northanger abbey-第10章

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incommoded　by　the　remarks　and　ejaculations　of　Mrs。　Allen；



whose　vacancy　of　mind　and　incapacity　for　thinking　were　such；



that　as　she　never　talked　a　great　deal；　so　she　could　never　be



entirely　silent；　and；　therefore；　while　she　sat　at　her　work；



if　she　lost　her　needle　or　broke　her　thread；　if　she　heard



a　carriage　in　the　street；　or　saw　a　speck　upon　her　gown；



she　must　observe　it　aloud；　whether　there　were　anyone　at



leisure　to　answer　her　or　not。　　At　about　half　past　twelve；



a　remarkably　loud　rap　drew　her　in　haste　to　the　window；



and　scarcely　had　she　time　to　inform　Catherine　of　there



being　two　open　carriages　at　the　door；　in　the　first　only



a　servant；　her　brother　driving　Miss　Thorpe　in　the　second；



before　John　Thorpe　came　running　upstairs；　calling　out；



〃Well；　Miss　Morland；　here　I　am。　　Have　you　been　waiting



long？　We　could　not　come　before；　the　old　devil　of　a



coachmaker　was　such　an　eternity　finding　out　a　thing



fit　to　be　got　into；　and　now　it　is　ten　thousand　to　one



but　they　break　down　before　we　are　out　of　the　street。　



How　do　you　do；　Mrs。　Allen？　A　famous　bag　last　night；



was　not　it？　Come；　Miss　Morland；　be　quick；　for　the　others



are　in　a　confounded　hurry　to　be　off。　　They　want　to　get　their



tumble　over。〃







　　　　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　said　Catherine。　　〃Where　are　you



all　going　to？〃　〃Going　to？　Why；　you　have　not　forgot　our



engagement！　Did　not　we　agree　together　to　take　a　drive　this



morning？　What　a　head　you　have！　We　are　going　up　Claverton　Down。〃







　　　　　〃Something　was　said　about　it；　I　remember；〃



said　Catherine；　looking　at　Mrs。　Allen　for　her　opinion；



〃but　really　I　did　not　expect　you。〃







　　　　　〃Not　expect　me！　That's　a　good　one！　And　what　a　dust



you　would　have　made；　if　I　had　not　come。〃







　　　　　Catherine's　silent　appeal　to　her　friend；　meanwhile；



was　entirely　thrown　away；　for　Mrs。　Allen；　not　being　at　all



in　the　habit　of　conveying　any　expression　herself　by　a　look；



was　not　aware　of　its　being　ever　intended　by　anybody　else；



and　Catherine；　whose　desire　of　seeing　Miss　Tilney　again　could



at　that　moment　bear　a　short　delay　in　favour　of　a　drive；



and　who　thought　there　could　be　no　impropriety　in　her　going



with　Mr。　Thorpe；　as　Isabella　was　going　at　the　same　time



with　James；　was　therefore　obliged　to　speak　plainer。　



〃Well；　ma'am；　what　do　you　say　to　it？　Can　you　spare　me



for　an　hour　or　two？　Shall　I　go？〃







　　　　　〃Do　just　as　you　please；　my　dear；〃　replied　Mrs。　Allen；



with　the　most　placid　indifference。　　Catherine　took



the　advice；　and　ran　off　to　get　ready。　　In　a　very　few　minutes



she　reappeared；　having　scarcely　allowed　the　two　others　time



enough　to　get　through　a　few　short　sentences　in　her　praise；



after　Thorpe　had　procured　Mrs。　Allen's　admiration　of　his　gig；



and　then　receiving　her　friend's　parting　good　wishes；



they　both　hurried　downstairs。　　〃My　dearest　creature；〃



cried　Isabella；　to　whom　the　duty　of　friendship　immediately



called　her　before　she　could　get　into　the　carriage；



〃you　have　been　at　least　three　hours　getting　ready。　



I　was　afraid　you　were　ill。　　What　a　delightful　ball　we



had　last　night。　　I　have　a　thousand　things　to　say　to　you；



but　make　haste　and　get　in；　for　I　long　to　be　off。〃







　　　　　Catherine　followed　her　orders　and　turned　away；



but　not　too　soon　to　hear　her　friend　exclaim　aloud　to　James；



〃What　a　sweet　girl　she　is！　I　quite　dote　on　her。〃







　　　　　〃You　will　not　be　frightened；　Miss　Morland；〃　said　Thorpe；



as　he　handed　her　in；　〃if　my　horse　should　dance　about



a　little　at　first　setting　off。　　He　will；　most　likely；



give　a　plunge　or　two；　and　perhaps　take　the　rest　for　a　minute；



but　he　will　soon　know　his　master。　　He　is　full　of　spirits；



playful　as　can　be；　but　there　is　no　vice　in　him。〃







　　　　　Catherine　did　not　think　the　portrait　a　very　inviting　one；



but　it　was　too　late　to　retreat；　and　she　was　too　young　to　own



herself　frightened；　so；　resigning　herself　to　her　fate；



and　trusting　to　the　animal's　boasted　knowledge　of　its　owner；



she　sat　peaceably　down；　and　saw　Thorpe　sit　down　by　her。　



Everything　being　then　arranged；　the　servant　who　stood　at　the



horse's　head　was　bid　in　an　important　voice　〃to　let　him　go；〃



and　off　they　went　in　the　quietest　manner　imaginable；



without　a　plunge　or　a　caper；　or　anything　like　one。　



Catherine；　delighted　at　so　happy　an　escape；　spoke　her



pleasure　aloud　with　grateful　surprise；　and　her　companion



immediately　made　the　matter　perfectly　simple　by　assuring



her　that　it　was　entirely　owing　to　the　peculiarly　judicious



manner　in　which　he　had　then　held　the　reins；　and　the　singular



discernment　and　dexterity　with　which　he　had　directed



his　whip。　　Catherine；　though　she　could　not　help　wondering



that　with　such　perfect　command　of　his　horse；　he　should　think



it　necessary　to　alarm　her　with　a　relation　of　its　tricks；



congratulated　herself　sincerely　on　being　under　the　care



of　so　excellent　a　coachman；　and　perceiving　that　the　animal



continued　to　go　on　in　the　same　quiet　manner；　without　showing



the　smallest　propensity　towards　any　unpleasant　vivacity；



and　（considering　its　inevitable　pace　was　ten　miles　an　hour）



by　no　means　alarmingly　fast；　gave　herself　up　to　all　the



enjoyment　of　air　and　exercise　of　the　most　invigorating　kind；



in　a　fine　mild　day　of　February；　with　the　consciousness



of　safety。　　A　silence　of　several　minutes　succeeded　their



first　short　dialogue；　it　was　broken　by　Thorpe's　saying



very　abruptly；　〃Old　Allen　is　as　rich　as　a　Jewis　not　he？〃



Catherine　did　not　understand　himand　he　repeated　his　question；



adding　in　explanation；　〃Old　Allen；　the　man　you　are　with。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Mr。　Allen；　you　mean。　　Yes；　I　believe；　he　is



very　rich。〃







　　　　　〃And　no　children　at　all？〃







　　　　　〃Nonot　any。〃







　　　　　〃A　famous　thing　for　his　next　heirs。　　He　is　your　godfather；



is　not　he？〃







　　　　　〃My　godfather！　No。〃







　　　　　〃But　you　are　always　very　much　with　them。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　very　much。〃







　　　　　〃Aye；　that　is　what　I　meant。　　He　seems　a　good　kind



of　old　fellow　enough；　and　has　lived　very　well　in　his　time；



I　dare　say；　he　is　not　gouty　for　nothing。　　Does　he　drink



his　bottle　a　day　now？〃







　　　　　〃His　bottle　a　day！　No。　Why　should　you　think



of　such　a　thing？　He　is　a　very　temperate　man；　and　you



could　not　fancy　him　in　liquor　last　night？〃







　　　　　〃Lord　help　you！　You　women　are　always　thinking



of　men's　being　in　liquor。　　Why；　you　do　not　suppose



a　man　is　overset　by　a　bottle？　I　am　sure　of　thisthat



if　everybody　was　to　drink　their　bottle　a　day；　there　would



not　be　half　the　disorders　in　the　world　there　are　now。　



It　would　be　a　famous　good　thing　for　us　all。〃







　　　　　〃I　cannot　believe　it。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Lord；　it　would　be　the　saving　of　thousands。　



There　is　not　the　hundredth　part　of　the　wine　consumed



in　this　kingdom　that　there　ought　to　be。　　Our　foggy　climate



wants　help。〃







　　　　　〃And　yet　I　have　heard　that　there　is　a　great　deal



of　wine　drunk　in　Oxford。〃







　　　　　〃Oxford！　There　is　no　drinking　at　Oxford　now；



I　assure　you。　　Nobody　drinks　there。　　You　would　hardly　meet



with　a　man　who　goes　beyond　his　four　pints　at　the　utmost。　



Now；　for　instance；　it　was　reckoned　a　remarkable　thing；



at　the　last　party　in　my　rooms；　that　upon　an　average　we



cleared　about　five　pints　a　head。　　It　was　looked　upon



as　something　out　of　the　common　way。　　Mine　is　famous



good　stuff；　to　be　sure。　　You　would　not　often　meet　with



anything　like　it　in　Oxfordand　that　may　account　for　it。　



But　this　will　just　give　you　a　notion　of　the　general　rate



of　drinking　there。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　it　does　give　a　notion；〃　said　Catherine　warmly；



〃and　that　is；　that　you　all　drink　a　great　deal　more　wine



than　I　thought　you　did。　　However；　I　am　sure　James　does



not　drink　so　much。〃







　　　　　This　declaration　brought　on　a　loud　and　overpowering　reply；



of　which　no　part　was　very　distinct；　except　the　frequent



exclamations；　amounting　almost　to　oaths；　which　adorned　it；



and　Catherine　was　left；　when　it　ended；　with　rather　a　strengthened



belief　of　there　being　a　great　deal　of　wine　drunk　in　Oxford；



and　the　same　happy　conviction　of　her　brother's　comparative　sobriety。　







　　　　　Thorpe's　ideas　then　all　reverted　to　the　merits



of　his　own　equipage；　and　she　was　called　on　to　admire



the　spirit　and　freedom　with　which　his　horse　moved　along；



and　the　ease　which　his　paces；　as　well　as　the　excellence



of　the　springs；　gave　the　motion　of　the　carriage。　



She　followed　him　in　all　his　admiration　as　well　as　she　could。　



To　go　before　or　beyond　him　was　impossible。　　His　knowledge



and　her　ignorance　of　the　subject；　his　rapidity　of　expression；



and　her　diffidence　of　herself　put　that　out　of　her　power；



she　could　strike　out　nothing　new　in　commendation；



but　she　readily　echoed　whatever　he　chose　to　assert；



and　it　was　finally　settled　between　them　without　any



difficulty　that　his　equipage　was　altogether　the　most



complete　of　its　kind　in　England；　his　carriage　the　neatest；



his　horse　the　best　goer；　and　himself　the　best　coachman。　



〃You　do　not　really　think；　Mr。　Thorpe；〃　said　Catherine；



venturing　after　some　time　to　consider　the　matter　as



entirely　decided；　and　to　offer　some　little　variation　on



the　subject；　〃that　James's　gig　will　break　down？〃







　　　　　〃Break　down！　Oh！　Lord！　Did　you　ever　see　such　a　little



tittuppy　thing　in　your　life？　There　is　not　a　sound　piece



of　iron　about　it。　　The　wheels　have　been　fairly　worn　out



these　ten　years　at　leastand　as　for　the　body！　Upon　my　soul；



you　might　shake　it　to　pieces　yourself　with　a　touch。　



It　is　the　most　devilish　little　rickety　business　I　ever



beheld！　Thank　God！　we　have　got　a　better。　　I　would　not　be



bound　to　go　two　miles　in　it　for　fifty　thousand　pounds。〃







　　　　　〃Good　heavens！〃　cried　Catherine；　quite　frightened。　



〃Then　pray　let　us　turn　back；　they　will　certainly　meet　with



an　accident　if　we　go　on。　　Do　let　us　turn　back；　Mr。　Thorpe；



stop　and　speak　to　my　brother；　and　tell　him　how　very　unsafe



it　is。〃







　　　　　〃Unsafe！　Oh；　lord！　What　is　there　in　that？　They　will



only　get　a　roll　if　it　does　break　down；　and　there　is　plenty



of　dirt；　it　will　be　excellent　falling。　　Oh；　curse　it！　The



carriage　is　safe　enough；　if　a　man　knows　how　to　drive　it；



a　thing　of　that　sort　in　good　hands　will　last　above　twenty



years　after　it　is　fairly　worn　out。　　Lord　bless　you！　I



would　undertake　for　five　pounds　to　drive　it　to　York



and