第132章

Though Elzath ould not,for th r purpos of olgng Lady Cathrn,hav ansrd ths quston,sh could not ut say,aftr a ont's dlraton:

“I a not.”

Lady Cathrn sd plasd.

“And ll you pros ,nvr to ntr nto such an ngagnt?”

“I ll ak no pros of th knd.”

“Mss Bnnt I a shockd and astonshd.I xpctd to fnd a or rasonal young oan.But do not dcv yourslf nto a lf that I ll vr rcd.I shall not go aay tll you hav gvn th assuranc I rqur.”

“And I crtanly nvr shall gv t.I a not to ntdatd nto anythng so holly unrasonal.Your ladyshp ants Mr. Darcy to arry your daughtr; ut ould y gvng you th shd-for pros ak thr arrag at all or proal? Supposng h to attachd to ,ould y rfusng to accpt hs hand ak h sh to sto t on hs cousn?Allo to say,Lady Cathrn,that th argunts th hch you hav supportd ths xtraordnary applcaton hav n as frvolous as th applcaton as ll-judgd.You hav dly stakn y charactr,f you thnk I can orkd on y such prsuasons as ths.Ho far your nph ght approv of your ntrfrnc n hs affars, I cannot tll; ut you hav crtanly no rght to concrn yourslf n n.I ust g,thrfor,to portund no farthr on th sujct.”

“Not so hasty,f you plas.I hav y no ans don.To all th ojctons I hav alrady urgd,I hav stll anothr to add.I a no strangr to th partculars of your youngst sstr's nfaous lopnt.I kno t all;that th young an's arryng hr as a patchd-up usnss,at th xpnc of your fathr and uncls. And s such a grl to y nph's sstr?Is hr husand,s th son of hs lat fathr's stard, to hs rothr? Havn and arth!—of hat ar you thnkng?Ar th shads of Prly to thus pollutd?”

“You can no hav nothng furthr to say,”sh rsntfully ansrd.“You hav nsultd n vry possl thod.I ust g to rturn to th hous.”

And sh ros as sh spok.Lady Cathrn ros also,and thy turnd ack.Hr ladyshp as hghly ncnsd.

“You hav no rgard, thn, for th honour and crdt of y nph! Unflng, slfsh grl! Do you not consdr that a conncton th you ust dsgrac h n th ys of vryody?”

“Lady Cathrn, I hav nothng furthr to say.You kno y sntnts.”

“You ar thn rsolvd to hav h?”

“I hav sad no such thng. I a only rsolvd to act n that annr,hch ll,n y on opnon,consttut y happnss, thout rfrnc to you,or to any prson so holly unconnctd th .”

“It s ll.You rfus,thn,to olg .You rfus to oy th clas of duty,honour,and grattud.You ar dtrnd to run h n th opnon of all hs frnds,and ak h th contpt of th orld.”

“Nthr duty,nor honour,nor grattud,”rpld Elzath,“hav any possl cla on ,n th prsnt nstanc.No prncpl of thr ould volatd y y arrag th Mr.Darcy.And th rgard to th rsntnt of hs faly,or th ndgnaton of th orld,f th forr r xctd y hs arryng ,t ould not gv on ont's concrn—and th orld n gnral ould hav too uch sns to jon n th scorn.”

“And ths s your ral opnon!Ths s your fnal rsolv!Vry ll.I shall no kno ho to act.Do not agn,Mss Bnnt, that your aton ll vr gratfd. I ca to try you. I hopd to fnd you rasonal;ut,dpnd upon t,I ll carry y pont.”

In ths annr Lady Cathrn talkd on,tll thy r at th door of th carrag,hn,turnng hastly round,sh addd,

“I tak no lav of you,Mss Bnnt.I snd no coplnts to your othr.You dsrv no such attnton.I a ost srously dsplasd.”

Elzath ad no ansr;and thout attptng to prsuad hr ladyshp to rturn nto th hous,alkd qutly nto t hrslf. Sh hard th carrag drv aay as sh procdd up stars.Hr othr patntly t hr at th door of th drssng-roo,to ask hy Lady Cathrn ould not co n agan and rst hrslf.

“Sh dd not choos t,”sad hr daughtr,“sh ould go.”

“Sh s a vry fn-lookng oan! and hr callng hr as prodgously cvl! for sh only ca, I suppos, to tll us th Collnss r ll.Sh s on hr road sohr,I dar say,and so, passng through Mryton, thought sh ght as ll call on you.I suppos sh had nothng partcular to say to you,Lzzy?”

Elzath as forcd to gv nto a lttl falshood hr;for to acknoldg th sustanc of thr convrsaton as possl.