Chapter 11 -
The Bennets had made plans to dine with the Lucases,
and during the main part of the day Miss Lucas was kind enough to spend a lot of time listening sympathetically to Mr. Collins.
Elizabeth made sure to thank her, but Charlotte assured(使...確信) her friend that she was happy to be useful, and that this was worth the little sacrifice(犧牲) of her time.
This was very kind, but Charlotte’s kindness went further than Elizabeth could imagine.
Charlotte’s purpose was nothing less than to prevent Mr. Collins from proposing marriage again to Elizabeth, by encouraging him to propose marriage to herself.
Miss Lucas would have felt almost certain of her plan’s success if Mr. Collins did not plan to leave so very soon.
But here she underestimated(低估) him, because the very next morning he rushed to Lucas Lodge to swear(宣告) his love to her.
Miss Lucas saw him from an upstairs window as he walked toward the house, and instantly set out to meet him accidentally in the lane(小巷).
But she had not dared to hope that he would greet her with so much love and expressiveness.
In as short a time as Mr. Collins’s long speeches would allow, Miss Lucas accepted his proposal(提議) of marriage, and everything was settled between them.
As they entered the house, he eagerly asked her to fix their wedding(婚禮) day and so make him the happiest of men.
Miss Lucas did not care how soon the wedding(婚禮) would occur.
Mr. Collins was not in any way a charming(迷人的) lover, and she had accepted his proposal(求婚) only in order to get a husband who could provide her with a house and enough money to live on.
The consent(同意) of Sir William and Lady Lucas was quickly asked for and given,
and Lady Lucas started to calculate with great interest how much longer Mr. Bennet might have to live.
On the whole, Charlotte Lucas felt quite pleased with herself: she had got what she wanted.
Mr. Collins was certainly neither intelligent nor pleasant, and his love for her must of course be imaginary.
But still, he would be her husband.
Charlotte did not think highly of men, and marriage had always been her only goal.
It might not always bring happiness, but it was the only way in which a well-educated young woman who was not rich could live a secure and prosperous(優越的) life.
She had now obtained this protection, and at the age of twenty-seven, without having ever been pretty, she felt very lucky to have done so.
What she liked the least about the arrangement was the surprise it would give to Elizabeth Bennet, whose friendship she valued beyond that of any other person.
Elizabeth would probably blame her, and it would hurt Charlotte’s feelings to receive such disapproval(反對) from her friend.
She decided she would tell Elizabeth the news herself, and therefore instructed Mr. Collins to make no mention to the family about their engagement(訂婚) .
On the following morning, Miss Lucas came to Longbourn soon after breakfast.
In a private meeting with Elizabeth, she told her of the events from the day before.
It had occurred once to Elizabeth within the last day or two that Mr. Collins might believe himself to be in love with her friend, but she thought it impossible that Charlotte would encourage his affection.
She was so astonished(吃驚的) that she could not help crying out:
“Engaged(訂婚) to Mr. Collins! My dear Charlotte—that’s impossible!”
Miss Lucas’s calmness was suddenly replaced by confusion(困惑).
Still, it was no more than she had expected, and she soon calmed down(平復心情) again and replied:
“Why should you be so surprised, my dear Eliza?
Do you think it is unbelievable that any woman could be attracted by Mr. Collins, because he was not lucky enough to succeed with you?”
But Elizabeth had now calmed down(平復心情) herself as well, and made a strong effort to assure(向...保證) Charlotte that she wished her all imaginable happiness.
Charlotte did not stay much longer, and Elizabeth was then left to think over what she had heard.
She had always felt that Charlotte’s opinion of marriage was not exactly like her own,
but she had not believed it was possible that Charlotte would become the wife of Mr. Collins!
It upset Elizabeth to see her friend disgrace(使...丟臉) herself in such a way.
Worse than this, however, was the distressing(痛苦的) thought that it was impossible for her friend to be happy in the life she had chosen.
Elizabeth was sitting with her mother and sisters, reflecting on what she had heard.
She was considering whether she was allowed to mention it, when Sir William Lucas himself appeared to announce the engagement to the family.
Mrs. Bennet and Lydia declared(宣告) without much politeness that he must be entirely mistaken,
but Sir William’s good manners carried him through the situation,
and he listened to both of them with great civility even as he continued to insist on the truth of his information.
Mrs. Bennet was too much overwhelmed(不知所措的) to say a great deal more while Sir William was present.
As soon as he left, however, she expressed her feelings without restraint(剋制).
In the first place, she continued to believe that it must all be untrue.
Secondly, she was very sure that Mr. Collins had been tricked.
Thirdly, she trusted that they would never be happy together, and fourthly, that the wedding(婚禮) still might not ever occur.
Above all, it was most obvious to her that Elizabeth was the real cause of the trouble.
Nothing could comfort her and nothing could soothe(使平靜) her.
A week passed before she could see Elizabeth without scolding(責罵) her, a month passed before she could speak to the Lucases without being rude,
and many months went by before she could at all forgive their daughter.
“It is very hard to think that Charlotte Lucas will have this house when you are gone,” said Mrs. Bennet to her husband,
“and that I shall be forced to leave my home to make room for her!”
“My dear,” he replied,
“do not think such gloomy(悲觀的) thoughts.
Let us hope for the best—perhaps you will die first, and then I can continue to live in this house after you are gone.”
But that speech did not seem to make Mrs. Bennet any happier.
Meanwhile, Jane had sent Caroline an early response to her letter, and was anxious to receive her next reply.
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