northanger abbey-第43章

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the　reflection　of　her　own　change　of　feelings　and　spirits



since　last　she　had　trodden　that　well…known　road。　　It　was



not　three　months　ago　since；　wild　with　joyful　expectation；



she　had　there　run　backwards　and　forwards　some　ten　times



a　day；　with　an　heart　light；　gay；　and　independent；



looking　forward　to　pleasures　untasted　and　unalloyed；



and　free　from　the　apprehension　of　evil　as　from　the　knowledge



of　it。　　Three　months　ago　had　seen　her　all　this；　and　now；



how　altered　a　being　did　she　return！







　　　　　She　was　received　by　the　Allens　with　all　the　kindness



which　her　unlooked…for　appearance；　acting　on　a　steady　affection；



would　naturally　call　forth；　and　great　was　their　surprise；



and　warm　their　displeasure；　on　hearing　how　she　had　been



treatedthough　Mrs。　Morland's　account　of　it　was　no



inflated　representation；　no　studied　appeal　to　their　passions。　



〃Catherine　took　us　quite　by　surprise　yesterday　evening；〃



said　she。　　〃She　travelled　all　the　way　post　by　herself；　and　knew



nothing　of　coming　till　Saturday　night；　for　General　Tilney；



from　some　odd　fancy　or　other；　all　of　a　sudden　grew　tired



of　having　her　there；　and　almost　turned　her　out　of　the　house。　



Very　unfriendly；　certainly；　and　he　must　be　a　very　odd　man；



but　we　are　so　glad　to　have　her　amongst　us　again！　And



it　is　a　great　comfort　to　find　that　she　is　not　a　poor



helpless　creature；　but　can　shift　very　well　for　herself。〃







　　　　　Mr。　Allen　expressed　himself　on　the　occasion　with　the



reasonable　resentment　of　a　sensible　friend；　and　Mrs。　Allen



thought　his　expressions　quite　good　enough　to　be　immediately



made　use　of　again　by　herself。　　His　wonder；　his　conjectures；



and　his　explanations　became　in　succession　hers；　with　the



addition　of　this　single　remark〃I　really　have　not　patience



with　the　general〃to　fill　up　every　accidental　pause。　



And；　〃I　really　have　not　patience　with　the　general；〃



was　uttered　twice　after　Mr。　Allen　left　the　room；



without　any　relaxation　of　anger；　or　any　material　digression



of　thought。　　A　more　considerable　degree　of　wandering



attended　the　third　repetition；　and；　after　completing



the　fourth；　she　immediately　added；　〃Only　think；　my　dear；



of　my　having　got　that　frightful　great　rent　in　my　best



Mechlin　so　charmingly　mended；　before　I　left　Bath；　that　one



can　hardly　see　where　it　was。　　I　must　show　it　you　some　day



or　other。　　Bath　is　a　nice　place；　Catherine；　after　all。　



I　assure　you　I　did　not　above　half　like　coming　away。　



Mrs。　Thorpe's　being　there　was　such　a　comfort　to　us；



was　not　it？　You　know；　you　and　I　were　quite　forlorn　at　first。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　but　that　did　not　last　long；〃　said　Catherine；



her　eyes　brightening　at　the　recollection　of　what　had　first



given　spirit　to　her　existence　there。　







　　　　　〃Very　true：　we　soon　met　with　Mrs。　Thorpe；　and　then　we



wanted　for　nothing。　　My　dear；　do　not　you　think　these　silk



gloves　wear　very　well？　I　put　them　on　new　the　first　time



of　our　going　to　the　Lower　Rooms；　you　know；　and　I　have　worn



them　a　great　deal　since。　　Do　you　remember　that　evening？〃







　　　　　〃Do　I！　Oh！　Perfectly。〃







　　　　　〃It　was　very　agreeable；　was　not　it？　Mr。　Tilney　drank



tea　with　us；　and　I　always　thought　him　a　great　addition；



he　is　so　very　agreeable。　　I　have　a　notion　you　danced　with　him；



but　am　not　quite　sure。　　I　remember　I　had　my　favourite



gown　on。〃







　　　　　Catherine　could　not　answer；　and；　after　a　short　trial



of　other　subjects；　Mrs。　Allen　again　returned　to〃I　really



have　not　patience　with　the　general！　Such　an　agreeable；



worthy　man　as　he　seemed　to　be！　I　do　not　suppose；



Mrs。　Morland；　you　ever　saw　a　better…bred　man　in　your　life。　



His　lodgings　were　taken　the　very　day　after　he　left



them；　Catherine。　　But　no　wonder；　Milsom　Street；　you　know。〃







　　　　　As　they　walked　home　again；　Mrs。　Morland　endeavoured



to　impress　on　her　daughter's　mind　the　happiness　of



having　such　steady　well…wishers　as　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Allen；



and　the　very　little　consideration　which　the　neglect



or　unkindness　of　slight　acquaintance　like　the　Tilneys



ought　to　have　with　her；　while　she　could　preserve　the



good　opinion　and　affection　of　her　earliest　friends。　



There　was　a　great　deal　of　good　sense　in　all　this；



but　there　are　some　situations　of　the　human　mind　in　which



good　sense　has　very　little　power；　and　Catherine's　feelings



contradicted　almost　every　position　her　mother　advanced。　



It　was　upon　the　behaviour　of　these　very　slight　acquaintance



that　all　her　present　happiness　depended；　and　while



Mrs。　Morland　was　successfully　confirming　her　own　opinions



by　the　justness　of　her　own　representations；　Catherine　was



silently　reflecting　that　now　Henry　must　have　arrived



at　Northanger；　now　he　must　have　heard　of　her　departure；



and　now；　perhaps；　they　were　all　setting　off　for　Hereford。　















CHAPTER　30











　　　　　Catherine's　disposition　was　not　naturally　sedentary；



nor　had　her　habits　been　ever　very　industrious；　but　whatever



might　hitherto　have　been　her　defects　of　that　sort；　her　mother



could　not　but　perceive　them　now　to　be　greatly　increased。　



She　could　neither　sit　still　nor　employ　herself　for　ten



minutes　together；　walking　round　the　garden　and　orchard



again　and　again；　as　if　nothing　but　motion　was　voluntary；



and　it　seemed　as　if　she　could　even　walk　about　the　house



rather　than　remain　fixed　for　any　time　in　the　parlour。　



Her　loss　of　spirits　was　a　yet　greater　alteration。　　In　her



rambling　and　her　idleness　she　might　only　be　a　caricature



of　herself；　but　in　her　silence　and　sadness　she　was　the　very



reverse　of　all　that　she　had　been　before。　







　　　　　For　two　days　Mrs。　Morland　allowed　it　to　pass　even



without　a　hint；　but　when　a　third　night's　rest　had　neither



restored　her　cheerfulness；　improved　her　in　useful　activity；



nor　given　her　a　greater　inclination　for　needlework；



she　could　no　longer　refrain　from　the　gentle　reproof　of；



〃My　dear　Catherine；　I　am　afraid　you　are　growing　quite



a　fine　lady。　　I　do　not　know　when　poor　Richard's　cravats



would　be　done；　if　he　had　no　friend　but　you。　　Your　head　runs



too　much　upon　Bath；　but　there　is　a　time　for　everythinga



time　for　balls　and　plays；　and　a　time　for　work。　



You　have　had　a　long　run　of　amusement；　and　now　you　must



try　to　be　useful。〃







　　　　　Catherine　took　up　her　work　directly；　saying；　in　a



dejected　voice；　that　〃her　head　did　not　run　upon　Bathmuch。〃







　　　　　〃Then　you　are　fretting　about　General　Tilney；



and　that　is　very　simple　of　you；　for　ten　to　one　whether　you



ever　see　him　again。　　You　should　never　fret　about　trifles。〃



After　a　short　silence〃I　hope；　my　Catherine；　you　are



not　getting　out　of　humour　with　home　because　it　is　not



so　grand　as　Northanger。　　That　would　be　turning　your　visit



into　an　evil　indeed。　　Wherever　you　are　you　should　always



be　contented；　but　especially　at　home；　because　there　you



must　spend　the　most　of　your　time。　　I　did　not　quite　like；



at　breakfast；　to　hear　you　talk　so　much　about　the　French



bread　at　Northanger。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　sure　I　do　not　care　about　the　bread。　



it　is　all　the　same　to　me　what　I　eat。〃







　　　　　〃There　is　a　very　clever　essay　in　one　of　the　books



upstairs　upon　much　such　a　subject；　about　young　girls　that



have　been　spoilt　for　home　by　great　acquaintanceThe　Mirror；



I　think。　　I　will　look　it　out　for　you　some　day　or　other；



because　I　am　sure　it　will　do　you　good。〃







　　　　　Catherine　said　no　more；　and；　with　an　endeavour　to　do　right；



applied　to　her　work；　but；　after　a　few　minutes；　sunk　again；



without　knowing　it　herself；　into　languor　and　listlessness；



moving　herself　in　her　chair；　from　the　irritation



of　weariness；　much　oftener　than　she　moved　her　needle。　



Mrs。　Morland　watched　the　progress　of　this　relapse；



and　seeing；　in　her　daughter's　absent　and　dissatisfied　look；



the　full　proof　of　that　repining　spirit　to　which　she



had　now　begun　to　attribute　her　want　of　cheerfulness；



hastily　left　the　room　to　fetch　the　book　in　question；



anxious　to　lose　no　time　in　attacking　so　dreadful　a　malady。　



It　was　some　time　before　she　could　find　what　she　looked　for；



and　other　family　matters　occurring　to　detain　her；



a　quarter　of　an　hour　had　elapsed　ere　she　returned



downstairs　with　the　volume　from　which　so　much　was　hoped。　



Her　avocations　above　having　shut　out　all　noise　but　what　she



created　herself；　she　knew　not　that　a　visitor　had　arrived



within　the　last　few　minutes；　till；　on　entering　the　room；



the　first　object　she　beheld　was　a　young　man　whom　she



had　never　seen　before。　　With　a　look　of　much　respect；



he　immediately　rose；　and　being　introduced　to　her　by　her



conscious　daughter　as　〃Mr。　Henry　Tilney；〃　with　the



embarrassment　of　real　sensibility　began　to　apologize



for　his　appearance　there；　acknowledging　that　after



what　had　passed　he　had　little　right　to　expect　a　welcome



at　Fullerton；　and　stating　his　impatience　to　be　assured



of　Miss　Morland's　having　reached　her　home　in　safety；



as　the　cause　of　his　intrusion。　　He　did　not　address　himself



to　an　uncandid　judge　or　a　resentful　heart。　　Far　from



comprehending　him　or　his　sister　in　their　father's　misconduct；



Mrs。　Morland　had　been　always　kindly　disposed　towards　each；



and　instantly；　pleased　by　his　appearance；　received　him



with　the　simple　professions　of　unaffected　benevolence；



thanking　him　for　such　an　attention　to　her　daughter；



assuring　him　that　the　friends　of　her　children　were　always



welcome　there；　and　entreating　him　to　say　not　another　word　of



the　past。　







　　　　　He　was　not　ill…inclined　to　obey　this　request；　for；



though　his　heart　was　greatly　relieved　by　such　unlooked…for



mildness；　it　was　not　just　at　that　moment　in　his　power



to　say　anything　to　the　purpose。　　Returning　in　silence



to　his　seat；　therefore；　he　remained　for　some　minutes　most



civilly　answering　all　Mrs。　Morland's　common　remarks　about



the　weather　and　roads。　　Catherine　meanwhilethe　anxious；



agitated；　happy；　feverish　Catherinesaid　not　a　word；



but　her　glowing　cheek　and　brightened　eye　made　her　mother



trust　that　this　good…natured　visit　would　at　least　set



her　heart　at　ease　for　a　time；　and　gladly　therefore



did　she　lay　aside　the　first　volume　of　The　Mirror　for　a　future　hour。　







　　　　　Desirous　of　Mr。　Morland's　assistance；　as　well　in



giving　encouragement；　as　in　finding　conversation　for



her　guest；　whose　embarrassment　on　his　father's　account　she



earnestly　pitied；　Mrs。　Morland　had　very　early　dispatched



one　of　t