northanger abbey-第18章

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with　such　ready；　such　solicitous　politeness　as　recalled



Thorpe's　information　to　her　mind；　and　made　her　think



with　pleasure　that　he　might　be　sometimes　depended　on。　



To　such　anxious　attention　was　the　general's　civility　carried；



that　not　aware　of　her　extraordinary　swiftness　in　entering



the　house；　he　was　quite　angry　with　the　servant　whose　neglect



had　reduced　her　to　open　the　door　of　the　apartment　herself。　



〃What　did　William　mean　by　it？　He　should　make　a　point



of　inquiring　into　the　matter。〃　And　if　Catherine　had　not



most　warmly　asserted　his　innocence；　it　seemed　likely



that　William　would　lose　the　favour　of　his　master　forever；



if　not　his　place；　by　her　rapidity。　







　　　　　After　sitting　with　them　a　quarter　of　an　hour；



she　rose　to　take　leave；　and　was　then　most　agreeably



surprised　by　General　Tilney's　asking　her　if　she　would　do



his　daughter　the　honour　of　dining　and　spending　the　rest



of　the　day　with　her。　　Miss　Tilney　added　her　own　wishes。　



Catherine　was　greatly　obliged；　but　it　was　quite　out



of　her　power。　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen　would　expect　her　back



every　moment。　　The　general　declared　he　could　say　no　more；



the　claims　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen　were　not　to　be　superseded；



but　on　some　other　day　he　trusted；　when　longer　notice　could



be　given；　they　would　not　refuse　to　spare　her　to　her　friend。　



〃Oh；　no；　Catherine　was　sure　they　would　not　have　the　least



objection；　and　she　should　have　great　pleasure　in　coming。〃



The　general　attended　her　himself　to　the　street…door；



saying　everything　gallant　as　they　went　downstairs；



admiring　the　elasticity　of　her　walk；　which　corresponded



exactly　with　the　spirit　of　her　dancing；　and　making



her　one　of　the　most　graceful　bows　she　had　ever　beheld；



when　they　parted。　







　　　　　Catherine；　delighted　by　all　that　had　passed；



proceeded　gaily　to　Pulteney　Street；　walking；　as　she



concluded；　with　great　elasticity；　though　she　had　never



thought　of　it　before。　　She　reached　home　without　seeing



anything　more　of　the　offended　party；　and　now　that　she



had　been　triumphant　throughout；　had　carried　her　point；



and　was　secure　of　her　walk；　she　began　（as　the　flutter



of　her　spirits　subsided）　to　doubt　whether　she　had　been



perfectly　right。　　A　sacrifice　was　always　noble；　and　if　she



had　given　way　to　their　entreaties；　she　should　have　been



spared　the　distressing　idea　of　a　friend　displeased；



a　brother　angry；　and　a　scheme　of　great　happiness　to　both



destroyed；　perhaps　through　her　means。　　To　ease　her　mind；



and　ascertain　by　the　opinion　of　an　unprejudiced　person



what　her　own　conduct　had　really　been；　she　took　occasion



to　mention　before　Mr。　Allen　the　half…settled　scheme



of　her　brother　and　the　Thorpes　for　the　following　day。　



Mr。　Allen　caught　at　it　directly。　　〃Well；〃　said　he；



〃and　do　you　think　of　going　too？〃







　　　　　〃No；　I　had　just　engaged　myself　to　walk　with　Miss



Tilney　before　they　told　me　of　it；　and　therefore　you　know



I　could　not　go　with　them；　could　I？〃







　　　　　〃No；　certainly　not；　and　I　am　glad　you　do　not



think　of　it。　　These　schemes　are　not　at　all　the　thing。　



Young　men　and　women　driving　about　the　country　in　open



carriages！　Now　and　then　it　is　very　well；　but　going　to　inns



and　public　places　together！　It　is　not　right；　and　I　wonder



Mrs。　Thorpe　should　allow　it。　　I　am　glad　you　do　not　think



of　going；　I　am　sure　Mrs。　Morland　would　not　be　pleased。　



Mrs。　Allen；　are　not　you　of　my　way　of　thinking？　Do　not　you



think　these　kind　of　projects　objectionable？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　very　much　so　indeed。　　Open　carriages　are



nasty　things。　　A　clean　gown　is　not　five　minutes'　wear　in　them。　



You　are　splashed　getting　in　and　getting　out；　and　the　wind



takes　your　hair　and　your　bonnet　in　every　direction。　



I　hate　an　open　carriage　myself。〃







　　　　　〃I　know　you　do；　but　that　is　not　the　question。　



Do　not　you　think　it　has　an　odd　appearance；　if　young



ladies　are　frequently　driven　about　in　them　by　young　men；



to　whom　they　are　not　even　related？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　my　dear；　a　very　odd　appearance　indeed。　



I　cannot　bear　to　see　it。〃







　　　　　〃Dear　madam；〃　cried　Catherine；　〃then　why　did　not



you　tell　me　so　before？　I　am　sure　if　I　had　known　it　to



be　improper；　I　would　not　have　gone　with　Mr。　Thorpe　at　all；



but　I　always　hoped　you　would　tell　me；　if　you　thought　I



was　doing　wrong。〃







　　　　　〃And　so　I　should；　my　dear；　you　may　depend　on　it；　for　as　I



told　Mrs。　Morland　at　parting；　I　would　always　do　the　best



for　you　in　my　power。　　But　one　must　not　be　over　particular。　



Young　people　will　be　young　people；　as　your　good　mother



says　herself。　　You　know　I　wanted　you；　when　we　first　came；



not　to　buy　that　sprigged　muslin；　but　you　would。　



Young　people　do　not　like　to　be　always　thwarted。〃







　　　　　〃But　this　was　something　of　real　consequence；　and　I



do　not　think　you　would　have　found　me　hard　to　persuade。〃







　　　　　〃As　far　as　it　has　gone　hitherto；　there　is　no　harm　done；〃



said　Mr。　Allen；　〃and　I　would　only　advise　you；　my　dear；



not　to　go　out　with　Mr。　Thorpe　any　more。〃







　　　　　〃That　is　just　what　I　was　going　to　say；〃　added　his　wife。　







　　　　　Catherine；　relieved　for　herself；　felt　uneasy



for　Isabella；　and　after　a　moment's　thought；　asked　Mr。　Allen



whether　it　would　not　be　both　proper　and　kind　in　her



to　write　to　Miss　Thorpe；　and　explain　the　indecorum



of　which　she　must　be　as　insensible　as　herself；　for　she



considered　that　Isabella　might　otherwise　perhaps　be　going



to　Clifton　the　next　day；　in　spite　of　what　had　passed。　



Mr。　Allen；　however；　discouraged　her　from　doing　any



such　thing。　　〃You　had　better　leave　her　alone；　my　dear；



she　is　old　enough　to　know　what　she　is　about；　and　if　not；



has　a　mother　to　advise　her。　　Mrs。　Thorpe　is　too　indulgent



beyond　a　doubt；　but；　however；　you　had　better　not　interfere。　



She　and　your　brother　choose　to　go；　and　you　will　be　only



getting　ill　will。〃







　　　　　Catherine　submitted；　and　though　sorry　to　think　that



Isabella　should　be　doing　wrong；　felt　greatly　relieved



by　Mr。　Allen's　approbation　of　her　own　conduct；　and　truly



rejoiced　to　be　preserved　by　his　advice　from　the　danger



of　falling　into　such　an　error　herself。　　Her　escape　from



being　one　of　the　party　to　Clifton　was　now　an　escape　indeed；



for　what　would　the　Tilneys　have　thought　of　her；　if　she



had　broken　her　promise　to　them　in　order　to　do　what　was



wrong　in　itself；　if　she　had　been　guilty　of　one　breach



of　propriety；　only　to　enable　her　to　be　guilty　of　another？















CHAPTER　14











　　　　　The　next　morning　was　fair；　and　Catherine　almost



expected　another　attack　from　the　assembled　party。　



With　Mr。　Allen　to　support　her；　she　felt　no　dread　of



the　event：　but　she　would　gladly　be　spared　a　contest；



where　victory　itself　was　painful；　and　was　heartily　rejoiced



therefore　at　neither　seeing　nor　hearing　anything　of　them。　



The　Tilneys　called　for　her　at　the　appointed　time；



and　no　new　difficulty　arising；　no　sudden　recollection；



no　unexpected　summons；　no　impertinent　intrusion　to　disconcert



their　measures；　my　heroine　was　most　unnaturally　able　to　fulfil



her　engagement；　though　it　was　made　with　the　hero　himself。　



They　determined　on　walking　round　Beechen　Cliff；　that　noble



hill　whose　beautiful　verdure　and　hanging　coppice　render　it



so　striking　an　object　from　almost　every　opening　in　Bath。　







　　　　　〃I　never　look　at　it；〃　said　Catherine；　as　they



walked　along　the　side　of　the　river；　〃without　thinking



of　the　south　of　France。〃







　　　　　〃You　have　been　abroad　then？〃　said　Henry；　a　little　surprised。　







　　　　　〃Oh！　No；　I　only　mean　what　I　have　read　about。　



It　always　puts　me　in　mind　of　the　country　that　Emily　and　her



father　travelled　through；　in　The　Mysteries　of　Udolpho。　



But　you　never　read　novels；　I　dare　say？〃







　　　　　〃Why　not？〃







　　　　　〃Because　they　are　not　clever　enough　for　yougentlemen



read　better　books。〃







　　　　　〃The　person；　be　it　gentleman　or　lady；　who　has　not



pleasure　in　a　good　novel；　must　be　intolerably　stupid。　



I　have　read　all　Mrs。　Radcliffe's　works；　and　most　of



them　with　great　pleasure。　　The　Mysteries　of　Udolpho；



when　I　had　once　begun　it；　I　could　not　lay　down　again；



I　remember　finishing　it　in　two　daysmy　hair　standing　on　end



the　whole　time。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；〃　added　Miss　Tilney；　〃and　I　remember　that　you



undertook　to　read　it　aloud　to　me；　and　that　when　I　was　called



away　for　only　five　minutes　to　answer　a　note；　instead　of



waiting　for　me；　you　took　the　volume　into　the　Hermitage　Walk；



and　I　was　obliged　to　stay　till　you　had　finished　it。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you；　Eleanora　most　honourable　testimony。　



You　see；　Miss　Morland；　the　injustice　of　your　suspicions。　



Here　was　I；　in　my　eagerness　to　get　on；　refusing　to　wait



only　five　minutes　for　my　sister；　breaking　the　promise



I　had　made　of　reading　it　aloud；　and　keeping　her　in



suspense　at　a　most　interesting　part；　by　running　away



with　the　volume；　which；　you　are　to　observe；　was　her　own；



particularly　her　own。　　I　am　proud　when　I　reflect　on　it；



and　I　think　it　must　establish　me　in　your　good　opinion。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　very　glad　to　hear　it　indeed；　and　now　I　shall



never　be　ashamed　of　liking　Udolpho　myself。　　But　I　really



thought　before；　young　men　despised　novels　amazingly。〃







　　　　　〃It　is　amazingly；　it　may　well　suggest　amazement



if　they　dofor　they　read　nearly　as　many　as　women。　



I　myself　have　read　hundreds　and　hundreds。　　Do　not　imagine



that　you　can　cope　with　me　in　a　knowledge　of　Julias



and　Louisas。　　If　we　proceed　to　particulars；　and　engage



in　the　never…ceasing　inquiry　of　'Have　you　read　this？'



and　'Have　you　read　that？'　I　shall　soon　leave　you　as　far



behind　me　aswhat　shall　I　say？l　want　an　appropriate



simile。as　far　as　your　friend　Emily　herself　left　poor



Valancourt　when　she　went　with　her　aunt　into　Italy。　



Consider　how　many　years　I　have　had　the　start　of　you。　



I　had　entered　on　my　studies　at　Oxford；　while　you　were　a　good



little　girl　working　your　sampler　at　home！〃







　　　　　〃Not　very　good；　I　am　afraid。　　But　now　really；



do　not　you　think　Udolpho　the　nicest　book　in　the　world？〃







　　　　　〃The　nicestby　which　I　suppose　you　mean　the　neatest。　



That　must　depend　upon　the　binding。〃







　　　　　〃Henry；〃　said　Miss　Tilney；　〃you　are　very　impertinent。　



Miss　Morland；　he　is　treating　you　exactly　as　he　does　his　sister。　



He　is　forever　finding　fault　with　me；　for　some　incorrectness



of　la