Chapter29 MR.Collins'striumphinconsequenceofthisinvitationwascomplete.Thepowerofdisplayingthegrandeurofhispatronesstohiswonderingvisitors,andoflettingthemseehercivilitytowardshimselfandhiswife,wasexactlywhathehadwishedfor;andthatanopportunityofdoingitshouldbegivensosoonwassuchaninstanceofLadyCatherine'scondescensionasheknewnothowtoadmireenough."Iconfess,"saidhe, "thatIshouldnothavebeenatallsurprisedbyherLadyship'saskingusonSundaytodrinkteaandspendtheeveningatRosings.Iratherexpected,frommyknowledgeofheraffability,thatitwouldhappen.Butwhocouldhaveforeseensuchanattentionasthis?Whocouldhaveimaginedthatweshouldreceiveaninvitationtodinethere(aninvitationmoreoverincludingthewholeparty)soimmediatelyafteryourarrival!""Iamthelesssurprisedatwhathashappened,"repliedSirWilliam, "fromthatknowledgeofwhatthemannersofthegreatreallyare,whichmysituationinlifehasallowedmetoacquire.AbouttheCourt,suchinstancesofelegantbreedingarenotuncommon." Scarcelyanythingwastalkedofthewholeday,ornextmorning,buttheirvisittoRosings.Mr.Collinswascarefullyinstructingtheminwhattheyweretoexpect,thatthesightofsuchrooms,somanyservants,andsosplendidadinnermightnotwhollyoverpowerthem. Whentheladieswereseparatingforthetoilette,hesaidtoElizabeth, "Donotmakeyourselfuneasy,mydearcousin,aboutyourapparel.LadyCatherineisfarfromrequiringthateleganceofdressinus,whichbecomesherselfanddaughter.Iwouldadviseyoumerelytoputonwhateverofyourclothesissuperiortotherest,thereisnooccasionforanythingmore.LadyCatherinewillnotthinktheworseofyouforbeingsimplydressed.Shelikestohavethedistinctionofrankpreserved." Whiletheyweredressing,hecametwoorthreetimestotheirdifferentdoors,torecommendtheirbeingquick,asLadyCatherineverymuchobjectedtobekeptwaitingforherdinner. --Suchformidableaccountsofherladyship,andhermannerofliving,quitefrightenedMariaLucas,whohadbeenlittleusedtocompany,andshelookedforwardtoherintroductionatRosingswithasmuchapprehension,asherfatherhaddonetohispresentationatSt.James's. Astheweatherwasfine,theyhadapleasantwalkofabouthalfamileacrossthepark. --Everyparkhasitsbeautyanditsprospects;andElizabethsawmuchtobepleasedwith,thoughshecouldnotbeinsuchrapturesasMr.Collinsexpectedthescenetoinspire,andwasbutslightlyaffectedbyhisenumerationofthewindowsinfrontofthehouse,andhisrelationofwhattheglazingaltogetherhadoriginallycostSirLewisDeBourgh. Whentheyascendedthestepstothehall,Maria'salarmwaseverymomentincreasing,andevenSirWilliamdidnotlookperfectlycalm. --Elizabeth'scouragedidnotfailher.ShehadheardnothingofLadyCatherinethatspokeherawfulfromanyextraordinarytalentsormiraculousvirtue,andthemerestatelinessofmoneyandrankshethoughtshecouldwitnesswithouttrepidation. 第二十九章罗新斯这一次请客，真使得柯林斯先生感到百分之百地得意。他本来一心要让这些好奇的宾客们去风光一下他那女施主的堂皇气派，看看老夫人对待他们夫妇俩多么礼貌周全。他竟会这么快就得到了如愿以偿的机会，这件事大足以说明咖苔琳夫人的礼贤下士，使得他不知如何景仰是好。 “说老实话，”他说，“她老人家邀请我们星期日去吃茶点，在罗新斯消磨一个下午，我一点儿也不觉得意外。她一贯为人殷勤，我倒以为她真要这样招待一番的，可是谁料想到会象这次这样情意隆重？谁会想到你们刚刚到这里在，就被请到那边去吃饭（而且全体都请到了）？” 威廉爵士说：“刚才的事我倒不怎么觉得稀奇，大人物的为人处世实在都是如此，象我这样有身份的人，就见识得很多。在显宦贵族们当中，这类风雅好客的事不足为奇。” 这一整天和第二天上午，简直只谈到去罗新斯的事。柯林斯先生预先仔仔细细地一样样告诉他们，到那边去将要看到什么东西，免得他们看到了那样宏伟的屋子，那样众多的仆从，那样丰盛的菜肴，会造成临时慌乱，手足失措。 当娘儿们正要各自去打扮的时候，他又对伊丽莎白说： “不要为衣装担心思，亲爱的表妹。咖苔琳夫人才不会要我们穿得华丽呢，这只有她自己和她的女儿才配。我劝你只要在你自己的衣服里面，拣一件出色的穿上就行，不必过于讲究。珈苔琳夫人决不会因为你衣装朴素就瞧你不起。她喜欢各人守着自己的本份，分得出一个高低。” 娘儿们整装的时候，他又到各个人的房门口去了两三次，劝她们快一点，因为咖苔琳夫人请人吃饭最恨客人迟到。玛丽亚·卢卡斯听说她老人家的为人处事这样可怕，不由得吓了一跳，因为她一向不大会应酬。她一想起要到罗新斯去拜望，就诚惶诚恐，正如她父亲当年进宫觐见一样。 天朗气清，他们穿过花园，作了一次差不多半英里的愉快的散步。一家家的花园都各有美妙，伊丽莎白纵目观赏，心旷神怡，可是并不如柯林斯先生所预期的那样，会被眼前的景色陶醉得乐而忘形。尽管他数着屋前一扇扇窗户说，光是这些玻璃，当初曾一共花了刘威斯·德·包尔爵士多大一笔钱，她可并不为这些话动心。 他们踏上台阶走进穿堂的时候，玛丽亚一分钟比一分钟来得惶恐，连威廉爵士也不能完全保持镇定。倒是伊丽莎白不畏缩。无论是论才论德，她都没有听到咖苔琳夫人有什么了不起的地方足以引起她敬畏，光凭着有钱有势，还不会叫她见到了就胆战心惊。