THE Bennets were engaged to dine with the Lucases, and again during the chief of the day, was Miss Lucas so kind as to listen to Mr. Collins. Elizabeth took an opportunity of thanking her. "It keeps him in good humour," said she, "and I am more obliged to you than I can express." Charlotte assured her friend of her satisfaction in being useful, and that it amply repaid her for the little sacrifice of her time. This was very amiable, but Charlotte's kindness extended farther than Elizabeth had any conception of; -- its object was nothing less than to secure her from any return of Mr. Collins's addresses, by engaging them towards herself. Such was Miss Lucas's scheme; and appearances were so favourable that when they parted at night, she would have felt almost sure of success if he had not been to leave Hertfordshire so very soon. But here, she did injustice to the fire and independence of his character, for it led him to escape out of Longbourn House the next morning with admirable slyness, and hasten to Lucas Lodge to throw himself at her feet. He was anxious to avoid the notice of his cousins, from a conviction that if they saw him depart, they could not fail to conjecture his design, and he was not willing to have the attempt known till its success could be known likewise; for though feeling almost secure, and with reason, for Charlotte had been tolerably encouraging, he was comparatively diffident since the adventure of Wednesday. His reception however was of the most flattering kind. Miss Lucas perceived him from an upper window as he walked towards the house, and instantly set out to meet him accidentally in the lane. But little had she dared to hope that so much love and eloquence awaited her there.
這一天班納特全家都被盧卡斯府上請去吃飯，又多蒙盧卡斯小姐一片好意，整日陪著柯林斯先生談話。伊麗莎白利用了一個機會向她道謝。她說：“這樣可以叫他精神痛快些，我對你真是說不盡的感激?！毕木G蒂說，能夠替朋友效勞，非常樂意，雖然花了一點時間，卻得到了很大的快慰。這真是太好了；可是夏綠蒂的好意，遠非伊麗莎白所能意料；原來夏綠蒂是有意要盡量逗引柯林斯先生跟她自己談話，免得他再去向伊麗莎白獻殷勤。她這個計謀看來進行得十分順利。晚上大家分手的時候，夏綠蒂幾乎滿有把握地感覺到，要不是柯林斯先生這么快就要離開哈福德郡，事情一定能成功。但是她這樣的想法，未免太不了解他那如火如荼、獨斷獨行的性格。且說第二天一大早，柯林斯就采用了相當(dāng)狡猾的辦法，溜出了浪博恩，趕到盧家莊來向她屈身求愛。他唯恐給表妹們碰到了，他認為，假若讓她們看見他走開，那就必定會讓她們猜中他的打算，而他不等到事情有了成功的把握，決不愿意讓人家知道。雖說他當(dāng)場看到夏綠蒂對他頗有情意，因此覺得這事十拿九穩(wěn)可以成功，可是從星期三那場冒險以來，他究竟不敢太魯莽了。不過人家倒很巴結(jié)地接待了他。盧卡斯小姐從樓上窗口看見他向她家里走來，便連忙到那條小道上去接他，又裝出是偶然相逢的樣子。她萬萬想不到，柯林斯這一次竟然給她帶來了說不盡的千情萬愛。

In as short a time as Mr. Collins's long speeches would allow, every thing was settled between them to the satisfaction of both; and as they entered the house, he earnestly entreated her to name the day that was to make him the happiest of men; and though such a solicitation must be waved for the present, the lady felt no inclination to trifle with his happiness. The stupidity with which he was favoured by nature must guard his courtship from any charm that could make a woman wish for its continuance; and Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that establishment were gained.
在短短的一段時間里，柯林斯先生說了多多少少的話，于是兩人之間便一切都講妥了，而且雙方都很滿意。一走進屋子，他就誠懇地要求她擇定吉日，使他成為世界上最幸福的人，雖說這種請求，暫應(yīng)該置之不理，可是這位小姐并不想要拿他的幸福當(dāng)兒戲。他天生一副蠢相，求起愛來總是打動不了女人的心，女人一碰到他求愛，總是請他碰壁。盧卡斯小姐所以愿意答應(yīng)他，完全是為了財產(chǎn)打算，至于那筆財產(chǎn)何年何月可以拿到手，她倒不在乎。

Sir William and Lady Lucas were speedily applied to for their consent; and it was bestowed with a most joyful alacrity. Mr. Collins's present circumstances made it a most eligible match for their daughter, to whom they could give little fortune; and his prospects of future wealth were exceedingly fair. Lady Lucas began directly to calculate with more interest than the matter had ever excited before, how many years longer Mr. Bennet was likely to live; and Sir William gave it as his decided opinion that whenever Mr. Collins should be in possession of the Longbourn estate, it would be highly expedient that both he and his wife should make their appearance at St. James's. The whole family, in short, were properly overjoyed on the occasion. The younger girls formed hopes of coming out a year or two sooner than they might otherwise have done; and the boys were relieved from their apprehension of Charlotte's dying an old maid. Charlotte herself was tolerably composed. She had gained her point, and had time to consider of it. Her reflections were in general satisfactory. Mr. Collins to be sure was neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary. But still, he would be her husband. -- Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want. This preservative she had now obtained; and at the age of twenty-seven, without having ever been handsome, she felt all the good luck of it. The least agreeable circumstance in the business was the surprise it must occasion to Elizabeth Bennet, whose friendship she valued beyond that of any other person. Elizabeth would wonder, and probably would blame her; and though her resolution was not to be shaken, her feelings must be hurt by such disapprobation. She resolved to give her the information herself, and therefore charged Mr. Collins, when he returned to Longbourn to dinner, to drop no hint of what had passed before any of the family. A promise of secrecy was of course very dutifully given, but it could not be kept without difficulty; for the curiosity excited by his long absence burst forth in such very direct questions on his return, as required some ingenuity to evade, and he was at the same time exercising great self-denial, for he was longing to publish his prosperous love.
他們倆立刻就去請求威廉爵士夫婦加以允許，老夫婦連忙高高興興地答應(yīng)了。他們本來沒有什么嫁妝給女兒，論柯林斯先生目前的境況，真是再適合不過的一個女婿，何況他將來一定會發(fā)一筆大財。盧卡斯太太立刻帶著空前未有過的興趣，開始盤算著班納特先生還有多少年可活；威廉爵士一口斷定說，只要林斯先生一旦得到了浪博恩的財產(chǎn)，他夫婦倆就大有覲見皇上的希望了?？偠灾?，這件大事叫全家人都快活透頂。幾位小女兒都滿懷希望，認為這一來可以早一兩年出去交際了，男孩子們再也不擔(dān)心夏綠蒂會當(dāng)老處女了。只有夏綠蒂本人倒相當(dāng)鎮(zhèn)定。她現(xiàn)在初步已經(jīng)成功，還有時間去仔細考慮一番。她想了一下，大致滿意。柯林斯先生固然既不通情達理，又不討人喜愛，同他相處實在是件討厭的事，他對她的愛也一定是空中樓閣，不過她還是要他做丈夫。雖然她對于婚姻和夫婦生活，估價都不甚高，可是，結(jié)婚到底是她一貫的目標，大凡家境不好而又受過相當(dāng)教育的青年女子，總是把結(jié)婚當(dāng)作僅有的一條體面的退路。盡管結(jié)婚并不一定會叫人幸福，但總算約她自己安排了一個最可靠的儲藏室日后可以不致挨凍受饑。她現(xiàn)在就獲得這樣一個儲藏室了。她今年二十七歲，人長得又不標致，這個儲藏室當(dāng)然會使她覺得無限幸運。只有一件事令人不快──那就是說，伊麗莎白·班納特準會對這門親事感到驚奇，而她又是一向把伊麗莎白的交情看得比什么人的交情都重要。伊麗莎白一定會詫異，說不定還要埋怨她。雖說她一經(jīng)下定決心便不會動搖，然而人家非難起來一定會使她難受。于是她決定親自把這件事告訴她，囑咐柯林斯先生回到浪博恩吃飯的時候，不要在班納特家里任何人面前透露一點風(fēng)聲。對方當(dāng)然唯命是從，答應(yīng)保守秘密，其實秘密是很難保守，因為他出去得太久了，一定會引起人家的好奇心，因此他一回去，大家立刻向他問長問短，他得要有幾分能耐才能夠遮掩過去，加上他又巴不得把此番情場得意的情況宣揚出去，因此他好容易才克制住了。