ELIZABETH had the satisfaction of receiving an answer to her letter as soon as she possibly could. She was no sooner in possession of it than, hurrying into the little copse, where she was least likely to be interrupted, she sat down on one of the benches and prepared to be happy; for the length of the letter convinced her that it did not contain a denial.
伊丽莎白果然如愿以偿，很快就接到了回信。她一接到信，就跑到那清静的小树林里去，在一张长凳上坐下来，准备读个痛快，因为她看到信写得那么长，便断定舅母没有拒绝她的要求。
"Gracechurch-street, Sept. 6. MY DEAR NIECE, ---I have just received your letter, and shall devote this whole morning to answering it, as I foresee that a little writing will not comprise what I have to tell you. I must confess myself surprised by your application; I did not expect it from you. Don't think me angry, however, for I only mean to let you know that I had not imagined such enquiries to be necessary on your side. If you do not choose to understand me, forgive my impertinence. Your uncle is as much surprised as I am -- and nothing but the belief of your being a party concerned would have allowed him to act as he has done. But if you are really innocent and ignorant, I must be more explicit.
刚刚接到你的来信，我便决定以整个上午的时间来给你写回信，因为我估料三言两语不能够把我要跟你讲的话讲个明白。我得承认，你所提出的要求很使我诧异，我没有料到提出这个要求的竟会是你。请你不要以为我这是生气的话，我不过说，我实在想象不到你居然还要来问。如果你一定装作听不懂我的话，那只有请你原谅我失礼了。你舅父也跟我同样地诧异，我们都认为，达西所以要那样做，完全是为了你的缘故。如果你当真一点也不知道，那也只好让我来跟你说说明白了。
On the very day of my coming home from Longbourn, your uncle had a most unexpected visitor. Mr. Darcy called, and was shut up with him several hours. It was all over before I arrived; so my curiosity was not so dreadfully racked as your seems to have been. He came to tell Mr. Gardiner that he had found out where your sister and Mr. Wickham were, and that he had seen and talked with them both; Wickham repeatedly, Lydia once. From what I can collect, he left Derbyshire only one day after ourselves, and came to town with the resolution of hunting for them.
就在我从浪搏恩回家的那一天，有一个意想不到的客人来见你舅父。那人原来就是达西先生，他跟你舅父关起门来，密谈了好几个钟头。等我到家的时候，事情已经过去了，我当时倒并没有象你现在这样好奇。他是因为发觉了你妹妹和韦翰的下落，特地赶来告诉嘉丁纳先生一声。他说，他已经看到过他们，而且跟他们谈过话──跟韦翰谈过好多次，跟丽迪雅谈过一次。据我看，我们离开德比郡的第二天，达西就动身赶到城里来找他们了。
