AS soon as they were gone, Elizabeth walked out to recover her spirits; or in other words, to dwell without interruption on those subjects that must deaden them more. Mr. Darcy's behaviour astonished and vexed her. 

"Why, if he came only to be silent, grave, and indifferent," said she, "did he come at all?" 

She could settle it in no way that gave her pleasure.

"He could be still amiable, still pleasing, to my uncle and aunt, when he was in town; and why not to me? If he fears me, why come hither? If he no longer cares for me, why silent? Teazing, teazing, man! I will think no more about him."

Her resolution was for a short time involuntarily kept by the approach of her sister, who joined her with a cheerful look, which shewed her better satisfied with their visitors, than Elizabeth.

"Now," said she, "that this first meeting is over, I feel perfectly easy. I know my own strength, and I shall never be embarrassed again by his coming. I am glad he dines here on Tuesday. It will then be publicly seen that, on both sides, we meet only as common and indifferent acquaintance."

"Yes, very indifferent indeed," said Elizabeth, laughingly. "Oh, Jane, take care."

"My dear Lizzy, you cannot think me so weak, as to be in danger now?"

"I think you are in very great danger of making him as much in love with you as ever."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They did not see the gentlemen again till Tuesday; and Mrs. Bennet, in the meanwhile, was giving way to all the happy schemes, which the good humour and common politeness of Bingley, in half an hour's visit, had revived. 

On Tuesday there was a large party assembled at Longbourn; and the two who were most anxiously expected, to the credit of their punctuality as sportsmen, were in very good time. When they repaired to the dining-room, Elizabeth eagerly watched to see whether Bingley would take the place, which, in all their former parties, had belonged to him, by her sister. Her prudent mother, occupied by the same ideas, forbore to invite him to sit by herself. On entering the room, he seemed to hesitate; but Jane happened to look round, and happened to smile: it was decided. He placed himself by her.

Elizabeth, with a triumphant sensation, looked towards his friend. He bore it with noble indifference, and she would have imagined that Bingley had received his sanction to be happy, had she not seen his eyes likewise turned towards Mr. Darcy, with an expression of half-laughing alarm.

His behaviour to her sister was such, during dinner time, as shewed an admiration of her, which, though more guarded than formerly, persuaded Elizabeth, that if left wholly to himself, Jane's happiness, and his own, would be speedily secured. Though she dared not depend upon the consequence, she yet received pleasure from observing his behaviour. It gave her all the animation that her spirits could boast; for she was in no cheerful humour. Mr. Darcy was almost as far from her as the table could divide them. He was on one side of her mother. She knew how little such a situation would give pleasure to either, or make either appear to advantage. She was not near enough to hear any of their discourse, but she could see how seldom they spoke to each other, and how formal and cold was their manner whenever they did. Her mother's ungraciousness, made the sense of what they owed him more painful to Elizabeth's mind; and she would, at times, have given any thing to be privileged to tell him that his kindness was neither unknown nor unfelt by the whole of the family.

She was in hopes that the evening would afford some opportunity of bringing them together; that the whole of the visit would not pass away without enabling them to enter into something more of conversation than the mere ceremonious salutation attending his entrance. Anxious and uneasy, the period which passed in the drawing-room, before the gentlemen came, was wearisome and dull to a degree that almost made her uncivil. She looked forward to their entrance as the point on which all her chance of pleasure for the evening must depend.

"If he does not come to me, then," said she, "I shall give him up for ever."

The gentlemen came; and she thought he looked as if he would have answered her hopes; but, alas! the ladies had crowded round the table, where Miss Bennet was making tea, and Elizabeth pouring out the coffee, in so close a confederacy that there was not a single vacancy near her which would admit of a chair. And on the gentlemen's approaching, one of the girls moved closer to her than ever, and said, in a whisper,

"The men shan't come and part us, I am determined. We want none of them; do we?"

Darcy had walked away to another part of the room. She followed him with her eyes, envied every one to whom he spoke, had scarcely patience enough to help anybody to coffee; and then was enraged against herself for being so silly!

"A man who has once been refused! How could I ever be foolish enough to expect a renewal of his love? Is there one among the sex, who would not protest against such a weakness as a second proposal to the same woman? There is no indignity so abhorrent to their feelings!"

She was a little revived, however, by his bringing back his coffee cup himself; and she seized the opportunity of saying,

"Is your sister at Pemberley still?"

"Yes, she will remain there till Christmas."

"And quite alone? Have all her friends left her?"

"Mrs. Annesley is with her. The others have been gone on to Scarborough, these three weeks."

She could think of nothing more to say; but if he wished to converse with her, he might have better success. He stood by her, however, for some minutes, in silence; and, at last, on the young lady's whispering to Elizabeth again, he walked away.

When the tea-things were removed, and the card tables placed, the ladies all rose, and Elizabeth was then hoping to be soon joined by him, when all her views were overthrown by seeing him fall a victim to her mother's rapacity for whist players, and in a few moments after seated with the rest of the party. She now lost every expectation of pleasure. They were confined for the evening at different tables, and she had nothing to hope, but that his eyes were so often turned towards her side of the room, as to make him play as unsuccessfully as herself.

Mrs. Bennet had designed to keep the two Netherfield gentlemen to supper; but their carriage was unluckily ordered before any of the others, and she had no opportunity of detaining them.

"Well girls," said she, as soon as they were left to themselves, "What say you to the day? I think every thing has passed off uncommonly well, I assure you. The dinner was as well dressed as any I ever saw. The venison was roasted to a turn -- and everybody said they never saw so fat a haunch. The soup was fifty times better than what we had at the Lucases' last week; and even Mr. Darcy acknowledged, that the partridges were remarkably well done; and I suppose he has two or three French cooks at least. And, my dear Jane, I never saw you look in greater beauty. Mrs. Long said so too, for I asked her whether you did not. And what do you think she said besides? "Ah! Mrs. Bennet, we shall have her at Netherfield at last." She did indeed. I do think Mrs. Long is as good a creature as ever lived -- and her nieces are very pretty behaved girls, and not at all handsome: I like them prodigiously."

Mrs. Bennet, in short, was in very great spirits; she had seen enough of Bingley's behaviour to Jane, to be convinced that she would get him at last; and her expectations of advantage to her family, when in a happy humour, were so far beyond reason, that she was quite disappointed at not seeing him there again the next day, to make his proposals.

"It has been a very agreeable day," said Miss Bennet to Elizabeth. "The party seemed so well selected, so suitable one with the other. I hope we may often meet again."

Elizabeth smiled.

"Lizzy, you must not do so. You must not suspect me. It mortifies me. I assure you that I have now learnt to enjoy his conversation as an agreeable and sensible young man, without having a wish beyond it. I am perfectly satisfied, from what his manners now are, that he never had any design of engaging my affection. It is only that he is blessed with greater sweetness of address, and a stronger desire of generally pleasing, than any other man."

"You are very cruel," said her sister, "you will not let me smile, and are provoking me to it every moment."

"How hard it is in some cases to be believed!"

"And how impossible in others!"

"But why should you wish to persuade me that I feel more than I acknowledge?"

"That is a question which I hardly know how to answer. We all love to instruct, though we can teach only what is not worth knowing. Forgive me; and if you persist in indifference, do not make me your confidante." 

--正文

他们两个人一走，伊丽莎白就走出去提提神。换句话说，就是一个人好好想想这些让她们疲惫的话题。达西的行为既让她惊奇，又让她心烦。

“他要是来了也不说话，摆副臭脸，漠不关心的样子，那他还来干啥？”她说。

她怎么想也高兴不起来。

“他之前在伦敦的时候，怎么就对我叔叔婶婶那么上心，那么殷勤呢？对我怎么就不这样？如果他怕我，那为什么还过来？如果他再也不关心我了，为什么沉默？这个烦人的，烦死人的男人！我再也不会想他了！”

这时候简过来了，伊丽莎白才不得不把自己的心事藏起来。简很高兴，看得出对于这两个客人，简要比伊丽莎白满意多了。

“现在第一次见面结束了，”她说，“我感到十分放松。我知道自己的优势，现在他再来我可不会感到尴尬了。我很高兴周二他能过来吃饭。到时候大家就都能看得出，我们两个只是普通的，一般朋友。”

“是的，非常一般，”伊丽莎白调侃地说，“简，你可上点心吧。”

“我亲爱的利兹，你不会觉得我这么脆弱，已经陷入进去了吧？”

“我觉得你已经让他陷入到迷恋你的危险中了。”

直到下周二，她们才再次见到了这几位先生。与此同时，自从上次宾利拜访了半小时表现地脾气又好，又十分礼貌，本内特太太就一直打着如意算盘。

周二蘑菇屯有一个大聚会。众人最期待的两位客人都准时到达，两人都是运动男孩（翻译官：我真不知道为啥翻译成这个，我觉得还挺好的，拒绝批评。），果然名不虚传。当他们一群人都往客厅去的时候，伊丽莎白很着急地想看宾利是不是跟之前一样，坐在她姐姐身边。她那精明的母亲也有一样的想法，就没有邀请宾利坐在自己身边。一进屋的时候，宾利看起来有些犹豫。但是简正好在四处看，也正好笑了起来。于是事情就这么定了——他坐在了简旁边。

伊丽莎白好像胜利了一样，看着宾利的朋友，只见达西一脸漠不关心的样子。要不是她看到了宾利又惊又喜的看了达西一眼，她还以为宾利这次这么高兴，是得到达西允许的呢。

吃晚饭的时候，宾利对简的行为还是表明了爱意，但是与之前相比要拘谨的多，于是伊丽莎白相信，假如这件事全由他自己作主，那么简的幸福，和他自己的幸福，很快就会获得保障。尽管对这个结果她不敢担保，但是看他的态度，还是心里很开心。这让她精神为之一振，因为之前她可不怎么高兴。达西坐在桌子最远的那头。他跟伊丽莎白的妈妈坐在一起。她知道这两人坐在一起可没啥乐趣，两人都落不着什么好。她坐得太远不知道他们在聊什么话题，但是她能看到两人没说什么话，而且每次说话的时候都特别正式、冷漠。自己母亲的粗鲁行为让伊丽莎白觉得更加亏欠人家，因此心里更加痛苦。有时候，她甚至忍不住想跟他说，她家里并不是都不知道他的恩情，也并不是都不感激他。

她希望今晚能有机会跟他说几句话。而他们今晚的拜访在让他们聊几句话之前是不会结束的，而不会仅仅在开始的时候打个招呼。而在两位先生到来之前，在客厅里的时光让人紧张又焦躁，伊丽莎白甚至觉得疲惫无聊到一定程度，以至于要发狂。到了她今晚所有的乐趣都指望着被达西挽救的时候，她开始期待达西出现在身边。

“他要是不跟我说话，”她说，“我就再也不理他了。”

但是两个男人过来了，而伊丽莎白心想达西看起来像是会满足她的愿望。但是，可惜，姑娘们把桌子都围满了，而简在冲茶，伊丽莎白在倒咖啡，大家挤在一起，连摆一张椅子的地方都没有。这两个男人走过来的时候，有一个姑娘走了过来，贴着伊丽莎白悄悄说：“

这些男人可不能把我们分开，我已经决定了。我们可不想要这些人，是吧？”

达西又走到房间得那一头去了。她盯着达西看过去，嫉妒每一个跟她说话的人，根本没心思给别人倒咖啡了，然后又开始气自己怎么会那么蠢。

“一个曾经被拒绝的男人？我怎么能蠢成这样，还指望她重新爱我呢？所有男人中间，能有一个愿意向同一个女人求爱两次吗？不会有比这还让人厌恶的羞辱了。”

但是达西自己拿了杯子走过来之后，她又高兴起来，抓住这次机会说：“

你妹妹还在彭伯里吗？”

“是的，她会一直待到圣诞节。”

“就一个人吗？她朋友是不是都离开她了？”

“安斯利夫人跟她在一起。这三个星期其他人都去斯嘉堡了。”

伊丽莎白就想不到别的事情说了。但是他向跟伊丽莎白说话的话，也许效果会更好一点。他就这么静静地站在她旁边。然后，有个姑娘过来跟伊丽莎白说了句话，然后达西就走了。

然后喝茶的工具被撤走了，摆上了牌桌，姑娘们都起身了，伊丽莎白希望达西能过来找他，但是看到他被自己母亲拉过去打了whist桌游，然后过了会她自己也跟别人坐到一起玩游戏了，她也就彻底失望了，了无生趣。他们两人整晚都分开在打牌，伊丽莎白也没什么指望，只希望达西能多朝他这边瞧一瞧，好让他也跟自己一样心不在焉，然后打得很烂。

本内特太太想着留下两位耐热屯得先生吃晚饭。但是她们的马车比别人来得早，因此她也就没有理由再留他们了。

“好了姑娘们，”她们走了之后本内特太太说，“你们觉得今天怎么样？我觉得今天过的真是不错。晚饭真没见过这个阵仗的，没见过烤的那么好的卤肉，而且每个人都说没见过那么肥的腰腿。汤比我们上周在卢卡斯家喝的要好五十倍。甚至达西先生都承认，山鹑肉做得事真的好。我估计他至少有两三个法国厨师。而且我亲爱的简，我从没见你像今晚那么漂亮。隆太太也这么说，因为我问了她。你猜她怎么说？“啊！本内特太太，最终耐热屯还是要她这个女主人！”她确实是这么说的。我觉得隆太太就是这世上最好的人，她的侄女都是些很有教养的姑娘，虽然都不怎么漂亮：我特别喜欢他们！”

简而言之，本内特太太情绪很高涨。她已经见识到了宾利对简的行为了，她很相信简最终还是能得到他的。而她在高兴的时候。对自己的家庭的自信已经远超理性范围了。甚至第二天没见到宾利来给简求婚，她还挺失望的。

“今天确实是挺开心的，”本内特小姐和伊丽莎白说，“参选人好像都是精心挑选过的，每个人都很配。我希望都能经常见面。”

伊丽莎白笑了笑。

“利兹，你可别这样。你别怀疑我，我还是挺害怕的。我向你保证，我只是跟一个讨喜又明事理的年轻人聊聊天，没有多想。对于他的举止我很满意，他没有一点吸引我注意力的意思。只是因为跟其他人相比，他这个人会说话，很讨人喜欢。”

“你可真是太残忍了，”伊丽莎白说，“你也不让我笑，而且每时每刻都拿这个刺激我。”

“有时候这些事情真是让人难以相信！”

“有时候简直是无法相信！”

“但是你为什么总是想让我承认，我没有把真心话说出来呢？”

“这问题我可不知道怎么回答。每个人都喜欢教导别人，但是我们能教的都是些没有价值的东西。原谅我。如果你还要坚持自己对他没什么意思，可别把我拉进去。”