Chapter49 "Thatisverytrue,"saidElizabeth; "thoughithadnotoccurredtomebefore.Hisdebtstobedischarged,andsomethingstilltoremain!Oh!itmustbemyuncle'sdoings!Generous,goodman;Iamafraidhehasdistressedhimself.Asmallsumcouldnotdoallthis.""No,"saidherfather, "Wickham'safool,ifhetakesherwithafarthinglessthantenthousandpounds.Ishouldbesorrytothinksoillofhimintheverybeginningofourrelationship.""Tenthousandpounds!Heavenforbid!Howishalfsuchasumtoberepaid?"Mr.Bennetmadenoanswer,andeachofthem,deepinthought,continuedsilenttilltheyreachedthehouse.Theirfatherthenwenttothelibrarytowrite,andthegirlswalkedintothebreakfast-room."Andtheyarereallytobemarried!"criedElizabeth,assoonastheywerebythemselves. "Howstrangethisis!Andforthiswearetobethankful.Thattheyshouldmarry,smallasistheirchanceofhappiness,andwretchedasishischaracter,weareforcedtorejoice!Oh,Lydia!""Icomfortmyselfwiththinking,"repliedJane, "thathecertainlywouldnotmarryLydiaifhehadnotarealregardforher.Thoughourkindunclehasdonesomethingtowardsclearinghim,Icannotbelievethattenthousandpounds,oranythinglikeit,hasbeenadvanced.Hehaschildrenofhisown,andmayhavemore.Howcouldhesparehalftenthousandpounds?""IfweareeverabletolearnwhatWickham'sdebtshavebeen,"saidElizabeth, "andhowmuchissettledonhissideonoursister,weshallexactlyknowwhatMr.Gardinerhasdoneforthem,becauseWickhamhasnotsixpenceofhisown.Thekindnessofmyuncleandauntcanneverberequited.Theirtakingherhome,andaffordinghertheirpersonalprotectionandcountenance,issuchasacrificetoheradvantageasyearsofgratitudecannotenoughacknowledge.Bythistimesheisactuallywiththem!Ifsuchgoodnessdoesnotmakehermiserablenow,shewillneverdeservetobehappy!Whatameetingforher,whenshefirstseesmyaunt!""Wemustendeavourtoforgetallthathaspassedoneitherside,"saidJane. "Ihopeandtrusttheywillyetbehappy.Hisconsentingtomarryherisaproof,Iwillbelieve,thatheiscometoarightwayofthinking.Theirmutualaffectionwillsteadythem;andIflattermyselftheywillsettlesoquietly,andliveinsorationalamanner,asmayintimemaketheirpastimprudenceforgotten.""Theirconducthasbeensuch,"repliedElizabeth, "asneitheryou,norI,noranybody,caneverforget.Itisuselesstotalkofit."Itnowoccurredtothegirlsthattheirmotherwasinalllikelihood,perfectlyignorantofwhathadhappened.Theywenttothelibrary,therefore,andaskedtheirfatherwhetherhewouldnotwishthemtomakeitknowntoher.Hewaswriting,and,withoutraisinghishead,coollyreplied,"Justasyouplease.""Maywetakemyuncle'slettertoreadtoher?""Takewhateveryoulike,andgetaway." 第四十九章 伊丽莎白说：“那倒是实话，不过我以前却从来没有想到过。他的债务偿清了以后，还会多下钱来！噢，那一定是舅舅代他张罗的！好一个慷慨善良的人！我就怕苦了他自己。这样一来，他得花费不少钱呢。”父亲说：“韦翰要是拿不到一万镑就答应娶丽迪雅，那他才是个大傻瓜呢。我同他刚刚攀上亲戚，照理不应该多说他的坏话。”“一万镑！天不容！即使半数，又怎么还得起？”班纳特先生没有回答。大家都转着念头，默不作声。回到家里，父亲到书房里去写信，女儿们都走进饭厅里去。姐妹俩一离开父亲，妹妹便嚷道：“他们真要结婚了！这真稀奇！不过我们也大可谢天谢地。他们究竟结婚了。虽然他们不一定会过得怎么幸福，他的品格又那么坏，然而我们究竟不得不高兴。哦，丽迪雅呀！”吉英说：“我想了一下，也觉得安慰，要不是他真正爱丽迪雅，他是决不肯跟他结婚的。好心的舅舅即使替他清偿了一些债务，我可不相信会垫付了一万镑那么大的数目。舅舅有那么多孩子，也许以后还要养男育女。就是叫他拿也五千镑，他又怎么能够拿出来？”“我们只要知道韦翰究竟欠下了多少债务，”伊丽莎白说，“用他的名义给我们妹妹的钱有多少，那我们就会知道嘉丁纳先生帮了他们多大的忙，因为韦翰自己一个子也没有。舅舅和舅母的恩典今生今世也报不了。他们把丽迪雅接回家去，亲自保护她，给她争面子，这牺牲了他们自己多少利益，真是一辈子也感恩不尽。丽迪雅现在一定到了他们那儿了！要是这样一片好心还不能使她觉得惭愧，那她可真不配享受幸福。她一见到舅母，该多么难为情啊！”吉英说：“我们应该把他们两个人过去的事尽力忘掉，我希望他们还是会幸福，也相信这样。他既然答应跟她结婚，这就可以证明他已经往正路上去想。他们能够互敬互爱，自然也都会稳重起来。我相信他们俩从此会安安稳稳、规规矩矩地过日子，到时候人们也就会把他们过去的荒唐行为忘了。”“他们既然已经有过荒唐行为，”伊丽莎白回答道，“那么无论你我，无论任何人，都忘不了。也不必去谈这种事。”两姐妹想到她们的母亲也许到现在还完全不知道这回事，于是便到书房去，问父亲愿意不愿意让母亲知道。父亲正在写信，头也没抬起来，只是冷冷地对她们说：“随你们的便。”“我们可以把舅舅的信拿去读给她听吗？”“你们爱拿什么去就拿什么，快走开。”