By Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, they were noticed only by a curtsey; and on their being seated, a pause, awkward as such pauses must always be, succeeded for a few moments. It was first broken by Mrs. Annesley, a genteel, agreeable looking woman, whose endeavour to introduce some kind of discourse proved her to be more truly well bred than either of the others; and between her and Mrs. Gardiner, with occasional help from Elizabeth, the conversation was carried on. Miss Darcy looked as if she wished for courage enough to join in it; and sometimes did venture a short sentence, when there was least danger of its being heard.
Elizabeth soon saw that she was herself closely watched by Miss Bingley, and that she could not speak a word, especially to Miss Darcy, without calling her attention. This observation would not have prevented her from trying to talk to the latter, had they not been seated at an inconvenient distance; but she was not sorry to be spared the necessity of saying much. Her own thoughts were employing her. She expected every moment that some of the gentlemen would enter the room. She wished, she feared, that the master of the house might be amongst them; and whether she wished or feared it most, she could scarcely determine. After sitting in this manner a quarter of an hour without hearing Miss Bingley's voice, Elizabeth was roused by receiving from her a cold enquiry after the health of her family. She answered with equal indifference and brevity, and the other said no more.
The next variation which their visit afforded was produced by the entrance of servants with cold meat, cake, and a variety of all the finest fruits in season; but this did not take place till after many a significant look and smile from Mrs. Annesley to Miss Darcy had been given, to remind her of her post. There was now employment for the whole party; for though they could not all talk, they could all eat; and the beautiful pyramids of grapes, nectarines, and peaches soon collected them round the table.
While thus engaged, Elizabeth had a fair opportunity of deciding whether she most feared or wished for the appearance of Mr. Darcy, by the feelings which prevailed on his entering the room; and then, though but a moment before she had believed her wishes to predominate, she began to regret that he came.
He had been some time with Mr. Gardiner, who, with two or three other gentlemen from the house, was engaged by the river, and had left him only on learning that the ladies of the family intended a visit to Georgiana that morning. No sooner did he appear, than Elizabeth wisely resolved to be perfectly easy and unembarrassed; -- a resolution the more necessary to be made, but perhaps not the more easily kept, because she saw that the suspicions of the whole party were awakened against them, and that there was scarcely an eye which did not watch his behaviour when he first came into the room. In no countenance was attentive curiosity so strongly marked as in Miss Bingley's, in spite of the smiles which overspread her face whenever she spoke to one of its objects; for jealousy had not yet made her desperate, and her attentions to Mr. Darcy were by no means over. Miss Darcy, on her brother's entrance, exerted herself much more to talk; and Elizabeth saw that he was anxious for his sister and herself to get acquainted, and forwarded, as much as possible, every attempt at conversation on either side. Miss Bingley saw all this likewise; and, in the imprudence of anger, took the first opportunity of saying, with sneering civility,
"Pray, Miss Eliza, are not the ----shire militia removed from Meryton? They must be a great loss to your family."
In Darcy's presence she dared not mention Wickham's name; but Elizabeth instantly comprehended that he was uppermost in her thoughts; and the various recollections connected with him gave her a moment's distress; but, exerting herself vigorously to repel the ill-natured attack, she presently answered the question in a tolerably disengaged tone. While she spoke, an involuntary glance shewed her Darcy with an heightened complexion, earnestly looking at her, and his sister overcome with confusion and unable to lift up her eyes. Had Miss Bingley known what pain she was then giving her beloved friend, she undoubtedly would have refrained from the hint; but she had merely intended to discompose Elizabeth, by bringing forward the idea of a man to whom she believed her partial, to make her betray a sensibility which might injure her in Darcy's opinion, and perhaps to remind the latter of all the follies and absurdities by which some part of her family were connected with that corps. Not a syllable had ever reached her of Miss Darcy's meditated elopement. To no creature had it been revealed, where secrecy was possible, except to Elizabeth; and from all Bingley's connections her brother was particularly anxious to conceal it, from that very wish which Elizabeth had long ago attributed to him, of their becoming hereafter her own. He had certainly formed such a plan, and without meaning that it should affect his endeavour to separate him from Miss Bennet, it is probable that it might add something to his lively concern for the welfare of his friend.
Elizabeth's collected behaviour, however, soon quieted his emotion; and as Miss Bingley, vexed and disappointed, dared not approach nearer to Wickham, Georgiana also recovered in time, though not enough to be able to speak any more. Her brother, whose eye she feared to meet, scarcely recollected her interest in the affair, and the very circumstance which had been designed to turn his thoughts from Elizabeth, seemed to have fixed them on her more, and more cheerfully.
Their visit did not continue long after the question and answer above-mentioned; and while Mr. Darcy was attending them to their carriage, Miss Bingley was venting her feelings in criticisms on Elizabeth's person, behaviour, and dress. But Georgiana would not join her. Her brother's recommendation was enough to ensure her favour: his judgment could not err, and he had spoken in such terms of Elizabeth as to leave Georgiana without the power of finding her otherwise than lovely and amiable. When Darcy returned to the saloon, Miss Bingley could not help repeating to him some part of what she had been saying to his sister.
"How very ill Eliza Bennet looks this morning, Mr. Darcy," she cried; "I never in my life saw any one so much altered as she is since the winter. She is grown so brown and coarse! Louisa and I were agreeing that we should not have known her again."
However little Mr. Darcy might have liked such an address, he contented himself with coolly replying that he perceived no other alteration than her being rather tanned -- no miraculous consequence of travelling in the summer.
"For my own part," she rejoined, "I must confess that I never could see any beauty in her. Her face is too thin; her complexion has no brilliancy; and her features are not at all handsome. Her nose wants character; there is nothing marked in its lines. Her teeth are tolerable, but not out of the common way; and as for her eyes, which have sometimes been called so fine, I never could perceive any thing extraordinary in them. They have a sharp, shrewish look, which I do not like at all; and in her air altogether, there is a self-sufficiency without fashion which is intolerable."
Persuaded as Miss Bingley was that Darcy admired Elizabeth, this was not the best method of recommending herself; but angry people are not always wise; and in seeing him at last look somewhat nettled, she had all the success she expected. He was resolutely silent however; and, from a determination of making him speak she continued,
"I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty; and I particularly recollect your saying one night, after they had been dining at Netherfield, "She a beauty! -- I should as soon call her mother a wit." But afterwards she seemed to improve on you, and I believe you thought her rather pretty at one time."
"Yes," replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, "but that was only when I first knew her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance."
He then went away, and Miss Bingley was left to all the satisfaction of having forced him to say what gave no one any pain but herself.
伊丽莎白现在认为，彬格莱小姐所以一向厌恶她，原因不外乎和她吃醋。她既然有了这种想法，便不禁觉得这次到彭伯里去，彬格莱小姐一定不会欢迎她；尽管如此，她倒想看看这一次旧雨重逢，那位小姐是否会多少顾全一些大体。
到了彭伯里的大厦，家人们就带着她们走过穿堂，进入客厅，只见客厅北面景色非常动人，窗户外边是一片空地，屋后树林茂密，岗峦耸叠，草地上种满了美丽的橡树和西班牙栗树，真是好一派爽心悦目的夏日风光。
达西小姐在这间屋子里接待她们，跟她一同来接她们的还有赫斯脱太太、彬格莱小姐，以及那位在伦敦跟达西小姐住在一起的太太。乔治安娜对她们礼貌非常周全，只是态度颇不自然，这固然是因为她有几分羞怯，生怕有失礼的地方，可是在那些自以为身份比她低的人看来，便容易误会她为人傲慢矜持，幸亏嘉丁纳太太和她外甥女决不会错怪她反而还同情她。
赫斯脱太太和彬格莱小姐只对她们行了个屈膝礼。她们坐定以后，宾主之间许久不曾交谈，实在别扭。后来还是安涅斯雷太太第一个开口说话。这位太太是个和蔼可亲的大家闺秀，你只要瞧她竭力想出话来攀谈，便可以知道她确实比另外两位有教养得多。全靠她同嘉丁纳太太先攀谈起来，再加上伊丽莎白不时地插几句嘴助助兴，谈话才算没有冷场。达西小姐好象想说话而又缺乏勇气，只是趁着人家听不见的时候支吾一两声，也总算难得。
伊丽莎白立刻发觉彬格莱小姐在仔细地看着她，注意她的一言一语，特别注意她跟达西小姐攀谈。如果伊丽莎白跟达西小姐座位隔得很近，攀谈起来很方便，她决不会因为畏忌彬格莱小姐而就不和达西小姐攀谈，可是既然毋须多谈，再加她自己也正心思重重，所以也并不觉得遗憾。她时时刻刻都盼望着男客们一同进来，可是她虽然盼望，却又害怕，她究竟是盼望得迫切，还是害怕得厉害，她自己也几乎说不上来。伊丽莎白就这样坐了一刻钟之久，没有听到彬格莱小姐发表一言半语，后来忽然之间吓了一跳，原来是彬格莱小姐冷冰冰地问候她家里人的安好。她也同样冷冷谈谈简简单单地敷衍了她几句，对方便也就不再开口。
她们来了不久，佣人们便送来了冷肉、点心、以及各种应时鲜果。本来达西小姐一直忘了叫人端来，幸亏安涅斯雷太太频频向她做着眼色，装着微笑，方才提醒了她做主人的责任。这一下大家都有事情可做了。虽然不是每个人都健谈，可是每个人都会吃；大家一看见那大堆大堆美丽的葡萄、油桃和桃子，一下子就聚拢来围着桌子坐下。吃东西的时候，达西先生走了进来，伊丽莎白便趁此辨别一下自己的心情，究竟是希望他在场，还是害怕他在场。辨别的结果，虽然自以为盼望的心情多于害怕的心情，可是他进来了不到一分钟，她却又认为他还是不进来的好。
且说达西原先同自己家里两三个人陪着嘉丁纳先生在河边钓鱼，后来一听到嘉丁纳太太和她外甥女当天上午就要来拜望乔治安娜，便立刻离开了他们，回到家里来。伊丽莎白见他走进来，便临机应变，下定决心，促使自己千万要表现得从容不迫，落落大方。她下定这个决心，确实很必要，只可惜事实上不大容易做到，因为她看到全场的人都在怀疑他们俩；达西一走进来，几乎没有一只眼睛不在注意着他的举止。虽然人人都有好奇心，可是谁也不象彬格莱小姐那么露骨，她在她对他们两人中间随便哪一个谈起话来，还是满面笑容，这是因为她还没有嫉妒到不择手段的地步，也没有对达西先生完全死心。达西小姐看见哥哥来了，便尽量多说话；伊丽莎白看出达西极其盼望她跟他妹妹处熟起来，他还尽量促进她们双方多多攀谈。彬格莱小姐把这些情形看不眼里，很是气愤，也就顾不得唐突，顾不得礼貌，一有机会便冷言冷语地说：
“请问你，伊丽莎白小姐，麦里屯的民兵团不是开走了吗？府上一定觉得这是一个很大的损失吧。”
她只是不敢当着达西的面明目张胆地提起韦翰的名字，可是伊丽莎白立刻懂得她指的就是那个人，因此不禁想起过去跟他的一些来往，一时感到难过。这是一种恶意的攻击，伊丽莎白非要狠狠地还击她一下不可，于是她立刻用一种满不在乎的声调回答了她那句话。她一面说，一面不由自主地对达西望了一眼，只见达西涨红了脸，恳切地望着她，达西的妹妹更是万分慌张，低头无语。彬格莱小姐如果早知道这种不三不四的话会使得她自己的意中人这样苦痛，她自然就决不会说出中了。她只是存心要打乱伊丽莎白的心思，她以为伊丽莎白过去曾倾心于那个男人，便故意说了出来，便她出出丑，让达西看不起她，甚至还可以让达西想起她几个妹妹曾经为了那个民兵团闹出多少荒唐的笑话。至于达西小姐想要私奔的事情，她一点也不知情，因为达西先生对这件事一向尽量保守秘密，除了伊丽莎白小姐以外，没有向任何人透露过。她对彬格莱的亲友们隐瞒得特别小心，因为他认为以后要和他们攀亲，这也是伊丽莎白意料中的事。他的确早就有了这个打算；也许就是为了这个原因，便对彬格莱的幸福更加关心，可并不是因此而千方百计地拆散彬格莱和班纳特小姐的好事。
达西看到伊丽莎白不动声色，方才安下心来。彬格莱小姐苦恼失望之余，不敢再提到韦翰，于是乔治安娜也很快恢复了正常的神态，只不过一时之间还不好意思开口说话。她害怕看到她哥哥的眼睛，事实上她哥哥倒没有留意她也牵涉在这件事情里面。彬格莱小姐这次本来已经安排好神机妙算，要使得达西回心转意，不再眷恋伊丽莎白，结果反而使他对伊丽莎白更加念念难忘，更加有情意。
这一问一答以后，客人们没有隔多久就告辞了。当达西先生送她们上马车的时候，彬格莱小姐便趁机在他妹妹面前大发牢骚，把伊丽莎白的人品、举止和服装都一一编派到了。乔治安娜可并没有接嘴，因为她哥哥既然那么推崇伊丽莎白，她当然便也对她有了好感。哥哥的看法决不会错；他把伊丽莎白捧得叫乔治安娜只觉得她又亲切又可爱。达西回到客厅里来的时候，彬格莱小姐又把刚才跟他妹妹说的话，重新又说了一遍给他听。
她大声说道：“达西先生，今天上午伊丽莎·班纳特小姐的脸色多难看！从去年冬天以来，她真变得太厉害了，我一辈子也没看见过哪个人象她这样。她的皮肤变得又黑又粗糙，露薏莎和我简直不认识她了。”
这种话尽管不投合达西的心意，他却还是冷冷地敷衍了她一下，说是他看不出她有什么变化，只不过皮肤黑了一点，这是夏天旅行的结果，不足为奇。
彬格莱小姐回答道：“老实说，我觉得根本看不出她有什么美。她的脸太瘦，皮肤没有光泽，眉目也不清秀。她的鼻子也不过普普通通；讲到她的眼睛，人家有时候都把它说得多么美，我可看不出有什么大不了。她那双眼睛有些尖刻相，又有些恶毒相，我才不喜欢呢；而且拿她的整个风度来说，完全是自命不凡，其实却不登大雅之堂，真叫人受不了。”
彬格莱小姐既然早已拿定主意达西爱上了伊丽莎白，又要用这种办法来搏得他的喜欢，实在不太高明；不过人们在一时气愤之下，往往难免有失算的时候。她看到达西终于给弄得多少有些神色烦恼，便自以为如意算盘打成功了。达西却咬紧牙关，一声不响；她为了非要他说几句话不可，便又往下说：
“我还记得我们第一次在哈福德郡认识她的时候，听人家说她是个有名的美人儿，我们都觉得十分奇怪；我特别记得有一个晚上，她们在尼日斐花园吃过晚饭以后，你说：‘她也算得上一个美人！那么她妈妈也算得上一个天才了！’可是你以后就对她印象她起来了，你也有一个时期觉得她很好看。”
达西真是忍无可忍了，只得回答道：“话是说得不错，可是，那是我刚认识她的时候的事情；最近好几个月以来，我已经把她看做我认识的女朋友当中最漂亮的一个。”
他这样说过以后，便走开了，只剩下彬格莱小姐一个人。她逼着他说出了这几句话，本以为可以借此得意一番，结果只落得自讨没趣。
嘉丁纳太太和伊丽莎白回到寓所以后，便把这次作客所遇到的种种事情详细谈论了一番，只可惜大家都感到兴趣的那件事却偏偏没有谈到；凡是她们所看到的人，她们都拿来一个个评头论足，又一一谈到各人的神情举止，只可惜她们特别留意的那个人却没有谈到。她们谈到了他的妹妹、他的朋友、他的住宅、他请客人们吃的水果──样样都谈到了，只是没有谈到他本人，其实外甥女真希望舅母大人谈谈对那个人印象如何，舅母大人也极其希望外甥女先扯到这个话题上来。