第132章 (第2/2页)

“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.