northanger abbey-第31章

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of　doors。　　The　pleasure　of　walking　and　breathing　fresh



air　is　enough　for　me；　and　in　fine　weather　I　am　out　more



than　half　my　time。　　Mamma　says　I　am　never　within。〃







　　　　　〃At　any　rate；　however；　I　am　pleased　that　you　have



learnt　to　love　a　hyacinth。　　The　mere　habit　of　learning



to　love　is　the　thing；　and　a　teachableness　of　disposition



in　a　young　lady　is　a　great　blessing。　　Has　my　sister



a　pleasant　mode　of　instruction？〃







　　　　　Catherine　was　saved　the　embarrassment　of　attempting



an　answer　by　the　entrance　of　the　general；　whose　smiling



compliments　announced　a　happy　state　of　mind；　but　whose



gentle　hint　of　sympathetic　early　rising　did　not　advance



her　composure。　







　　　　　The　elegance　of　the　breakfast　set　forced　itself



on　Catherine's　notice　when　they　were　seated　at　table；



and；　lucidly；　it　had　been　the　general's　choice。　　He　was



enchanted　by　her　approbation　of　his　taste；　confessed　it



to　be　neat　and　simple；　thought　it　right　to　encourage



the　manufacture　of　his　country；　and　for　his　part；　to　his



uncritical　palate；　the　tea　was　as　well　flavoured　from　the



clay　of　Staffordshire；　as　from　that　of　Dresden　or　Save。　



But　this　was　quite　an　old　set；　purchased　two　years　ago。　



The　manufacture　was　much　improved　since　that　time；



he　had　seen　some　beautiful　specimens　when　last　in　town；



and　had　he　not　been　perfectly　without　vanity　of



that　kind；　might　have　been　tempted　to　order　a　new　set。　



He　trusted；　however；　that　an　opportunity　might　ere



long　occur　of　selecting　onethough　not　for　himself。　



Catherine　was　probably　the　only　one　of　the　party　who　did



not　understand　him。　







　　　　　Shortly　after　breakfast　Henry　left　them　for　Woodston；



where　business　required　and　would　keep　him　two　or　three　days。　



They　all　attended　in　the　hall　to　see　him　mount　his　horse；



and　immediately　on　re…entering　the　breakfast…room；　Catherine



walked　to　a　window　in　the　hope　of　catching　another　glimpse



of　his　figure。　　〃This　is　a　somewhat　heavy　call　upon　your



brother's　fortitude；〃　observed　the　general　to　Eleanor。　



〃Woodston　will　make　but　a　sombre　appearance　today。〃







　　　　　〃Is　it　a　pretty　place？〃　asked　Catherine。　







　　　　　〃What　say　you；　Eleanor？　Speak　your　opinion；



for　ladies　can　best　tell　the　taste　of　ladies　in　regard



to　places　as　well　as　men。　　I　think　it　would　be　acknowledged



by　the　most　impartial　eye　to　have　many　recommendations。　



The　house　stands　among　fine　meadows　facing　the　south…east；



with　an　excellent　kitchen…garden　in　the　same　aspect；



the　walls　surrounding　which　I　built　and　stocked　myself



about　ten　years　ago；　for　the　benefit　of　my　son。　　It　is



a　family　living；　Miss　Morland；　and　the　property　in　the



place　being　chiefly　my　own；　you　may　believe　I　take　care



that　it　shall　not　be　a　bad　one。　　Did　Henry's　income　depend



solely　on　this　living；　he　would　not　be　ill…provided　for。　



Perhaps　it　may　seem　odd；　that　with　only　two　younger　children；



I　should　think　any　profession　necessary　for　him；



and　certainly　there　are　moments　when　we　could　all　wish　him



disengaged　from　every　tie　of　business。　　But　though　I　may



not　exactly　make　converts　of　you　young　ladies；　I　am　sure



your　father；　Miss　Morland；　would　agree　with　me　in　thinking



it　expedient　to　give　every　young　man　some　employment。　



The　money　is　nothing；　it　is　not　an　object；　but　employment



is　the　thing。　　Even　Frederick；　my　eldest　son；　you　see；



who　will　perhaps　inherit　as　considerable　a　landed　property



as　any　private　man　in　the　county；　has　his　profession。〃







　　　　　The　imposing　effect　of　this　last　argument　was



equal　to　his　wishes。　　The　silence　of　the　lady　proved



it　to　be　unanswerable。　







　　　　　Something　had　been　said　the　evening　before　of　her



being　shown　over　the　house；　and　he　now　offered　himself



as　her　conductor；　and　though　Catherine　had　hoped　to　explore



it　accompanied　only　by　his　daughter；　it　was　a　proposal



of　too　much　happiness　in　itself；　under　any　circumstances；



not　to　be　gladly　accepted；　for　she　had　been　already



eighteen　hours　in　the　abbey；　and　had　seen　only　a　few　of



its　rooms。　　The　netting…box；　just　leisurely　drawn　forth；



was　closed　with　joyful　haste；　and　she　was　ready　to



attend　him　in　a　moment。　　〃And　when　they　had　gone　over



the　house；　he　promised　himself　moreover　the　pleasure



of　accompanying　her　into　the　shrubberies　and　garden。〃



She　curtsied　her　acquiescence。　　〃But　perhaps　it　might　be



more　agreeable　to　her　to　make　those　her　first　object。　



The　weather　was　at　present　favourable；　and　at　this　time



of　year　the　uncertainty　was　very　great　of　its　continuing　so。　



Which　would　she　prefer？　He　was　equally　at　her　service。　



Which　did　his　daughter　think　would　most　accord　with　her



fair　friend's　wishes？　But　he　thought　he　could　discern。　



Yes；　he　certainly　read　in　Miss　Morland's　eyes　a　judicious



desire　of　making　use　of　the　present　smiling　weather。　



But　when　did　she　judge　amiss？　The　abbey　would　be　always



safe　and　dry。　　He　yielded　implicitly；　and　would　fetch



his　hat　and　attend　them　in　a　moment。〃　He　left　the　room；



and　Catherine；　with　a　disappointed；　anxious　face；



began　to　speak　of　her　unwillingness　that　he　should　be



taking　them　out　of　doors　against　his　own　inclination；



under　a　mistaken　idea　of　pleasing　her；　but　she　was　stopped



by　Miss　Tilney's　saying；　with　a　little　confusion；　〃I　believe



it　will　be　wisest　to　take　the　morning　while　it　is　so　fine；



and　do　not　be　uneasy　on　my　father's　account；　he　always　walks



out　at　this　time　of　day。〃







　　　　　Catherine　did　not　exactly　know　how　this　was



to　be　understood。　　Why　was　Miss　Tilney　embarrassed？



Could　there　be　any　unwillingness　on　the　general's　side



to　show　her　over　the　abbey？　The　proposal　was　his　own。　



And　was　not　it　odd　that　he　should　always　take　his　walk



so　early？　Neither　her　father　nor　Mr。　Allen　did　so。　



It　was　certainly　very　provoking。　　She　was　all　impatience





to　see　the　house；　and　had　scarcely　any　curiosity　about



the　grounds。　　If　Henry　had　been　with　them　indeed！　But　now



she　should　not　know　what　was　picturesque　when　she　saw　it。　



Such　were　her　thoughts；　but　she　kept　them　to　herself；



and　put　on　her　bonnet　in　patient　discontent。　







　　　　　She　was　struck；　however；　beyond　her　expectation；



by　the　grandeur　of　the　abbey；　as　she　saw　it　for　the　first　time



from　the　lawn。　　The　whole　building　enclosed　a　large　court；



and　two　sides　of　the　quadrangle；　rich　in　Gothic　ornaments；



stood　forward　for　admiration。　　The　remainder　was　shut



off　by　knolls　of　old　trees；　or　luxuriant　plantations；



and　the　steep　woody　hills　rising　behind；　to　give　it　shelter；



were　beautiful　even　in　the　leafless　month　of　March。　



Catherine　had　seen　nothing　to　compare　with　it；　and　her



feelings　of　delight　were　so　strong；　that　without　waiting



for　any　better　authority；　she　boldly　burst　forth　in　wonder



and　praise。　　The　general　listened　with　assenting　gratitude；



and　it　seemed　as　if　his　own　estimation　of　Northanger　had



waited　unfixed　till　that　hour。　







　　　　　The　kitchen…garden　was　to　be　next　admired；　and　he



led　the　way　to　it　across　a　small　portion　of　the　park。　







　　　　　The　number　of　acres　contained　in　this　garden　was



such　as　Catherine　could　not　listen　to　without　dismay；



being　more　than　double　the　extent　of　all　Mr。　Allen's；



as　well　her　father's；　including　church…yard　and　orchard。　



The　walls　seemed　countless　in　number；　endless　in　length；



a　village　of　hot…houses　seemed　to　arise　among　them；



and　a　whole　parish　to　be　at　work　within　the　enclosure。　



The　general　was　flattered　by　her　looks　of　surprise；



which　told　him　almost　as　plainly；　as　he　soon　forced　her



to　tell　him　in　words；　that　she　had　never　seen　any　gardens



at　all　equal　to　them　before；　and　he　then　modestly　owned　that；



〃without　any　ambition　of　that　sort　himselfwithout　any



solicitude　about　ithe　did　believe　them　to　be　unrivalled



in　the　kingdom。　　If　he　had　a　hobby…horse；　it　was　that。　



He　loved　a　garden。　　Though　careless　enough　in　most



matters　of　eating；　he　loved　good　fruitor　if　he　did　not；



his　friends　and　children　did。　　There　were　great　vexations；



however；　attending　such　a　garden　as　his。　　The　utmost



care　could　not　always　secure　the　most　valuable　fruits。　



The　pinery　had　yielded　only　one　hundred　in　the　last　year。　



Mr。　Allen；　he　supposed；　must　feel　these　inconveniences　as　well



as　himself。〃







　　　　　〃No；　not　at　all。　　Mr。　Allen　did　not　care　about



the　garden；　and　never　went　into　it。〃







　　　　　With　a　triumphant　smile　of　self…satisfaction；



the　general　wished　he　could　do　the　same；　for　he　never



entered　his；　without　being　vexed　in　some　way　or　other；



by　its　falling　short　of　his　plan。　







　　　　　〃How　were　Mr。　Allen's　succession…houses　worked？〃



describing　the　nature　of　his　own　as　they　entered　them。　







　　　　　〃Mr。　Allen　had　only　one　small　hot…house；　which



Mrs。　Allen　had　the　use　of　for　her　plants　in　winter；



and　there　was　a　fire　in　it　now　and　then。〃







　　　　　〃He　is　a　happy　man！〃　said　the　general；　with　a　look



of　very　happy　contempt。　







　　　　　Having　taken　her　into　every　division；　and　led　her



under　every　wall；　till　she　was　heartily　weary　of　seeing



and　wondering；　he　suffered　the　girls　at　last　to　seize



the　advantage　of　an　outer　door；　and　then　expressing　his



wish　to　examine　the　effect　of　some　recent　alterations



about　the　tea…house；　proposed　it　as　no　unpleasant



extension　of　their　walk；　if　Miss　Morland　were　not　tired。　



〃But　where　are　you　going；　Eleanor？　Why　do　you　choose



that　cold；　damp　path　to　it？　Miss　Morland　will　get　wet。　



Our　best　way　is　across　the　park。〃







　　　　　〃This　is　so　favourite　a　walk　of　mine；〃　said　Miss　Tilney；



〃that　I　always　think　it　the　best　and　nearest　way。　



But　perhaps　it　may　be　damp。〃







　　　　　It　was　a　narrow　winding　path　through　a　thick　grove　of　old



Scotch　firs；　and　Catherine；　struck　by　its　gloomy　aspect；



and　eager　to　enter　it；　could　not；　even　by　the　general's



disapprobation；　be　kept　from　stepping　forward。　　He　perceived



her　inclination；　and　having　again　urged　the　plea　of　health



in　vain；　was　too　polite　to　make　further　opposition。　



He　excused　himself；　however；　from　attending　them：　〃The



rays　of　the　sun　were　not　too　cheerful　for　him；　and　he



would　meet　them　by　another　course。〃　He　turned　away；



and　Catherine　was　shocked　to　find　how　much　her　spirits



were　relieved　by　the　separation。　　The　shock；　however；



being　less　real　than　the　relief；