northanger abbey-第7章

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her　that　it　was　twenty…three　miles。　







　　　　　〃Three　and　twenty！〃　cried　Thorpe。　　〃Five　and　twenty　if　it



is　an　inch。〃　Morland　remonstrated；　pleaded　the　authority



of　road…books；　innkeepers；　and　milestones；　but　his　friend



disregarded　them　all；　he　had　a　surer　test　of　distance。　



〃I　know　it　must　be　five　and　twenty；〃　said　he；　〃by　the



time　we　have　been　doing　it。　　It　is　now　half　after　one；



we　drove　out　of　the　inn…yard　at　Tetbury　as　the　town　clock



struck　eleven；　and　I　defy　any　man　in　England　to　make



my　horse　go　less　than　ten　miles　an　hour　in　harness；



that　makes　it　exactly　twenty…five。〃







　　　　　〃You　have　lost　an　hour；〃　said　Morland；　〃it　was　only



ten　o'clock　when　we　came　from　Tetbury。〃







　　　　　〃Ten　o'clock！　It　was　eleven；　upon　my　soul！　I　counted



every　stroke。　　This　brother　of　yours　would　persuade　me



out　of　my　senses；　Miss　Morland；　do　but　look　at　my　horse；



did　you　ever　see　an　animal　so　made　for　speed　in　your　life？〃



（The　servant　had　just　mounted　the　carriage　and　was　driving　off。）



〃Such　true　blood！　Three　hours　and　and　a　half　indeed　coming



only　three　and　twenty　miles！　Look　at　that　creature；



and　suppose　it　possible　if　you　can。〃







　　　　　〃He　does　look　very　hot；　to　be　sure。〃







　　　　　〃Hot！　He　had　not　turned　a　hair　till　we　came　to



Walcot　Church；　but　look　at　his　forehand；　look　at　his　loins；



only　see　how　he　moves；　that　horse　cannot　go　less　than



ten　miles　an　hour：　tie　his　legs　and　he　will　get　on。　



What　do　you　think　of　my　gig；　Miss　Morland？　A　neat　one；



is　not　it？　Well　hung；　town…built；　I　have　not　had　it　a　month。　



It　was　built　for　a　Christchurch　man；　a　friend　of　mine；



a　very　good　sort　of　fellow；　he　ran　it　a　few　weeks；　till；



I　believe；　it　was　convenient　to　have　done　with　it。　



I　happened　just　then　to　be　looking　out　for　some　light



thing　of　the　kind；　though　I　had　pretty　well　determined　on



a　curricle　too；　but　I　chanced　to　meet　him　on　Magdalen　Bridge；



as　he　was　driving　into　Oxford；　last　term：　'Ah！　Thorpe；'



said　he；　'do　you　happen　to　want　such　a　little　thing



as　this？　It　is　a　capital　one　of　the　kind；　but　I　am



cursed　tired　of　it。'　'Oh！　D；'　said　I；　'I　am　your　man；



what　do　you　ask？'　And　how　much　do　you　think　he　did；



Miss　Morland？〃







　　　　　〃I　am　sure　I　cannot　guess　at　all。〃







　　　　　〃Curricle…hung；　you　see；　seat；　trunk；　sword…case；



splashing…board；　lamps；　silver　moulding；　all　you



see　complete；　the　iron…work　as　good　as　new；　or　better。　



He　asked　fifty　guineas；　I　closed　with　him　directly；



threw　down　the　money；　and　the　carriage　was　mine。〃







　　　　　〃And　I　am　sure；〃　said　Catherine；　〃I　know　so　little



of　such　things　that　I　cannot　judge　whether　it　was　cheap



or　dear。〃







　　　　　〃Neither　one　nor　t'other；　I　might　have　got　it　for　less；



I　dare　say；　but　I　hate　haggling；　and　poor　Freeman　wanted　cash。〃







　　　　　〃That　was　very　good…natured　of　you；〃　said　Catherine；



quite　pleased。　







　　　　　〃Oh！　D　it；　when　one　has　the　means　of　doing　a　kind



thing　by　a　friend；　I　hate　to　be　pitiful。〃







　　　　　An　inquiry　now　took　place　into　the　intended　movements



of　the　young　ladies；　and；　on　finding　whither　they　were　going；



it　was　decided　that　the　gentlemen　should　accompany　them



to　Edgar's　Buildings；　and　pay　their　respects　to　Mrs。　Thorpe。　



James　and　Isabella　led　the　way；　and　so　well　satisfied



was　the　latter　with　her　lot；　so　contentedly　was　she



endeavouring　to　ensure　a　pleasant　walk　to　him　who　brought



the　double　recommendation　of　being　her　brother's　friend；



and　her　friend's　brother；　so　pure　and　uncoquettish



were　her　feelings；　that；　though　they　overtook　and



passed　the　two　offending　young　men　in　Milsom　Street；



she　was　so　far　from　seeking　to　attract　their　notice；



that　she　looked　back　at　them　only　three　times。　







　　　　　John　Thorpe　kept　of　course　with　Catherine；　and；　after　a



few　minutes'　silence；　renewed　the　conversation　about　his　gig。　



〃You　will　find；　however；　Miss　Morland；　it　would　be　reckoned



a　cheap　thing　by　some　people；　for　I　might　have　sold　it



for　ten　guineas　more　the　next　day；　Jackson；　of　Oriel；



bid　me　sixty　at　once；　Morland　was　with　me　at　the　time。〃







　　　　　〃Yes；〃　said　Morland；　who　overheard　this；　〃but　you



forget　that　your　horse　was　included。〃







　　　　　〃My　horse！　Oh；　d　it！　I　would　not　sell　my　horse



for　a　hundred。　　Are　you　fond　of　an　open　carriage；



Miss　Morland？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　very；　I　have　hardly　ever　an　opportunity



of　being　in　one；　but　I　am　particularly　fond　of　it。〃







　　　　　〃I　am　glad　of　it；　I　will　drive　you　out　in　mine



every　day。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you；〃　said　Catherine；　in　some　distress；



from　a　doubt　of　the　propriety　of　accepting　such　an　offer。　







　　　　　〃I　will　drive　you　up　Lansdown　Hill　tomorrow。〃







　　　　　〃Thank　you；　but　will　not　your　horse　want　rest？〃







　　　　　〃Rest！　He　has　only　come　three　and　twenty　miles　today；



all　nonsense；　nothing　ruins　horses　so　much　as　rest；



nothing　knocks　them　up　so　soon。　　No；　no；　I　shall　exercise



mine　at　the　average　of　four　hours　every　day　while　I



am　here。〃







　　　　　〃Shall　you　indeed！〃　said　Catherine　very　seriously。　



〃That　will　be　forty　miles　a　day。〃







　　　　　〃Forty！　Aye；　fifty；　for　what　I　care。　　Well；　I　will



drive　you　up　Lansdown　tomorrow；　mind；　I　am　engaged。〃







　　　　　〃How　delightful　that　will　be！〃　cried　Isabella；



turning　round。　　〃My　dearest　Catherine；　I　quite　envy　you；



but　I　am　afraid；　brother；　you　will　not　have　room　for



a　third。〃







　　　　　〃A　third　indeed！　No；　no；　I　did　not　come　to　Bath



to　drive　my　sisters　about；　that　would　be　a　good　joke；



faith！　Morland　must　take　care　of　you。〃







　　　　　This　brought　on　a　dialogue　of　civilities　between



the　other　two；　but　Catherine　heard　neither　the　particulars



nor　the　result。　　Her　companion's　discourse　now　sunk　from



its　hitherto　animated　pitch　to　nothing　more　than　a　short



decisive　sentence　of　praise　or　condemnation　on　the　face



of　every　woman　they　met；　and　Catherine；　after　listening



and　agreeing　as　long　as　she　could；　with　all　the　civility



and　deference　of　the　youthful　female　mind；　fearful　of



hazarding　an　opinion　of　its　own　in　opposition　to　that　of　a



self…assured　man；　especially　where　the　beauty　of　her　own



sex　is　concerned；　ventured　at　length　to　vary　the　subject



by　a　question　which　had　been　long　uppermost　in　her　thoughts；



it　was；　〃Have　you　ever　read　Udolpho；　Mr。　Thorpe？〃







　　　　　〃Udolpho！　Oh；　Lord！　Not　I；　I　never　read　novels；



I　have　something　else　to　do。〃







　　　　　Catherine；　humbled　and　ashamed；　was　going　to　apologize



for　her　question；　but　he　prevented　her　by　saying；



〃Novels　are　all　so　full　of　nonsense　and　stuff；　there　has



not　been　a　tolerably　decent　one　come　out　since　Tom　Jones；



except　The　Monk；　I　read　that　t'other　day；　but　as　for　all



the　others；　they　are　the　stupidest　things　in　creation。〃







　　　　　〃I　think　you　must　like　Udolpho；　if　you　were　to　read　it；



it　is　so　very　interesting。〃







　　　　　〃Not　I；　faith！　No；　if　I　read　any；　it　shall



be　Mrs。　Radcliffe's；　her　novels　are　amusing　enough；



they　are　worth　reading；　some　fun　and　nature　in　them。〃







　　　　　〃Udolpho　was　written　by　Mrs。　Radcliffe；〃　said　Catherine；



with　some　hesitation；　from　the　fear　of　mortifying　him。　







　　　　　〃No　sure；　was　it？　Aye；　I　remember；　so　it　was；



I　was　thinking　of　that　other　stupid　book；　written　by



that　woman　they　make　such　a　fuss　about；　she　who　married



the　French　emigrant。〃







　　　　　〃I　suppose　you　mean　Camilla？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　that's　the　book；　such　unnatural　stuff！　An　old



man　playing　at　see…saw；　I　took　up　the　first　volume　once



and　looked　it　over；　but　I　soon　found　it　would　not　do；



indeed　I　guessed　what　sort　of　stuff　it　must　be　before　I



saw　it：　as　soon　as　I　heard　she　had　married　an　emigrant；



I　was　sure　I　should　never　be　able　to　get　through　it。〃







　　　　　〃I　have　never　read　it。〃







　　　　　〃You　had　no　loss；　I　assure　you；　it　is　the　horridest



nonsense　you　can　imagine；　there　is　nothing　in　the　world　in　it



but　an　old　man's　playing　at　see…saw　and　learning　Latin；



upon　my　soul　there　is　not。〃







　　　　　This　critique；　the　justness　of　which　was　unfortunately



lost　on　poor　Catherine；　brought　them　to　the　door



of　Mrs。　Thorpe's　lodgings；　and　the　feelings　of　the



discerning　and　unprejudiced　reader　of　Camilla　gave　way



to　the　feelings　of　the　dutiful　and　affectionate　son；



as　they　met　Mrs。　Thorpe；　who　had　descried　them　from　above；



in　the　passage。　　〃Ah；　Mother！　How　do　you　do？〃　said　he；



giving　her　a　hearty　shake　of　the　hand。　　〃Where　did　you　get



that　quiz　of　a　hat？　It　makes　you　look　like　an　old　witch。　



Here　is　Morland　and　I　come　to　stay　a　few　days　with　you；



so　you　must　look　out　for　a　couple　of　good　beds



somewhere　near。〃　And　this　address　seemed　to　satisfy　all



the　fondest　wishes　of　the　mother's　heart；　for　she　received



him　with　the　most　delighted　and　exulting　affection。　



On　his　two　younger　sisters　he　then　bestowed　an　equal　portion



of　his　fraternal　tenderness；　for　he　asked　each　of　them



how　they　did；　and　observed　that　they　both　looked　very　ugly。　







　　　　　These　manners　did　not　please　Catherine；



but　he　was　James's　friend　and　Isabella's　brother；



and　her　judgment　was　further　bought　off　by　Isabella's



assuring　her；　when　they　withdrew　to　see　the　new　hat；



that　John　thought　her　the　most　charming　girl　in　the　world；



and　by　John's　engaging　her　before　they　parted　to　dance



with　him　that　evening。　　Had　she　been　older　or　vainer；



such　attacks　might　have　done　little；　but；　where　youth



and　diffidence　are　united；　it　requires　uncommon　steadiness



of　reason　to　resist　the　attraction　of　being　called　the　most



charming　girl　in　the　world；　and　of　being　so　very　early



engaged　as　a　partner；　and　the　consequence　was　that；



when　the　two　Morlands；　after　sitting　an　hour　with　the　Thorpes；



set　off　to　walk　together　to　Mr。　Allen's；　and　James；



as　the　door　was　closed　on　them；　said；　〃Well；　Catherine；



how　do　you　like　my　friend　Thorpe？〃　instead　of　answering；



as　she　probably　would　have　done；　had　there　been　no　friendship



and　no　flattery　in　the　case；　〃I　do　not　like　him　at　all；〃



she　directly　replied；　〃I　like　him　very　much；　he　seems



very　agreeable。〃







　　　　　〃He　is　as　good…natured　a　fellow　as　ever　lived；



a　little　of　a　rattle；　but　that　will　recommend　him　to　your　sex；



I　believe：　and　how　do　you　like　the　rest　of　the　family？〃