第131章

“Ths s not to orn.Mss Bnnt,I nsst on ng satsfd. Has h,has y nph,ad you an offr of arrag?”

“Your ladyshp has dclard t to possl.”

“It ought to so; t ust so, hl h rtans th us of hs rason. But your arts and allurnts ay, n a ont of nfatuaton,hav ad h forgt hat h os to hslf and to all hs faly.You ay hav dran h n.”

“If I hav,I shall th last prson to confss t.”

“Mss Bnnt, do you kno ho I a? I hav not n accustod to such languag as ths. I a alost th narst rlaton h has n th orld, and a nttld to kno all hs darst concrns.”

“But you ar not nttld to kno n;nor ll such havour as ths,vr nduc to xplct.”

“Lt rghtly undrstood.Ths atch,to hch you hav th prsupton to aspr,can nvr tak plac.No,nvr.Mr. Darcy s ngagd to y daughtr.No hat hav you to say?”

“Only ths;that f h s so,you can hav no rason to suppos h ll ak an offr to .”

Lady Cathrn hstatd for a ont,and thn rpld:

“Th ngagnt tn th s of a pcular knd. Fro thr nfancy, thy hav n ntndd for ach othr. It as th favourt sh of hs othr, as ll as of hrs.Whl n thr cradls, plannd th unon: and no, at th ont hn th shs of oth sstrs ould accoplshd s thr arrag,to prvntd y a young oan of nfror rth,of no portanc n th orld, and holly unalld to th faly! Do you pay no rgard to th shs of hs frnds?To hs tact ngagnt th Mss d Bourgh?Ar you lost to vry flng of proprty and dlcacy?Hav you not hard say that fro hs arlst hours h as dstnd for hs cousn?”

“Ys, and I had hard t for. But hat s that to ? If thr s no othr ojcton to y arryng your nph,I shall crtanly not kpt fro t y knong that hs othr and aunt shd h to arry Mss d Bourgh.You oth dd as uch as you could n plannng th arrag.Its coplton dpndd on othrs.If Mr.Darcy s nthr y honour nor nclnaton confnd to hs cousn,hy s not h to ak anothr choc?And f I a that choc,hy ay not I accpt h?”

“Bcaus honour, dcoru, prudnc, nay, ntrst, ford t. Ys, Mss Bnnt, ntrst; for do not xpct to notcd y hs faly or frnds, f you lfully act aganst th nclnatons of all.You ll cnsurd,slghtd,and dspsd,y vryon connctd th h.Your allanc ll a dsgrac;your na ll nvr vn ntond y any of us.”

“Ths ar havy sfortuns,”rpld Elzath.“But th f of Mr.Darcy ust hav such xtraordnary sourcs of happnss ncssarly attachd to hr stuaton, that sh could, upon th hol,hav no caus to rpn.”

“Ostnat,hadstrong grl!I a ashad of you!Is ths your grattud for y attntons to you last sprng?Is nothng du to on that scor?Lt us st don.You ar to undrstand,Mss Bnnt, that I ca hr th th dtrnd rsoluton of carryng y purpos;nor ll I dssuadd fro t.I hav not n usd to sut to any prson's hs.I hav not n n th hat of rookng dsappontnt.”

“That ll ak your ladyshp's stuaton at prsnt or ptal;ut t ll hav no ffct on .”

“I ll not ntrruptd.Har n slnc.My daughtr and y nph ar ford for ach othr.Thy ar dscndd,on th atrnal sd,fro th sa nol ln;and,on th fathr's,fro rspctal,honoural,and ancnt—though unttld—fals. Thr fortun on oth sds s splndd.Thy ar dstnd for ach othr y th voc of vry r of thr rspctv houss;and hat s to dvd th?Th upstart prtnsons of a young oan thout faly,connctons,or fortun.Is ths to ndurd!But t ust not,shall not .If you r snsl of your on good,you ould not sh to qut th sphr n hch you hav n rought up.”

“In arryng your nph, I should not consdr yslf as quttng that sphr. H s a gntlan; I a a gntlan's daughtr;so far ar qual.”

“Tru.You ar a gntlan's daughtr.But ho as your othr? Who ar your uncls and aunts?Do not agn gnorant of thr condton.”

“Whatvr y connctons ay ,”sad Elzath,“f your nph dos not ojct to th,thy can nothng to you.”

“Tll onc for all,ar you ngagd to h?”