..me"..me/傲慢与偏见最新章节！
“FITZWILLIAM DARCY”
If Elizabeth, when Mr. Darcy gave her the letter, did not expect it to conta a renewal of his offers, she had formed no expectation at all of its contents.But such as they were,it may well be supposed how eagerly she went through them,and what a contrariety of emotion they excited.Her feelgs as she read were scarcely to be defed.With amazement did she first understand that he believed any apology to be his power;and steadfastly was she persuaded, that he could have no explanation to give, which a just sense of shame would not conceal.With a strong prejudice agast everythg he might say,she began his account of what had happened at Netherfield.She read with an eagerness which hardly left her power of comprehension, and from impatience of knowg what the next sentence might brg,was capable of attendg to the sense of the one before her eyes.His belief of her sister’s sensibility she stantly resolved to be false;and his account of the real, the worst objections to the match, made her too angry to have any wish of dog him justice. He expressed no regret for what he had done which satisfied her;his style was not penitent,but haughty.It was all pride and solence.
But when this subject was succeeded by his account of Mr. Wickham—when she read with somewhat clearer attention a relation of events which,if true,must overthrow every cherished opion of his worth,and which bore so alarmg an affity to his own history of himself—her feelgs were yet more acutely paful and more difficult of defition.Astonishment,apprehension,and even horror, oppressed her. She wished to discredit it entirely, repeatedly exclaimg,“This must be false! This cannot be! This must be the grossest falsehood!”—and when she had gone through the whole letter, though scarcely knowg anythg of the last page or two,put it hastily away,protestg that she would not regard it,that she would never look it aga.
In this perturbed state of md,with thoughts that could rest on nothg,she walked on;but it would not do; half a mute the letter was unfolded aga,and collectg herself as well as she could,she aga began the mortifyg perusal of all that related to Wickham, and commanded herself so far as to exame the meang of every sentence.The account of his connection with the Pemberley family was exactly what he had related himself;and the kdness of the late Mr.Darcy,though she had not before known its extent,agreed equally well with his own words.So far each recital confirmed the other;but when she came to the will, the difference was great.What Wickham had said of the livg was fresh her memory, and as she recalled his very words, it was impossible not to feel that there was gross duplicity on one side or the other; and, for a few moments, she flattered herself that her wishes did not err.But when she read and re-read with the closest attention, the particulars immediately followg of Wickham''s resigng all pretensions to the livg,of his receivg lieu so considerable a sum as three thousand pounds,aga was she forced to hesitate. She put down the letter, weighed every circumstance with what she meant to be impartiality—deliberated on the probability of each statement—but with little success. On both sides it was only assertion.Aga she read on;but every le proved more clearly that the affair,which she had believed it impossible that any contrivance could so represent as to render Mr.Darcy''s conduct it less than famous,was capable of a turn which must make him entirely blameless throughout the whole.
The extravagance and general profligacy which he scrupled not to lay at Mr.Wickham''s charge, exceedgly shocked her;the more so,as she could brg no proof of its justice.She had never heard of him before his entrance to the—shire Militia, which he had engaged at the persuasion of the young man who,on meetg him accidentally town,had there renewed a slight acquatance.Of his former way of life nothg had been known Hertfordshire but what he told himself.As to his real character,had formation been her power,she had never felt a wish of quirg. His countenance, voice, and manner had established him at once the possession of every virtue. She tried to recollect some stance of goodness,some distguished trait of tegrity or benevolence,that might rescue him from the attacks of Mr.Darcy;or at least,by the predomance of virtue, atone for those casual errors under which she would endeavour to class what Mr.Darcy had described as the idleness and vice of many years'' contuance.But no such recollection befriended her. She could see him stantly before her, every charm of air and address;but she could remember no more substantial good than the general approbation of the neighbourhood, and the regard which his social powers had gaed him the mess.After pausg on this pot a considerable while, she once more contued to read. But, alas! the story which followed, of his designs on Miss Darcy, received some confirmation from what had passed between Colonel Fitzwilliam and herself only the morng before;and at last she was referred for the truth of every particular to Colonel Fitzwilliam himself—from whom she had previously received the formation of his near concern all his cous''s affairs, and whose character she had no reason to question. At one time she had almost resolved on applyg to him,but the idea was checked by the awkwardness of the application, and at length wholly banished by the conviction that Mr.Darcy would never have hazarded such a proposal,if he had not been well assured of his cous''s corroboration.
↑返回顶部↑