，最快更新傲慢与偏见最新章节！one morning,aboueek after Bingley's engagement with Jane had been formed,asand the femalesthe family were sitting togetherthe dining-room,their attention was suddenly drawnthe window,by the sounda carriage;and they perceivehaise and four drivingth was too earlythe morning for visitors,and besides,the equipage did not answerthatanythei horses were post;and neither the carriage, nor the liverythe servant who preceded it,were familiar twas certain,however,that somebody was ing,Bingley instantly prevailedmissto avoid the confinementsuchintrusion,and walk away with him intoboth set off,and the conjecturesthe remaining three continued, though with little satisfaction,till the door was thrown open and their visito was Lady CatherineBourgh.
They werecourse all intendingbe surprised;but their astonishment was beyond their expectation;andthe parnd Kitty, though she was perfectly unknownthem, even inferiorwhat Elizabeth felt.
She entered the room withair more than usually ungracious,madeother replyElizabeth's salutation thalight inclinationthe head, and sat down without saying had mentioned her nameher motherher ladyship's entrance,thoughrequestintroduction had been made.
mrs.Be,all amazement,though flatteredhavinuestsuch high importance,received her with the utmos sitting foomentsilence, she said very stifflyElizabeth,
“I hope you are well,miss Be.That lady,I suppose,is your mother.”
Elizabeth replied very concisely that she was.
“And that I supposeoneyour sisters.”
“Yes, madam,”sai, delightedspeakLady Catherine.“Shemy youngest girlyoungestalllately married,andeldestsomewhere about the grounds, walking witoung man who,I believe,will soon beartthe family.”
“You havery small park here,”returned Lady Catherine aftehort silence.
“ItnothingparisonRosings,my lady,I dare say;but I assure youis much larger than Sir william Lucas's.”
“This musta most inconvenient sitting room for the evening,summer;the windows are full west.”
mrs.Be assured her that they never sat there after dinner, and then added:
“may I take the libertyasking your ladyship whether you left mr.an well.”
“Yes,ver them the night before last.”
Elizabeth now expected that she would producetter for her from Charlotte,it seemed the only probable motive forno letter appeared,and she was pletel, with great civility, begged her ladyshiptake some refreshment; but Lady Catherine very resolutely, and not very politely,declined eating anything;and then,rising up,saidElizabeth,
“miss Be, there seemedbrettyish kinda little wildernessone sideyougladtakurnit,if you will favourwith your pany.”
“Go,dear,”cried her mother,“and show her ladyship about the differen she willpleased with the hermitage.”
Elizabeth obeyed, and running into her own room for her parasol, attended her noble gues they passed through the hall, Lady Catherine opened the doors into the dining-parlour and drawing-room,and pronouncing them,aftehort survey,todecent looking rooms,walked on.
Her carriage remainedthe door, and Elizabeth saw that her waiting-woman proceededsilence along the gravel walk that ledthe copse; Elizabeth was determinedmakeeffort for conversation witoman who was now more than usually insolent and disagreeable.
“How could I ever think her like her nephew?”said she,as she lookedher face.
As soonthey entered the copse, Lady Catherine beganthe following manner:—
“You canatloss,miss Be,understand the reasonmy journe own heart,your own conscience, must tell you why I e.”
Elizabeth looked with unaffected astonishment.
“Indeed,you are mistaken, have not beenall ableaccount for the honourseeing you here.”
“miss Be,”replied her ladyship,an angry tone,“you oughtknow, that Inotbe trifle however insincere you may choosebe, you shall not has ever been celebrated for its sincerity and frankness, anda causesuch momentthis,I shall certainly not depart from it.A reporta most alarming nature reachedtwo day told that not only your sister wasthe pointbeing most advantageously married,but that you,that miss Elizabeth Be,would,in all likelihood,be soon afterwards unitedmy nephew,my own nephew,mr. I knowmusta scandalous falsehood,though I would not injure himmuchto suppose the truthit possible,I instantly resolvedsetting off for this place,that I might makesentiments knownyou.”
“If you believedimpossiblebe true,”said Elizabeth, colouring with astonishment and disdain,“I wonder you took the troubleinould your ladyship proposeit?”
“At onceinsist upon having suceport universally contradicted.”
“Your ingLongbourn,seeandfamily,”said Elizabeth coolly,“willratheonfirmationit; if, indeed, suceportin existence.”
“If!do you then pretendbe ignorantit?Hasnot been industriously circulatedyourselves?do you not know that suceportspread abroad?”
“I never heard thatwas.”
“And can you likewise declare,that thereno foundation for it?”
“Inot pretendpossess equal frankness with you may ask questions which I shall not chooseanswer.”