A FEW days after this visit, Mr. Bingley called again, and alone. His friend had left him that morning for London, but was to return home in ten days time. He sat with them above an hour, and was in remarkably good spirits. Mrs. Bennet invited him to dine with them; but, with many expressions of concern, he confessed himself engaged elsewhere.
"Next time you call," said she, "I hope we shall be more lucky."
He should be particularly happy at any time, &c. &c.; and if she would give him leave, would take an early opportunity of waiting on them.
"Can you come to-morrow?"
Yes, he had no engagement at all for to-morrow; and her invitation was accepted with alacrity.
He came, and in such very good time that the ladies were none of them dressed. In ran Mrs. Bennet to her daughter's room, in her dressing gown, and with her hair half finished, crying out,
"My dear Jane, make haste and hurry down. He is come -- Mr. Bingley is come. -- He is, indeed. Make haste, make haste. Here, Sarah, come to Miss Bennet this moment, and help her on with her gown. Never mind Miss Lizzy's hair."
"We will be down as soon as we can," said Jane; "but I dare say Kitty is forwarder than either of us, for she went up stairs half an hour ago."
"Oh! hang Kitty! what has she to do with it? Come be quick, be quick! Where is your sash, my dear?"
But when her mother was gone, Jane would not be prevailed on to go down without one of her sisters.
The same anxiety to get them by themselves was visible again in the evening. After tea, Mr. Bennet retired to the library, as was his custom, and Mary went up stairs to her instrument. Two obstacles of the five being thus removed, Mrs. Bennet sat looking and winking at Elizabeth and Catherine for a considerable time, without making any impression on them. Elizabeth would not observe her; and when at last Kitty did, she very innocently said, "What is the matter mamma? What do you keep winking at me for? What am I to do?"
"Nothing child, nothing. I did not wink at you." She then sat still five minutes longer; but unable to waste such a precious occasion, she suddenly got up, and saying to Kitty, "Come here, my love, I want to speak to you," took her out of the room. Jane instantly gave a look at Elizabeth which spoke her distress at such premeditation, and her intreaty that she would not give in to it. In a few minutes, Mrs. Bennet half-opened the door and called out,
"Lizzy, my dear, I want to speak with you."
Elizabeth was forced to go.
"We may as well leave them by themselves you know;'!c?th made no attempt to reason with her mother, but remained quietly in the hall, till she and Kitty were out of sight, then returned into the drawing room.
Mrs. Bennet's schemes for this day were ineffectual. Bingley was every thing that was charming, except the professed lover of her daughter. His ease and cheerfulness rendered him a most agreeable addition to their evening party; and he bore with the ill-judged officiousness of the mother, and heard all her silly remarks with a forbearance and command of countenance particularly grateful to the daughter.
He scarcely needed an invitation to stay supper; and before he went away, an engagement was formed, chiefly through his own and Mrs. Bennet's means, for his coming next morning to shoot with her husband.
After this day, Jane said no more of her indifference. Not a word passed between the sisters concerning Bingley; but Elizabeth went to bed in the happy belief that all must speedily be concluded, unless Mr. Darcy returned within the stated time. Seriously, however, she felt tolerably persuaded that all this must have taken place with that gentleman's concurrence.
Bingley was punctual to his appointment; and he and Mr. Bennet spent the morning together, as had been agreed on. The latter was much more agreeable than his companion expected. There was nothing of presumption or folly in Bingley that could provoke his ridicule, or disgust him into silence; and he was more communicative, and less eccentric, than the other had ever seen him. Bingley of course returned with him to dinner; and in the evening Mrs. Bennet's invention was again at work to get every body away from him and her daughter. Elizabeth, who had a letter to write, went into the breakfast room for that purpose soon after tea; for as the others were all going to sit down to cards, she could not be wanted to counteract her mother's schemes.
But on returning to the drawing room, when her letter was finished, she saw, to her infinite surprise, there was reason to fear that her mother had been too ingenious for her. On opening the door, she perceived her sister and Bingley standing together over the hearth, as if engaged in earnest conversation; and had this led to no suspicion, the faces of both, as they hastily turned round and moved away from each other, would have told it all. Their situation was awkward enough; but her's she thought was still worse. Not a syllable was uttered by either; and Elizabeth was on the point of going away again, when Bingley, who as well as the other had sat down, suddenly rose, and whispering a few words to her sister, ran out of the room.
Jane could have no reserves from Elizabeth, where confidence would give pleasure; and instantly embracing her, acknowledged, with the liveliest emotion, that she was the happiest creature in the world.
"'Tis too much!" she added, "by far too much. I do not deserve it. Oh! why is not every body as happy?"
Elizabeth's congratulations were given with a sincerity, a warmth, a delight, which words could but poorly express. Every sentence of kindness was a fresh source of happiness to Jane. But she would not allow herself to stay with her sister, or say half that remained to be said for the present.
"I must go instantly to my mother;" she cried. "I would not on any account trifle with her affectionate solicitude; or allow her to hear it from any one but myself. He is gone to my father already. Oh! Lizzy, to know that what I have to relate will give such pleasure to all my dear family! how shall I bear so much happiness!"
She then hastened away to her mother, who had purposely broken up the card party, and was sitting up stairs with Kitty.
Elizabeth, who was left by herself, now smiled at the rapidity and ease with which an affair was finally settled, that had given them so many previous months of suspense and vexation.
"And this," said she, "is the end of all his friend's anxious circumspection! of all his sister's falsehood and contrivance! the happiest, wisest, most reasonable end!"
In a few minutes she was joined by Bingley, whose conference with her father had been short and to the purpose.
"Where is your sister?" said he hastily, as he opened the door.
"With my mother up stairs. She will be down in a moment, I dare say."
He then shut the door, and, coming up to her, claimed the good wishes and affection of a sister. Elizabeth honestly and heartily expressed her delight in the prospect of their relationship. They shook hands with great cordiality; and then, till her sister came down, she had to listen to all he had to say of his own happiness, and of Jane's perfections; and in spite of his being a lover, Elizabeth really believed all his expectations of felicity to be rationally founded, because they had for basis the excellent understanding, and super-excellent disposition of Jane, and a general similarity of feeling and taste between her and himself.
It was an evening of no common delight to them all; the satisfaction of Miss Bennet's mind gave a glow of such sweet animation to her face, as made her look handsomer than ever. Kitty simpered and smiled, and hoped her turn was coming soon. Mrs. Bennet could not give her consent or speak her approbation in terms warm enough to satisfy her feelings, though she talked to Bingley of nothing else for half an hour; and when Mr. Bennet joined them at supper, his voice and manner plainly shewed how really happy he was.
Not a word, however, passed his lips in allusion to it, till their visitor took his leave for the night; but as soon as he was gone, he turned to his daughter, and said,
"Jane, I congratulate you. You will be a very happy woman."
Jane went to him instantly, kissed him, and thanked him for his goodness.
"You are a good girl;" he replied, "and I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled. I have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income."
"I hope not so. Imprudence or thoughtlessness in money matters would be unpardonable in me."
"Exceed their income! My dear Mr. Bennet," cried his wife, "what are you talking of? Why, he has four or five thousand a year, and very likely more." Then addressing her daughter, "Oh! my dear, dear Jane, I am so happy! I am sure I shan't get a wink of sleep all night. I knew how it would be. I always said it must be so, at last. I was sure you could not be so beautiful for nothing! I remember, as soon as ever I saw him, when he first came into Hertfordshire last year, I thought how likely it was that you should come together. Oh! he is the handsomest young man that ever was seen!"
Wickham, Lydia, were all forgotten. Jane was beyond competition her favourite child. At that moment, she cared for no other. Her younger sisters soon began to make interest with her for objects of happiness which she might in future be able to dispense.
Mary petitioned for the use of the library at Netherfield; and Kitty begged very hard for a few balls there every winter.
Bingley, from this time, was of course a daily visitor at Longbourn; coming frequently before breakfast, and always remaining till after supper; unless when some barbarous neighbour, who could not be enough detested, had given him an invitation to dinner which he thought himself obliged to accept.
Elizabeth had now but little time for conversation with her sister; for while he was present, Jane had no attention to bestow on any one else; but she found herself considerably useful to both of them in those hours of separation that must sometimes occur. In the absence of Jane, he always attached himself to Elizabeth, for the pleasure of talking of her; and when Bingley was gone, Jane constantly sought the same means of relief.
"He has made me so happy," said she, one evening, "by telling me that he was totally ignorant of my being in town last spring! I had not believed it possible."
"I suspected as much," replied Elizabeth. "But how did he account for it?"
"It must have been his sister's doing. They were certainly no friends to his acquaintance with me, which I cannot wonder at, since he might have chosen so much more advantageously in many respects. But when they see, as I trust they will, that their brother is happy with me, they will learn to be contented, and we shall be on good terms again; though we can never be what we once were to each other."
"That is the most unforgiving speech," said Elizabeth, "that I ever heard you utter. Good girl! It would vex me, indeed, to see you again the dupe of Miss Bingley's pretended regard."
"Would you believe it, Lizzy, that when he went to town last November, he really loved me, and nothing but a persuasion of my being indifferent would have prevented his coming down again!"
"He made a little mistake to be sure; but it is to the credit of his modesty."
This naturally introduced a panegyric from Jane on his diffidence, and the little value he put on his own good qualities. Elizabeth was pleased to find that he had not betrayed the interference of his friend; for, though Jane had the most generous and forgiving heart in the world, she knew it was a circumstance which must prejudice her against him.
"I am certainly the most fortunate creature that ever existed!" cried Jane. "Oh! Lizzy, why am I thus singled from my family, and blessed above them all! If I could but see you as happy! If there were but such another man for you!"
"If you were to give me forty such men, I never could be so happy as you. Till I have your disposition, your goodness, I never can have your happiness. No, no, let me shift for myself; and, perhaps, if I have very good luck, I may meet with another Mr. Collins in time."
The situation of affairs in the Longbourn family could not be long a secret. Mrs. Bennet was privileged to whisper it to Mrs. Philips, and she ventured, without any permission, to do the same by all her neighbours in Meryton.
The Bennets were speedily pronounced to be the luckiest family in the world, though only a few weeks before, when Lydia had first run away, they had been generally proved to be marked out for misfortune.
--正文
这次拜访之后不久，宾利先生又拜访了一次，这次是一个人。达西当天早上离开去伦敦了，但是在10天内就会回来。他跟本内特一家待了超过一小时，而且精神特别好。本内特太太邀请他一起吃饭。但是推辞了一番后，宾利坦诚自己有约了。
“下次你再拜访的时候，”本内特太太说，“希望我们运气能更好一点。”
宾利什么时候拜访都行，而且要是本内特太太允许的话，他会早点过来拜访的。
“你明天能过来吗？”
可以的，明天宾利没有什么邀约。本内特太太的邀约被愉快的接受了。
然后宾利就来了，来的时间点正好，姑娘们都还没换好衣服。本内特太太赶紧跑向自己闺女的房间，此时简正穿着长裙，而且头发只弄了一半，本内特太太大叫道：“
亲爱的简，赶紧下来。他已经到了，宾利先生已经到了！真的。快点，快点。萨拉，你快去帮帮本内特小姐，帮她穿那个长裙。别管利兹小姐的头发了。”
“我们会尽快下去的，”简回答说，“但是凯蒂比我们都慢，她半小时之前就上楼去了。”
“哦！你可别提凯蒂！她跟这事有什么关系？快点，快点！你的肩带呢，好闺女？”
可是等本内特太太走了后，因为没有姐妹陪着，简却不愿意下去。
之前让姐妹几个待在一起的原因当晚又出现了。喝完茶以后，跟往常一样本内特老爷又回到了书房里，而玛丽呢则回到楼上去练琴了。五个绊脚石已经走了两个，而本内特太太看着伊丽莎白和卡瑟林好久，一直朝她们挤眼，但是她们不为所动。伊丽莎白连看都不看她，而最终凯蒂看到了，她天真地问：“怎么了妈妈？你为什么一直朝我眨眼啊？我该干什么？”
“没事孩子，没事。我没有朝你眨眼。”然后她又坐了五分钟，但是因为没法浪费这么一个珍贵的机会，她突然站了起来跟凯蒂说，“过来好孩子，我有话要跟你说，”然后就把凯蒂带了出去。简立刻给了伊丽莎白一个眼神，跟她说看到自己母亲的计谋感到很紧张，恳求伊丽莎白不要离开。几分钟季候，本内特太太半打开门然后大声说：“利兹，好孩子，我有话要跟你说。”
伊丽莎白不得不离开了。
“我们最好让他们自己待一会。”伊丽莎白都不打算跟她母亲理论，但还是在走廊里等着，直到她和凯蒂走了后，才回到客厅。
本内特太太的计谋失效了。宾利永远很迷人，但是就是不会向她的女儿表达爱意。他那种随和讨喜的风格让他成为了这一晚最让人喜欢的点缀。他忍受了本内特太太过界的闲聊，又和颜悦色地听了她那些蠢蠢的观点，作为对有这么个女儿的感激。
宾利留下来吃晚饭是顺理成章的。但是在他走之前，在他自己和本内特太太的合作下，两人达成了协议——第二天早上宾利来和本内特老爷一起打鸟玩。
今天之后，简再也不说自己漠不关心了。姐妹们之间聊的话题都不涉及到宾利。但是伊丽莎白睡觉的时候开心地想，除非达西按时回来了，不然这对情侣肯定是安排上了。但是认真的说，伊丽莎白估计这件事还是受到了达西先生的允许的。
第二天，宾利准时到了。按照约定，他和本内特老爷早上出去一起打鸟。出乎宾利的意料，本内特老爷相当热情。宾利这人既不自大，也不笨，所以不会惹得本内特老爷讥笑，也不会让他恶心而沉默。他说得相当多，而且不那么古怪，不像在其他人面前那样。然后宾利又顺理成章地回来吃了晚饭。然后本内特太太故技重施，继续让别人离开，只留下宾利和简独处。伊丽莎白因为有份心要写，于是喝完茶之后就又回到了餐厅写信。因为别人都去打牌，她母亲便不让她坏自己的好事。
但是写完信回到客厅后，伊丽莎白极其惊奇的发现，自己的母亲可能给自己使了一个好计。一打开门，伊丽莎白就看到自己的姐姐和宾利站在壁炉旁，好像在热心地聊着天。而如果有人有所怀疑，看他们两个人立即把脸别过去，也能猜出来这是真的。他们两个人非常尴尬，而伊丽莎白觉得自己还要尴尬。双方都没人说话。而当伊丽莎白正要走的时候，宾利原来和简坐着突然站了起来，跟简耳语了几句，就赶紧离开了房间。
简有什么话都不瞒着伊丽莎白，因为伊丽莎白的认可会让她跟高兴。然后简就赶紧抱了她，非常高兴地说自己是这个世界上最快乐的人。
“太高兴了！”她说，“真是太高兴了！我感觉自己都配不上这么高兴。哎，为什么大家不跟我一样开心呢？”
伊丽莎白真诚，温暖，高兴地祝贺了她，语言无法说明白她的感情。而每一句祝福的话语，都会让简更加高兴。但是她不能一直跟自己妹妹待在一起，或者现在就把剩下的话说完。
“我现在就得去见我妈妈，”她大叫说，“我可不能怠慢她的一片关心。也不能让她从别人那里听到这话。他已经去找我父亲了！利兹，家里人知道我跟宾利结婚都会非常开心的！我怎么会那么开心啊！”
然后简就赶去找自己的母亲了，而此时本内特太太已经故意拆散了牌局，跟凯蒂一起坐在楼梯上。
而伊丽莎白此刻独自一人，惊讶于这件事情如此快速而轻松被办妥，不禁笑了起来，这件事情之前让他们一家提心吊胆，寝食难安好几个月。
“而这个，就是他好朋友达西谨言慎行的结果，宾利姐姐们的阴谋诡计的结果，这就是世界上最让人高兴，最明智的，最合理的结尾！”
过了几分钟宾利来到了她身边，宾利跟本内特老爷的谈话简短又直入主题。
“你姐姐呢？”他一开门就着急地问
“跟我妈在楼上呢。我估计她一会儿就下来了。”
然后他就关了门，祝福伊丽莎白一切都好，表达自己对她的喜欢。而伊丽莎白则十分真诚热心地表明了自己很高兴他和自己姐姐能够结合。他们两人非常热情地我了手。然后简下了楼，伊丽莎白就听宾利说自己是多么得幸福，简是多么得完美。尽管现在宾利是陷入情网，但是伊丽莎白仍然相信宾利的幸福是完全得到保障的，因为首先他们两人都很有见识，而且性格配简十分合适，而且他们两人兴趣相投，爱好相似。
这一晚每个人都十分高兴。而简十分满意，脸上似乎都发着光，甜出糖来了，而这让她更加漂亮。而凯蒂一会假笑，一会真笑，希望着能早点轮到自己。本内特太太不管怎么说自己同意这们婚事，都不能让自己满意，尽管她已经跟宾利说了半小时了。而等到本内特老爷来吃晚饭的时候，他的声音和举止都很明白地说明他是有多么高兴。
但是直到客人走之前，他一个字都没提到这件事。但是客人一走，他立刻跟自己闺女说：“
简，恭喜你！你会是个非常幸福的女人！”
简立刻走向他，亲吻了他，并且感谢他的良言。
“你是个好姑娘。”他说，“看到你这样高兴地嫁了人，我真是无比高兴。我毫不怀疑你们俩在一起会非常开心的。你们的脾气十分相像。你们都那么好脾气，可能什么事情都做不了决断。性格又十分随和，仆人们可能都会骗你们。而又十分慷慨，可能花钱总会透支。”
“我希望不是这样吧。花钱不仔细对我来说是不可饶恕的。”
“透支？我的好老爷，”她老婆叫道，“你在说什么话呢？他一年有四五千磅收入，很有可能更多，怎么会透支？”然后她又跟女儿说，“我的好闺女，我真是太高兴了！今晚可是睡不着了！我知道会是这样！肯定会是这样的！我知道你长得那么漂亮，肯定能找个金主老公。我记得去年他刚来赫特福德的时候，我一见到他就想你们俩很可能走到一起。天呐！他真是我见过的最帅的年轻人！”
维克汉姆，莉迪亚此刻都被遗忘了。简此刻战胜所有人成为她最喜欢的孩子。在那一刻，她完全不在意其他人。然后几个妹妹们就开始讨论简以后可能有哪些乐子。
玛丽求着以后用一用耐热屯的图书馆。凯蒂则恳求着以后每个冬天能办几次舞会。
而从此刻起，宾利就顺理成章的成为了蘑菇屯每日拜访的客人。经常在早饭前过来，然后吃完晚饭才走。除非某些粗鲁的邻居邀请他过去吃晚饭，而他又不能推辞，他才不过去。
伊丽莎白现在没多少时间跟简聊天。因为只要宾利在场，简就不想跟任何人聊天了。但她发现自己在他们分开的时候，会特别有用处。简不在的时候，宾利就跟伊丽莎白聊聊天。而宾利不在的时候，简也会找伊丽莎白解解闷。
简有一天晚上说：“他跟我说之前春天的时候，完全不知道我在伦敦，我真是高兴坏了，我到现在都不敢相信。”
“我也是这么觉得的，”伊丽莎白说，“他是怎么说的？”
“这一定是他姐姐捣的鬼了。她们根本不喜欢他跟我在一起，这也没什么好奇怪的，因为达西可以选许多比我更好的姑娘。但是当她们见到，而且她们肯定会见到的，自己弟弟跟我在一起那么开心，她们也会满足的，我们到时候也会和好的。虽然不会像之前那样好了。”
“这是我听你说过的最无情的话。”伊丽莎白说，“好姑娘！我要是再次见到你被宾利小姐假仁假义地欺骗，我可真会气炸了。”
”利兹，你能相信吗去年十一月他去伦敦的时候，他当时很爱好，但就因为别人说我对他漠不关心，他就不想来村里了。“
”他确实犯了点小错误。但这也只能怪他太没有主见了。“
自然地，简就开始说他太内向了，自己也不知道标榜自己。而伊丽莎白高兴地发现宾利并没有违背达西的意思。因为尽管简慷慨又善良，但是如果达西不同意，事情还是难办的。
”我确实是这个世上最幸运的人！“简高声说。”哦！利兹，我就要这样离开家人了吗？祝福他们！我多希望你也能这么开心！要是也有这样的一个男人给你就好了。“
”就算你给我四十个这样的男人，我也不会像你这么开心。除非我有你这样的性格，这样的善良，不然我是不会开心的。不行不行，我得赶快改改自己的毛病。也许我运气够好，很快就能遇到下一个柯林斯了。“
蘑菇屯这家人的事情瞒不了太久。本内特太太很荣幸地把这件事偷偷地告诉了菲利普太太，而菲利普太太又自作主张，同样地告诉了她在梅屯的所有邻居。
很快整个世界都在说本内特这家人真是走运！尽管几星期之前莉迪亚私奔的时候，别人都说这家真是倒了大霉！
