northanger abbey-第12章

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not　have　had　you　by　for　the　world。〃







　　　　　〃Indeed　you　do　me　injustice；　I　would　not　have　made



so　improper　a　remark　upon　any　account；　and　besides；



I　am　sure　it　would　never　have　entered　my　head。〃







　　　　　Isabella　smiled　incredulously　and　talked　the　rest



of　the　evening　to　James。　







　　　　　Catherine's　resolution　of　endeavouring　to　meet　Miss



Tilney　again　continued　in　full　force　the　next　morning；



and　till　the　usual　moment　of　going　to　the　pump…room；　she



felt　some　alarm　from　the　dread　of　a　second　prevention。　



But　nothing　of　that　kind　occurred；　no　visitors　appeared



to　delay　them；　and　they　all　three　set　off　in　good　time



for　the　pump…room；　where　the　ordinary　course　of　events



and　conversation　took　place；　Mr。　Allen；　after　drinking



his　glass　of　water；　joined　some　gentlemen　to　talk　over



the　politics　of　the　day　and　compare　the　accounts　of



their　newspapers；　and　the　ladies　walked　about　together；



noticing　every　new　face；　and　almost　every　new　bonnet



in　the　room。　　The　female　part　of　the　Thorpe　family；



attended　by　James　Morland；　appeared　among　the　crowd　in　less



than　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　and　Catherine　immediately　took



her　usual　place　by　the　side　of　her　friend。　　James；　who　was



now　in　constant　attendance；　maintained　a　similar　position；



and　separating　themselves　from　the　rest　of　their　party；



they　walked　in　that　manner　for　some　time；　till　Catherine



began　to　doubt　the　happiness　of　a　situation　which；



confining　her　entirely　to　her　friend　and　brother；



gave　her　very　little　share　in　the　notice　of　either。　



They　were　always　engaged　in　some　sentimental　discussion



or　lively　dispute；　but　their　sentiment　was　conveyed



in　such　whispering　voices；　and　their　vivacity　attended



with　so　much　laughter；　that　though　Catherine's　supporting



opinion　was　not　unfrequently　called　for　by　one　or　the　other；



she　was　never　able　to　give　any；　from　not　having　heard　a　word



of　the　subject。　　At　length　however　she　was　empowered　to



disengage　herself　from　her　friend；　by　the　avowed　necessity



of　speaking　to　Miss　Tilney；　whom　she　most　joyfully　saw



just　entering　the　room　with　Mrs。　Hughes；　and　whom　she



instantly　joined；　with　a　firmer　determination　to　be　acquainted；



than　she　might　have　had　courage　to　command；　had　she



not　been　urged　by　the　disappointment　of　the　day　before。　



Miss　Tilney　met　her　with　great　civility；　returned　her



advances　with　equal　goodwill；　and　they　continued　talking



together　as　long　as　both　parties　remained　in　the　room；



and　though　in　all　probability　not　an　observation　was　made；



nor　an　expression　used　by　either　which　had　not　been　made



and　used　some　thousands　of　times　before；　under　that　roof；



in　every　Bath　season；　yet　the　merit　of　their　being　spoken



with　simplicity　and　truth；　and　without　personal　conceit；



might　be　something　uncommon。　







　　　　　〃How　well　your　brother　dances！〃　was　an　artless　exclamation



of　Catherine's　towards　the　close　of　their　conversation；



which　at　once　surprised　and　amused　her　companion。　







　　　　　〃Henry！〃　she　replied　with　a　smile。　　〃Yes；　he　does



dance　very　well。〃







　　　　　〃He　must　have　thought　it　very　odd　to　hear　me　say　I



was　engaged　the　other　evening；　when　he　saw　me　sitting　down。　



But　I　really　had　been　engaged　the　whole　day　to　Mr。　Thorpe。〃



Miss　Tilney　could　only　bow。　　〃You　cannot　think；〃



added　Catherine　after　a　moment's　silence；　〃how　surprised　I



was　to　see　him　again。　　I　felt　so　sure　of　his　being　quite



gone　away。〃







　　　　　〃When　Henry　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　before；



he　was　in　Bath　but　for　a　couple　of　days。　　He　came　only



to　engage　lodgings　for　us。〃







　　　　　〃That　never　occurred　to　me；　and　of　course；



not　seeing　him　anywhere；　I　thought　he　must　be　gone。　



Was　not　the　young　lady　he　danced　with　on　Monday　a　Miss　Smith？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　an　acquaintance　of　Mrs。　Hughes。〃







　　　　　〃I　dare　say　she　was　very　glad　to　dance。　　Do　you



think　her　pretty？〃　〃Not　very。〃







　　　　　〃He　never　comes　to　the　pump…room；　I　suppose？〃



〃Yes；　sometimes；　but　he　has　rid　out　this　morning　with



my　father。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Hughes　now　joined　them；　and　asked　Miss　Tilney



if　she　was　ready　to　go。　　〃I　hope　I　shall　have　the



pleasure　of　seeing　you　again　soon；〃　said　Catherine。　



〃Shall　you　be　at　the　cotillion　ball　tomorrow？〃







　　　　　〃Perhaps　we　Yes；　I　think　we　certainly　shall。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　glad　of　it；　for　we　shall　all　be　there。〃



This　civility　was　duly　returned；　and　they　partedon



Miss　Tilney's　side　with　some　knowledge　of　her　new



acquaintance's　feelings；　and　on　Catherine's；　without



the　smallest　consciousness　of　having　explained　them。　







　　　　　She　went　home　very　happy。　　The　morning　had　answered



all　her　hopes；　and　the　evening　of　the　following　day



was　now　the　object　of　expectation；　the　future　good。　



What　gown　and　what　head…dress　she　should　wear　on　the



occasion　became　her　chief　concern。　　She　cannot　be　justified



in　it。　　Dress　is　at　all　times　a　frivolous　distinction；



and　excessive　solicitude　about　it　often　destroys　its　own　aim。　



Catherine　knew　all　this　very　well；　her　great　aunt　had　read



her　a　lecture　on　the　subject　only　the　Christmas　before；



and　yet　she　lay　awake　ten　minutes　on　Wednesday　night



debating　between　her　spotted　and　her　tamboured　muslin；



and　nothing　but　the　shortness　of　the　time　prevented　her



buying　a　new　one　for　the　evening。　　This　would　have　been



an　error　in　judgment；　great　though　not　uncommon；　from　which



one　of　the　other　sex　rather　than　her　own；　a　brother　rather



than　a　great　aunt；　might　have　warned　her；　for　man　only　can



be　aware　of　the　insensibility　of　man　towards　a　new　gown。　



It　would　be　mortifying　to　the　feelings　of　many　ladies；



could　they　be　made　to　understand　how　little　the　heart　of



man　is　affected　by　what　is　costly　or　new　in　their　attire；



how　little　it　is　biased　by　the　texture　of　their　muslin；



and　how　unsusceptible　of　peculiar　tenderness　towards



the　spotted；　the　sprigged；　the　mull；　or　the　jackonet。　



Woman　is　fine　for　her　own　satisfaction　alone。　　No　man　will



admire　her　the　more；　no　woman　will　like　her　the　better



for　it。　　Neatness　and　fashion　are　enough　for　the　former；



and　a　something　of　shabbiness　or　impropriety　will　be　most



endearing　to　the　latter。　　But　not　one　of　these　grave



reflections　troubled　the　tranquillity　of　Catherine。　







　　　　　She　entered　the　rooms　on　Thursday　evening　with　feelings



very　different　from　what　had　attended　her　thither　the



Monday　before。　　She　had　then　been　exulting　in　her　engagement



to　Thorpe；　and　was　now　chiefly　anxious　to　avoid　his　sight；



lest　he　should　engage　her　again；　for　though　she　could　not；



dared　not　expect　that　Mr。　Tilney　should　ask　her　a　third



time　to　dance；　her　wishes；　hopes；　and　plans　all　centred



in　nothing　less。　　Every　young　lady　may　feel　for　my



heroine　in　this　critical　moment；　for　every　young　lady



has　at　some　time　or　other　known　the　same　agitation。　



All　have　been；　or　at　least　all　have　believed　themselves　to　be；



in　danger　from　the　pursuit　of　someone　whom　they　wished



to　avoid；　and　all　have　been　anxious　for　the　attentions



of　someone　whom　they　wished　to　please。　　As　soon　as　they



were　joined　by　the　Thorpes；　Catherine's　agony　began；



she　fidgeted　about　if　John　Thorpe　came　towards　her；



hid　herself　as　much　as　possible　from　his　view；



and　when　he　spoke　to　her　pretended　not　to　hear　him。　



The　cotillions　were　over；　the　country…dancing　beginning；



and　she　saw　nothing　of　the　Tilneys。　







　　　　　〃Do　not　be　frightened；　my　dear　Catherine；〃



whispered　Isabella；　〃but　I　am　really　going　to　dance　with　your



brother　again。　　I　declare　positively　it　is　quite　shocking。　



I　tell　him　he　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　himself；　but　you



and　John　must　keep　us　in　countenance。　　Make　haste；



my　dear　creature；　and　come　to　us。　　John　is　just　walked　off；



but　he　will　be　back　in　a　moment。〃







　　　　　Catherine　had　neither　time　nor　inclination　to　answer。　



The　others　walked　away；　John　Thorpe　was　still　in　view；



and　she　gave　herself　up　for　lost。　　That　she　might



not　appear；　however；　to　observe　or　expect　him；　she　kept



her　eyes　intently　fixed　on　her　fan；　and　a　self…condemnation



for　her　folly；　in　supposing　that　among　such　a　crowd　they



should　even　meet　with　the　Tilneys　in　any　reasonable　time；



had　just　passed　through　her　mind；　when　she　suddenly



found　herself　addressed　and　again　solicited　to　dance；



by　Mr。　Tilney　himself。　　With　what　sparkling　eyes　and　ready



motion　she　granted　his　request；　and　with　how　pleasing



a　flutter　of　heart　she　went　with　him　to　the　set；



may　be　easily　imagined。　　To　escape；　and；　as　she　believed；



so　narrowly　escape　John　Thorpe；　and　to　be　asked；



so　immediately　on　his　joining　her；　asked　by　Mr。　Tilney；



as　if　he　had　sought　her　on　purpose！it　did　not　appear



to　her　that　life　could　supply　any　greater　felicity。　







　　　　　Scarcely　had　they　worked　themselves　into　the　quiet



possession　of　a　place；　however；　when　her　attention



was　claimed　by　John　Thorpe；　who　stood　behind　her。　



〃Heyday；　Miss　Morland！〃　said　he。　　〃What　is　the　meaning



of　this？　I　thought　you　and　I　were　to　dance　together。〃







　　　　　〃I　wonder　you　should　think　so；　for　you　never　asked　me。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　a　good　one；　by　Jove！　I　asked　you　as　soon



as　I　came　into　the　room；　and　I　was　just　going　to　ask



you　again；　but　when　I　turned　round；　you　were　gone！　This



is　a　cursed　shabby　trick！　I　only　came　for　the　sake　of



dancing　with　you；　and　I　firmly　believe　you　were　engaged



to　me　ever　since　Monday。　　Yes；　I　remember；　I　asked　you



while　you　were　waiting　in　the　lobby　for　your　cloak。　



And　here　have　I　been　telling　all　my　acquaintance　that　I



was　going　to　dance　with　the　prettiest　girl　in　the　room；



and　when　they　see　you　standing　up　with　somebody　else；



they　will　quiz　me　famously。〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　no；　they　will　never　think　of　me；　after　such



a　description　as　that。〃







　　　　　〃By　heavens；　if　they　do　not；　I　will　kick　them　out



of　the　room　for　blockheads。　　What　chap　have　you　there？〃



Catherine　satisfied　his　curiosity。　　〃Tilney；〃　he　repeated。　



〃HumI　do　not　know　him。　　A　good　figure　of　a　man；　well　put



together。　　Does　he　want　a　horse？　Here　is　a　friend　of　mine；



Sam　Fletcher；　has　got　one　to　sell　that　would　suit　anybody。　



A　famous　clever　animal　for　the　roadonly　forty　guineas。　



I　had　fifty　minds　to　buy　it　myself；　for　it　is　one　of　my



maxims　always　to　buy　a　good　horse　when　I