
Mrs. Philips was quite awed by such an excess of good breeding; but her contemplation of one stranger was soon put an end to by exclamations and inquiries about the other, of whom, however, she could only tell her nieces what they already knew, that Mr. Denny had brought him from London, and that he was to have a lieutenant's commission in the ----shire. She had been watching him the last hour, she said, as he walked up and down the street, and had Mr. Wickham appeared, Kitty and Lydia would certainly have continued the occupation, but unluckily no one passed the windows now except a few of the officers, who in comparison with the stranger, were become "stupid, disagreeable fellows." Some of them were to dine with the Philipses the next day, and their aunt promised to make her husband call on Mr. Wickham, and give him an invitation also, if the family from Longbourn would come in the evening. This was agreed to, and Mrs. Philips protested that they would have a nice comfortable noisy game of lottery tickets, and a little bit of hot supper afterwards. The prospect of such delights was very cheering, and they parted in mutual good spirits. Mr. Collins repeated his apologies in quitting the room, and was assured with unwearying civility that they were perfectly needless.
這種過分的禮貌使腓力普太太受寵若驚。不過,正當她仔細量著這一位生客的時候,她們姐妹倆卻又把另一位生客的事情,大驚小怪地提出來向她問長問短,她只得又來回答她們的話,可是她能夠說給侄女兒們聽的,也無非是她們早已知道了的一些情形。她說那位生客是丹尼先生剛從倫敦帶來的,他將要在某某郡擔任起一個中尉的職責,又說,他剛剛在街上走來走去的時候,她曾經對他望了整整一個鐘頭之久。這時如果韋翰先生從這兒經過,吉蒂和麗迪雅一定還要繼續張望他一番;可惜現在除了幾位軍官之外,根本沒有人從窗口走過,而這些軍官們同韋翰先生一比較,都變成一些“愚蠢討厭的家伙”了。有幾個軍官明天要上腓力普家里來吃飯。姨母說,倘若她們一家人明天晚上能從浪博恩趕來,那么她就要打發她的丈夫去拜訪韋翰先生一次,約他也來。大家都同意了;腓力普太太說,明天要給她們來一次熱鬧而有趣的抓彩票的玩藝兒,玩過之后再吃一頓晚飯。想到了明天這一場歡樂真叫人興奮,因此大家分別的時候都很快樂。柯林斯先生走出門來,又再三道謝,主人也禮貌周全地請他不必過分客氣。
As they walked home, Elizabeth related to Jane what she had seen pass between the two gentlemen; but though Jane would have defended either or both, had they appeared to be wrong, she could no more explain such behaviour than her sister.
回家的時候,伊麗莎白一路上把剛剛親眼看見的那兩位先生之間的一幕情景說給吉英聽。假使他們兩人之間真有什么宿怨,吉英一定要為他們兩人中間的一人辯護,或是為兩人辯護,只可惜她跟她妹妹一樣,對于這兩個人的事情完全摸不著頭腦。
Mr. Collins, on his return, highly gratified Mrs. Bennet by admiring Mrs. Philips's manners and politeness. He protested that except Lady Catherine and her daughter, he had never seen a more elegant woman; for she had not only received him with the utmost civility, but had even pointedly included him in her invitation for the next evening, although utterly unknown to her before. Something he supposed might be attributed to his connection with them, but yet he had never met with so much attention in the whole course of his life.
柯林斯先生回來之后,大大稱贊腓力普太太的殷勤好客,班納特太太聽得很滿意。柯林斯說,除了咖苔琳夫人母女之外,他生平從來沒見過更風雅的女人,因為他雖然和她素昧生平,她卻對他禮貌周全,甚至還指明要請他明天一同去吃晚飯。他想,這件事多少應該歸功于他和她們的親戚關系。可是這樣殷勤好客的事,他還是生平第一次碰到呢。