Mrs. Gardiner's caution to Elizabeth was punctually and kindly given on the first favourable opportunity of speaking to her alone; after honestly telling her what she thought, she thus went on:
"You are too sensible a girl, Lizzy, to fall in love merely because you are warned against it; and, therefore, I am not afraid of speaking openly. Seriously, I would have you be on your guard. Do not involve yourself, or endeavour to involve him in an affection which the want of fortune would make so very imprudent. I have nothing to say against him; he is a most interesting young man; and if he had the fortune he ought to have, I should think you could not do better. But as it is -- you must not let your fancy run away with you. You have sense, and we all expect you to use it. Your father would depend on your resolution and good conduct, I am sure. You must not disappoint your father."
"My dear aunt, this is being serious indeed."
"Yes, and I hope to engage you to be serious likewise."
"Well, then, you need not be under any alarm. I will take care of myself, and of Mr. Wickham too. He shall not be in love with me, if I can prevent it."
"Elizabeth, you are not serious now."
"I beg your pardon. I will try again. At present I am not in love with Mr. Wickham; no, I certainly am not. But he is, beyond all comparison, the most agreeable man I ever saw -- and if he becomes really attached to me -- I believe it will be better that he should not. I see the imprudence of it. -- Oh! that abominable Mr. Darcy! -- My father's opinion of me does me the greatest honor; and I should be miserable to forfeit it. My father, however, is partial to Mr. Wickham. In short, my dear aunt, I should be very sorry to be the means of making any of you unhappy; but since we see every day that where there is affection, young people are seldom withheld by immediate want of fortune from entering into engagements with each other, how can I promise to be wiser than so many of my fellow creatures if I am tempted, or how am I even to know that it would be wisdom to resist? All that I can promise you, therefore, is not to be in a hurry. I will not be in a hurry to believe myself his first object. When I am in company with him, I will not be wishing. In short, I will do my best."
"Perhaps it will be as well, if you discourage his coming here so very often. At least, you should not remind your mother of inviting him."
"As I did the other day," said Elizabeth, with a conscious smile; "very true, it will be wise in me to refrain from that. But do not imagine that he is always here so often. It is on your account that he has been so frequently invited this week. You know my mother's ideas as to the necessity of constant company for her friends. But really, and upon my honour, I will try to do what I think to be wisest; and now, I hope you are satisfied."
Her aunt assured her that she was; and Elizabeth having thanked her for the kindness of her hints, they parted; a wonderful instance of advice being given on such a point without being resented.
Mr. Collins returned into Hertfordshire soon after it had been quitted by the Gardiners and Jane; but as he took up his abode with the Lucases, his arrival was no great inconvenience to Mrs. Bennet. His marriage was now fast approaching, and she was at length so far resigned as to think it inevitable, and even repeatedly to say in an ill-natured tone that she "wished they might be happy." Thursday was to be the wedding day, and on Wednesday Miss Lucas paid her farewell visit; and when she rose to take leave, Elizabeth, ashamed of her mother's ungracious and reluctant good wishes, and sincerely affected herself, accompanied her out of the room. As they went down stairs together, Charlotte said,
"I shall depend on hearing from you very often, Eliza."
"That you certainly shall."
"And I have another favour to ask. Will you come and see me?"
"We shall often meet, I hope, in Hertfordshire."
"I am not likely to leave Kent for some time. Promise me, therefore, to come to Hunsford."
Elizabeth could not refuse, though she foresaw little pleasure in the visit.
"My father and Maria are to come to me in March," added Charlotte, "and I hope you will consent to be of the party. Indeed, Eliza, you will be as welcome to me as either of them."
The wedding took place; the bride and bridegroom set off for Kent from the church door, and every body had as much to say or to hear on the subject as usual. Elizabeth soon heard from her friend; and their correspondence was as regular and frequent as it had ever been; that it should be equally unreserved was impossible. Elizabeth could never address her without feeling that all the comfort of intimacy was over, and, though determined not to slacken as a correspondent, it was for the sake of what had been, rather than what was. Charlotte's first letters were received with a good deal of eagerness; there could not but be curiosity to know how she would speak of her new home, how she would like Lady Catherine, and how happy she would dare pronounce herself to be; though, when the letters were read, Elizabeth felt that Charlotte expressed herself on every point exactly as she might have foreseen. She wrote cheerfully, seemed surrounded with comforts, and mentioned nothing which she could not praise. The house, furniture, neighbourhood, and roads, were all to her taste, and Lady Catherine's behaviour was most friendly and obliging. It was Mr. Collins's picture of Hunsford and Rosings rationally softened; and Elizabeth perceived that she must wait for her own visit there, to know the rest.
Jane had already written a few lines to her sister to announce their safe arrival in London; and when she wrote again, Elizabeth hoped it would be in her power to say something of the Bingleys.
Her impatience for this second letter was as well rewarded as impatience generally is. Jane had been a week in town, without either seeing or hearing from Caroline. She accounted for it, however, by supposing that her last letter to her friend from Longbourn had by some accident been lost.
"My aunt," she continued, "is going to-morrow into that part of the town, and I shall take the opportunity of calling in Grosvenor-street."
She wrote again when the visit was paid, and she had seen Miss Bingley. "I did not think Caroline in spirits," were her words, "but she was very glad to see me, and reproached me for giving her no notice of my coming to London. I was right, therefore; my last letter had never reached her. I enquired after their brother, of course. He was well, but so much engaged with Mr. Darcy, that they scarcely ever saw him. I found that Miss Darcy was expected to dinner. I wish I could see her. My visit was not long, as Caroline and Mrs. Hurst were going out. I dare say I shall soon see them here."
Elizabeth shook her head over this letter. It convinced her that accident only could discover to Mr. Bingley her sister's being in town.
Four weeks passed away, and Jane saw nothing of him. She endeavoured to persuade herself that she did not regret it; but she could no longer be blind to Miss Bingley's inattention. After waiting at home every morning for a fortnight, and inventing every evening a fresh excuse for her, the visitor did at last appear; but the shortness of her stay, and yet more, the alteration of her manner, would allow Jane to deceive herself no longer. The letter which she wrote on this occasion to her sister, will prove what she felt.
"My dearest Lizzy will, I am sure, be incapable of triumphing in her better judgment, at my expence, when I confess myself to have been entirely deceived in Miss Bingley's regard for me. But, my dear sister, though the event has proved you right, do not think me obstinate if I still assert that, considering what her behaviour was, my confidence was as natural as your suspicion. I do not at all comprehend her reason for wishing to be intimate with me, but if the same circumstances were to happen again, I am sure I should be deceived again. Caroline did not return my visit till yesterday; and not a note, not a line, did I receive in the mean time. When she did come, it was very evident that she had no pleasure in it; she made a slight, formal, apology for not calling before, said not a word of wishing to see me again, and was in every respect so altered a creature, that when she went away I was perfectly resolved to continue the acquaintance no longer. I pity, though I cannot help blaming her. She was very wrong in singling me out as she did; I can safely say, that every advance to intimacy began on her side. But I pity her, because she must feel that she has been acting wrong, and because I am very sure that anxiety for her brother is the cause of it, I need not explain myself farther; and though we know this anxiety to be quite needless, yet if she feels it, it will easily account for her behaviour to me; and so deservedly dear as he is to his sister, whatever anxiety she may feel on his behalf is natural and amiable. I cannot but wonder, however, at her having any such fears now, because, if he had at all cared about me, we must have met long, long ago. He knows of my being in town, I am certain, from something she said herself; and yet it should seem by her manner of talking, as if she wanted to persuade herself that he is really partial to Miss Darcy. I cannot understand it. If I were not afraid of judging harshly, I should be almost tempted to say that there is a strong appearance of duplicity in all this. But I will endeavour to banish every painful thought, and think only of what will make me happy: your affection, and the invariable kindness of my dear uncle and aunt. Let me hear from you very soon. Miss Bingley said something of his never returning to Netherfield again, of giving up the house, but not with any certainty. We had better not mention it. I am extremely glad that you have such pleasant accounts from our friends at Hunsford. Pray go to see them, with Sir William and Maria. I am sure you will be very comfortable there.
Your's, &c."
This letter gave Elizabeth some pain; but her spirits returned as she considered that Jane would no longer be duped, by the sister at least. All expectation from the brother was now absolutely over. She would not even wish for any renewal of his attentions. His character sunk on every review of it; and as a punishment for him, as well as a possible advantage to Jane, she seriously hoped he might really soon marry Mr. Darcy's sister, as, by Wickham's account, she would make him abundantly regret what he had thrown away.
Mrs. Gardiner about this time reminded Elizabeth of her promise concerning that gentleman, and required information; and Elizabeth had such to send as might rather give contentment to her aunt than to herself. His apparent partiality had subsided, his attentions were over, he was the admirer of some one else. Elizabeth was watchful enough to see it all, but she could see it and write of it without material pain. Her heart had been but slightly touched, and her vanity was satisfied with believing that she would have been his only choice, had fortune permitted it. The sudden acquisition of ten thousand pounds was the most remarkable charm of the young lady to whom he was now rendering himself agreeable; but Elizabeth, less clear-sighted perhaps in his case than in Charlotte's, did not quarrel with him for his wish of independence. Nothing, on the contrary, could be more natural; and while able to suppose that it cost him a few struggles to relinquish her, she was ready to allow it a wise and desirable measure for both, and could very sincerely wish him happy.
All this was acknowledged to Mrs. Gardiner; and after relating the circumstances, she thus went on: -- "I am now convinced, my dear aunt, that I have never been much in love; for had I really experienced that pure and elevating passion, I should at present detest his very name, and wish him all manner of evil. But my feelings are not only cordial towards him; they are even impartial towards Miss King. I cannot find out that I hate her at all, or that I am in the least unwilling to think her a very good sort of girl. There can be no love in all this. My watchfulness has been effectual; and though I should certainly be a more interesting object to all my acquaintance, were I distractedly in love with him, I cannot say that I regret my comparative insignificance. Importance may sometimes be purchased too dearly. Kitty and Lydia take his defection much more to heart than I do. They are young in the ways of the world, and not yet open to the mortifying conviction that handsome young men must have something to live on, as well as the plain."
--正文
加德纳夫人第一次跟伊丽莎白独处的时候，就把自己的担心跟她好好说了下。在毫无保留的告诉了她自己的真实想法后，加德纳夫人说：“
栗子，你是个明事理的姑娘，不会因为别人告诫你，你就偏要反着来。所以，有些话我就跟你直说了。认真的，我希望你能有些防备。不要爱上他，或者让他爱上你，维克汉姆没啥钱，选他可有点草率啊。我对这个人倒没什么意见，这个小伙子挺有意思的。如果他本来能如愿当上牧师，我觉得他配你那真是再合适不过了。但是现实情况摆在这，你可别被感情冲昏了头脑。你有理智，我们都希望你此刻能够用上。你的老父亲也指望着你好好行事呢，这点我可以担保。你可不能让你的老父亲失望啊。”
“好舅妈，你这话确实说得很严肃啊。”
“是的，我希望这能让你也严肃起来。”
“好吧，你不用担心什么事情。我能处理好自己的事情，以及维克汉姆的事情。我会尽力不让他爱上我的。”
“伊丽莎白，你现在还在跟我说俏皮话呢。”
“没有啊舅妈，我再说一次吧。此刻我没有爱上维克汉姆。绝对没有。但是他确实是我见过的，最顺眼的男人。如果他真的爱上我的话...我觉得还是别爱上我的好..我知道这样很草率。呃，那个讨厌的达西！(翻译官：已经开始胡言乱语...)我老爸这么器重我，我当然很开心。我要是丢了这份器重，那肯定会觉得遗憾。可是，我老爸还是喜欢维克汉姆的。总而言之，舅妈，我无论如何都不想你伤心。可是我的好舅妈，现在到处都是年轻人互相之间动了心，也就管不上有钱没钱了，照样私定了终身。我要是动了心，我怎么敢说自己会比这么多同龄人还聪明？我甚至都不知道应不应该拒绝。我只能向你保证，不会匆匆忙忙的决定。我不会相信自己是他的第一选择。我和他在一起的时候，我不会这么想。总而言之，我会尽力不过于草率的。”
“或许你别让他来的那么勤，这样最好。最起码，你别再提醒你母亲邀请他过来了。”
“就像我上次那样，”伊丽莎白听明白了，笑着说，“确实是，我不这么做确实明智些。但你别以为他经常上这儿来啊。这次是因为你们俩过来了，这周才频繁邀请他过来耍的。你知道我妈的想法，她一直认为朋友需要常陪着。但是，我发誓，我会尽力做到最明智的。希望这样能让你满意。”
舅妈确认自己满意了。伊丽莎白感谢了舅妈好心的提醒，两人就分开了。在这个节点，能在敏感的问题上提意见，而不被人怨恨，舅妈确实做得很到位。
加德纳夫妇和简离开赫特福德没多久，柯林斯就回来了。柯林斯正忙着搬进卢卡斯家里的时候，本内特太太也没有那么介意他的到来了。柯林斯很快就要结婚了，本内特终于承认这件婚事无法避免，现在甚至会多次阴阳怪气的说：“希望他们也能幸福吧。”
婚礼定在周四。周三，卢卡斯小姐过来辞行。本内特太太不情不愿的，又粗鲁地祝福了卢卡斯小姐，卢卡斯小姐提出要走的时候，伊丽莎白十分羞愧，便送她离开。
她们走下楼梯的时候，夏洛特说：“你可得经常给我来信啊，伊利。”
“必须的。”
“我还有个不情之请。你会来看我吗？”
“我希望我们经常见面，在咱这地界儿。”
“我一时半会儿可能走不开肯特郡。所以，答应我，来夯斯屯看我吧。”
伊丽莎白无法拒绝，尽管她已经预见到前去拜访，也并没有多少乐趣可言。
“我爸爸和玛丽亚会在3月份去看我，”夏洛特补充说，“我希望你也能一起去。真的，伊利，你会和他们一样受欢迎的。”
婚礼！如期举行！
新郎和新娘从教堂门口离开，向肯特郡出发！每个人都跟之前一样，对这桩婚事都议论纷纷。伊丽莎白不久就收到了她朋友的来信，她们之间的通讯也像之前一样正常、频繁。本来，她们之间也该像之前毫无保留，但是伊丽莎白给卢卡斯写信的时候，总是感觉到之前那种亲密感已经消失了。虽然她也决心不会疏远，但是那也只是看在过往的情分上，并非是因为眼下的友情。夏洛特的第一份信到了，伊丽莎白十分着急的看了。伊丽莎白十分好奇，夏洛特会怎么形容新家，她会不会喜欢卡瑟林夫人，以及她会不会说自己很开心。但是，信读完了，伊丽莎白却觉得跟自己预想的差不多。夏洛特通篇都是欢快的语言，好像处处都满意，对什么都夸奖一番。房子啊，家具啊，邻居啊，周围的路况啊，都合她的口味。卡瑟林夫人对他们十分友好，又热情。她不过是把柯林斯所描述的夯斯屯和罗星庄园，又稍加润色了一下。伊丽莎白觉得必须得自己去看，才能知道具体情况了。
简也写了些话告诉妹妹已经安全抵达伦敦。再收到她的信时，伊丽莎白希望这次能提到宾利家的事情。
结果她急躁的打开这份信，也得到急躁的结果。简已经到城里一星期了，却没见到卡罗琳的影子。她因此推测，上次从蘑菇屯寄给卡罗琳的信应该是意外搞丢了。
“舅妈明天会去那边看看，”她接着说，“我也想跟着去拜访下格罗夫纳（翻译官：各位看官，这就是上次卡罗琳写信提到的，他们待的地方。”
简拜访过之后，又写了份信，她已经见过了宾利小姐：“我觉得卡罗琳兴致不太高，”简自己说，“但是她看到我还是很开心，还怪我来城里也不提前告诉她。所以我之前的推测是对的。我写的上封信，就没到她手里。后来，我就打听了她弟弟的情况。他情况还不错，但是就是一直跟达西在一起，所以姊妹俩也几乎没见面。我后来知道，达西小姐会过来吃晚饭。我真希望能见见她。但是因为卡罗琳和赫斯特太太要出门，我就没在那待多久。我确定过阵子我肯定能再见到他们。”
伊丽莎白看了信直摇头。她相信除非有什么意外，不然宾利是不会知道简来城里了。
四个星期过去了，简连宾利的影子都没见着。她开始自欺欺人地说，最起码这趟没白来。但她总算发现了宾利小姐的漫不经心。整整两周，简每天早上都在家里等着消息，每天晚上都给自己编一个理由，但是最终都没人拜访。但是她在伦敦待不了多久，而且她又善于调节自己，最终她决定不再欺骗自己了。这个时候她写给伊丽莎白的一封信，说明了她的感受。
“我能肯定，在我承认自己完全被宾利小姐的假仁假义所欺骗的时候，我亲爱的栗子会充满喜悦的告诉我，她的看法一直都是对的。但是亲爱的妹妹，尽管此事证明了你是对的。但是我还觉得，考虑到她当时热情对待我的样子，我相信她就跟你怀疑她一样自然。不要觉得我固执。我完全不明白她为什么要和我拉近关系，但是如果再来一次的话，我觉得自己还是会被骗的。卡洛琳直到昨天才回访我。而且她也没给个便条，也没托人带句话，就这么过来了。她一来我就发现，她一脸不情不愿的样子。她正式又冷淡地跟我道了个歉，说自己没提前知会一声。一个字也没提说，以后还想再见我之类的。不论从哪个方面来说，她跟之前简直就是判若两人。她走的时候，我也下定决心再也不会跟她来往了。虽然我无法怪她，但是我十分可怜她。她孤立我的做法可是大错特错。我十分确定，之前都是她主动跟我套关系的。但是我还是可怜她，因为她肯定是觉得之前的做法有些问题，而且我很确定是因为她害怕弟弟跟我走的太近。我不需要再为自己辩解了。这种害怕完全不必要，但是如果她确实害怕，这倒能说明她这么冷漠对待我的原因了。她跟自己弟弟那么亲，担心宾利也是十分正当，有心的。但是，我还是忍不住的想，她此刻为什么还会有些顾虑。如果宾利有一点点关心我，我们应该很久之前就已经见过面了。他肯定知道我来城里了，我根据宾利小姐说的话里能听出来。但是听她说话，又好像是在说服自己，宾利其实是喜欢达西小姐的。我无法理解。我要不是碍着面子，我肯定就挑明了这事是存心欺骗人呢。但是我决定抛弃这些痛苦的想法，只想些开心的事情。比如你对我的关心，还有舅舅和舅妈对我始终如一的关切。希望很快能收到你的回信。宾利小姐提了下再也耐热屯了，放弃房子之类的事情，但也没有十分确定。我们最好还是别提这件事吧。我很开心航司屯的朋友们还盼着你去，快和威廉姆先生以及玛利亚一起，去看看他们吧。我确定你们在那会很舒心的。”
这封信让伊丽莎白有些难过。但转念想到简不会再被欺骗了，至少不会再被卡洛琳.宾利欺骗，她心情也就好了些。对于宾利的所有期待，此刻都完全消失了。她甚至不再想宾利回心转意了，他的好形象自此再也没有了。而作为惩罚，也是算作对简的奖赏，她认真的希望宾利赶紧娶了达西的妹妹算了，也算是替维克汉姆复了仇。伊丽莎白会让宾利后悔他所放弃的一切。
加德纳夫人此时正好提醒伊丽莎白之前关于维克汉姆的约定，此时正在追问进展。而此时的进展肯定会让舅妈开心，但是伊丽莎白自己却高兴不起来。维克汉姆对她的偏爱已经消失了，他不再关注她，他现在是别人的俘虏了。伊丽莎白已经注意到了一切，但是她并无太多痛苦，看到的时候一样，写出来的时候也一样。她的心只是轻轻地被敲了一下，假如她也有钱的话，她肯定会是维克汉姆的唯一选择，这样想一想，她也就心满意足了。现在维克汉姆讨好的那个小姐，身上最过出众的特点就是最近得了笔1万磅的横财。不像夏洛特的事情，伊丽莎白没能看清楚维克汉姆，但是她也没有怪他要离开。恰恰相反，她觉得这是再正常不过的事情。尽管她认为维克汉姆放弃她也经过了几番挣扎，但伊丽莎白仍觉得这样或许对双方都好，并且真诚的希望他幸福。
加德纳夫人了解了发生的这些事情。伊丽莎白捋清楚了来龙去脉后，说：“亲爱的舅妈，我现在相信了，我从没有真正的坠入爱河。因为假如我真的感受到了那种纯粹，令人深思的感情，这时候我应该正忙着臭骂他，各种咒他吧。但是我发现，我对他并没有恶意，甚至对那位金小姐也是。我一点也不恨她，或者说我根本不愿意往坏处想她。这根本不能算作爱情。我的小心提防，还是有用的。假如我疯狂爱上他的话，此刻我肯定会成为朋友的笑柄，但我并不后悔被别人比下去。要想人前显贵，就得人后受罪。: ) 凯蒂和莉迪亚比我更在意他的背叛。她们在人情世故上还很幼稚，还不明白这个难堪的事实——帅小伙和丑小伙一样，都是要恰饭的嘛。”