..me"..me/傲慢与偏见最新章节！
Two days after Mr.Bennet''s return,as Jane and Elizabeth were walkg together the shrubbery behd the house,they saw the housekeeper comg towards them, and, concludg that she came to call them to their mother, went forward to meet her; but, stead of the expected summons, when they approached her, she said to Miss Bennet,“I beg your pardon,madam,for terruptg you, but I was hopes you might have got some good news from town,so I took the liberty of comg to ask.”
“What do you mean,Hill?We have heard nothg from town.”
“Dear madam,”cried Mrs. Hill, great astonishment,“don''t you know there is an express come for master from Mr.Garder? He has been here this half-hour,and master has had a letter.”
Away ran the girls,too eager to get to have time for speech. They ran through the vestibule to the breakfast-room; from thence to the library;their father was neither;and they were on the pot of seekg him upstairs with their mother,when they were met by the butler,who said:
“If you are lookg for my master,ma''am,he is walkg towards the little copse.”
Upon this formation,they stantly passed through the hall once more, and ran across the lawn after their father, who was deliberately pursug his way towards a small wood on one side of the paddock.
Jane,who was not so light nor so much the habit of runng as Elizabeth, soon lagged behd, while her sister, pantg for breath,came up with him,and eagerly cried out:
“Oh, papa, what news—what news? Have you heard from my uncle?”
“Yes I have had a letter from him by express.”
“Well,and what news does it brg—good or bad?”
“What is there of good to be expected?”said he, takg the letter from his pocket.“But perhaps you would like to read it.”
Elizabeth impatiently caught it from his hand.Jane now came up.“Read it aloud,”said their father,“for I hardly know myself what it is about.”
Gracechurch Street,Monday,August 2.
“My dear Brother,
“At last I am able to send you some tidgs of my niece, and such as,upon the whole,I hope it will give you satisfaction.Soon after you left me on Saturday,I was fortunate enough to fd out what part of London they were.The particulars I reserve till we meet;it is enough to know they are discovered.I have seen them both—”
“Then it is as I always hoped,”cried Jane;“they are married!”
Elizabeth read on:
“I have seen them both.They are not married,nor can I fd there was any tention of beg so; but if you are willg to perform the engagements which I have ventured to make on your side,I hope it will not be long before they are.All that is required of you is,to assure to your daughter,by settlement,her equal share of the five thousand pounds secured among your children after the decease of yourself and my sister;and,moreover,to enter to an engagement of allowg her,durg your life,one hundred pounds per annum.These are conditions which,considerg everythg, I had no hesitation complyg with,as far as I thought myself privileged, for you. I shall send this by express, that no time may be lost brgg me your answer. You will easily comprehend, from these particulars, that Mr. Wickham''s circumstances are not so hopeless as they are generally believed to be.The world has been deceived that respect;and I am happy to say there will be some little money,even when all his debts are discharged,to settle on my niece, addition to her own fortune.If,as I conclude will be the case,you send me full powers to act your name throughout the whole of this busess,I will immediately give directions to Haggerston for preparg a proper settlement.There will not be the smallest occasion for your comg to town aga;therefore stay quiet at Longbourn,and depend on my diligence and care.Send back your answer as fast as you can, and be careful to write explicitly.We have judged it best that my niece should be married from this house, of which I hope you will approve.She comes to us to-day.I shall write aga as soon as anythg more is determed on.Yours,etc.,
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