- Panie Darcy, jestem niezwykle egoistyczną istotą i pragnąc przynieść ulgę moim własnym uczuciom, nie dbam o to, jak bardzo ranię pańskie. Nie potrafię już dłużej ukrywać wdzięczności za pana niespotykaną dobroć względem mojej biednej siostry. Odkąd tylko się dowiedziałam, nie mogłam się doczekać, by powiedzieć, jak niezmiernie jestem panu wdzięczna. Gdyby reszta mojej rodziny wiedziała o pana szczodrości, mogłabym dziękować nie tylko w swoim imieniu.
- Niezmiernie mi przykro – odparł Darcy głosem pełnym zaskoczenia i emocji – że została pani w ogóle poinformowana o tym, co źle zrozumiane, mogło wprawic panią w zakłopotanie. Nie sądziłem, że pani Gardiner jest osobą tak niegodną zaufania.
- Proszę nie winić mojej ciotki. Bezmyślność Lydii wcześniej zdradziła mi, że był pan uwikłany w tę sprawę; a ja, rzecz jasna, nie mogłam spocząć, dopóki nie poznałam szczegółów. Proszę pozwolić, że podziękuję panu jeszcze raz, w imieniu całej mojej rodziny, za pana wspaniałomyślność i współczucie, które wymusiły na panu tyle kłopotów i zmartwień, by móc ich odnaleźć.
- Jeśli upiera się pani, by mi podziękować – odpowiedział – to tylko w pani imieniu. Nie będę próbował zaprzeczać, że to pragnienie uszczęśliwienia pani, pośród innych przyczyn, kierowało moimi działaniami. Ale pani rodzina nic mi nie zawdzięcza. Z całym szacunkiem, jaki do nich żywię, myślałem wyłącznie o pani.
Elizabeth była zbyt zakłopotana, by powiedzieć choć słowo. Po krótkiej przerwie, jej towarzysz dodał:
- Jest pani zbyt szczodra, by ze mną grać. Jeśli pani uczucia wobec mnie są takie same jak w kwietniu, proszę natychmiast powiedzieć. Moje uczucia i pragnienia pozostały niezmienne, lecz jeśli pani chce, jedno słowo uciszy ten temat na zawsze.
Elizabeth, czując się coraz bardziej niezręcznie, zmusiła się w końcu do odpowiedzi; I natychmiast, choć trochę niezgrabnie, dała mu do zrozumienia, że jej sercu nastąpiły tak wielkie zmiany od tamtego okresu, że jego obecne starania wyzwalały w niej ogromną wdzięczność i wzruszenie. Na tą odpowiedz zalała go radość tak wielka, jakiej najprawdopodobniej nigdy dotąd nie odczuwał; i zareagował na jej słowa z takim ciepłem i rozwagą, na jaką tylko mógł się zdobyc człowiek zakochany do szaleństwa.
Gdyby Elizabeth była w stanie spojrzeć mu teraz w oczy, ujrzałaby głęboki zachwyt malujący się na jego obliczu, który ogarniał teraz jego serce. Lecz, choć nie mogła patrzec, mogła słuchać, jak mówi o uczuciach - i uświadamiając sobie ogrom jego miłości, cieszyła się nią bardziej z każdą chwilą.
Szli dalej, nie wiedząc nawet, w jakim kierunku. Za dużo było do myślenia, za dużo do odczuwania, by skupiać uwagę na czymkolwiek innym.
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Original version:
They walked towards the Lucases, because Kitty wished to call upon Maria; and as Elizabeth saw no occasion for making it a general concern, when Kitty left them she went boldly on with him alone. Now was the moment for her resolution to be executed, and, while her courage was high, she immediately said:
"Mr. Darcy, I am a very selfish creature; and, for the sake of giving relief to my own feelings, care not how much I may be wounding yours. I can no longer help thanking you for your unexampled kindness to my poor sister. Ever since I have known it, I have been most anxious to acknowledge to you how gratefully I feel it. Were it known to the rest of my family, I should not have merely my own gratitude to express."
"I am sorry, exceedingly sorry," replied Darcy, in a tone of surprise and emotion, "that you have ever been informed of what may, in a mistaken light, have given you uneasiness. I did not think Mrs. Gardiner was so little to be trusted."
"You must not blame my aunt. Lydia's thoughtlessness first betrayed to me that you had been concerned in the matter; and, of course, I could not rest till I knew the particulars. Let me thank you again and again, in the name of all my family, for that generous compassion which induced you to take so much trouble, and bear so many mortifications, for the sake of discovering them."
"If you will thank me," he replied, "let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you."
Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. After a short pause, her companion added, "You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever."
Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change, since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness which this reply produced, was such as he had probably never felt before; and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings, which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.
They walked on, without knowing in what direction. There was too much to be thought, and felt, and said, for attention to any other objects.
They walked towards the Lucases, because Kitty wished to call upon Maria; and as Elizabeth saw no occasion for making it a general concern, when Kitty left them she went boldly on with him alone. Now was the moment for her resolution to be executed, and, while her courage was high, she immediately said:
"Mr. Darcy, I am a very selfish creature; and, for the sake of giving relief to my own feelings, care not how much I may be wounding yours. I can no longer help thanking you for your unexampled kindness to my poor sister. Ever since I have known it, I have been most anxious to acknowledge to you how gratefully I feel it. Were it known to the rest of my family, I should not have merely my own gratitude to express."
"I am sorry, exceedingly sorry," replied Darcy, in a tone of surprise and emotion, "that you have ever been informed of what may, in a mistaken light, have given you uneasiness. I did not think Mrs. Gardiner was so little to be trusted."
"You must not blame my aunt. Lydia's thoughtlessness first betrayed to me that you had been concerned in the matter; and, of course, I could not rest till I knew the particulars. Let me thank you again and again, in the name of all my family, for that generous compassion which induced you to take so much trouble, and bear so many mortifications, for the sake of discovering them."
"If you will thank me," he replied, "let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you."
Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. After a short pause, her companion added, "You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever."
Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change, since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness which this reply produced, was such as he had probably never felt before; and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings, which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.
They walked on, without knowing in what direction. There was too much to be thought, and felt, and said, for attention to any other objects.
