话的时候，也是跟她的朋友聊天的。但是现在他都好几分钟不说话。然后有时候伊丽莎白无法控制自己的好奇心，也会抬起眼睛看他，发现达西一会看着简，一会看着她自己，但更多的时候只是望着地面。跟他们上次见面相比，达西看着若有所思，而且不那么急于讨好伊丽莎白。伊丽莎白有点失望，但是又跟自己较劲，觉得不应该这样。
“我能选另外一个达西吗？”她说，“都这样他还来干什么？”
除了达西，她跟谁都不想说话，但是她又没胆子跟别人说话。
伊丽莎白问候了达西的妹妹，但是也没有别的话题说了。
“宾利先生，你这一走可是有些年头了啊。”本内特太太说。
宾利欣然同意。
“我都开始害怕你不回来了呢。别人都说你打算在米迦勒节的时候就完全离开了呢。到那时我希望这不是真的。你走了之后，我们这屯子可是发生了不少事情。卢卡斯小姐结了婚并搬到别的地方去了。我自己有个闺女也结了婚。我想你也应该听说过了。确实，你应该早就在报纸上见到了，我知道，就刊在《时代与信使》报上。但是这报纸上面写得很简短。它只是说了：“最近，乔治.维克汉姆将和莉迪亚.本内特小姐成婚。”这声明一点也没提她父亲，也没提她住的地方，什么都没有。这是我兄弟加德纳草拟的，我真奇怪他是咋办事情办成这样的。你看到这份声明了吗？“
宾利说自己见过，然后向她表示祝贺。伊丽莎白都不敢抬眼看。因此，达西到底是什么表情她也不知道。
”能给女儿嫁个好人家确实是件让人开心的事情，“本内特老娘说，”但是呢，宾利先生，她就这么离开我也很艰难。他们现在去了纽斯卡尔，那么靠北的地方，而且我也不知道他们会在那待多久。他的部队在那儿。我想你应该听说他离开之前那个民兵团了，现在要去参加正规军。感谢老天！他有些朋友能帮忙，但是他应该值得更多的朋友。“
伊丽莎白知道这话是有意说给达西听的，此刻羞愧难当，几乎坐不住了。但是这倒逼着她开始说话了，而之前她怎么也不肯开口。她问宾利现在是否打算在村里待着。他估计待几个星期。
”宾利先生，哪天你把自己的鸟都捕完了，我恳请你来我这儿，就在这个庄子上随便你怎么捕。我肯定他会很乐意效劳的，而且会把最好的康威鸟留给你。“
本内特太太此刻废话连篇，讨好卖乖，让伊丽莎白更加觉得难看。如果此刻谈及的事情，本内特老娘还是一年前那样奉承讨好，伊丽莎白确实又会得到跟之前一样的结果。在那一刻，她觉得几年的幸福也没法弥补简或者她自己此刻的难堪。
”我的首要愿望，“她跟自己说，”就是不跟这两个人再次来往。跟他们在一起，就算再有意思，也抵不上这种悲惨的事情。再也不要让我这两个人了！“
尽管这种幸福几年也无法弥补的凄惨，却很快被事实化解了，因为简的美貌很快又俘获了宾利的心。宾利一开始刚进来的时候，没跟简说几句话，但是每过五分钟宾利就对她越上心。他觉得简就跟去年一样漂亮。一样脾气温柔，一样真挚，但是不像之前那么健谈。简此刻十分紧张，其实她没有什么变化，而且她觉得自己跟之前一样健谈。但是她脑子很乱，所以她也不知道自己什么时候没说话。
当先生们提出要走的时候，本内特太太就照计划献上殷勤，邀请他们这几天来蘑菇屯吃饭。
”宾利先生，你可是欠我一次拜访呢，“她说，”因为去年冬天你来村里的时候，你可是答应我等你回来的时候，跟我们一家吃饭的。你看我可没忘了啊，你要是不来我可会很失望的啊。“
宾利呆呆地回忆着这件事情，然后说有事耽搁了才没过来。然后他们就走了。
本内特太太本来强烈像邀请他们当天就留下吃饭的。但是尽管她桌子总是收拾的井井有条，但是对于这样一个她有所启图的男人，怎么也得安排不少于两道硬菜，也算对得起别人一年一万磅收入的脸面，也能让人吃得惯。