二九文学

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第87章（第1页）

“Donotmakeyourselfuneasy，mylove.WhereveryouandJaneareknownyoumustberespectedandvalued;andyouwillnotappeartolessadvantageforhavingacoupleof—orImaysay，three—verysillysisters.WeshallhavenopeaceatLongbournifLydiadoesnotgotoBrighton.Lethergo，then.ColonelForsterisasensibleman，andwillkeepheroutofanyrealmischief;andsheisluckilytoopoortobeanobjectofpreytoanybody.AtBrightonshewillbeoflessimportanceevenasacommonflirtthanshehasbeenhere.Theofficerswillfindwomenbetterworththeirnotice.Letushope，therefore，thatherbeingtheremayteachherherowninsignificance.Atanyrate，shecannotgrowmanydegreesworse，withoutauthorisingustolockherupfortherestofherlife.”

WiththisanswerElizabethwasforcedtobecontent;butherownopinioncontinuedthesame，andshelefthimdisappointedandsorry.Itwasnotinhernature，however，toincreasehervexationsbydwellingonthem.Shewasconfidentofhavingperformedherduty，andtofretoverunavoidableevils，oraugmentthembyanxiety，wasnopartofherdisposition.

HadLydiaandhermotherknownthesubstanceofherconferencewithherfather，theirindignationwouldhardlyhavefoundexpressionintheirunitedvolubility.InLydiasimagination，avisittoBrightoncomprisedeverypossibilityofearthlyhappiness.Shesaw，withthecreativeeyeoffancy，thestreetsofthatgaybathing-placecoveredwithofficers.Shesawherselftheobjectofattention，totensandtoscoresofthematpresentunknown.Shesawallthegloriesofthecamp—itstentsstretchedforthinbeauteousuniformityoflines，crowdedwiththeyoungandthegay，anddazzlingwithscarlet;and，tocompletetheview，shesawherselfseatedbeneathatent，tenderlyflirtingwithatleastsixofficersatonce.

Hadsheknownhersistersoughttotearherfromsuchprospectsandsuchrealitiesasthese，whatwouldhavebeenhersensations?Theycouldhavebeenunderstoodonlybyhermother，whomighthavefeltnearlythesame.LydiasgoingtoBrightonwasallthatconsoledherforhermelancholyconvictionofherhusbandsneverintendingtogotherehimself.

Buttheywereentirelyignorantofwhathadpassed;andtheirrapturescontinued，withlittleintermission，totheverydayofLydiasleavinghome.

ElizabethwasnowtoseeMr.Wickhamforthelasttime.Havingbeenfrequentlyincompanywithhimsinceherreturn，agitationwasprettywellover;theagitationsofformalpartialityentirelyso.Shehadevenlearnttodetect，intheverygentlenesswhichhadfirstdelightedher，anaffectationandasamenesstodisgustandweary.Inhispresentbehaviourtoherself，moreover，shehadafreshsourceofdispleasure，fortheinclinationhesoontestifiedofrenewingthoseattentionswhichhadmarkedtheearlypartoftheiracquaintancecouldonlyserve，afterwhathadsincepassed，toprovokeher.Shelostallconcernforhiminfindingherselfthusselectedastheobjectofsuchidleandfrivolousgallantry;andwhileshesteadilyrepressedit，couldnotbutfeelthereproofcontainedinhisbelieving，thathoweverlong，andforwhatevercause，hisattentionshadbeenwithdrawn，hervanitywouldbegratified，andherpreferencesecuredatanytimebytheirrenewal.