northanger abbey-第13章

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



maxims　always　to　buy　a　good　horse　when　I　meet　with　one；



but　it　would　not　answer　my　purpose；　it　would　not　do　for



the　field。　　I　would　give　any　money　for　a　real　good　hunter。　



I　have　three　now；　the　best　that　ever　were　backed。　



I　would　not　take　eight　hundred　guineas　for　them。　



Fletcher　and　I　mean　to　get　a　house　in　Leicestershire；



against　the　next　season。　　It　is　so　d　uncomfortable；



living　at　an　inn。〃







　　　　　This　was　the　last　sentence　by　which　he　could　weary



Catherine's　attention；　for　he　was　just　then　borne　off　by　the



resistless　pressure　of　a　long　string　of　passing　ladies。　



Her　partner　now　drew　near；　and　said；　〃That　gentleman　would



have　put　me　out　of　patience；　had　he　stayed　with　you　half



a　minute　longer。　　He　has　no　business　to　withdraw　the　attention



of　my　partner　from　me。　　We　have　entered　into　a　contract



of　mutual　agreeableness　for　the　space　of　an　evening；



and　all　our　agreeableness　belongs　solely　to　each　other



for　that　time。　　Nobody　can　fasten　themselves　on　the　notice



of　one；　without　injuring　the　rights　of　the　other。　



I　consider　a　country…dance　as　an　emblem　of　marriage。　



Fidelity　and　complaisance　are　the　principal　duties　of　both；



and　those　men　who　do　not　choose　to　dance　or　marry　themselves；



have　no　business　with　the　partners　or　wives　of　their　neighbours。〃







　　　　　〃But　they　are　such　very　different　things！〃







　　　　　〃That　you　think　they　cannot　be　compared　together。〃







　　　　　〃To　be　sure　not。　　People　that　marry　can　never　part；



but　must　go　and　keep　house　together。　　People　that　dance



only　stand　opposite　each　other　in　a　long　room　for　half



an　hour。〃







　　　　　〃And　such　is　your　definition　of　matrimony　and　dancing。　



Taken　in　that　light　certainly；　their　resemblance　is



not　striking；　but　I　think　I　could　place　them　in　such　a　view。　



You　will　allow；　that　in　both；　man　has　the　advantage



of　choice；　woman　only　the　power　of　refusal；　that　in　both；



it　is　an　engagement　between　man　and　woman；　formed　for



the　advantage　of　each；　and　that　when　once　entered　into；



they　belong　exclusively　to　each　other　till　the　moment



of　its　dissolution；　that　it　is　their　duty；　each　to



endeavour　to　give　the　other　no　cause　for　wishing　that　he



or　she　had　bestowed　themselves　elsewhere；　and　their　best



interest　to　keep　their　own　imaginations　from　wandering



towards　the　perfections　of　their　neighbours；　or　fancying



that　they　should　have　been　better　off　with　anyone　else。　



You　will　allow　all　this？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　to　be　sure；　as　you　state　it；　all　this　sounds



very　well；　but　still　they　are　so　very　different。　



I　cannot　look　upon　them　at　all　in　the　same　light；



nor　think　the　same　duties　belong　to　them。〃







　　　　　〃In　one　respect；　there　certainly　is　a　difference。　



In　marriage；　the　man　is　supposed　to　provide　for　the　support



of　the　woman；　the　woman　to　make　the　home　agreeable　to　the　man；



he　is　to　purvey；　and　she　is　to　smile。　　But　in　dancing；



their　duties　are　exactly　changed；　the　agreeableness；



the　compliance　are　expected　from　him；　while　she　furnishes



the　fan　and　the　lavender　water。　　That；　I　suppose；　was　the



difference　of　duties　which　struck　you；　as　rendering　the



conditions　incapable　of　comparison。〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed；　I　never　thought　of　that。〃







　　　　　〃Then　I　am　quite　at　a　loss。　　One　thing；　however；　I　must



observe。　　This　disposition　on　your　side　is　rather　alarming。　



You　totally　disallow　any　similarity　in　the　obligations；



and　may　I　not　thence　infer　that　your　notions　of　the　duties



of　the　dancing　state　are　not　so　strict　as　your　partner



might　wish？　Have　I　not　reason　to　fear　that　if　the　gentleman



who　spoke　to　you　just　now　were　to　return；　or　if　any　other



gentleman　were　to　address　you；　there　would　be　nothing



to　restrain　you　from　conversing　with　him　as　long　as　you　chose？〃







　　　　　〃Mr。　Thorpe　is　such　a　very　particular　friend　of　my



brother's；　that　if　he　talks　to　me；　I　must　talk　to　him　again；



but　there　are　hardly　three　young　men　in　the　room　besides



him　that　I　have　any　acquaintance　with。〃







　　　　　〃And　is　that　to　be　my　only　security？　Alas；　alas！〃







　　　　　〃Nay；　I　am　sure　you　cannot　have　a　better；　for　if　I



do　not　know　anybody；　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　talk



to　them；　and；　besides；　I　do　not　want　to　talk　to　anybody。〃







　　　　　〃Now　you　have　given　me　a　security　worth　having；　and　I



shall　proceed　with　courage。　　Do　you　find　Bath　as　agreeable



as　when　I　had　the　honour　of　making　the　inquiry　before？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　quitemore　so；　indeed。〃







　　　　　〃More　so！　Take　care；　or　you　will　forget　to　be



tired　of　it　at　the　proper　time。　　You　ought　to　be　tired



at　the　end　of　six　weeks。〃







　　　　　〃I　do　not　think　I　should　be　tired；　if　I　were　to　stay



here　six　months。〃







　　　　　〃Bath；　compared　with　London；　has　little　variety；



and　so　everybody　finds　out　every　year。　　'For　six　weeks；



I　allow　Bath　is　pleasant　enough；　but　beyond　that；　it　is



the　most　tiresome　place　in　the　world。'　You　would　be　told



so　by　people　of　all　descriptions；　who　come　regularly



every　winter；　lengthen　their　six　weeks　into　ten　or　twelve；



and　go　away　at　last　because　they　can　afford　to　stay



no　longer。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　other　people　must　judge　for　themselves；



and　those　who　go　to　London　may　think　nothing　of　Bath。　



But　I；　who　live　in　a　small　retired　village　in　the　country；



can　never　find　greater　sameness　in　such　a　place　as　this



than　in　my　own　home；　for　here　are　a　variety　of　amusements；



a　variety　of　things　to　be　seen　and　done　all　day　long；　which　I



can　know　nothing　of　there。〃







　　　　　〃You　are　not　fond　of　the　country。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　I　am。　　I　have　always　lived　there；　and　always



been　very　happy。　　But　certainly　there　is　much　more



sameness　in　a　country　life　than　in　a　Bath　life。　



One　day　in　the　country　is　exactly　like　another。〃







　　　　　〃But　then　you　spend　your　time　so　much　more　rationally



in　the　country。〃







　　　　　〃Do　I？〃







　　　　　〃Do　you　not？〃







　　　　　〃I　do　not　believe　there　is　much　difference。〃







　　　　　〃Here　you　are　in　pursuit　only　of　amusement　all　day　long。〃







　　　　　〃And　so　I　am　at　homeonly　I　do　not　find　so　much　of　it。　



I　walk　about　here；　and　so　I　do　there；　but　here　I　see



a　variety　of　people　in　every　street；　and　there　I　can



only　go　and　call　on　Mrs。　Allen。〃







　　　　　Mr。　Tilney　was　very　much　amused。　







　　　　　〃Only　go　and　call　on　Mrs。　Allen！〃　he　repeated。　



〃What　a　picture　of　intellectual　poverty！　However；　when　you



sink　into　this　abyss　again；　you　will　have　more　to　say。　



You　will　be　able　to　talk　of　Bath；　and　of　all　that　you



did　here。〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Yes。　　I　shall　never　be　in　want　of　something



to　talk　of　again　to　Mrs。　Allen；　or　anybody　else。　



I　really　believe　I　shall　always　be　talking　of　Bath；



when　I　am　at　home　againI　do　like　it　so　very　much。　



If　I　could　but　have　Papa　and　Mamma；　and　the　rest　of



them　here；　I　suppose　I　should　be　too　happy！　James's　coming



（my　eldest　brother）　is　quite　delightfuland　especially



as　it　turns　out　that　the　very　family　we　are　just　got



so　intimate　with　are　his　intimate　friends　already。　



Oh！　Who　can　ever　be　tired　of　Bath？〃







　　　　　〃Not　those　who　bring　such　fresh　feelings　of　every



sort　to　it　as　you　do。　　But　papas　and　mammas；　and　brothers；



and　intimate　friends　are　a　good　deal　gone　by；　to　most　of



the　frequenters　of　Bathand　the　honest　relish　of　balls



and　plays；　and　everyday　sights；　is　past　with　them。〃



Here　their　conversation　closed；　the　demands　of　the　dance



becoming　now　too　importunate　for　a　divided　attention。　







　　　　　Soon　after　their　reaching　the　bottom　of　the　set；



Catherine　perceived　herself　to　be　earnestly　regarded　by　a



gentleman　who　stood　among　the　lookers…on；　immediately　behind



her　partner。　　He　was　a　very　handsome　man；　of　a　commanding



aspect；　past　the　bloom；　but　not　past　the　vigour　of　life；



and　with　his　eye　still　directed　towards　her；　she　saw　him



presently　address　Mr。　Tilney　in　a　familiar　whisper。　



Confused　by　his　notice；　and　blushing　from　the　fear　of



its　being　excited　by　something　wrong　in　her　appearance；



she　turned　away　her　head。　　But　while　she　did　so；



the　gentleman　retreated；　and　her　partner；　coming　nearer；



said；　〃I　see　that　you　guess　what　I　have　just　been　asked。　



That　gentleman　knows　your　name；　and　you　have　a　right



to　know　his。　　It　is　General　Tilney；　my　father。〃







　　　　　Catherine's　answer　was　only　〃Oh！〃but　it　was　an　〃Oh！〃



expressing　everything　needful：　attention　to　his　words；



and　perfect　reliance　on　their　truth。　　With　real　interest



and　strong　admiration　did　her　eye　now　follow　the　general；



as　he　moved　through　the　crowd；　and　〃How　handsome　a　family



they　are！〃　was　her　secret　remark。　







　　　　　In　chatting　with　Miss　Tilney　before　the　evening　concluded；



a　new　source　of　felicity　arose　to　her。　　She　had　never　taken



a　country　walk　since　her　arrival　in　Bath。　　Miss　Tilney；



to　whom　all　the　commonly　frequented　environs　were　familiar；



spoke　of　them　in　terms　which　made　her　all　eagerness



to　know　them　too；　and　on　her　openly　fearing　that　she



might　find　nobody　to　go　with　her；　it　was　proposed　by



the　brother　and　sister　that　they　should　join　in　a　walk；



some　morning　or　other。　　〃I　shall　like　it；〃　she　cried；



〃beyond　anything　in　the　world；　and　do　not　let　us　put　it



offlet　us　go　tomorrow。〃　This　was　readily　agreed　to；



with　only　a　proviso　of　Miss　Tilney's；　that　it　did　not　rain；



which　Catherine　was　sure　it　would　not。　　At　twelve



o'clock；　they　were　to　call　for　her　in　Pulteney　Street；



and　〃Remembertwelve　o'clock；〃　was　her　parting　speech



to　her　new　friend。　　Of　her　other；　her　older；　her　more



established　friend；　Isabella；　of　whose　fidelity　and　worth



she　had　enjoyed　a　fortnight's　experience；　she　scarcely



saw　anything　during　the　evening。　　Yet；　though　longing



to　make　her　acquainted　with　her　happiness；　she　cheerfully



submitted　to　the　wish　of　Mr。　Allen；　which　took　them



rather　early　away；　and　her　spirits　danced　within　her；



as　she　danced　in　her　chair　all　the　way　home。　















CHAPTER　11











　　　　　The　morrow　brought　a　very　sober…looking　morning；



the　sun　making　only　a　few　efforts　to　appear；　and　Catherine



augured　from　it　everything　most　favourable　to　her　wishes。　



A　bright　morning　so　early　in　the　year；　she　allowed；



would　generally