northanger abbey-第25章

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　　　　　〃You　shall　certainly　have　the　best　in　my　power　to　give。　



But　who　are　you　looking　for？　Are　your　sisters　coming？〃







　　　　　〃I　am　not　looking　for　anybody。　　One's　eyes　must



be　somewhere；　and　you　know　what　a　foolish　trick　I　have　of



fixing　mine；　when　my　thoughts　are　an　hundred　miles　off。　



I　am　amazingly　absent；　I　believe　I　am　the　most　absent



creature　in　the　world。　　Tilney　says　it　is　always　the　case



with　minds　of　a　certain　stamp。〃







　　　　　〃But　I　thought；　Isabella；　you　had　something



in　particular　to　tell　me？〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　Yes；　and　so　I　have。　　But　here　is　a　proof　of



what　I　was　saying。　　My　poor　head；　I　had　quite　forgot　it。　



Well；　the　thing　is　this：　I　have　just　had　a　letter　from　John；



you　can　guess　the　contents。〃







　　　　　〃No；　indeed；　I　cannot。〃







　　　　　〃My　sweet　love；　do　not　be　so　abominably　affected。　



What　can　he　write　about；　but　yourself？　You　know　he　is　over



head　and　ears　in　love　with　you。〃







　　　　　〃With　me；　dear　Isabella！〃







　　　　　〃Nay；　my　sweetest　Catherine；　this　is　being　quite



absurd！　Modesty；　and　all　that；　is　very　well　in　its　way；



but　really　a　little　common　honesty　is　sometimes　quite



as　becoming。　　I　have　no　idea　of　being　so　overstrained！



It　is　fishing　for　compliments。　　His　attentions　were



such　as　a　child　must　have　noticed。　　And　it　was　but　half



an　hour　before　he　left　Bath　that　you　gave　him　the　most



positive　encouragement。　　He　says　so　in　this　letter；



says　that　he　as　good　as　made　you　an　offer；　and　that　you



received　his　advances　in　the　kindest　way；　and　now　he



wants　me　to　urge　his　suit；　and　say　all　manner　of　pretty



things　to　you。　　So　it　is　in　vain　to　affect　ignorance。〃







　　　　　Catherine；　with　all　the　earnestness　of　truth；



expressed　her　astonishment　at　such　a　charge；　protesting



her　innocence　of　every　thought　of　Mr。　Thorpe's　being



in　love　with　her；　and　the　consequent　impossibility　of



her　having　ever　intended　to　encourage　him。　　〃As　to　any



attentions　on　his　side；　I　do　declare；　upon　my　honour；



I　never　was　sensible　of　them　for　a　momentexcept　just



his　asking　me　to　dance　the　first　day　of　his　coming。　



And　as　to　making　me　an　offer；　or　anything　like　it；



there　must　be　some　unaccountable；　mistake。　　I　could　not



have　misunderstood　a　thing　of　that　kind；　you　know！　And；



as　I　ever　wish　to　be　believed；　I　solemnly　protest　that



no　syllable　of　such　a　nature　ever　passed　between　us。　



The　last　half　hour　before　he　went　away！　It　must　be　all



and　completely　a　mistakefor　I　did　not　see　him　once



that　whole　morning。〃







　　　　　〃But　that　you　certainly　did；　for　you　spent　the　whole



morning　in　Edgar's　Buildingsit　was　the　day　your　father's



consent　cameand　I　am　pretty　sure　that　you　and　John　were



alone　in　the　parlour　some　time　before　you　left　the　house。〃







　　　　　〃Are　you？　Well；　if　you　say　it；　it　was　so；　I　dare



saybut　for　the　life　of　me；　I　cannot　recollect　it。　



I　do　remember　now　being　with　you；　and　seeing　him　as



well　as　the　restbut　that　we　were　ever　alone　for　five



minutes　However；　it　is　not　worth　arguing　about；



for　whatever　might　pass　on　his　side；　you　must　be　convinced；



by　my　having　no　recollection　of　it；　that　I　never　thought；



nor　expected；　nor　wished　for　anything　of　the　kind　from　him。　



I　am　excessively　concerned　that　he　should　have　any　regard



for　mebut　indeed　it　has　been　quite　unintentional



on　my　side；　I　never　had　the　smallest　idea　of　it。　



Pray　undeceive　him　as　soon　as　you　can；　and　tell　him　I　beg



his　pardonthat　isI　do　not　know　what　I　ought　to　saybut



make　him　understand　what　I　mean；　in　the　properest　way。　



I　would　not　speak　disrespectfully　of　a　brother　of　yours；



Isabella；　I　am　sure；　but　you　know　very　well　that　if　I　could



think　of　one　man　more　than　anotherhe　is　not　the　person。〃



Isabella　was　silent。　　〃My　dear　friend；　you　must　not　be



angry　with　me。　　I　cannot　suppose　your　brother　cares



so　very　much　about　me。　　And；　you　know；　we　shall　still



be　sisters。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　yes〃　（with　a　blush）；　〃there　are　more　ways



than　one　of　our　being　sisters。　　But　where　am　I　wandering



to？　Well；　my　dear　Catherine；　the　case　seems　to　be



that　you　are　determined　against　poor　Johnis　not　it　so？〃







　　　　　〃I　certainly　cannot　return　his　affection；　and　as



certainly　never　meant　to　encourage　it。〃







　　　　　〃Since　that　is　the　case；　I　am　sure　I　shall　not



tease　you　any　further。　　John　desired　me　to　speak　to　you



on　the　subject；　and　therefore　I　have。　　But　I　confess；



as　soon　as　I　read　his　letter；　I　thought　it　a　very　foolish；



imprudent　business；　and　not　likely　to　promote　the　good



of　either；　for　what　were　you　to　live　upon；　supposing　you



came　together？　You　have　both　of　you　something；　to　be　sure；



but　it　is　not　a　trifle　that　will　support　a　family　nowadays；



and　after　all　that　romancers　may　say；　there　is　no　doing



without　money。　　I　only　wonder　John　could　think　of　it；



he　could　not　have　received　my　last。〃







　　　　　〃You　do　acquit　me；　then；　of　anything　wrong？You



are　convinced　that　I　never　meant　to　deceive　your　brother；



never　suspected　him　of　liking　me　till　this　moment？〃







　　　　　〃Oh！　As　to　that；〃　answered　Isabella　laughingly；



〃I　do　not　pretend　to　determine　what　your　thoughts　and



designs　in　time　past　may　have　been。　　All　that　is　best　known



to　yourself。　　A　little　harmless　flirtation　or　so　will　occur；



and　one　is　often　drawn　on　to　give　more　encouragement　than



one　wishes　to　stand　by。　　But　you　may　be　assured　that　I



am　the　last　person　in　the　world　to　judge　you　severely。　



All　those　things　should　be　allowed　for　in　youth　and



high　spirits。　　What　one　means　one　day；　you　know；　one　may



not　mean　the　next。　　Circumstances　change；　opinions　alter。〃







　　　　　〃But　my　opinion　of　your　brother　never　did　alter；



it　was　always　the　same。　　You　are　describing　what　never　happened。〃







　　　　　〃My　dearest　Catherine；〃　continued　the　other　without



at　all　listening　to　her；　〃I　would　not　for　all　the　world



be　the　means　of　hurrying　you　into　an　engagement　before　you



knew　what　you　were　about。　　I　do　not　think　anything　would



justify　me　in　wishing　you　to　sacrifice　all　your　happiness



merely　to　oblige　my　brother；　because　he　is　my　brother；



and　who　perhaps　after　all；　you　know；　might　be　just　as　happy



without　you；　for　people　seldom　know　what　they　would　be　at；



young　men　especially；　they　are　so　amazingly　changeable



and　inconstant。　　What　I　say　is；　why　should　a　brother's



happiness　be　dearer　to　me　than　a　friend's？　You　know　I



carry　my　notions　of　friendship　pretty　high。　　But；　above



all　things；　my　dear　Catherine；　do　not　be　in　a　hurry。　



Take　my　word　for　it；　that　if　you　are　in　too　great　a　hurry；



you　will　certainly　live　to　repent　it。　　Tilney　says　there



is　nothing　people　are　so　often　deceived　in　as　the　state



of　their　own　affections；　and　I　believe　he　is　very　right。　



Ah！　Here　he　comes；　never　mind；　he　will　not　see　us；



I　am　sure。〃







　　　　　Catherine；　looking　up；　perceived　Captain　Tilney；



and　Isabella；　earnestly　fixing　her　eye　on　him　as　she　spoke；



soon　caught　his　notice。　　He　approached　immediately；



and　took　the　seat　to　which　her　movements　invited　him。　



His　first　address　made　Catherine　start。　　Though　spoken　low；



she　could　distinguish；　〃What！　Always　to　be　watched；　in　person



or　by　proxy！〃







　　　　　〃Psha；　nonsense！〃　was　Isabella's　answer　in　the



same　half　whisper。　　〃Why　do　you　put　such　things　into



my　head？　If　I　could　believe　itmy　spirit；　you　know；



is　pretty　independent。〃







　　　　　〃I　wish　your　heart　were　independent。　　That　would



be　enough　for　me。〃







　　　　　〃My　heart；　indeed！　What　can　you　have　to　do　with



hearts？　You　men　have　none　of　you　any　hearts。〃







　　　　　〃If　we　have　not　hearts；　we　have　eyes；　and　they　give



us　torment　enough。〃







　　　　　〃Do　they？　I　am　sorry　for　it；　I　am　sorry　they　find



anything　so　disagreeable　in　me。　　I　will　look　another　way。　



I　hope　this　pleases　you〃　（turning　her　back　on　him）；



〃I　hope　your　eyes　are　not　tormented　now。〃







　　　　　〃Never　more　so；　for　the　edge　of　a　blooming　cheek



is　still　in　viewat　once　too　much　and　too　little。〃







　　　　　Catherine　heard　all　this；　and　quite　out　of　countenance；



could　listen　no　longer。　　Amazed　that　Isabella　could　endure　it；



and　jealous　for　her　brother；　she　rose　up；　and　saying　she



should　join　Mrs。　Allen；　proposed　their　walking。　　But　for　this



Isabella　showed　no　inclination。　　She　was　so　amazingly　tired；



and　it　was　so　odious　to　parade　about　the　pump…room；



and　if　she　moved　from　her　seat　she　should　miss　her　sisters；



she　was　expecting　her　sisters　every　moment；　so　that　her　dearest



Catherine　must　excuse　her；　and　must　sit　quietly　down　again。　



But　Catherine　could　be　stubborn　too；　and　Mrs。　Allen　just



then　coming　up　to　propose　their　returning　home；　she　joined



her　and　walked　out　of　the　pump…room；　leaving　Isabella



still　sitting　with　Captain　Tilney。　　With　much　uneasiness



did　she　thus　leave　them。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　Captain



Tilney　was　falling　in　love　with　Isabella；　and　Isabella



unconsciously　encouraging　him；　unconsciously　it　must　be；



for　Isabella's　attachment　to　James　was　as　certain　and



well　acknowledged　as　her　engagement。　　To　doubt　her　truth



or　good　intentions　was　impossible；　and　yet；　during　the



whole　of　their　conversation　her　manner　had　been　odd。　



She　wished　Isabella　had　talked　more　like　her　usual　self；



and　not　so　much　about　money；　and　had　not　looked　so　well



pleased　at　the　sight　of　Captain　Tilney。　　How　strange



that　she　should　not　perceive　his　admiration！　Catherine



longed　to　give　her　a　hint　of　it；　to　put　her　on　her　guard；



and　prevent　all　the　pain　which　her　too　lively　behaviour



might　otherwise　create　both　for　him　and　her　brother。　







　　　　　The　compliment　of　John　Thorpe's　affection　did　not　make



amends　for　this　thoughtlessness　in　his　sister。　　She　was　almost



as　far　from　believing　as　from　wishing　it　to　be　sincere；



for　she　had　not　forgotten　that　he　could　mistake；　and　his



assertion　of　the　offer　and　of　her　encouragement　convinced



her　that　his　mistakes　could　sometimes　be　very　egregious。　



In　vanity；　therefore；　she　gained　but　little；　her　chief



profit　was　in　wonder。　　That　he　should　think　it　worth



his　while　to　fancy　himself　in　love　with　her　was　a　matter



of　lively　astonishment。　　Isabella　talked　of　his　attentions；



she　had　never　been　sensible　of　any；　but　Isabella　had　said



many　things　which　she　hoped　had　been　spoken　in　haste；