"Thiswasaluckyideaofmine,indeed!"saidMrs.Bennet,morethanonce,asifthecreditofmakingitrainwereallherown.Tillthenextmorning,however,shewasnotawareofallthefelicityofhercontrivance.BreakfastwasscarcelyoverwhenaservantfromNetherfieldbroughtthefollowingnoteforElizabeth: "MydearestLizzy, IFINDmyselfveryunwellthismorning,which,Isuppose,istobeimputedtomygettingwetthroughyesterday.MykindfriendswillnothearofmyreturninghometillIambetter.TheyinsistalsoonmyseeingMr.Jones--thereforedonotbealarmedifyoushouldhearofhishavingbeentome--andexceptingasorethroatandhead-ache,thereisnotmuchthematterwithme. Yours, &c." "Well,mydear,"saidMr.Bennet,whenElizabethhadreadthenotealoud, "ifyourdaughtershouldhaveadangerousfitofillness,ifsheshoulddie,itwouldbeacomforttoknowthatitwasallinpursuitofMr.Bingley,andunderyourorders." "Oh!Iamnotatallafraidofherdying.Peopledonotdieoflittletriflingcolds.Shewillbetakengoodcareof.Aslongisshestaysthere,itisallverywell.Iwouldgoandseeher,ifIcouldhavethecarriage." Elizabeth,feelingreallyanxious,wasdeterminedtogotoher,thoughthecarriagewasnottobehad;andasshewasnohorse-woman,walkingwasheronlyalternative.Shedeclaredherresolution. "Howcanyoubesosilly,"criedhermother, "astothinkofsuchathing,inallthisdirt!Youwillnotbefittobeseenwhenyougetthere." "IshallbeveryfittoseeJane--whichisallIwant." "Isthisahinttome,Lizzy,"saidherfather, "tosendforthehorses?" "No,indeed.Idonotwishtoavoidthewalk.Thedistanceisnothing,whenonehasamotive;onlythreemiles.Ishallbebackbydinner." "Iadmiretheactivityofyourbenevolence,"observedMary, "buteveryimpulseoffeelingshouldbeguidedbyreason;and,inmyopinion,exertionshouldalwaysbeinproportiontowhatisrequired." "WewillgoasfarasMerytonwithyou,"saidCatherineandLydia. --Elizabethacceptedtheircompany,andthethreeyoungladiessetofftogether. "Ifwemakehaste,"saidLydia,astheywalkedalong, "perhapswemayseesomethingofCaptainCarterbeforehegoes." 班纳特太太一遍又一遍地说：“真亏我想出了这个好办法！”好象天下雨老师她一手造成的。不过，她的神机妙算究竟造成了多大幸福，她一直到第二天早上才知道。早饭还没吃完，尼日斐花园就打发了人送来一封信给伊丽莎白： 我亲爱的丽萃，──今晨我觉得很不舒服，我想这可能是昨天淋了雨的缘故。承蒙这儿好朋友们的关切，要我等到身体舒适一些才回家来。朋友们再三要请钏斯医生来替我看病，因此，要是你们他上我这儿来过，可别惊讶。我只不过有点儿喉咙痛和头痛，并没有什么大不了的毛病。───姐字。 伊丽莎白读信的时候，班纳特先生对他太太说：“唔，好太太，要是你的女儿得了重病──万一她一病不起──倒也值得安慰呀，因为她是奉了你命令去追求彬格莱先生的。” “噢！她难道这么一下子就会送命！哪有小伤风就会送命的道理。人家自会把她等候得好好的。只要她待在那儿，包管无事。倘使有车子的话，我也想去看看她。” 真正着急的倒是伊丽莎白，她才不管有车无车，决定非去一趟不可。她既然不会骑马，唯一的办法便只有步行。她把自己的打算说了出来。 她妈妈叫道：“你怎么这样蠢！路上这么泥泞，亏你想得出来！等你走到那儿，你那副样子怎么见人。” “我只要见到吉英就成。” “丽萃，”她的父亲说，“你的意思是叫我替你弄几匹马来驾马车吗？” “当然不是这个意思。我不怕步行，只要存心去，这点儿路算得上什么。才不过三英里路。我可以赶回来吃晚饭。” 这时曼丽说道：“你完全是出于一片手足之情，我很佩服，可是你千万不能感情用事，你得有理智一点，而且我觉得尽力也不要尽得过分。“ 珈苔琳和丽迪雅同声说道：“我们陪你到麦里屯。”伊丽莎表示赞成，于是三位年轻的小姐就一块儿出发了。 “要是我们赶得快些，”丽迪雅边走边这么说，“或许我们还来得及赶在卡特尔上尉临走以前看看他。”