b9-第1章

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Chapter　IX　of　Volume　II　（Chap。　32）
　ELIZABETH　was　sitting　by　herself　the　next　morning；　and　writing　to　Jane；　while　Mrs。　Collins　and　Maria　were　gone　on　business　into　the　village；　when　she　was　startled　by　a　ring　at　the　door；　the　certain　signal　of　a　visitor。　As　she　had　heard　no　carriage；　she　thought　it　not　unlikely　to　be　Lady　Catherine；　and　under　that　apprehension　was　putting　away　her　half…finished　letter　that　she　might　escape　all　impertinent　questions；　when　the　door　opened；　and　to　her　very　great　surprise；　Mr。　Darcy；　and　Mr。　Darcy　only；　entered　the　room。
He　seemed　astonished　too　on　finding　her　alone；　and　apologised　for　his　intrusion　by　letting　her　know　that　he　had　understood　all　the　ladies　to　be　within。
They　then　sat　down；　and　when　her　enquiries　after　Rosings　were　made；　seemed　in　danger　of　sinking　into　total　silence。　It　was　absolutely　necessary；　therefore；　to　think　of　something；　and　in　this　emergency　recollecting　when　she　had　seen　him　last　in　Hertfordshire；　and　feeling　curious　to　know　what　he　would　say　on　the　subject　of　their　hasty　departure；　she　observed；
‘‘How　very　suddenly　you　all　quitted　Netherfield　last　November；　Mr。　Darcy！　It　must　have　been　a　most　agreeable　surprise　to　Mr。　Bingley　to　see　you　all　after　him　so　soon；　for；　if　I　recollect　right；　he　went　but　the　day　before。　He　and　his　sisters　were　well；　I　hope；　when　you　left　London。''
‘‘Perfectly　so　　I　thank　you。''
She　found　that　she　was　to　receive　no　other　answer　　and；　after　a　short　pause；　added；
‘‘I　think　I　have　understood　that　Mr。　Bingley　has　not　much　idea　of　ever　returning　to　Netherfield　again？''
‘‘I　have　never　heard　him　say　so；　but　it　is　probable　that　he　may　spend　very　little　of　his　time　there　in　future。　He　has　many　friends；　and　he　is　at　a　time　of　life　when　friends　and　engagements　are　continually　increasing。''
‘‘If　he　means　to　be　but　little　at　Netherfield；　it　would　be　better　for　the　neighbourhood　that　he　should　give　up　the　place　entirely；　for　then　we　might　possibly　get　a　settled　family　there。　But　perhaps　Mr。　Bingley　did　not　take　the　house　so　much　for　the　convenience　of　the　neighbourhood　as　for　his　own；　and　we　must　expect　him　to　keep　or　quit　it　on　the　same　principle。''
‘‘I　should　not　be　surprised；''　said　Darcy；　‘‘if　he　were　to　give　it　up；　as　soon　as　any　eligible　purchase　offers。''
Elizabeth　made　no　answer。　She　was　afraid　of　talking　longer　of　his　friend；　and；　having　nothing　else　to　say；　was　now　determined　to　leave　the　trouble　of　finding　a　subject　to　him。
He　took　the　hint；　and　soon　began　with；　‘‘This　seems　a　very　comfortable　house。　Lady　Catherine；　I　believe；　did　a　great　deal　to　it　when　Mr。　Collins　first　came　to　Hunsford。''
‘‘I　believe　she　did　　and　I　am　sure　she　could　not　have　bestowed　her　kindness　on　a　more　grateful　object。''
‘‘Mr。　Collins　appears　very　fortunate　in　his　choice　of　a　wife。''
‘‘Yes；　indeed；　his　friends　may　well　rejoice　in　his　having　met　with　one　of　the　very　few　sensible　women　who　would　have　accepted　him；　or　have　made　him　happy　if　they　had。　My　friend　has　an　excellent　understanding　　though　I　am　not　certain　that　I　consider　her　marrying　Mr。　Collins　as　the　wisest　thing　she　ever　did。　She　seems　perfectly　happy；　however；　and　in　a　prudential　light；　it　is　certainly　a　very　good　match　for　her。''
‘‘It　must　be　very　agreeable　to　her　to　be　settled　within　so　easy　a　distance　of　her　own　family　and　friends。''
‘‘An　easy　distance　do　you　call　it？　It　is　nearly　fifty　miles。''
‘‘And　what　is　fifty　miles　of　good　road？　Little　more　than　half　a　day's　journey。　Yes；　I　call　it　a　very　easy　distance。''
‘‘I　should　never　have　considered　the　distance　as　one　of　the　advantages　of　the　match；''　cried　Elizabeth。　‘‘I　should　never　have　said　Mrs。　Collins　was　settled　near　her　family。''
‘‘It　is　a　proof　of　your　own　attachment　to　Hertfordshire。　Any　thing　beyond　the　very　neighbourhood　of　Longbourn；　I　suppose；　would　appear　far。''
As　he　spoke　there　was　a　sort　of　smile；　which　Elizabeth　fancied　she　understood；　he　must　be　supposing　her　to　be　thinking　of　Jane　and　Netherfield；　and　she　blushed　as　she　answered；
‘‘I　do　not　mean　to　say　that　a　woman　may　not　be　settled　too　near　her　family。　The　far　and　the　near　must　be　relative；　and　depend　on　many　varying　circumstances。　Where　there　is　fortune　to　make　the　expence　of　travelling　unimportant；　distance　becomes　no　evil。　But　that　is　not　the　case　here。　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Collins　have　a　comfortable　income；　but　not　such　a　one　as　will　allow　of　frequent　journeys　　and　I　am　persuaded　my　friend　would　not　call　herself　near　her　family　under　less　than　half　the　present　distance。''
Mr。　Darcy　drew　his　chair　a　little　towards　her；　and　said；　‘‘You　cannot　have　a　right　to　such　very　strong　local　attachment。　You　cannot　have　been　always　at　Longbourn。''
Elizabeth　looked　surprised。　The　gentleman　experienced　some　change　of　feeling；　he　drew　back　his　chair；　took　a　newspaper　from　the　table；　and；　glancing　over　it；　said；　in　a　colder　voice；
‘‘Are　you　pleased　with　Kent？''
A　short　dialogue　on　the　subject　of　the　country　ensued；　on　either　side　calm　and　concise　　and　soon　put　an　end　to　by　the　entrance　of　Charlotte　and　her　sister；　just　returned　from　their　walk。　The　tête…à…tête　surprised　them。　Mr。　Darcy　related　the　mistake　which　had　occasioned　his　intruding　on　Miss　Bennet；　and　after　sitting　a　few　minutes　longer　without　saying　much　to　any　body；　went　away。
‘‘What　can　be　the　meaning　of　this！''　said　Charlotte；　as　soon　as　he　was　gone。　‘‘My　dear　Eliza；　he　must　be　in　love　with　you；　or　he　would　never　have　called　on　us　in　this　familiar　way。''
But　when　Elizabeth　told　of　his　silence；　it　did　not　seem　very　likely；　even　to　Charlotte's　wishes；　to　be　the　case；　and　after　various　conjectures；　they　could　at　last　only　suppose　his　visit　to　proceed　from　the　difficulty　of　finding　any　thing　to　do；　which　was　the　more　probable　from　the　time　of　year。　All　field　sports　were　over。　Within　doors　there　was　Lady　Catherine；　books；　and　a　billiard　table；　but　gentlemen　cannot　be　always　within　doors；　and　in　the　nearness　of　the　Parsonage；　or　the　pleasantness　of　the　walk　to　it；　or　of　the　people　who　lived　in　it；　the　two　cousins　found　a　temptation　from　this　period　of　walking　thither　almost　every　day。　They　called　at　various　times　of　the　morning；　sometimes　separately；　sometimes　together；　and　now　and　then　accompanied　by　their　aunt。　It　was　plain　to　them　all　that　Colonel　Fitzwilliam　came　because　he　had　pleasure　in　their　society；　a　persuasion　which　of　course　recommended　him　still　more；　and　Elizabeth　was　reminded　by　her　own　satisfaction　in　being　with　him；　as　well　as　by　his　evident　admiration　of　her；　of　her　former　favourite　George　Wickham；　and　though；　in　comparing　them；　she　saw　there　was　less　captivating　softness　in　Colonel　Fitzwilliam's　manners；　she　believed　he　might　have　the　best　informed　mind。
But　why　Mr。　Darcy　came　so　often　to　the　Parsonage；　it　was　more　difficult　to　understand。　It　could　not　be　for　society；　as　he　frequently　sat　there　ten　minutes　together　without　opening　his　lips；　and　when　he　did　speak；　it　seemed　the　effect　of　necessity　rather　than　of　choice　　a　sacrifice　to　propriety；　not　a　pleasure　to　himself。　He　seldom　appeared　really　animated。　Mrs。　Collins　knew　not　what　to　make　of　him。　Colonel　Fitzwilliam's　occasionally　laughing　at　his　stupidity；　proved　that　he　was　generally　different；　which　her　own　knowledge　of　him　could　not　have　told　her；　and　as　she　would　have　liked　to　believe　this　change　the　effect　of　love；　and　the　object　of　that　love；　her　friend　Eliza；　she　sat　herself　seriously　to　work　to　find　it　out。　　She　watched　him　whenever　they　were　at　Rosings；　and　whenever　he　came　to　Hunsford；　but　without　much　success。　He　certainly　looked　at　her　friend　a　great　deal；　but　the　expression　of　that　look　was　disputable。　It　was　an　earnest；　steadfast　gaze；　but　she　often　doubted　whether　there　were　much　admiration　in　it；　and　sometimes　it　seemed　nothing　but　absence　of　mind。
She　had　once　or　twice　suggested　to　Elizabeth　the　possibility　of　his　being　partial　to　her；　but　Elizabeth　always　laughed　at　the　idea；　and　Mrs。　Collins　did　not　think　it　right　to　press　the　subject；　from　the　danger　of　raising　expectations　which　might　only　end　in　disappointment；　for　in　her　opinion　it　admitted　not　of　a　doubt；　that　all　her　friend's　dislike　would　vanish；　if　she　could　suppose　him　to　be　in　her　power。
In　her　kind　schemes　for　Elizabeth；　she　sometimes　planned　her　marrying　Colonel　Fitzwilliam。　He　wa